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-   -   Christmas and New Years in Europe? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/christmas-and-new-years-in-europe-1078004/)

nehalj Nov 11th, 2015 11:59 PM

Christmas and New Years in Europe?
 
I'm flying in and out of Amsterdam from the 22nd Dec to 2nd Jan.
The tentative places decided are Dusseldorf/Cologne Luxembourg and Brussels/Antwerp in addition to Amsterdam (two days in each place).
Ideally, I would like to go to atleast one Christmas market!
Request suggestions if these are places worth doing? Or recommendation for places to visit. Thanks a lott in advance!!

nytraveler Nov 12th, 2015 03:52 AM

If you really have 12 days on the ground you don't have 2 days in each place. You need to account for the 1/2 day jet-lagged arrival day and the departure day - plus the time (about 1/2 each) to move from one city to another 6 times - since you are returning to Amsterdam instead of flying home from Brussels for example..

So you will really have only 1 full day in each place. I can imagine nothing more frustrating - or an way to spend maximum time and money for the most limited return.

In your limited time I would stick with no more than 3 different cities and fly pen jaws into one city and out of the other.

sparkchaser Nov 12th, 2015 04:53 AM

If you are landing on Dec 22, at best you can do 3 days of Christmas Markets.

I suggest if you want a good Christmas Market, leave Amsterdam ASAP and hit the one in Cologne.

nehalj Nov 12th, 2015 10:02 AM

The Christmas markets in Cologne are only till the 23rd. Is there any place around which have decent Christmas markets and open through Cristmas?
Secondly, should I do Bruges a better option in comapriaon to Brussels/Antwerp?

sparkchaser Nov 12th, 2015 10:42 AM

Pottsdam, Braunschweig, Baden-Baden. Dortmund, some in Berlin, and a few other places have Christmas markets that go until the 29th or so. Nürnberg's goes until Dec 24.

Belinda Nov 12th, 2015 11:03 AM

Last year there were Christmas markets in Antwerp on December 26th.

PalenQ Nov 12th, 2015 11:38 AM

The week between Xmas and New Year's I've been told by the Amsterdam VVV is one of the busiest if not the busiest of the year (when I was trying to book on short notice any ANY kind of room for someone else) and IME it is very crowded and very cool at that time and New Year's Eve is bombastic- a citywide party and seemingly aerial bombardment taking place:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-bombastic.cfm


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