Please critique our Christmas market plans

[MaitlandGirl]

We (DW, myself and MIL) are planning a trip to Europe for the Christmas Markets and some general tourist stuff.

This is what we've come up with so far, but we're not sure if we're making the most of our time.

Paris - 4 nights,
Strasbourg - 4 nights (including day trip to Colmar)
Nuremberg - 3 nights
Munich - 3 nights (including trip to Neuschwanstein Castle)
Disneyland Paris - 3 nights

We'll be travelling by train between cities apart from when we fly from Munich to DLP where we'll fly.

Does this sound workable? Is 4 days too long in Strasbourg, would we be better adding an extra night in Nuremberg or Munich? We're in Australia so need the 4 nights in Paris to recover from the flight and still be able to explore.

Sorry. Forgot to add EasyJet price examples.

11/12 days of German Christmas markets is going to be incredibly same-y.

I've only ever been to Cologne markets and even with a cathedral tour we were more than done in 2 days.

Why not research a visit to Rome? Id certainly be looking into how to squeeze more of Europe into my trip from Australia than yet another city selling exactly the same stuff. Paris-Rome return flights 12-15th Dec currently £114. There are also searches you can do for multi-city flights so Paris-Rome-Cologne.

It's bloody freezing too at that time of year!

Unless you plan day trips your time in Cologne and Stuttgart is too long

I think you'd be mad to not spend 2/3 nights in Salzburg! It's absolutely magical and lots to do with the Mozart/Sound of Music connections as well as markets for the evenings.

It's not a day trip from somewhere else- it's actually a really suitable base for day trips up into the mountains- we did a bus trip to St Wolfgang to get a boat across the lake and go up the mountain railway as well as enjoy the village. There's also options for a day trip to Hallstadt to enjoy the lakes/mountain scenery/ salt mine. These kinds of things would really break up all the citying nicely!

If you can leave your luggage somewhere in Paris for a couple of nights you might be able fly to Rome with just a small rucksack each for about 88AUD.

They'll be flying into CDG not ORY and that return flight would mean 5 different airport trips just to see Rome and no markets. Surely better to stick with Northern Italy?

It was because one OP's posts said the MIL might want to see the Vatican because she is Catholic.

Ah yes, might be worth it in that case.

As someone else said you can book an open-jaw ticket, it's basically the same price to fly into Paris from Sydney and to return to Sydney from of Rome with Qantas, as it is to book a return to Paris. https://www.qantas.com/gb/en/book-a-trip/flights/multi-city.html
Obviously you have more choice of open jaw destinations if you fly with one of the Asian or Middle Eastern. airlines, but I picked Qantas as an example because you are in Oz and you may be planning to use airmiles or something. I would do that instead of back tracking.

Definitely don't need 2 days at Disneyland Paris unless you have kids with you or you love rides. I love Disneyland Paris, but on an adults only trip with your MIL, who I am assuming is at least 60, if not quite a bit older, then I think a day is plenty.

I would plan on a lot fewer Christmas markets.

Munich is a great city with a lot to do that is very central. It's markets are all a bit different from each other so you don't get so much of the 'sameyness'

It's nice for dropping into the market for a drink after a day sightseeing.

Have also done Cologne and honestly there isn't so much in the city - we did a lot of day trips - the markets are very crowded and there is a lot of sameyness.

Also personal opinion - the sausages in Cologne are not as nice as the Nurnberger sausages you get in Munich.

Scrapping the whole idea and going to Rome sounds awesome though. You could have a great time seeing all the presepi (nativity scenes) and your mum would love hearing Urbi et Orbi on Christmas Day.

Don't forget the weather will be very cold in Nuremberg and Munich at that time of the year. You'll be doing many coffee stops to warm up.

I would drop DLP all together.

I really loved Munich when I went a few years ago - lots to do in addition to the markets. Nuremberg and Cologne also great but less to do so would keep to 2-3 days max for those places and just do one of them. No idea about Strasbourg or Stuttgart but I would have thought they would be 2-3 day places only too. Vienna is great (generally and for the markets) if you want another idea.

"Also personal opinion - the sausages in Cologne are not as nice as the Nurnberger sausages you get in Munich."

Or indeed in Nuremberg. Completely agree

I agree with others saying pick where you want to go first. The big Christmas markets are generally all a bit samey, often with many stalls selling the same stuff.
It’s been a while since I went to Stuttgart Christmas market but I don’t think it was anything special and it wouldn’t be somewhere I’d go if I was travelling from Australia. The Esslingen market is excellent though.

Nuremberg has a great setting and I would recommend it but it could be a day trip or stopover on the way to somewhere else.

Smaller Christmas markets will likely have more local crafts and be a bit more interesting but they might only be open at weekends. Lindau on lake Constance is a nice one and is easily accessible by train.

Going to Füssen/ Neuschwanstein would also be a magical winter experience, especially if it snows. I would do a stopover here rather than a day trip. The castle is pretty spectacular and the town is nice too. There is a Christmas market here on the 2nd and 3rd advent weekends this year.

I agree with others in that Salzburg should definitely be on your itinerary, I’ve not been but I’ve heard it’s pretty magical.

All Christmas markets generally get very busy and also freezing cold after dark, if you want to browse or don’t enjoy large crowds, go during the day.

It will also be bloody cold in December - and I still don't get the point of walking around a Disneyfied imitation of what Americans think Europe looks like when the real thing - Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg, Cologne, Munich, Salzburg and even Rome - is right on you doorstep or easily accessible by train or plane.

I'm chiming in as a Disneyland Paris fan here.

Seems like there are a lot of people writing it off and saying don't do it or only do 1 day.

This isn't the case if you actually want to see everything.

Especially in November/December. They have beautiful Christmas decorations and parade and shows. Also a big band a few times a day which I lovely. Also the winter food festival etc. It's really extra magical.

2 or 3 nights there is a great, more laid back, way to end your trip, especially if you stay in a Disney hotel as then you've everything in walking distance.

As long as it's not between 20th December - 2nd January anyway. I'd avoid during those dates as will be hugely crowded.

It really depends if you like rides. If so then you'd want more than a day so you can get on everything a few times each.

I'd go to parc asterix and dlp but then I like theme parks and find every single Christmas market sells exactly the same products that have been made in China.

Thanks for all your input and help - we've decided and counting down the days till we go.

We're flying to Rome for 4 nights (to be tourists),
flying to Paris for 3 nights (one day in Disney and general tourist bits ),
train to Strasbourg for 3 nights Christmas markets and a day to Colmar,
train to Stuttgart for 3 nights visiting Esslingen Medieval market and Tubingen Chocolate Festival
train to Cologne for 3 nights (to be tourists)
then train back into Paris for 3 nights for the Christmas lights, Tuileries Christmas Market and Versaille
then flying home from Paris.

It's been a really rough year for us all and we're all looking forward to our trip.

That looks a lot better than your initial proposal.

If you like chocolate, there's a Lindt museum in Cologne.

At Versailles, if you're getting a bit tired at the end of a long trip wandering around cities, you can hire little golf buggies that look like fun

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/plan-your-visit/facilities/small-electric-vehicles#opening-hours-and-access

Enjoy your trip! Two tips:

1. In Nürnberg, be careful not to end up returning to the station via the red light district. We had no idea they had one (historic home of Albrecht Dürer and all that). Although if that quarter has its own special Christmas Market, that might be fun...

1. @Alongthepineconetrail is probably right about Italy for your itinerary but I went to Venice one Christmas and it was absolutely fantastic. Everything JUST. WORKED. Vaporetti, restaurants, hotels, etc. No visible Xmas markets, mind you.

Sounds like a good plan

Christmas market river cruises in Europe are quite big now. There are lots of different companies but this gives a rough idea https://www.avalonwaterways.co.uk/river-cruises/christmas-cruises/ (you could ask for travel from Paris, say)

Ignore my suggestion - your itinerary looks great