I need advise regarding my itinerary

We are a mid thirties couple with 2 kids aged 6 and 2 planning a holiday in Bavaria and Bavarian/Tirol alps and are primarily looking at exploring the Christmas Markets and enjoying ourselves in the snow. We are planning to arrive into Munich on the night of 19 December with the return date flexible at the moment but tentatively looking at around 6 January.

I believe most Christmas markets close down by 23rd, We intend to use the first 4 days (20 to 23 December) exploring the Christmas markets. I was thinking of basing ourselves in Munich and explore the markets of Munich and via day trips of Near by towns(to decide between Nuremberg, Salzburg). Coming from India, Christmas markets is an alien concept and thus we are not sure if it is the case of "if you have seen one you have seen them all". I was looking for advise on what would be an optimum number of markets to visit. I understand that Munich alone hosts 24 such markets - so should we stick around to Munich alone or do you feel we should do some day trips? If so, can you advise which would be good towns to visit so that we get some distinct flavour between each.

Reading through forums I understand that almost everything shuts down on Christmas Eve in the cities and doesn't really open until 27 December. Taking this into account we were planning to shift base into one of the alpine villages. Since neither of us has ever experienced snow we are looking at options which may offer us the opportunity to enjoy snow and winter sports. I am confused which to pick base - Garmisch, Mittenwald, Seefeld or Kitzbuhel? We would like to enjoy some winter sports (please suggest options) especially anything to do with snow and that can keep my 6 year son occupied too (I am assuming there may not be any snow sports for my 2 year daughter - please correct me). Though I am not sure we would be interested in serious skiing but wouldn't mind casually trying out our hand at it for a couple of days (is that too little to pick by basic skiing?). Would the choice of base vary if we would also like to use it to explore the region through short day trips? I am also seeking advise as to how long should we plan for this base? I was thinking 7-8 nights - will that be too much with the kids or may be even too little.

We intend to return to Munich in the end for 3 odd days before we fly out from there - I am assuming Christmas market hopping in the initial period may not give too much time to explore the city and hence these days. Can you advise which if we should add any other town to our itinerary to give it a more diverse experience. (We have already done Salzburg and its Lake District along with Berchtesgaden)

I would really appreciate all help you can provide and thank you in advance

OK - I am not an expert on the German villages but suspect that the towns you're talking about may not have snow.

Christmas is just the beginning of winter and while the mountaintops will have snow it may not come very far down the mountains. I think the towns you are looking at are too far in the lowlands for any guarantee of snow. You can certainly visit snow topped mountain from there - but that won;t give you a whole week of stuff to do.

If you really want to see snow you probably have to head to ski resorts higher in the mountains - and this may mean Austria versus Germany - not sure.

Which resorts in Austria would you suggest? I have read rave reviews about seefeld near Innsbruck but if the chances of snow are low then I would rather look at alternate resorts?

Garmisch should have snow, we had it in November last year. Hit or miss but more than likely you will have it.

Even it there may be little snow, temperatures will be freezing and daylight short, so do not plan to do too much outdoor - look for places that have also indoor activities.
Well, unless you have an extreme love for Xmas trinkets, it is true that once you have seen a Xmas market you have seen them all. What is enchanting, everywhere in the area, is the festive atmosphere. But do not plan to visit only markets, consider also visiting museums and monuments, attending activities, and plan your visit according to your main interest point, not only markets.
I cannot really advice you about skying - the last time I took skying lessons I was 6 years old and it was an age ago. What I think, winter sports are on the expensive side as you need a lot of equipment as well as upward transportations; while even a child can sky, I am not sure it is an activity I would try for a couple of days starting from the very beginning.

I was in Salzburg and Munich at the end of Nov/beginning of Dec in 2012 and it snowed a bit while we were in Munich. It was the day we went to Neuschwanstein Castle. It was very pretty but you couldn't see the castle from the little valley leading to the town. It wasn't a lot of snow but enough and cold.

All of the Christmas markets in Munich are not the same. They have a lot of little ones which you could take a few minutes to walk around but no more than that. We took a day trip out to Augsburg, mainly to check out their Christmas market which wasn't too big so made a nice half day trip.

Salzburg has a main Christmas market which we thought was nice. They also have a few small ones where a walk through was just enough for us. It wasn't too cold for us there but the weather changed after we left.

I agree with asps. The markets are about the festive atmosphere. I loved the hot chocolate at the main Christmas market in Munich as I am not into gluhwein. I found it better there than at the Chinese Tower Christmas market.

All markets are not the same - while there is a core of products that are the same or similar, different markets have decidedly different foods (local specialities) and different gifts / decorations. There is some variation by area, so it does pay to visit a few towns. If you are thinking of visiting Bavaria, I would definitely visit Nuremberg (Nürnberg), because it has a very popular (and big) market. If you are a serious market follower I would also consider visiting Dresden (not in Bavaria by a long shot), because it is said to be the original market. There are unique wooden room decorations there and it is the home of Dresdner Stollen (a kind of sweet bread studded with dried fruit and sometimes marzipan), which admittedly is available everywhere nowadays at Christmas, even the supermarket.

Lavandula

Since you are travelling with children, you could google "Kinderhotels" and "Austria" or "Germany" - they cater exclusively to families and you are bound to find a few in the mountains.

Lavandula

Two is too young to ski and while 6 is old enough - without experience you need a full scale ski resort with lessons for kids and adults and equipment rental. Expect this to be very expensive and only pick a resort that will be guarantees to have snow that early in the season. Depending on the resort your kids can enjoy just playing in the snow/making snowmen, ice skating, perhaps sleigh ride (sometimes in the evening by torch light). Depending on if the 2 year old is almost 3 skating might work - kids can begin awfully early as long as they are sturdy and good walkers/runners.

Also - you need to be sure everyone has warm winter clothing for the entire trip - warm coat, hat, scarf, gloves/mittens and scarf - waterproofed boots with non-skid soles, cords, wool or other warm pants and long-sleeve shirts and sweaters.

Munich is usually not particularly bitter cold - unless you aren't used to cold. But be aware that people lose most of the heat through their head (hat is important) and feet (need boots with warm linings) - esp for a 2 year old who may get cold faster than adults.

Keep in mind that hotels in ski resorts charge their highest rates over Christmas and that they usually require a longer stay than at other times of the ski season. Many hotels may already be fully booked or almost for Christmas this year. Anyway, go for altitude. The higher you go, the better the chances for snow.

Re markets, if you go to Nuremberg, remember that it's the most famous -- and that means the most crowded. If it were me, the market I would go to outside Munich would be Bamberg. I wouldn't go as far as Dresden. Although it has a lovely market (I spent four weeks in Dresden in late November/December 2011) it's too long a train ride back and forth IMO given your short Christmas market window. Getting to Dresden by train from Munich would take almost six hours each way -- not feasible for a day trip, IMO, and especially not with kids. Bamberg is about two hours from Munich.

You and your family might enjoy sledging (sledding) -- cheaper than skiing, something you can do with a toddler. Or even simply playing outside in the snow (if you go somewhere high enough) and taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride.

Snow is always an iffy thing -- I live in Switzerland and many Swiss resorts had good snowfall over Christmas 2013. Lots of my co-workers spent their Christmas holidays skiing (Arosa was particularly popular last year for some reason) and had good times. There was plenty of snow in Wengen too, even lower-altitude Gstaad had some snow. Just a mention in case you are considering Switzerland as well for the ski/snow portion of the trip, although that would mean significantly longer travel from/back to Munich.

You are right about many places and events closing down over the Christmas to New Year period, and even afterwards, so pay special attention to that when planning (e.g. meals on 24 December, 25 December, 26 December (Boxing Day). Likewise, 1 January falls on a Thursday, so there is a likelihood that some stores and restaurants will close for the entire weekend, as well. Also, prepare for most stores to be closed on Sundays, or to have special holiday hours during this period.

As for an optimal number of Christmas markets to visit, there is no real answer. With many there are common features (Glühwein, Lebkuchen), but there are also markets with a special theme (Renaissance, handmade arts and crafts, etc.). It all depends on how much fun you're having! At the Marienplatz market in Munich, for example, the stalls offer different shaped mugs, so it's fun to walk around and choose a favorite to purchase. The Munich markets also sell some of the best potato pancakes and weißwurst (sausage) we've eaten. Happy Planning!

Hi suneet,

I've lived in Garmisch for about 5 years, and unfortunately, we haven't had snow for most of those Christmasses. In fact, I think we only had snow in town for one of them! Yes, last year, we got a nice dump of snow in November, and everyone was very enthusiastic, but it melted very quickly in the very warm temperatures that followed.

Most years there is enough snow on the Zugspitze for skiing and playing at Christmas, but one year we had high winds that blew all the snow off the mountaintop. So, you really and truly cannot count on having snow in Garmisch and Mittenwald at Christmas.

As WeisserTee notes, you need to go to a resort at altitude in order to increase your chances for snow -- I would think the Engadin Valley (St. Moritz, Sils, Silvaplana) or Zermatt would be best (all in Switzerland). But then you run into the problem of everyone else on the planet looking for guaranteed snow, and you quickly run out of hotel rooms (forget about affordable hotel rooms).

As far as Christmas markets, yes, they do kind of tend to run together after a while -- imo. Try to find one or two that offer something different, like the Medieval Market in Munich. Love that one.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Also be aware that the Christmas markets can be very, very crowded, and you will have to really pay attention to your little ones. Takng the 2-year-old in a stroller could be awkward, space-wise, but don't even think of letting him/her run around on his/her own.

I will say for Dresden, it's an option if you want to go up early morning on the 23rd and spend a few nights there. Christmas itself in Dresden is lovely. In addition, you can stay in a serviced apartment (better with kids than a hotel room) and the apartment will have a washing machine -- always handy with a family. And a kitchenette, so you can get everything you need to have a simple meal at home on Christmas Eve/Day, when virtually everything will be closed.

If you're willing to consider that option, I highly recommend this company:
http://www.aparthotels-frauenkirche.de/english.html
I spent my four weeks in the Altes Dresden with a direct view of the Frauenkirche. It was lovely. The Am Schloss serviced apartments are their newest and most luxurious, but don't have views of the Frauenkirche.
But reserve quickly, these units are usually booked up for the holidays.

>If you're willing to consider that option, I highly recommend this company:
>http://www.aparthotels-frauenkirche.de/english.html
>I spent my four weeks in the Altes Dresden with a direct view of the Frauenkirche. It was lovely. >The Am Schloss serviced apartments are their newest and most luxurious, but don't have views of the Frauenkirche.
>But reserve quickly, these units are usually booked up for the holidays.

I have also stayed in those Aparthotels - right in the middle of the tourist area. They have laundry facilities, very handy with kids. Highly recommended.

Lavandula

Oh, duh, you just said that - well, I echo WeisserTee ...

Lavandula

Thank you all for taking out your valuable time and replying to me.
I find your suggestion regarding extreme cold for the kids highly valuable and am now seriously considering dropping the idea and planning a holiday somewhere else. I think it may be wise to do a snowy vacation after a couple of years when my younger daughter would be a little better suited to handle the cold and also be able to enjoy the winter sports.

Once again,thank you everyone!!!