European Christmas Markets Itinerary
 

Good afternoon fellow travelers

We have begun planning a 14-16 night holiday to enjoy the Advent season in Europe. We have tried to select cities primarily based upon wanting to visit these cities (regardless of their Christmas Market). We've come up with the following itinerary and wanted feedback on # nights for each city and any alternative itineraries you would suggest.

Flying from US to Dresden

- Dresden, Germany (3 nights)
- Prague, Czechia (2 nights)
- Vienna, Austria (4 nights)
- Salzburg, Austria (2 nights)
- Strasbourg/Colmar Region (4 nights)

Fly from Strasbourg to US

Thank you!
DM

Fine, but perhaps a Christmas overdose.

If your main objective is the markets, you will tire and likely become bored early. Perhaps a little more information might help with your itinerary?

What, aside from the markets, attracts you to these destinations? For example, three days would seem too long for me in Dresden, and two days in Prague would seem to short, but perhaps you have personal pursuits?

Have you accounted for travel logistics between each city?

I don't think three nights is too long in Dresden, especially during Christmas/Advent season. I am sure you plan to visit museums, too (don't miss the Saxon Folk Art museum - magical at that time!) And a day trip to Görlitz or the Erzgebirge mountains (Annaberg-Buchholz or Seiffen) is a must also.

Sounds good to me!

I myself found Prague to be a bit of a bore. But we all have different affinities.

I know this reply is a bit late but when we were planning on visiting Colmar for the Christmas markets in 2015 I began looking for accommodation as early as April and everything was full up. We ended up staying in Mulhouse and taking the train to Colmar for an evening at the Christmas markets. Just curious where you decided to stay in Colmar and if you were successful in finding lodging.

I think this sounds like an overdose of Marches de Noel, and I really would look for museums and other things to do.

Highly recommend Salzburg for the 2 nights and there's lots of Christmas markets from the end of November. If I had to recommend one in Salzburg it would be the Advent Market at Helbrunn Castle - a really magical occasion. Details of this and several other Salzburg markets here - http://salzburgpocketguide.com/christmas-markets/.

I highly recommend you to have segway or scooter tour if you are planning to stay short (2 days are not enough to see everything or visit Christmas markets) in Prague. You can find here some of markets https://www.pragueexperience.com/eve...as-markets.asp . Unfortunately there is no website or map for all markets.Last time I did Segway tour and discover real local Christmas markets which is out of city center. Here is the link for tour which i did, eurosegway.cz

We did a combined segway + e-scooter tour this year in Prague with https://pragueonsegway.com
It was great fun and discovering Prague at once!
There were 16 of us and this tour was highlight of the city.

I agree with Ingo -- there is plenty to keep a visitor happy and busy in Dresden for three days. Over the past five years, we've spent a total of 12 weeks in Dresden during the Advent season and plan to return again.

The city has many Christmas markets -- our favorites are the traditional one between the Steigenberger Hotel and the Frauenkirche and the medieval market.

Beyond the markets, Dresden has some wonderful museums covering a wide range of interests. It's also a perfect time to listen to some seasonal music (if you like that). In addition to the pianist playing live music at the traditional market, there are concerts everywhere. And if you're in Dresden on a Sunday, the world-renowned boys' choir sings at the Kreuzkirche.

Lots of good restaurants -- our two favorites have a fish focus:
Kastenmeiers, an upscale restaurant with a good bar. Located a very short walk from the Frauenkirche http://www.kastenmeiers.de/de/142775-Restaurant
and Winzerstube zum Rebstock, an informal little place in the close-in part of the Neustadt. http://www.winzerstube-zum-rebstock.de/
Reservations essential at both, esp during the holiday season.
And the Coselpalais is a top choice if you have a sweet tooth and want to enjoy great pastries in a beautiful setting. And don't forget to try the local wines! Saxony produces some quite nice wines that are very difficult to find outside the region.

By train, Prague is between 2 and 3 hours away.

Salzburg is pretty nice but I think one night is way enough! You could go skiing for a day in this area though!