What to expect over Christmas
 

Hi there!

Question regarding travelling over Christmas, we plan to leave Prague and arrive in Munich same day on December 24. Will this be an issue with business being closed? Will we miss Christmas Markets in Munich or are they open Christmas eve/ Christmas day?

Many thanks!

Hi gretchin,

Your travel will be fine -- trains and public transportation run like any holiday or Sunday. You can find the exact schedules using a Sunday schedule.

The snack bars/grocery shops will be open in the train station. In Munich, the restaurants in hotels will be open, but you need to make reservations. Everything else will be closed. Everything closes around noon on 24 Dec and won't open up again until Tuesday, 27 Dec.

Christmas markets close around noon or 14.00 on 24 Dec, so you'll probably miss all the markets. The Tollwood Festival will be open until 31 December, though it's not, strictly speaking, a Christmas market.

https://www.tollwood.de/en/

Have fun as you plan!

s

Hi S,

Thank you for your reply and information. Would you recommend cutting a day short in Prague to reach Munich in time for the Markets?

I also have the option to extend Prague and move Munich over the NY period before flying out of Paris. Example below.


Original Plan:

12/20/2016 - Amsterdam > Prague
12/21/2016 - Prague
12/22/2016 - Prague
12/23/2016 - Prague
12/24/2016 - Prague > Munich
12/25/2016 - Munich
12/26/2016 - Munich
12/27/2016 - Munich > Salzburg
12/28/2016 - Salzburg
12/29/2016 - Salzburg
12/30/2016 - Salzburg > Switzerland


or


Plan to work around Christmas:

12/20/2016 - Amsterdam > Prague
12/21/2016 - Prague
12/22/2016 - Prague
12/23/2016 - Prague
12/24/2016 - Prague
12/25/2016 - Prague
12/26/2016 - Prague > Munich > Salzburg
12/27/2016 - Salzburg
12/28/2016 - Salzburg
12/29/2016 - Salzburg
12/30/2016 - Salzburg > Munich

Many thanks!

Here is the information on Christmas markets in München:

https://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/home...tere-CM_e.html

If you arrive in München on 23 December you will be able to go the Middle Age Market which will be a special experience which I highly recommend (open till 8 p.m.). Then, you can go to the main Christmas Market, the Christkindlmarket, in the morning of 24 December (open till 2 p.m.).

It is correct that most museums are closed on 24 and 25 December, but they are open on 26 December (e.g. Pinakotheken, Deutsches Museum).

In fact, these 1 1/2 days - from 24 December 2 p.m. to 25 December - will be very quiet, but not only in Germany, also in Austria. There will be a very festive mood during these days und you may use 25 December for some walks through the city or for a daytrip into the Alps. Also, the concentration camp memorial in Dachau is open on 25 December from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (but closed on 24 December).

Hi again,

Unfortunately, I've never been attracted to or intrigued by Prague, so I've never visited there. Also, since I don't know you, I can't tell what you might enjoy as a destination. If it were *me,* I would spend all that time in Munich or Salzburg, lol!

Yes traveller1959 above has a good idea --- head to the mountains on 25 and/or 26 December. The Christmas holiday is a major tourist time for the ski areas around Garmisch, and everything on the mountains will be running at full. So you could easily take the train to Garmisch and then head to the slopes to see the skiers or just to see the scenery and have something to eat.

Have fun as you plan!

s