My Top Tips for Making Your European Christmas Market Trip the Best

This episode is part 3 of my European Christmas market series! Listen to all things related to housing, travel, and other logistics of visiting the Christmas markets.

In this post, I will cover my top logistical tips for visiting Christmas markets. I have spent many hours researching the Christmas markets, and I hope to share some valuable knowledge with you.

1. Housing

You might be wondering where to stay on your European Christmas market trip. Here are some things to consider:

  • How many people are you traveling with? If it’s just you and one other person, hotels might be a good option, while Aribnb’s might work better for families.

  • Try to pick somewhere close to the city center. Most markets are in the city center so it’s nice to stay somewhere accessible to that.

    • On websites like Airbnb or Booking.com, use the map! This helps you to visualize what places are close to the markets. 

  • Places we stayed:

    • London - Hotel Covent Garden 

    • Paris - Airbnb (a little bit creepy, but a cool old building)

    • Strasbourg - Airbnb (awesome city-center location!)

    • Heidelberg - Vrbo (stayed here for Christmas and loved it) 

    • Stuttgart - Hotel (close to the train station and downtown) 

    • Brussels - Booking.com apartment  (amazing penthouse)

    • Amsterdam - Airbnb houseboat (on the canal, but a bit out of town)


2. Traveling between cities

Things to consider:

  • How far apart are the cities you are visiting?

  • What is the fastest transportation?

  • What is the most cost-effective mode of transportation?

Common modes of transportation between European cities:

  • Train

  • Private driver

  • Rent a car (Road trip! And best flexibility.)

    • Make sure to check that parking will be available at your accommodations 

  • Bus tours/Coach buses (There are coach tours specifically for Christmas markets!)

  • Airplane

  • Christmas market-specific river cruise

Most of the time we took trains or a private driver. The driver sounds fancy, but sometimes it was the same price (or even less) than all of our train tickets.

I love using daytrip.com to help plan transfers between cities. It also allows you to pick sightseeing stops along your drive.


3. Cell phone coverage

I highly recommend that at least one person in your group has cell service. Especially for the sake of mapping. We also like to be able to buy museum tickets online, make restaurant reservations, and look up things to do while we’re out.

We have AT&T which charges us $15/day for the first phone and $5/day for each additional phone. Our plan maxes out at $150 per billing cycle.

4. Tips about visiting the Christmas markets specifically

  • Most vendors take Apple Pay, but some are cash only. The Euro works throughout Europe. 

  • Consider going to the markets in the morning if you want less crowds. It definitely got busier as the day went on.

  • Visit the website for each market that you’re going to visit. This can provide you with general information about each market. 

  • Share food! There is so much delicious food throughout the market, so if you share one of each thing, you can try even more.

  • Bring a reusable bag if you plan on shopping a lot. This can help you carry everything that you buy.

  • Most vendors spoke English.

  • We liked to collect the mugs at each market. You can buy warm drinks and keep the mugs if you want! You’re allowed to exchange your dirty one for a clean one if you want to pack it. You could also return the mugs to get some money back.

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