What To Look For In A Christmas Market City Break

If there’s something that should be at the top of everyone’s Festive Bucketlist (wait, don’t you have one too?), it’s a weekend city break to one of Europe’s Christmas Markets.

Not only do they get you feeling Christmassy AF with the gluwein and the festive tunes and the lights, but you also get a little glimpse of a new city. So really it’s win-win.

But it can be hard figuring out where to go for your Christmas Market break. So here’s a few tips for figuring out where to go on your festive escape.

Christmas Market Tips

Bigger isn’t always better.

When you think about Christmas Market City Breaks, you’re probably thinking about the big ones. The most famous ones that draw tourists in from far and wide.

But that’s not always a good thing. Some Christmas Markets can be rammed with people that all had the same idea. And there’s nothing less Christmassy than having to wait at the bar for a mulled wine for half an hour.

So my top tip is to scout out the smaller Christmas Markets. The ones that aren’t in capital cities but still have a nice festive feel. Instead of going to Berlin or Munich, how about Leipzig or Aachen?

Don’t Try To Pack Too Much In.

This kinda ties in with the above, but I think it’s important to find a destination that has enough going on to pique your interest, but not so much that it becomes a full-on city break with a quick visit to the Christmas Market. If you want to come away feeling festive and ready for Christmas, I personally prefer to make the trip all about the market with a few added local activities or sights.

Wroclaw Christmas market was perfect for this, as it had a few things to do and see, and some fab restaurants, but we spent most of the time exploring the sparkly-lit stalls and drinking gluwein in the cabins!

Think about the food.

Food is a big part of any Christmas Market. And although you’ll probably find german sausages in each and every Christmas Market in Europe, there are usually local delicacies to try too. So I would recommend considering the food that will be offer when you choose your destination.

I went to a Christmas Market in Poland a couple of years ago and they had some nice Polish dishes to try. I’m thinking the Trento Christmas Market could be good for cheeses and Italian goodness, right?

Look out for cheap packages and flight deals.

Obviously flights sky rocket around the Christmas period so it’s a good shout to watch out for flight sales or look into package deals for the markets. I sign up to Jack’s Flight Club for emails on cheap return flights, and there’s nearly always affordable deals in Europe around November/December.

Cheap booze for the win.

I mean, it depends what you plan on doing at this Christmas Market. But if you want to go with some pals and have a merry time drinking gluwein, somewhere a little cheaper is going to make your pennies go further. Think Eastern Europe destinations as opposed to Central/Western Europe. Cheers to Poland/Czech Republic/Estonia/Hungary, lads.