Christmas Markets itinerary help
 

Hello,

I am planning a visit to Germany to see the Christmas markets from 3 Dec 2018 to 15 Dec 2018. The 3rd and 15th are travel days. We will fly into Frankfurt and out of Vienna. I have always wanted to see the Christmas markets, but we also love architecture, museums and history. I'd appreciate any advice on my rough itinerary.

Day 1: arrive Frankfurt from overnight flight, tour Frankfurt markets, overnight Frankfurt
Day 2: train to Nuremberg, overnight Nuremberg
Day 3: tour Nuremberg, overnight Nuremberg
Day 4: tour Nuremberg, overnight Nuremberg
Day 5: pick up rental car and drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Christmas market, overnight Rothenburg
Day 6: drive to Neuschwanstein Castle (maybe Hohenschwangau Castle if there is time?), overnight Fussen
Day 7: stop at Linderhof Palace and Andechs Monastery on the way to Munich, drop off car, overnight Munich
Day 8: tour Munich Christmas Markets, overnight Munich (we spent 3 days in Munich in 2015)
Day 9: train from Munich to Vienna, overnight Vienna
Day 10: tour Vienna, overnight Vienna
Day 11: tour Vienna, overnight Vienna
Day 12: depart Vienna

If there is not enough time on day 6 to visit both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, which one would you recommend?

Any advice and recommendations are appreciated.

Thank you so much!
Nancy

I'm probably not the one to ask since I find the only thing "wonderful" about Neuschwanstein being the outside; I'd much rather spend the time in the Linderhof or the Residenze or Nymphenburg in Munich but that's just me.
Are you planning to visit the market IN Vienna? There are several but the "big" one over near the opera house(or those environs) is probably the most impressive.

Good for you. You should have a wonderful time. Should be no problem to see both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau in one day. They are adjacent to each other and I'm sure they sell a joint ticket. If you haven't already tripped onto it, have a look at this website Christmas Markets 2018 in Austria - Christmas Markets 2018 - Christmas Markets directory Europe and its related sites for Austria and other surrounding countries. When it gets closer to Christmas, there should be plenty of into about all the markets in each city you plan to visit..A look at the map should also point you to many surrounding smaller towns that you might stop by enroute between your chosen targets or to which you might make day trips while camped out in one place for a while.. We found some of the smaller cities to have very charming markets. Enjoy your trip. should be terrific.

Anyway for those few long train trips you have book far in advance to get discounted fares - at www.bahn.de/en - German Railways site. For lots on European trains and bookingown tickets online check www.seat61.com; www.bugeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Why so long in Nurnberg itself - know its Xmas Market is famous but three days there - I'd move one of those to Vienna or elsewhere. Do check out the Nazi Parade Grounds complex just south of Nurnberg - with stadiums like one Hitler famously reviewed goose-stepping troops from, documentation center, etc.

Neuschwanstein in December could be beautiful. Or it could be grey and bleak. I might drop Neuschwanstein and go directly to Munich from Rothenburg, then add time in the Salzkammergut for the charming Wolfgangseer Advent before heading to Vienna. If you are set on Neuschwanstein, reserve your timed-entry tickets in advance online as soon as your date is set; the same day tickets go quickly.

Not that you won't be bombarded with information on the Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Vienna's largest, but it is at Rathausplatz. The market near the Opera is the Karlsplatz Adventmarkt. The two are considerably different.

Parking will be nearly impossible in Rothenburg. Train going there would be so much easier. I have been to the palace in snowy weather. The line was so long. I skipped it and don't regret it. Hotel Victoria is our fav in Nurnberg. Hoping to be there myself first part of December.

Fourfortravel,
thank you for correcting that.

If there is not enough time on day 6 to visit both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, which one would you recommend?>

Neuschwanstein for sure - I'm the odd person on Fodor's who really loved the inside of the castle even though the tour is hurried and mobbed- nice to study up on 'Mad' Ludwig and his ultimate fantasy Ersatz medieval castle-booking in Neuschwanstein to put it in context. Hohenschwangau, Ludwig's childhood home, is nice too but for me at least Neuschwanstein was awesome inside and out.

But I can see where others say it is a big detour for a mob scene that turns off many.

Thank you all for this great information! I may go back to the drawing board to tweak things a bit. JulieVikmanis - thank you for the link, I hadn't seen that website.

I should have said parking will be difficult. Just make sure where you stay has parking. We have stayed two times there and our guest house had one spot that they would move cars around for the guest to park on the street. A bit strange but they had a secret spot somewhere.

I really like the Christmas markets in Austria and Germany. When I go to Germany for them, I use this website http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/ to map out which markets I'd like to visit. I don't know if you've found something like it but just in case you haven't, I'm posting it.

In case you have not thought out, it does snow in Germany at that time of the year. You will be told that they remove snow fast, but it is not instantaneous. A tight driving day, if it falls on a heavy snow day, can significantly foul up your schedule. The first time I went to German Christmas markets, it snowed about every other day with a few days of heavy snow storms. The second time I went in 2016, it was rather warm and not a flake in the air. If you find out on day 4 that a heavy snow is in the forecast for days 5 through 7, do you have a ready to execute fall back plan?
German Christmas Markets - 2018 Christmas Market Dates & Locations - German Christmas Fairs & Xmas Markets & Traditions has a long list, but it is not comprehensive. Many interesting small town markets fall outside the list.
I liked markets closer to the Erzgebirge region: Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, etc. While Nürnberg is the largest, I felt Dresden to be large enough yet felt intimate and family oriented.

Yeah when I was doing Xmas Markets one year in Frankfurt area some of the smaller towns had great markets too and less mobbed than the mega-famous ones. Speyer was one and Darmstadt another. You can't go wrong- any town with have a nice market -I had one by my hotel in Darmstadt and it was fun hitting up for some Gluh Wein before hitting the hay.

I appreciate everyone's input and will continue to tweak the itinerary. I will drop a night in Nuremberg. I've lived in New England my whole life so I understand how snow can impact life and will factor that into our time. Thank you again everyone!!

You have to remove all the snow from your car before driving. Is that a law in the US also? I live in Fl.

No not a law in Michigan anyway - just have to have windows and mirrors clear - how do you remove all snow when driving in snow?