Want to plan the perfect Christmas market trip? This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process so you can experience the magic of Christmas in Europe.
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If you’ve ever dreamed of wandering through a European Christmas market with a mug of mulled wine in your hand, surrounded by twinkling lights, centuries-old buildings and little wooden stalls filled with Christmas treats, you’re in the right place.
I’ve visited more than 40 Christmas markets across Europe, from the famous markets of Vienna and Prague to storybook towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Riquewihr. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that planning a great Christmas market trip takes a little more strategy than simply picking a few beautiful cities and booking a flight.
You have to figure out when the markets actually open, which destinations work well together, how many nights you really need in each city and the best way to get from one stop to the next. Get the route right, and you can experience several incredible destinations in one trip without spending half your vacation in transit.
In this guide, I’m walking you through the exact process I use to plan my own European Christmas market trips, step by step. We’ll start by figuring out how much time you have and where you want to go, then build a route, book flights and hotels, plan transportation and activities, create a budget, and finally get you packed and ready to go.
By the end, you’ll have everything you need to turn that Christmas market wish list into an actual trip.
Free Christmas Market Trip Planner
I created a free printable Christmas Market Trip Planner to go along with this guide. It includes worksheets for choosing your destinations, building your route, comparing flights, planning your daily itinerary, tracking your budget and more. Click here to download it now!
Step 1: Choose Your Trip Length
Before you start picking Christmas markets or mapping out your route, figure out how much time you actually have for your trip. Your trip length will determine how many destinations you can realistically visit and how quickly you’ll need to move between them.
If you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, don’t forget to account for travel days. An overnight flight means you’ll typically arrive in Europe the day after you leave, and depending on your return flight, your last day may be mostly spent traveling too.
For a first Christmas market trip, I think 7–10 days in Europe is a great starting point. That gives you enough time to visit several destinations without feeling like you’re constantly packing your suitcase and heading back to the train station. If you have two weeks or more, you can cover considerably more ground or slow things down and spend longer in each place.
The biggest mistake here is trying to squeeze too much into the time you have. It’s tempting to see a map full of beautiful Christmas markets and think, “It’s only a two-hour train ride—I can add one more!” But those travel days add up. Checking out of your hotel, getting to the station, taking the train, getting to your next hotel and checking in can easily eat up half a day.
For now, you don’t need to decide exactly how many cities you’ll visit. Just determine how many full days you’ll actually have in Europe. We’ll use that number in the next few steps to decide where you can go and build a Christmas market route that actually makes sense.
Use this worksheet in my FREE Christmas Market Trip Planner to figure out how many days you have for your trip.
Step 2: Choose Where and When to Go
Now comes one of the most fun parts of planning your Christmas market trip: deciding where you want to go. Europe has thousands of Christmas markets, from huge celebrations that take over entire city centers to tiny markets tucked into medieval town squares, so start by making a wish list without worrying too much about how everything connects just yet.
How to Find Christmas Markets to Visit
If you’re not sure where you want to go yet, start by gathering inspiration. Google searches like “best Christmas markets in Europe,” “most charming Christmas markets in Europe” or “best European Christmas markets” will give you plenty of ideas to start with. Pinterest is also a great place to find Christmas market blog posts and itineraries, while YouTube lets you actually see what different markets and cities are like before adding them to your list.
I also love using Instagram and TikTok for inspiration. Search for Christmas market videos, destination hashtags and specific cities to discover markets you may not have heard of before. Just remember that social media is best for inspiration, not necessarily up-to-date planning information. Once a destination makes your wish list, verify dates and other important details through the market or destination’s official website.
Think about the places you’ve always wanted to visit as well as the kind of Christmas market experience you’re looking for. Germany and Austria are famous for their traditional markets, while cities like Prague, Budapest and Strasbourg each offer a completely different experience. You might want big cities with dozens of markets to explore, charming small towns that look straight out of a Christmas movie, or a combination of both.
Once you have a wish list, start checking Christmas market dates. This is especially important if you’re traveling in late November or around Christmas. While many markets open during the last week or two of November and run through Dec. 23 or 24, the dates vary considerably. Some smaller markets are only held on certain weekends, and some markets close before Christmas while others continue through New Year’s.
I recommend checking the official tourism website for each destination rather than relying solely on old blog posts or social media. Market dates and opening hours can change from year to year, and you don’t want to plan an entire stop around a market that isn’t open while you’re there.
As you research, start narrowing your wish list to destinations that are open during your travel dates. Don’t worry yet about exactly how you’ll connect them or how long you’ll spend in each place. In the next step, we’ll take that wish list and turn it into a route that actually works.
Step 3: Plan Your Route
Now that you have a wish list of Christmas markets you’d love to visit, it’s time to figure out which ones actually make sense to combine into one trip. This is where your Christmas market trip starts to take shape.
Start by looking at where the destinations on your wish list are located in relation to one another. Look for clusters of destinations that can be connected without constantly backtracking or spending entire days getting from one place to the next.
If you have one or two destinations you want to prioritize, start with those and see which markets near them make sense to include.
Be careful about trying to cover too much ground. Two cities might look relatively close on a map, but spending two to four hours on a train every day is a lot. Instead, try to choose an area where you can visit a good number of Christmas markets with the least amount of travel between them. You’ll get to spend more of your trip actually enjoying the markets instead of watching Europe go by from a train window.
Next, start researching transportation between the cities on your list. Google Maps is a good starting point for seeing your options, but I also recommend checking actual train, bus and flight schedules to get a realistic idea of travel times. A destination that looks close on a map isn’t always easy to reach.
Decide Where You’ll Fly In and Out
Your route should also take into consideration where you’ll fly into Europe and where you’ll fly home from. You have two main options: round-trip, or multi-city flights.
Round Trip
A traditional round-trip flight is where you fly in and out of the same city. If you do this, try to create a loop with your itinerary so you aren’t wasting time backtracking at the end of your trip just to catch your flight home.
Multi-city
The other option is a multi-city flight, sometimes called an open-jaw itinerary. This allows you to fly into one city and home from another. For example, you could fly into Prague, travel through several Christmas market destinations and eventually fly home from Vienna.
Multi-city flights can make a Christmas market trip much more efficient because your route can continue moving in one direction rather than circling back to where you started. They aren’t always much more expensive, either, so I recommend looking at both options before deciding on your route. We’ll talk more about how to search for and book your flights in the next step.
As you start connecting your destinations, think about each one as either an overnight destination, day trip or day stop.
Overnight Destinations
These are the cities where you’ll book a hotel and use as your main bases. Bigger cities with multiple Christmas markets usually deserve at least two nights, while particularly large destinations may need three or more.
Day Trips
Day trips are one of my favorite ways to see more Christmas markets without changing hotels every night. Look for smaller towns and cities that are easy to reach from one of your overnight destinations. You can leave in the morning, spend the day exploring the markets and return to the same hotel that evening.
Day Stops
A day stop is one of my favorite tricks for building a Christmas market itinerary. If a destination falls along your route between two overnight cities, you may be able to stop there for a few hours in between instead of spending the night.
For example, if you’re traveling by train between Vienna and Budapest, you can stop in Bratislava for the day and explore the markets before continuing on to Budapest for the night. Most train stations have luggage storage so it’s easy to leave it while you’re exploring.
Once you’ve identified your overnight destinations, day trips and possible day stops, start putting them in an order that creates the most logical route. Your goal isn’t necessarily to fit in as many Christmas markets as possible. It’s to create a trip that lets you experience the places you’re most excited about without spending half of your vacation in transit.
By the end of this step, you should have a rough route showing where you’ll start, where you’ll finish and the order you plan to visit each destination. Don’t worry about booking transportation yet. We’ll do that after your flights and hotels are locked in.
My FREE Christmas Market Trip Planner makes planning your route easy!
Step 4: Book Your Flights
Now that you know where you want to go and have a rough route planned, it’s time to book your flights to Europe.
I almost always start my flight search with Google Flights. It allows you to compare airlines, departure airports, travel dates and prices all in one place, which makes it especially useful when your plans are still somewhat flexible.
I made an entire video on how to use Google flights!
Search More Than One Airport
One of the easiest ways to find a better flight is to be flexible about where you fly from and where you fly into. If you have multiple airports within a reasonable distance from home, check all of them. I live in Oregon, so I’ll often compare flights from Portland with flights from Seattle or even San Francisco if the savings or itinerary are worth the extra travel.
Do the same thing on the European side. Your first Christmas market destination doesn’t necessarily have to be the city you fly into. Sometimes flying into a larger nearby airport and taking a train to your first destination is considerably cheaper or gives you much better flight options.
Compare Round-Trip and Multi-City Flights
Remember the round-trip and multi-city routes we talked about in the last step? Now it’s time to price both.
Start by searching for a traditional round-trip ticket. Then use the multi-city option to search for a flight into your starting city and home from your final destination.
Don’t compare price alone. If a multi-city ticket costs a little more but saves you from taking a four-hour train back to your original city, paying for another hotel night or losing most of your final day to travel, it may actually be the better value.
Play With Your Dates
If your travel dates are flexible, even by a day or two, check the surrounding dates before booking. Airfare can change considerably from one day to the next, especially around Thanksgiving, weekends and the busy holiday travel period.
Google Flights makes this easy with its calendar and date grid, which allow you to quickly see whether shifting your trip by a day could save you money.
Look at the Entire Itinerary
A cheap flight isn’t always a good flight. Pay attention to the number and length of layovers, total travel time, arrival time and which airport you’re actually flying into.
I especially like to look at arrival times when planning a Christmas market trip. Arriving early enough to check into your hotel and visit a market that evening can essentially give you an extra night of Christmas markets, while a late arrival may mean that day is purely a travel day.
Also check what is included with your fare. The cheapest economy ticket may not include checked luggage, seat selection or other things you’ll want for an international trip, so compare the actual cost of the ticket you’ll need rather than just the price that appears in the search results.
Book Directly With the Airline
Once I’ve found the flight I want, I prefer to book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party booking site. If your flight is delayed, canceled or changed, dealing directly with the airline is usually much easier than having another company in the middle.
Before you book, double-check your dates, airports, baggage allowance and seat selections. Then you can officially lock in the beginning and end of your Christmas market trip and move on to booking your hotels.
Step 5: Book Your Hotels
With your flights booked and your route set, it’s time to start booking your hotels. Christmas market season is incredibly popular in Europe, and hotels in the best locations can fill up quickly, especially on weekends in some of the most popular Christmas market destinations.
Location Matters
For a Christmas market trip, location is one of the biggest things I consider when choosing a hotel. I love staying within walking distance of the main Christmas markets whenever possible.
You’re going to be spending a lot of time walking on this trip, often in cold or wet weather. Having a hotel nearby makes it easy to drop off shopping bags, warm up for a little while or take a break before heading back out to see the markets at night.
Find out where the main Christmas markets are located then use Google Maps to find hotels near the markets you want to visit. In many European cities, the markets are concentrated around the historic center or main square, making the Old Town a great place to start your hotel search.
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Don’t Forget About the Train Station
If you’re traveling primarily by train, also pay attention to where your hotel is located in relation to the train station. You don’t necessarily need to stay right next to it, but you also don’t want to drag a suitcase across town every time you arrive in a new city.
Public transportation in Europe is generally excellent, so a hotel that isn’t directly beside the markets can still be a great choice if it has an easy tram, metro or bus connection to both the city center and train station.
Compare More Than Just the Price
Hotel prices can jump considerably during Christmas market season, particularly on weekends. When you’re comparing hotels, look at more than just the nightly rate.
I consider location, guest reviews, breakfast, room size, transportation access and any amenities that might make the stay more enjoyable. After spending an entire cold December day outside, a hotel with a sauna, spa or even just a really comfortable room can be worth paying a little extra for.
Breakfast is another thing I pay attention to. Having breakfast included can make mornings much easier, especially on days when you need to catch an early train or want to get out and start exploring.
Book Early When You Can
Once your route and flights are confirmed, I recommend booking your hotels as soon as possible. The best-value hotels in prime Christmas market locations are often the first to disappear.
When possible, I like to book a refundable rate. That gives you some flexibility if your itinerary changes or you find a better hotel or price later.
Before booking, double-check the cancellation policy, what’s included in the rate and the exact room type you’re reserving. European hotel rooms can vary quite a bit, so don’t assume every room category will have the same beds, size or amenities.
Once your hotels are booked, the major pieces of your Christmas market trip are officially in place. Next, we’ll connect everything by booking your transportation between destinations.
Step 6: Book Your Transportation
One of the best things about planning a Christmas market trip in Europe is that you usually don’t need a car. Public transportation is excellent, and trains and buses connect most of the cities and towns you’ll want to visit.
For figuring out how to get between destinations, I use Omio. Enter the two cities you’re traveling between and your travel date, and Omio will show you your options for getting there by train, bus and even flight. You can compare travel times, departure times and prices all in one place, then book your tickets directly through the app.
This is much easier than trying to figure out which train company operates in each country, especially if your Christmas market trip takes you through several different countries.
Google Maps can be helpful if you’re planning to drive, but for public transportation between European cities, I prefer Omio because it makes it so easy to compare your options.
Choose the Best Option for Each Part of Your Trip
Go through your itinerary one leg at a time and search for transportation between each destination. Don’t assume that a train will always be the best option. Sometimes a bus is faster, cheaper or has a better departure time, and for longer distances, a short flight might make more sense.
Also pay attention to where each option departs and arrives. Train stations are often right in the city center, while airports can be quite a distance outside of town. A one-hour flight may look faster than a four-hour train, but once you add the time it takes to get to the airport, go through security and travel into the next city, the train may actually be the easier choice.
Also, double check the station information. Many cities have a central station and one or two other stations near the city boarders. You want to be sure and book your tickets to the correct station.
Think About What Time You Travel
When you’re choosing your tickets, think about how the departure time will affect your day. I like to travel early in the morning or later in the day whenever possible so I don’t lose the middle of a day to transportation.
If you’re planning a day stop in a city between two overnight destinations, make sure you take that into consideration when choosing your departure time. Leave early enough to give yourself plenty of time to store your luggage, explore the Christmas markets and enjoy the city before catching your train or bus to your final destination for the night. You don’t want to plan a great stopover and then realize you’ve only left yourself an hour or two to actually enjoy it.
Once you’ve found the best option for each leg of your trip, book your tickets and add the departure times and confirmation information to your itinerary.
With your transportation booked, all of the big logistics are taken care of. Now it’s time for the fun part: deciding what you want to see, eat and do along the way.
Step 7: Plan the Fun Stuff
Now that the logistics are taken care of, it’s time for my favorite part: planning all of the fun stuff you’re going to do when you get there.
Start researching each destination on your itinerary individually. Find out how many Christmas markets there are, where they’re located and which ones you definitely don’t want to miss. Some cities have one main Christmas market, while others have markets spread throughout the city, each with a completely different theme or atmosphere.
Find Inspiration for Your Trip
This is where I really start digging into blogs, Pinterest, YouTube and social media. Search Pinterest and Google for blog posts about each destination and look for Christmas market guides, things to do at Christmas and unique holiday experiences.
YouTube is one of my favorite resources because you can actually see the markets before you go. Watch Christmas market videos and travel vlogs to see which markets look the most interesting, what people are eating and what other activities they found while they were there.
Instagram and TikTok are also great for finding things you might not come across in a traditional travel guide. Search the city name along with terms like “Christmas markets” or “Christmas in Vienna” to find market stalls, foods, pop-up experiences, decorations and other seasonal activities you may want to add to your itinerary.
As you research, save anything that catches your attention. At this point, you’re not trying to build a minute-by-minute schedule. You’re creating a list of the things you really don’t want to miss.
I love to save places and activities in a Google Map. That way while I’m out and about I can see what I’m near!
Find the Best Things to Eat
The food is one of my favorite parts of visiting Christmas markets, and every destination has its own specialties. Before your trip, research the foods and drinks each market is known for and make a list of the ones you want to try.
You’ll find plenty of Christmas market classics, but some of the best things I’ve tried have been regional specialties I wouldn’t have known to look for if I hadn’t researched them ahead of time.
Don’t forget to look beyond the markets for popular cafes and restaurants as well. While visiting markets in Vienna, I made sure to get a reservation at Café Sacher to try the famous Sachertorte!
Look for Activities Beyond the Markets
Christmas markets may be the reason for the trip, but there are usually plenty of other things worth adding to your itinerary.
One of the most fun things I’ve done on a Christmas market trip outside of the markets was going to an opera in Prague. Experiences like that can end up being some of your favorite memories from the trip, so look at what else is happening in each city while you’re there.
I also love taking walking tours. They’re an easy way to see some of the city’s major sights, learn a little about its history and explore areas you might not discover while moving between Christmas markets.
Look for things like Christmas concerts, ice skating, light displays, holiday performances and other seasonal attractions, but don’t overlook the regular attractions you’ve always wanted to see either. You’re already there, so you don’t have to spend every minute at a Christmas market.
Some activities may require advance reservations, so make a note of anything that needs to be booked before your trip.
Make a Plan for Each Destination
Once you’ve done your research, start making a loose plan for each day. You don’t need to schedule every hour. I actually recommend leaving yourself plenty of time to wander around the markets, stop for food and change your plans when you discover something interesting.
Instead, make a list of your must-see markets, foods you want to try, restaurants or cafes you’re interested in, activities you want to do and any sights you don’t want to miss. Then you can organize them into a basic plan for each day without making your trip feel overly scheduled.
Once you’ve planned the fun stuff, you’ll have all the information you need to put together your final itinerary.
Step 8: Build Your Final Itinerary
You’ve chosen your destinations, built your route, booked your flights and hotels, figured out your transportation and researched all of the fun things you want to do. Now it’s time to put everything together into your final itinerary.
I like to create a simple day-by-day itinerary that includes where I’ll be, where I’m staying, how I’m getting there and anything I already have planned for that day.
Start with the things that can’t move, like flights, train tickets, hotel reservations and activities you’ve booked in advance. Add those to the appropriate days first, including departure times and any reservation times you need to remember.
Then fill in the Christmas markets, restaurants, activities and sights you researched in the last step. You don’t need to plan every hour of every day. I like having a general idea of what I want to do while still leaving enough flexibility to wander through a market longer than expected, stop somewhere that looks interesting or change plans entirely.
If you’ve saved places to Google Maps, you can also use your map to group things that are close together. There’s no reason to cross back and forth across a city all day when you can visit several nearby markets, restaurants and attractions at the same time.
Your final itinerary should give you enough structure that you aren’t standing in the middle of Europe wondering what to do next, without making your Christmas market trip feel like a schedule you have to follow.
And don’t forget to leave a little room for spontaneity. Some of my favorite travel experiences have been things I never could have planned before I got there.
