Ready to feel some of that magic of Christmas again? Here is the Best European Christmas Market Itinerary so that you can make sure you see all the best Christmas that Europe has to offer! This route can be done by bus, flight, or train, but I’ve included the exact bus routes since that is the cheapest option. Let’s get started!
The Best Time of Year to Visit the Christmas Markets: Late November to Early December
Christmas Markets generally start around the last week in November or the first week of December.
However, the dates may change and are different for each Market, so I’ve included a link in each section to the city’s Christmas Market page that includes the dates and times of each Market.
Important Christmas Markets Tip: Make sure to book your accommodation at least 3 months in advance if possible. We waited too long and the prices were higher (and there weren’t any Airbnbs left in Colmar!). The trip is still possible, but you’ll have more options if you book earlier.
How Many Days Do You Need for This European Christmas Market Itinerary?
Our trip started on December 3rd and went through December 18th (including the days we flew in and out of Europe). In total, we spent 16 days touring these Christmas Markets.
However, we could have done this a lot faster, but we spent some days going to see Krampus runs (basically evil Austrian Santa).
If you stick to visiting the Christmas Markets, this itinerary should only take 12-13 days depending on how fast you like to travel.
This itinerary goes through three countries: Austria, Germany, and France. If you need to shorten the trip, you can choose to do just one or two countries instead of all three.
I would recommend choosing Austria and Germany if you had to choose only two, and Germany if you had to choose only one.
How to Book your Flights to Europe
If you don’t already use Pomelo Travel to find the best flight deals (like $250 roundtrip to Paris!), check out this blog post.
If you already have Pomelo Travel but haven’t received any deals for where you want to go, then follow the steps in this blog post to get the best deal from the US to Europe.
How to Get from City to City While in Europe
I cannot rave enough about my favorite way to travel Europe: FLIXBUS. Use this site to travel from city to city while saving tons of money (plus, you get to see incredible views on the way!)
If you’re considering using the trains or Eurail pass, DON’T! Read here to find out why it was our $1000 mistake on our first trip to Europe.
What to Pack to Visit the Christmas Markets
If you’re starting your itinerary in late November, the weather will be considerably warmer at the start of your trip than when you end it.
At first, I could get away with my down jacket, a beanie, and some gloves, but once we got into the first week of December and started going through Germany, I was freezing.
Make sure to pack clothes that you can layer easily. A long sleeve shirt, a sweater, and a down jacket on top will make a huge difference!
Don’t forget a scarf, a beanie that covers your ears (you might even need some ear muffs), and a pair of boots and boot socks that have good traction just in case it snows or the streets are icy. Make sure those boots are broken in for your trip, too!
The Best Christmas Markets in Europe Itinerary
First Christmas Market Stop: Vienna, Austria
You can either follow this route forward or backward. I based the first and last stop on how cheap it is to fly in or out of that city, so starting or ending in Paris or Vienna is perfect for saving money on flights.
Where & When
The absolute best Christmas Market (and my personal favorite) is the Viennese Dream Christmas Market right in front of the city hall. This Christmas Market has an ice skating rink and it was the only one we saw during this trip.
I definitely recommend trying ice skating while you’re here! Instead of a traditional ice rink, the one at this Christmas Market is like a lazy river that winds around an area of the market.
A few others we loved in the area were:
- Christmas Village Maria-Theresien Platz
- Art Advent at Karlsplatz
You can use the Austria Info website to find the dates and times of each Christmas Market in Vienna.
Christmas Market Tip: Don’t eat dinner before going! Instead, save your appetite for all the delicious holiday snacks. Make sure to try the Kinderpunch (non-alcoholic) or Gluhwein (mulled wine) to keep you warm!
Christmas Market #2: Hallstatt, Austria
This stop includes more than just the most photogenic town in all of Europe. This whole area is filled with adorable towns with Christmas Markets to visit.
Where and When
The Christmas Market in Hallstatt itself is only one night per year and the date can change. Check this website to find the date and time.
Other Christmas Markets in the area are:
Christmas Market #3: Salzburg, Austria
Although we only visited Salzburg as a day trip, if I were to do it again I would spend more time there!
Where & When
Use this website to find the times and dates for each of the Christmas Markets in Salzburg.
The best Christmas Market is the Salzburg Christmas Market at the foot of the Hohensalzburg fortress. We also visited the Hellbrunner Adventzauber but were unimpressed (plus, it costs money to enter). There are a few others in the city that are listed on the website above that you’ll have to discover for yourself! (:
The First of the German Christmas Markets: Munich, Germany
A quick hop over from Austria is one of my favorite European cities: Munich. I think it has the most beautiful city center I’ve ever seen (although it was also WAY colder!).
When & Where
Check out this website for the dates & times of the Christmas Markets in Munich.
The Best Christmas Markets in Munich are:
- Main Christmas Market in Marienplatz
- The Middle Ages Market (Munich Medieval Christmas Market)
- Rindermarkt
- Viktualienmarkt
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Although there isn’t a Christmas Market here (that I know of!), if you have the time, this is an awesome trip to take from Munich! The castle looks incredible in the snow and you should definitely visit in the winter!
You can either take a day trip or stay the night near the castle. Check out this post about how to get to this amazing castle with a guided tour.
We decided to stay the night at the foot of the castle (we splurged a little, but for only $75 we got to stay SUPER close to the castle!)
Here’s the link to book the same incredible hotel we stayed at.
Nuremberg, Germany
This is Jake’s favorite, and I do have to admit that this town really knows what they’re doing.
Instead of having to walk from one market to another, the markets in Nuremberg seem to never stop! You just walk through one and another starts right away!
Not to mention that this town has the most insanely beautiful architecture that goes perfectly with the Christmas markets.
When & Where
Use this website for the dates and times of the Christmas Market in Nuremberg. Since the market stretches out over so many different places in the city, I decided to mark places to visit instead of specific markets.
Here are the places you shouldn’t miss:
- Handwerkerhof Nuremberg
- Children’s Christmas Market at Hans-Sachs-Platz
- Church of Our Lady
- Fleischbrücke
- Schöner Brunnen
- Rathausplatz
The First of the Alsace Region Christmas Markets: Strasbourg, France
On to the French Christmas Markets! Strasbourg has one of the most famous Christmas Markets in Europe and is known as the “Capital of Christmas.
Unfortunately, in 2018 there was a shooting during the Christmas Market that killed 5 people. The city bounced back and continued with the Markets (we arrived only a few days after the shootings).
Although there was a more solemn feeling in the air that year, the markets were absolutely beautiful and definitely worth visiting.
When & Where
This website will help you plan the dates of your trip. There are markets all throughout the center of the city, so just like Nuremberg, here are the places you shouldn’t miss as you hop from Market to Market:
- Place du Temple Neuf
- Place de la Cathedrale
- Palais Rohan
- Place Kleber
- Place Benjamin Zix
- Barrage Vauban
Colmar, France
You can either stay in Colmar itself or take a day trip from Strasbourg (that’s what we did).
This small town is absolutely adorable, but I do have to admit that I felt a little claustrophobic here. The streets are very small and because of the hype, this city is PACKED during the Christmas Market season.
I suggest going very early in the morning or later at night if you’re traveling from Strasbourg.
When & Where
There are 6 main Christmas Markets in Colmar, which are all interconnected and easy to find since the town is quite small. This website lists all of them and their dates & times.
The main locations and places to see the best Markets are:
- Place de la Cathedrale
- Place des Dominicains
- Place de l’Ancienne Douane
- La Petite Venise
The Last Christmas Market of the Itinerary: Paris, France
The last stop on this magical Christmas Market tour is Paris, France. Although Paris is always a good idea, I do have to admit that it was my least favorite city for Christmas Markets. I loved seeing the city during Christmas time, but the markets were much larger and more commercialized than the traditional ones in the other cities.
However, Paris is such a cheap place to fly in and out of, so if you’re there, there’s still plenty to do during the Christmas Market Season!
When & Where
This is the best website to find the dates and times of each specific market. Unfortunately, the Eiffel Tower Christmas Market (the most beautiful one & the one I really wanted to go to!!) doesn’t open until late in the season (usually December 20th).
The best ones to visit are:
- Eiffel Tower Christmas Market
- Saint German des Pres
- Notre Dame
- The Magic of Christmas at the Jardin des Tuileries
The last one mentioned was the larger and more commercialized market that I didn’t really enjoy, but some people really like it so it might be worth a try!
Don’t forget to pin this for your European winter adventure!
Dayna Brockbank is a travel and language-learning blogger who has lived around the world but has now settled in Nice, France. She speaks 3 languages at varying levels of fluency: Spanish, Italian, and French, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Spanish Education. She and her husband focus on making travel part of life by living cheaply and traveling on a budget.
Kendal
Monday 23rd of November 2020
I remember reading this post last year and you mentioned an awesome stay at the base of the castle....came back here to figure out which one it is and book it! I'm hoping I get a snowy visit this year!