Christmas Markets

I assume you mean Christmas markets? Alsace (Eastern France) and Germany spring to mind. Look at Strasbourg, Colmar in the former, Nuremberg in the latter - but there are many others.
In terms of logistics, I'd rather not spend any time in Paris on arrival, but move on towards my next destination. For instance it's easy to take the train from Paris CDG Airport to Strasbourg. I would then spend all my Paris time at the end.
Train travel is no more prone to delay in December, but you need to book ahead around Christmas

Thanks for the reply I will look into these markets. I'm with you one the get out of Paris a.s.a.p, but the flight that I am looking at looks like it will land at 10 pm local time. So, at least one night will be spent in Paris, I will do 3 nights in the end. I'm also thinking of having one central hub (Town) and doing day trips to other parts of either France or Germany (if it's cheaper). Or, what I need to find out is how much are hotels per night in December if I want to be impromptu and book hotels that night (except for Paris).

We did this last year at Christmas, spent a few days in Paris, then took the train to Colmar for 3 days. I absolutely loved Colmar even though it was crowded, that just added to the joyful atmosphere. Such a beautiful charming place. We also did a day trip by train to Strasbourg and were able to walk everywhere.

We just finished our arrangements for the following Christmas markets trip:

This Nov/Dec, we are flying into Zurich.
staying in Basel [ day tripping to Bern and Lucerne markets];
staying in Strasbourg , [day trips to Colmar markets and doing a Wine Tour to other small villages];
staying in Stuttgart , [day trips to Esslingen and Ludwigsburg markets];
Staying in Rothenburg;
then doing a final day of markets in either Wurzburg or Frankfurt area;
flying out of Frankfurt.

Check the dates of your availability and the dates that the Christmas markets open in each city.
We got a great rate for our open jar flights.
Good luck and safe travels!

Take a look at this website for Alsace. I believe there are markets in Paris as well. The medieval market in Esslingen, near Stuttgart, is especially interesting and fun. I went to a lot of markets several years ago on a shorter trip (10-11 nights), Alsace, southern Germany and Saltzburg. You'll have plenty of time for sightseeing as well as the markets, so where you go over 2 weeks depends on what you want to see and do other than the markets.

the R/T price sounds great, but factor in the time and cost of getting back to Paris.

I am looking at flying out of either San Fransisco or San Jose. San Jose is $50 more expensive atm and they just have U.S. based airlines. I like to drink 2 beers and not pay for it, so any U.S. based airlines are out. Also, San Francisco has nonstop.

I just checked Google flights, and I saw RT under $600 for a proposed trip, either open jar Zurich - Frankfurt, or SFO- Zurich RT, non-American airlines. Again, this is just an example, but if you really don't want to explore Paris, perhaps try other destinations, and spend a little more money on flights, and not on Paris hotels??? Again, not sure of your likes/dislikes, just throwing out suggestions.
Have a great trip and safe travels!

To add to the post above: keep in mind that a flight that forces you to spend a night in a hotel in a place you don't want to visit costs you $100 already. And a round trip from Paris to Eastern France / somewhere with traditional Xmas markets costs about $100 too, purchased in advance.

Last time I visited Alsace (not in winter), I flew out of Frankfurt. There are trains from Strasbourg and an easy transfer there to the airport and shuttle bus service directly to the airport.

If you venture into Austria, Salzburg was charming in December, but flying out is not recommended, as I learned. It gets fogged in very often, meaning significant delays. I was scheduled to transfer in Vienna to my int'l flight home with a generous connection time. Of course the flight was delayed for hours. My flights were all Lufthansa on one ticket and there were another 4 passengers who also had the same connection. Lufthansa held the Vienna flight for us and took us through all the procedures in VIP style, van from point to point, priority at the stops (security was one, there was another) and we got glares from all the seated, waiting passengers when we finally got aboard (took about an hour!).

Thanks for all the suggestions. I looked into the SFO- Zurich and while it was fairly cheap, I never been to Paris during the winter and spending my last 3 days there won't be a deal-breaker. Plus I like the hotels near the airport because they offer free shuttles to the airport and if timed right one can get rooms for 60 euros per night. I might do the touristy thing and ice skate the Eifel Tower. I am looking into staying at some village that no one visits and has a train station nearby so I may get a B&B for around $75 and use the train to go on day trips to more expensive Christmas Markets. One thing that is worrying me is since I am leaving Paris on the 23rd will I be snowed in and completely miss Christmas back in California?

The majority of Christmas Markets end Christmas Eve, so check the dates of places you plan to go.

Actually, most Christmas markets end on the 22nd or possibly the 23rd. Very few are open on the 24th and if so, they would close at 13:00.

We did several Christmas markets last December. For France we chose the Alsace region. We did have a car which made it easier to visit the smaller villages in that area. We stayed at Abbaye d' Alspach in Kaysersberg. It is family owned, they speak very little english but we speak very little french. We managed just fine. It was about a 10 minute drive from Colmar. Lots of little villages to check out. We enjoyed Turkheim. All handmade stuff at their teeny tiny market. We were there the beginning of December so not that crowded. As the weekend came the place began to fill up a bit more. We were the only English speakers. But still could walk down the streets with out seeing anyone. They also had the best homemade gluhwein.....
When staying nearby CDG airport just remember it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get to Paris.

Thanks to Chani I decided to stay at Colmar because it seems from this website that there are quite a few shuttles/trains that ventures to other markets in Alsace and a castle. I will then go to Germany to Rothenberg And Nuremberg. Here is the website that I am looking at https://noel.tourisme-alsace.com/en/christmas-without-your-car/christmas-markets-accessible-by-public-transport-departing-from-colmar.html

If anyone knows any reason this may be a stupid idea please let me know.

Colmar is absolutely the best place to base in France for Christmas Markets, although Strasbourgs' several markets are well worth a visit as a day trip.

I can't speak to Rothenburg during Christmastime, but it's a very touristy village that I'm sure goes all out for Christmas, but you won't be alone. Nuremberg is one of the only major city markets I haven't been to, as I always fear the crush of the crowds but I swear I'll get to it this year - but on a weekday for sure.

I don't think your plan is a bad one, but if you decide you want to entertain alternatives, I would suggest Munich. I love Munich at Christmastime because it's a bunch of smaller markets with different flavors set throughout the city. Nothing ever feels too overwhelming because the markets are always just nicely spread out. And you've got an easy day trip to Salzburg to enjoy their markets, or if you time it right, the Krampus night! I did that last year and it was amazing.

Stuttgart with it's best big-city market and the neighboring markets of Esslingen and Ludwigsburg are in my mind the best selection of nearby markets in Germany but I may be biased. If you like Renaissance faires, then the Esslingen market is a must - it's better than other medieval Christmas Markets I've visited in Berlin, Ulm, and Dresden, although the latter was also pretty good (but a little far for your trip this time).

You probably won't go wrong, just try to make sure you're in Nurnberg on a weekday.

I haven't been to Rothenberg or Nuremberg. Like Sarah, I urge you to stop in Stuttgart to see the market there and especially to spend several hours in Esslingen, so you're there to see the market in daylight and late enough to enjoy it after dark for an hour or more. While the Frankfurt markets were the least appealing to me, the nearby towns (easy day trips) have lovely markets and interesting sights - Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Bad Homburg were great.

I was doing research all this time since Sarah posted her suggestions. Looks like the cheapest hotels are in Esslingen, and the train station is a 10-minute walk, so I will have that as my Germany hub. I will ditch Rothenberg And Nuremberg and visit all the sites that Sarah suggested. I looked it up and Krampus will be on the 5th of Dec this year, I will totally miss him. Thanks for all of this :)

OP, let me know if you want general advice for touring the Stuttgart area - there's a lot to see aside from Christmas Markets, and you're close enough to the Black Forest to hit some of their markets too if the dates coincide (smaller towns usually just have one or two weekends of markets).

Staying in Esslingen makes sense - Stuttgart hotels are overpriced and you're closer to the action in Esslingen which is a very underrated destination. I'll be at the hot tubs at the Esslingen market at least once this year wishing I had a nearby hotel room to return to!

We will be at the Esslingen Markets this December, so I'm very interested-
how do hot tubs fit into this scene?????

And Krampus???- I just looked that up- I'm learning new things here. So there are parades/celebrations added to the markets on Dec 5? Is this a Germany phenom? My mind is spinning.......

I'm with Pat, what's going on with this Hot tub time machine, and yes please, general advice for touring the Stuttgart would be great. As it turns out I'm changing my initial departure from San Francisco so I get to see Krampus do his thing. I will go to Germany first then to Alsace. Also, when do the trains usually stop running to Esslingen. For example, if I want to stay at Stuttgart till 10 pm, will I miss the train and need to rent a hotel room? Which isn't a deal-breaker.

Here is a link for Christmas Markets by country, http://www.brunnvalla.ch/christmasmarkets/austria.html, may help you with which ones to choose.
I will be doing the same in 2020 (Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Salzburg & Amsterdam).

Enjoy your trip.

Here's an article on the hot tubs (warning: fuzzy nudity in article - of my friends, which I'd totally forgotten about!) You are allowed to wear swimsuits, although it's that much colder when you get out to change or use the bathroom. The contact form for the tubs is here - reservations open in October and fill up INCREDIBLY fast so if this is an experience you're interested in, keep that in mind.

Stuttgart is served to Esslingen by both regional trains and S-Bahn, which runs every 20 minutes normally, every 30 minutes later in the evening, and roughly once an hour between midnight and 5am on weekends, so a late night in Stuttgart and a return to Esslingen is possible, just check the times using Google maps or the local transit network's site (vvs.de) to see a schedule.

Krampus events are almost entirely in the alps, in Austria in particular. Salzburg has the biggest event, but other smaller towns usually have a little Krampus fest, usually on Dec 5 (the night before St. Nicolas day).

As for things to do in Stuttgart, the Mercedes Museum is the best car museum in Germany (and fascinating even if you don't care about cars). It's also on the way to Esslingen so is a good option for touring in the morning then continuing to Esslingen on a (weekday) afternoon. There's a little charming "hipster" Christmas market at Marienplatz in Stuttgart from 30 Nov - 9 December that's worth an hour or two. Ludwigsburg is home to a baroque palace (partially under restoration right now, unfortunately) that's still worth taking a guided tour in English. A lot of cool areas nearby have just weekend-long Christmas markets like Hohenzollern castle, Tuebingen, and Maulbronn monestary - check their respective websites to find out which weekend and if you'll be around. (Note that the former requires a car to visit, the other two can be done by train). Other indoor activities include the excellent state history museum in the Old Palace, the modern Kunstmuseum, and the state gallery (Staatsgallerie).

Here is a comprehensive list of all the Christmas markets in the state - but not all are necessarily good - I've only been to a handful. A couple of my favorites from the list is the market in the Ravenna Gorge (requires a car) and the market in Bad Wimpfen (doable by train from Stuttgart).

Hope this helps!

So got my hotels all booked and what not. Just need to purchase train tickets. I left a day to pick a random city to visit. So, my question is, if I leave Stuttgart on a Sunday morning and have to arrive at Colmar on a Monday, where is a good place to stop in between those two towns?

I was reading Sarah's OP about the shot tubs in Esslingen, and am intrigued.
A few questions:
the sign-up link is in German. Any way to access an English sign -up?
ANd- do you have to be in a group of 4-6 peopleto sign up?
Thanks so much and safe travels!

Stuttgart and Strasbourg are only about 2-3 hours apart by train, Colmar less than an hour further by frequent local trains. Strasbourg has multiple markets that are worth seeing if you want to make an overnight stop instead of a day trip. Or add the time to Colmar to see the villages that only have the Christmas shuttle on weekends.
Will you be leaving from Paris ? Markets there, too -- or just festive decorations.

Thanks for all the responses. Unfortunately, Prague is out of my way. I am landing in Paris and immediately taking a train to Esslingen for 2 days then 4 days in Stuttgart, one day in limbo (looks like Strasbourg ), 5 days in Colmar and the last three in Paris.

Strasbourg's a good place for a night. That will give you time to see the sights as well as all the markets.