eickenhorst

Hello I need your recommendations and advice on what Christmas markets are worth visiting.
Last year we went to the Christmas markets in Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Rothenberg. (See trip report
Returned from Germany yesterday. Christmas Markets Great!! 12/14/2002, 09:10 pm)
We will be traveling again with our two daughters 8,16. Would like to visit the more traditional markets and skip the commercial traps. Also we will be traveling from Houston to Frankfurt around the 23 of November, when (and where) is the best time and best place to purchase the tickets.
All assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

BrimhamRocks

So are you going to be staying in Germany for these Christmas markets, or are you just flying into Germany and then traveling around? Other countries also have Christmas markets, so let us know.

If you're staying in Germany, here's a site that has info on German Christmas markets....

http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/index1.htm

I've been to Christmas markets in Belgium, Germany and England. I think the nicest, most 'traditional' one I've been to was in Havre, Belgium, held in the ruins of a chateaux there. But I love 'em all, really.

Have a great trip!

eickenhorst

Sorry about that. We will be staying in germany,and visiting the markets there.
Thanks
Bill

Dutch

I think that you would like the Christmas markets in Munich and Nuremberg. I also liked the Markets in Vienna.
I don't have a lot of advice for time and place for purchasing tickets, but there are usually some good deals to be had in December into Frankfurt

mr_compass

There is a good market only on weekends in Bad Wimpfen. (I beleive that it is named the old german market)It does not have all of the "junkier" stuff that most carry. The town is a fairly old small town with the stalls along the streets. Nurnenburg is similar to the other big markets, but the childrens lantern parade is a special event that happens there. I found that many of the small town markets were very nice, and would carry more local items. I have heard that the market at Augsburg is supposed to be very good. One of the best areas to visit at this time of the year is the erzgeberg area in eastern Germany. This is the area that the nutcrakers and smoker men and bogens come from. The most famous town being Seiffen. This is a bit off on the side road but well worth the effort. I believe that they have their market on weekends only also. When you go to a major city, ask at the tourist office to see if they have more then one market,( such as Munich).

rhkkmk

i enjoyed your message as we too are doing the xmas markets this fall....we arrive in berlin on nov 21 from boston...
i am wrestling just now with the air tickets as the cheap ones have not appeared yet...northwest does have a miles and cash deal at the moment---5M miles plus about $370 for germany including taxes...quite good...
we should be able to get tickets for around $300-350 r.t. from boston but they have not appeared as yet...as thanksgiving is a frequent travel time i am nervous about waiting much longer....i must make reservations by sept 10 or so....

the car prices are driving me crazy this year as well....they seem to have skyrocketed....we will be 4 people for the first 10 days and then only 2 people for the last week....plus we are going to prague which limits car options....there is a web site that lists all sites and the dates for the markets this year....i will look it up and post it in a few minutes
i am told that dresden is a good market...it is not too far from there to seiffen, listed above....i went to seiffen 10 years ago and it has great wooden things...ingo from dresden (a frequent fodors contributor) has told me that on weekends it will be very busy in seiffen at this time of year...seiffen is right at the czech and german borders, directly north of prague off the road to berlin

rhkkmk

the site brimham rocks has given above is the site i mentioned above

lweber

Re Christmas markets: What makes a good market depends on your objective. Are you a shopper or are you trying to understand/fit into the local culture? I am a "lurker". Just want to get a better feel for life where I am visiting.

My absolute favorite is Michelstadt. It is a bit off the beaten path and consequently gets local folk rather than the tourists like me and you. On the weekend it is truly special. Get your gluhwein, keep your mouth shut and stand in the corner and enjoy!

The earlier posting re Bad Wimpfen is also corrrect. It is a super town and a good market. It has beautiful architecture and terrain. Deserves more acclaim than it gets!!

A very small market that I really liked was in Eichenbuhl. About 2 blocks long, maybe open only on weekends but special because it was totally local [except for me I think]. Simpl;y a warm, communal feeling.

Do it! It is special!!

BrimhamRocks

If you do a search on here by typing in the words 'Christmas Market' or 'Christmas Markets', you can read many older threads that might provide more info.

Have a wonderful time!

BTilke

The nicest Christmas market we attended was in Munster. Held in the very attractive old town, it was much heavier on original crafts and very light on junk. We bought handknitted mittens and socks, handcrafted wooden and pewter ornaments, and several other items. All high quality and good prices. Plus, the town had live music and other special events.
In addition to the gluhwein (some Christmas markets sell more gluhwein than anything else), try some fresh roasted sugared almonds, or some grunkohl (a winter dish of local wurst in chopped dark greens).
Skip the markets on week-ends if you can. Too crowded. ESPECIALLY Nuremberg!!
Re cheap airfares, try looking into flights into Dusseldorf rather than Frankfurt. We found cheaper prices flying in and out of Dusseldorf and it's a MUCH nicer airport than Frankfurt. Good rail connections as well.

mr_compass

rhkkmk, Dresden had 2 markets last time I was there in 97. One on the main square and another one in ( a mideval theme) in one the the royal building court yards. When we went to Seiffen on the same trip it was during the week, so it was not bad. Not many Americans get over that far, it is mostly Eastern Europeans that I saw on the bus tours.

We also flew in/out of Dusseldorf without any problems. I think that you will need to hold out a bit more to get the cheap fares for Chistmas time. You might need to wait until after Labor day for the new fares to be out.

As posted by Btilke, make sure that you try the local food that is special to each market or the craft from each market that they are known for.

auntgrapes

rhkkmk-we are on the same travel circuit.
what is your finalized itinerary ? i'm still working on ours. 27 nov to Frankfurt. yes, the car rental is nuts and i have not closed on that-still looking for good deal. would like to compare notes. we generally use autoeurope.

asbachnate

One of the most popular with the Germans in the fest in Michelstadt. Quite a few tour buses on the outskirts of town, but not one Japanese or American tourst. Really a great village and a nice drive throught the Odenwald.
Another rest that actually surprised me was the fest in Rudesheim on the Rhine. I actually went to tour the Asbach Uralt factury and decided to wander the town and was pleasently surprised and how pretty and how large the market was.
Kirchheimbolanden also has a very nice fest for the locals. Located between Kaiserslautern & Mainz on the B4o, but it's only one weekend.

asbachnate

If you need a rental car you might try http://gemut.com/ Click on "Car Rental" at the top and then call the 800 number. Don't bother with the web. I just reserved a mid-size car for 20 days and it came to $805 with taxes for 2 drivers. I pick up downtown frankfurt, this way I avoid the 17% tax. I then drop off 30 days later at the airport. The tax only applies to the pick-up point, so you might look into this. You can take the train or S-Bahn from under the airport right into down town.
I also tried Auto Europe & Kemwell but their rates seem to have gone way up the past few years. I did a lot of shopping for my upcoming September trip and Gemut had the cheapest rentals by far. They got me the best rate with Hertz, so they use companies your familiar with.

BrimhamRocks

asbachnate,

Is that $805 for 20 days, or 30? You state it's for 20, but a few sentences down in your post you then say that you will drop the car off 30 days later.

asbachnate

Sorry, 30 days.
I pick up on the 6th of September and drop off the 5th of October.
Can't wait!!!

wpcx2

This is the link I found for our trip in early December:http://www.germany-tourism.de/e/1579_20197.html
It appears most, if not all, of these markets begin around Nov. 27. Have fun........

Sally

Last December, we had a wonderful time at two Christmas markets in Rome. One was at Piazza Navona with all different kinds of Befanas and beautiful figures for Nativity scenes.

The other market was mostly a food fair with free samples of many kinds of holiday food. It was like a big party. We may have been the only Americans there.

There were also Christmas concerts at the churches. We
were there from Dec. 4- 13. It was lovely and uncrowded - no lines at the Vatican. We will definitely go there again in December.

rhkkmk

auntgrapes---just noticed your response to me...we are leaving boston on nov 21 (don't have reservations of course) to berlin for 3 days, flying from there to munich, touring bmw and renting from hertz (over telephone best rate yet $420 for mid size wagon); driving to cesky krumlov, cz for an overnite and then on to prague for 3 nites...our kids return home from there; we continue on to dresden for 2 nites, then one nite in nuremburg, 2 nites in rothenburg o.b. tauber, then 3 nites along the mosel, one nite in frankfurt and then home....
waiting to do flight...prices coming down each day...n/w has a good deal for 5m miles plus $350.....then going to do some priceline for berlin and part of prague and frankfurt...alll other hotels have been reserved

what about you??

bob

auntgrapes

rhkkmk-thanks for the reply. what are the dates you'll be in dresden ? we'll arrive there approx 11 dec. later today when i have a few minutes i'll add to this info.