kitastrophe33

We will have 14 days in Europe in December 2014. We start in Copenhagen (fairly cheap to get there, and I hear the their Christmas market is lovely) and fly out of Munich. We definitely need to spent 2-3 days in Innsbruck as my husband's family lives there.

I'm trying to decide if we should go mostly through Germany and maybe Prague, of if the markets will start feeling redundant, and maybe we should do Paris, Barcelona and then Vienna and Innsbruck. I thought it might be nice to see more variety of Christmas traditions, but maybe I'm wrong. We're cool with flying, driving, or train between cities. Whatever is most time and cost efficient...

Does anyone have any suggestions? I want to book things really early before they get too spendy.

asps

Yes, once you have seen two or three Xmas markets they begin to look the same. With 14 days try to keep the destinations number low or you will be always on the move. If you choose wildly distant cities like Barcelona, Paris and Vienna, you will have to fly or spend whole days in railway car. For example, Vienna quite at the east of everything, so that even the fastest trains between Innsbruck and Vienna need more than four hours - taking the better part of your day.

Momddtravel2

Paris was lovely at Christmas and many things were still open.

anyegr

It's going to be dark very early at that time of year. And sunrise will be late in the morning, too. There will only be a few hours in the middle of the day where you can actually see anything outside. Of course, inside sights should be fine, although some places may have reduced opening times in winter. On the other hand, lines to sights will probably be shorter.

Are you going to the markets to shop or only to look at things? It could get tiresome to drag lots of purchases around from place to place.

Are you going at Christmas or before? Some places close down during the actual holiday.

jamikins

We have spent the week of New Years in many places, you can read our reports and see our pics here

Rome: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-20112012.cfm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...7637218569466/

Tuscany: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-new-years.cfm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...7639164500734/

Paris: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...stmas-2009.cfm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...7636716043473/

Portugal: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-20102011.cfm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...7636734183955/

Robert2533

As noted, daylight hours are short in the north during the Christmas season. Your list is very ambitious for traveling in what could easily be bad weather, so you may want to consider keeping it down to Copenhagen, Innsbruck, Prague and possibly Garmisch. You'll need to make your restaurant reservations ahead of time as a lot of restaurants close from Christmas to New Years.

Save Paris and Barcelona for another trip.

AisleSeat

For the German Christmas markets, they open around our Thanksgiving and close up tight about 2pm on Christmas eve. The market in Prague stays open till New Years. I don't know what your dates are. The biggest markets are in Munich (i think there are 19 markets) and Vienna that has very large markets at the Rathaus and Schoenburg Palace.

The markets will have their similarities but the specialities (especially in food) will be what separates them. Try the Nuremburger sausages and ginger bread in Nuremburg, ham and little pastries baked on rollers over charcoal in Prague. Rhiems France has great veal loaves. In Salzburg they serve a less than memorable curry burger, but the hot chocolate laced with rum was good. In Rothenburg they offer half meter sausages, mmmmmm. My wife is very fond of nutella and banana crepes whereever we find them. Not my favorite but there seem to be plenty of Gluewein fans at the markets. It keeps you warm.

Even though the days are short most markets are open in the evening with special lighting that makes it even more magic.

kerouac

The best French Christmas market is in Strasbourg if that helps.

Mainhattengirl

Actually, most Christmas markets in Germany close down before the 24th, usually on the 22nd or 23rd. Only a very few are open on the 24th and there are some that will also be open on the 25th and longer. Check the individual websites for each town you want to visit. They will have the dates posted.

If you choose markets that have an individual theme or flair to them, then they won't be all the same. The setting makes the atmosphere.

My favorites are the ones in Esslingen, Stuttgart, Colmar, Strausberg, Idstein, Frankfurt, Mainz, and Seligenstadt. That said, I have many more to visit and I go to new ones each year. Some towns just have their markets on the weekend, and the stands will be run by local organizations.

One thing to be aware of is that Germany kind of shuts down on the 24th, except for public transportation, so you will need dinner reservations at a nice hotel. The 25th and 26th are official holidays, with all stores closed, but the restaurants do a booming business if they are open. Some just close down for the holidays, X-mas thru NYE. Museums and other tourist attractions may or may not be open, so check individual websites.

PetrosB3

The best Christmas destinations in Europe are in Germanophone countries or Regions, hands down. These countries are Germany and Austria mainly, in which Christmas are truly fascinating. You will find Christmas Markets in every City, Town, or Village. Also, Germans are relatively Religious People (especially in the Catholic South) so the Churches are foul of People during Christmas (Christmas are not Santa or Xmas Shopping, as the ridiculously Capitalist Americans made it look like, in order to make people spend money... It's a Christian Celebration for the Birth of Christ).

Some really nice Destinations are: Nuremberg, it has one of the best Christmas Markets in Germany. Munich, as the Capital City of Bavaria, this city is a true Beauty, and its Christmas Market is Great. Strasbourg France, yes France is not Germanophone, obviously, but the Alsace Region was for centuries part of Germany, and still Alsace is closer to the German Culture than to the French one, the names are German, the Language is closer to German, and so are the traditions, And thats why Strasbourg, capital of Alsace has a Magnificent Christmas Market, and the city itself is Absolutely Gorgeous, especially during Christmas. Then, the Queen of Christmas in Europe, is Vienna in Austria, I have no words to express its beauty, its like this Imperial City was built for Christmas.

So to conclude, the best Christmas Destinations in Europe are: Nuremberg, Munich, Strasbourg, and Vienna.

Odin

Christmas Eve is when families have their Christmas meal in Scandinavian countries, so most things would have closed down by that date. Christmas in Denmark is very special, even more so as the days are short, there is an atmosphere of "hygge". If you are there on St Lucia's day, which is the festival of lights, it is very nice to get tickets to a church where the festival is taking place. Although this is a Swedish tradition (I believe), it takes place in Denmark too. The Tivoli Gardens will be open during Christmas.

Mainhattengirl

Petros has obviously never spent a Christmas season in Germany. The shopping frenzy is in full gear by end of Oct. The TV commercials, the ads in magazines, newspapers, online, are all about making the perfect Christmas, and getting the perfect gift. The grocery stores have Christmas goodies for sale by the end of Aug. or beginning of Sept.

I don't even know any Germans that go to church, though I know they are quite full all year round. My guess is that it is mainly the foreign residents keeping the churches in the cities full. The Italians, Spanish, Croatians, Greeks, Philippinos, etc. Many of the Germans simply head off on vacation over the Christmas holidays and aren't even at home. Americans are more likely to head to church on Christmas than Germans will.

kovsie

I loved Prague over Christmas. But let me just say that the christmas market (which is advertised as open until New Years) was a bit of a disappointment to me. Yes, it was huge. But many stalls sell the same things (some of which could have been made in China). I do not know what the German markets sell ...
The Prague market did stay open over Christmas, but perhaps one third of the stalls were closed.

However, if you are interested in music, Prague is the place to be!

kerouac

French Christmas markets stay open until New Year's.

PetrosB3

@Mainhattengirl

Wrong, I have spent 3 Christmas Holidays in Germany. There are Shopping Commercials, and Shopping Frenzy during Christmas in Germany, but the Germans did not forget that Christmas is a Christian Celebration, and not a Money Celebration... I find the liquidation of Everything -Sickening-, and Americans are Champions in that. They made the birth of Christ, Christmas, a total Capitalistic Orgy, making Santa the main "Character" of "Xmas" (not Christmas, so nobody can detect a connection between Christ and Xmas) urging people to buy gifts for their relatives, and childern (Santa's gifts...). People Celebrate, but they don't know for WHAT they are Celebrating. Its ridiculous.

And returning to the Topic, when I have been in Freiburg, the Huge Cathedral was full of People, they were even standing as there were no sits (Germans, not Italians or Philippinos, and most of the were young People, with Children) and that shows that Germans are Religious, atleast in the South.

Ingo

Fully agree with Petros.

We always attend one of the Christvespers on Holy Eve in Dresden's Kreuzkirche. People stand in long lines (about 200 m each) an hour before they actually open the doors. And yes, the church is full to (and beyond) its capacity. It's similar during Advent - in Saxony at least the churches are full during these weeks, they are very much involved with the Christmas markets and general festivities around Christmas.

kerouac

I am so happy to live in a secular country which has returned Christmas to its original pagan roots. Therefore even the local Muslim community often has Christmas trees and the children receive gifts from Father Christmas. It is great to be somewhere that celebrates happiness rather than religious dogma (at the incorrect dates as we all know).

Ingo

I am so happy to live in a(n almost secular) country which still celebrates Christmas with its original local customs. Therefore even the local Muslim community (as well as the pagans) very often visit the Christmas markets, visit the churches and attend services there and their children as well as the adults receive gifts. It is great to be somewhere that celebrates happiness, peace and love rather than religious dogma or money.

kerouac

I see that the tone has changed a bit.