There is a sort of sweet spot in terms of physical distances and great public transport based on London, Amsterdam, Paris.

All three are linked by train/plane and English is very well spoken in Amsterdam, reasonably well in Paris and occasionally in London.

If you want to drop London then that opens up a reorientation of the sweet spot to include Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Brussels (dull) and the medievel cities of Bruges etc

I also would say that Strasbourg is a must (even when there are not Christmas markets!). And it is a perfect place for train connections in the directions that interest you.

However, it is going to be hard to find hotel availability, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays, in any of the cities famous for their Christmas markets, so please consider hotel reservations to be a top priority.

"...we are interested in staying in one hotel the entire time with day trips by train to other countries."

It's POSSIBLE to make Paris a base for daytrips to A'dam and Brussels and Cologne, but then you're talking about spending 11 days in Paris and 6+ hours to and from A'dam and Cologne - and only a few hours in these major cities which require more time. And you're sacrificing your Alpine Christmas dreams.

If you're willing to have TWO travel bases, you can minimize your ground travel by flying into one city and out of the other ("open jaws".)

Try this:

PARIS, 5-6 nights (with daytrips to Versailles and to Brussels, which CAN be seen in just one day, only 1.5 hours away; get an early start, come home late to Paris.)

MUNICH, 7-8 nights. Munich is a major train hub, about 6 hours from Paris on the fastest trains. Once there, take daytrips to Nuremberg/Christmas Market, about 1 hour each way by fast train; to Salzburg, under 2 hours; to Garmisch/German Alps, 1.5 hrs.; to lovely Regensburg, 1.5 hrs.; to Füssen, 2 hrs. Other possible outings by train: Herrenchiemsee Palace, Dachau Concentration Camp.

I think the idea of spending your time based in Paris and Munich and taking day trips is a good one. You may want to figure out a way to see the Alps on your way from Paris to Munich. If you do something like this, be sure to arrange your flights into Paris and out of Munich to avoid backtracking.

ou have received good advice. A suggestion: Try to find a map of Europe and a map of your home region with the same scale (real distance to map distance). You will easily see what your European trip ideas are compared to distances at home that you know. For example, no rational traveler would use New York City as a base for daytrips to Boston, Philadelphia,and Chicago. Don't try the European equivalent.

Also, although a daytrip may be only 2 hours by train, you have to get to the station allowing leeway not to miss your train, and allow similar time in an unfamiliar place for your return trip. You did say you wanted to visit Europe, not do trainspotting!

yep, you're right. it's too much. i'm a little disappointed. I don't really have one single country i want to explore entirely. But, I'm going to find one and enjoy it rather than try to over do it. thank you so much

Don't be disappointed! So much to see in one country or one city, like Paris (which I am partial to). You will be so glad you didn't spend most days of your trip on a train or in a train station.

The Paris/Munich suggestion is solid...so work on that and figure out what you CAN see and do. You are still going to have a great trip.

Lvoverna: good for you!

These Fodorites are really good people who are trying their best to help you with their experience and knowledge. They have nothing to sell you except their good will.

Heed their advice, as you seem willing to do, and plan a smashing trip for yourself! Enjoy!

And remember: This is a FIRST trip, not an ONLY trip.

Don't be disappointed. Wherever you go and whatever you see in Europe will be new and wonderful. You don't have to limit yourself to one country. You do have to limit yourself to one or two areas that are geographically logical for travel, and make one or two moves that don't require eating up too much of your time. Choosing one or two places as bases and taking part of a day to get from one to the other isn't bad. While day trips can be great, they aren't if they take most of the day just getting from/returning to your home base. You are going to have a great trip. I just know it.

<I am interested first and foremost in visiting Europe in December during Christmas season. Christmas markets are a must for us. However, the weather is also a concern. I have heard positive and negative things on the temperature in Europe during December. We are not scared of cold weather and in fact i would prefer it. But, i don't want to be snowed in or all locations be closed due to inclement weather. In addition to Christmas market>

Well then Germany is a must IMO - every town little and big has an amazing Christmas Market, which not only sell Christmas trinkets but act as socializing places for locals after work who come to sip the Gluhwein (sp?) hot spiced wine sold at all such markets - the weather should rarely be as dire as you dread - in many trips to Germany in December I have never even seen snow or freezing weather (though I did a few years ago in early January where trains were snarled by cold and snow but again that was rare)

Go as early in December as possible to Germany as bad weather I believe is less likely earlier than later.

But for Christmas Markets Germany cannot be beat, even though nowadays many other countries have them too but not to the extent in Germany (or austria) - Paris for example has a few but nothing IME like the ambience of the German ones.

Christmas Markets go well into the night and at night take on a different flavor IME - they serve as gathering places for locals after work who come to gather and sip hot spice wine, beer and especially Schnapps, a ubiquitous aspect of Christmas Market cafes. Plus the lights are nice at night - so both markets both in the day and at night IMO>