so sorry,,,i know it august, buuuut cheap germany xmas markets to fly to from newcastle?

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and will it be fab for my 2 yo pfb or a waste of money? please advise oh experienced ones. oh we've never flown before so a close german city would be great....thanks

anyone please?

Not sure if this will help but we've been to several Christmas markets in the past in Germany and other countries.

I'd advise that you go mid-week as at weekends they are very, very busy. We went to the one at Lille (northern France)on a Saturday a couple of years ago and couldn't even walk around it let alone stop at the stalls. We had a pushchair with us which was a huge mistake. The children hated it as they couldn't see anything and were being pushed and jostled the whole time.

In Germany, Munich is a good place for Christmas markets and there are several around the city. However, the big one in the Marienplatz gets extremely crowded.

The one at Lübeck (near Hamburg) was good as was the one at Karlsrühe (which is closer). Nürnberg is meant to be one of the best but I haven't been there.

A big problem we find with Christmas markets is that they are so expensive (and a lot of the things being sold are tat). Yes, there are lovely candles and nativity scenes and biscuits and decorations but you pay a fortune for them. The best bit is the glühwein but it's strong stuff!

I personally wouldn't take my almost 3 year old specially to a Christmas market although my 5 year old twins probably would be old enough to handle the crowds now. I definitely wouldn't go at a weekend.

Sorry if this sounds negative - it's not meant to be and we had some lovely weekends away in Germany visiting Christmas markets before we had children.

Maybe other mumsnetters have had better experiences than me with children?

Definitely wouldn't take your 2 yr old, if there was any alternative. I have been to Christmas markets at Aachen and Cologne and got some lovely things, my experience was not that they were particularly expensive but that was a few years ago when the euro was weaker. Agree that even if prices have not gone up much in the interim, the exchange rate means everthing will be more expensive now. Ask yourself if you think your 2 yr old would enjoy a day in Harrods in a pushchair pre-Christmas and if the answer is no, then don't think about taking them to a Christmas market!

ah fab advice, badpups youre not negative at all its great to have good tips from those that have been . Thanks so much annh, the piccies look so lovely, but yes i spose it really is a christmas shopping scrum. Deffo worth posting as it would have been awful to go and have a otten time
thanks again

even rotten time!!!

We did cologne last year, and some other smaller town markets. You could take a 2yo, but you won't have as much fun. We took our dds (then 2&3) to the local ones. They liked the food (pancakes, fries potatoey things with apple sauce, hot chocolate) and quite liked looking at the little toy stalls.

St Nicholas (all dressed as a bishop with net curtain adornements) arrived and gave all the children little presents. They liked that. They got cold though, despite many layers. And bored after about an hour and a half.

DH and I did cologne childfree. Lots of markets, lots of people, lots of gluewine.....

I'll take my dds again but not until they are 6 -7 ish.

And go to cologne end nov early dec or it is a giant bun fight.

thanks slubberdegullion, i think i have made up mine and dhs mind for us...perhaps we will go in a couple of years time when dd is older.

I think that is a good decision. They really are great, but you will have more fun with an older child who can walk and stay up late.

hmm maybe me and dh for the day

Can you fly to Frankfurt from Newcastle? They have one and it is a bit smaller (and less crowded) than some of the more famous ones. Still very good if you like that kind of thing.

Not sure I'd bother with a 2yo, even though they'll like the lights. I think mine (2.4)would be bored within 5 minutes.

lol muffin, yes I have days like that too.... and cat64, no one of us has to drive, we cant both drink otherwise we may end up wth baby no 2...