Hello My mom and I are planning a trip to visit the Christmas Markets in Germany this December. We will be there for 8 days. We wanted a mix of small markets and some bigger markets
SUN Day # 1 Arrive in Munich in am, Christmas Market at night
MON Day # 2 Drive to Innsbruck and stay there 2 nights ( markets, cable car, zoo)
TUES Day # 3 Innsbruck
WED Day # 4 Drive to Neuschwenstein tour then drive on to Ausburg Stay in Ausburg for Christmas market
THUR Day # 5 Drive Rothenburg ob der tauber stay the night...Night watchmen Tour
FRI Day # 6 Drive to Bamberg visit city sites Unsure what to do here. Do we stay 2 nights or move onto Neuremberg?
SAT Day # 7
SUN Day # 8 End in Munich
MON Day# 9 Fly home

We are not 100% sold on Ausburg. It looked like a good stopping place. We are open to ANY suggestions. We would really like to see Innsbruck and Bamburg looks like a very neat city. I am told we need to see Neuremberg but I am nervous on the weekend. THANK YOU

I wouldn't be close to 100% sure about visiting Europe in the next year.

We visited Christmas Markets this past December. We stayed in Regensburg, Nuremberg and Esslingen, with a day trip to Rothenburg ODT. We absolutely loved Regensburg and their several Christmas markets, especially the one at the castle. Esslingen was a lovey little town and not crowded at all. I would highly recommend not visiting the Nuremburg markets on Saturday or Sunday...they were a mob scene. You could only shuffle along, not enjoyable. Friday wasn't bad though. MAybe stay in Nuremberg and day trip to Bamberg...it's very close. Definitely plan other activities in addition to the markets...you can go into 'market overload'.

To the OP, make sure all your hotel rooms are booked with free cancellation. And get trip insurance! Cross your fingers, but be prepared for the possibility it won’t happen.

We have three trips planned for late 2020: Salzburg in October, Paris in November, and Germany in December. (we plan to visit the markets in Bremen, Luebeck and Erfurt)

We put our odds at 70% that the trips will be scrubbed. Since we already live in Europe, no airfares involved and the hotel rooms all have free cancellation.

Wishing you luck but strongly recommend hedging your bets.

You should think about doing al this by train. Very easy and eliminates hotel parking. Love Munich's market and they are all over small and large. Eataly was so full of the best Christmas treats and we had drinks there twice with small plates of shared goodies. Nuremberg markets are very fun. Hotel Victoria is a good place to stay. We were disappointed in some of the smaller cities after seeing the bigger markets. Innsbruck is good though. We stayed two nights in Freizing this last trip after Christmas thinking we would do a day trip north but the town was so interesting we stayed there. I imagine the market is also good there. We loved the art in the Cathedral. It was amazing and so many good places to eat. We took a cab to the airport in the am. 10 euro. Hotel has a shutte, Mercure but we didn't bother to wait for it.

Please wait until at least the start of October to really commit. A lot may depend on where you're flying from.

Ausburg is very nice. I forgot to mention that. We stayed there one year for Oktoberfest. It was a short train ride into Munich and one day we took the train from there to Nurenburg to give our livers a break. Hoping the markets are on and we get to travel from the US. Maybe you live in Europe so more of a possibility for you. We had 4000 new cases in my state yesterday. No one is going to want us.

Worth mentioning that Munich has more than 1 market.


agree about Regensburg. One of my favorites!

you've left Dresden off, and that’s another favorite. It’s gorgeous. So is Erfurt.


I’d wait, though. Let’s say you’re allowed to go—which isn’t given—I’m not so sure that it will be a good market year. Usually it’s amazing—I’ve been twice. But markets mean crowds, in small spaces, crowded restaurants etc. I don’t think that’s something Germany will be thrilled about this year.

I haven to been to the markets yet. We were supposed to go this past December, but then the trip was postponed a month. We had hoped to go this year, but I want to wait a year at least. Oktoberfest has already been cancelled for this year, and I have heard talk about the markets as well, but who knows. If you do Dresden, you could do Prague as well, which is supposed to have amazing markets as well. Just something to consider, but probably for another year

We were in Munich a week before Christmas and the crowds were not bad. They are so spread out. The Marienplatz market is the most packed. I think Germany will be the first to say no if any doubt. Our little market in Garmisch was nice but very small. We did book our Munich hotel several months out and it was very central.