Help with Christmas market itinerary

Here's my take, if you've seen a few markets you've seen them all. I went to several in Strausburg on one day and it was more than enough, they are definitely similar. Hallstadt is not really somewhere people stay, they go and look and leave so it's more of a day trip.

I love European Christmas markets and have done about 8 winter trips. I think the Alsace area is great and there are several great markets in Vienna. However, the best markets are in Germany which you have left out! I suggest instead of a long train ride to Salzburg, you stop for a couple of days in Germany. You might also reevaluate your time in the Alps. Last December the weather was pretty wet and snowy so I cancelled my days in the German Alps.

What route were you planning on taking between Colmar and Salzburg? You say it is a long day, but I'm finding 10- and 11-hour trips with multiple transfers/changes? That's a LOT! Maybe that Day 5 could be used to break that up into two more manageable chunks. It would help to know what route you have found or have in mind.

I do think a trip devoted to many Christmas markets is a wonderful thing and don't think you'll get tired of them.

Someone else recently started a thread on Hallstatt. You might want to follow it to help decide if it stays in or out.

I would add the extra day to Vienna. If Vienna meets all your expectations, then you stay. If it comes up short, then the third day you catch an early train to Budapest, do the markets and a quick overview tour (I have ideas) then head back to Vienna early thr next morning.

Thank you all for the info. My original itinerary was Stuggart-Munich-Salzburg-Vienna. However, when my flight was cancelled I had to reschedule to Paris and thus ended up with the Strasbourg itinerary. I've considered adding Munich back as the most logical stop as my daughter as interested in seeing Dachau which would also give us a break from the markets. I'm looking for ease of travel (specifically not lugging luggage on and off trains with multiple stops) and many of the wonderful German markets are a bit more difficult to access by train. Strasbourg to Stuggart seems doable also and then on to Salzburg. I'm seeing 6-6.5 hours Strasbourg to Salzburg with 1-2 changes. We typically don't choose to day trip to locations over around 1 hour and I'm particularly looking for ease of travel.

Gotcha. Yes, I'm seeing that now...I think I was also running you all the way to Vienna instead of Salzburg. My bad! And yes, there's even a 1-stop version via Munich, so you could divide it that way too. (Munich also has great Christmas markets). Another observation: Colmar is just 30 minutes by train from Strasbourg, and you have to head back up to make your long trip. If "not lugging luggage on and off trains with multiple stops" is a goal, why not just spend that time in Strasbourg and visit Colmar from there?

Yes, I didn't make myself clear, we will be spending all nights in Strasbourg and traveling out from there! Im not seeing a single stop through Munich traveling to Salzburg. Only seeing a stop in Stuggart and Mannheim, but for ease I'm searching on Trainline. Did I miss something?

We did a similar trip in 2015. We started in Strasbourg where we stayed for a few nights with a day trip to Colmar. Strasbourg is the Capital of Christmas and the decorations are stunning. Colmar is absolutely charming any time of the year. From Strasbourg we went to Rothenburg ob de Tauber for a couple nights. It was a pretty long train ride from Strasbourg to Rothenburg with one or two transfers but I love traveling by train so I didn’t mind. From Rothenburg we went to Munich for a few nights. From Munich we went to Salzburg for a few nights with a night time trip with Grayline tours to the Salzkammergut Christmas markets. I am not a fan of big bus tours but this was expedient for us and Grayline did a good job. We had a great time. From Salzburg we went to Vienna where we finished up our trip. We did more on this trip than just visit the markets. There are other attractions in all of these cities/towns to keep you amused. This has to be one of our favorite trips to Europe.

There is a TGV (TGV9577) that runs between Strasbourg and Munich, originating in Paris. That's what I'm seeing on Deutsche Bahn; however, it may be that it isn't loaded past spring or it could be seasonal. Obviously would be a great time and hassle savings if it is available in December; worth keeping an eye on and searching for every so often.

Wow Mary. This sounds like my dream trip. I will map out the train itinerary and see if it would be doable. Do you remember how many nights you stayed in each location? As mentioned, we prefer to stay a bit in one place than move frequently. Thanks for the tip on the bus tour. I am excited about advent at the Salzkammergut but just thought maybe we would take the bus. I would prefer a tour. Happy to hear it was one of your favorite trips. To be honest, my daughter talked me into this Christmas market adventure and it seems I've read several posts about the dreary weather. I would have preferred enjoying the nice Austrian alps in September but I'm beginning to get psyched up about the markets.

Thanks too travel history! I ll check it out. My train research has just been skimming the surface at this point. Appreciative to all here for the contributions!

There are SO many threads on Christmas markets, use the Search bar on top & plug in Christmas & the city you're considering. Sounds like a fantastic trip!

Just want to mention you're only as warm & comfy as your feet. Take WATERPROOF footwear, it will be wet & slushy. I'm warmer in 20F than I am in 32F, that snow melting gets into everything. I wear Merrill Moab 2 hiking boots (found some waterproof ones in Sweden) orthotics, thin smart wool socks, a medium weight packable down parka (squishable to about 6" x 3", waterproof outer layer, we both wear GorTex rain coats, can't beat it, winter-weight pants, a neck gaiter, hat & gloves. Think of it this way, once you arrive, you will be wearing the boots & jacket every day, less to carry. Hope you have a wonderful time!! (If you get tired of Christmas markets, you can take a break and go somewhere nearby for the day, lots of possibilities.)

Thanks for the tips on the search. It didn't cross my mind as usual. I appreciate all the clothing info. Haven't gotten that far but knew I would need to purchase some items!

I think we stayed three nights or four nights in each location. We booked the Grayline tour of the Salzkammergut when we were in Salzburg. We just walked up to the kiosk that morning and booked it. I call it a tour but mainly they just get you to the various small towns and let you enjoy the location on your own. There is a boat cruise included. This is a big bus tour with fifty people but that was fine as it was getting us to where we wanted to go without a lot of fuss. You may be able to book this online ahead of time. We had mostly fabulous weather with the exception of a little drizzle for a few hours one evening in Strasbourg and one morning in Munich. The temps were mild. I was hoping for snow but no luck. It was chilly in the Salzkammergut because you are in the mountains and on a lake. Last year there was snow which caused tie ups with the trains so be warned. Remember to have other activities planned other than the markets such as museums, concerts, etc. Don’t just do the markets. We went to see the decorations, drink gluhwein, and enjoy the ambiance. We weren’t there to shop. Everyone at the markets was happy and having a good time.

The Strasbourg XM is kind of sterile. Colmar is more organic and fun. Around Colmar are half a dozen Plus Belle Villes which are best reached by car.

Most German, Austrian, and Czech locations have the best XM. But usually medium sized cities like Nuremberg are best.

Vienna has 20+ XM’s which are more fun. But after a while they are not that big of a deal. I have found it rewarding if you can find some great concerts - but hard with all the cheesy tourist trap concerts.

Thanks for the information! Any recommendations on concerts?