Spending Christmas in Europe -- where to go?!

Budapest
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/budapest-at-christmas

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/budapest-christmas-markets-and-days-trips-dec-7-13-2015

You should consider Les Diablerets in not too far from Geneva and if you do, you could try getting a booking at Auberge de la Poste, but they have very few rooms so an early booking would be advisable.

Please define your travel period. Most Christmas markets are open the four weeks before Christmas, close on the 23rd. Are you thinking of basing yourselves at one location and day tripping or would touring two or three Christmas markets be your preference? Obviously there is quite a difference between a city Christmasmarket and one in a quaint old village.

Are you also considering on staying over New Year's? The single best place to spend New Year's Eve in Europe and probably in the entire world to me is Vienna. At midnight absolutely everbody dances the Blue Danube waltz in the streets! (This is the case for pretty much all of Austria, but Vienna of course is Vienna. Also all the world's top VIP's (not of pop culture, real culture, politics, economy, nobleness) come to see the New Year's concert of the Vienna Philharmonics on Jan 1st (no, you won't get tickets).

Then keep in mind that in Italy and Spain the gift exchanging part of Christmas takes place on January 6th.

Do you ski?

The Christmas Markets in Riga, Tallinn, Budapest all open mid to late November and stay open in part or in whole until at least New Year; if that gives you more flexibility.

I hope you like cold weather with short days (it gets dark in Germany at 4:30 in the afternoon in late December).

The German/Austrian Christmas Markets are great. Consider a river cruise. To find snow, you may need to go to the Alps.

Take a good overcoat and warm shoes and hat. Touring in the cold is cold.

Come to my home city of Edinburgh. Christmas markets on in several parts of the main city fun-fairs and ice skating rinks as well as some great food loads of places to enjoy the atmosphere and you can even go to a Panto (look that one up). English spoken and American understood.
can't guarantee snow but head up north for the day and I am sure you will find some.
https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/events/christmas-winter-festivals/edinburgh/
and I will even offer to take you for a drink in a few of my favourite non touristy pubs.

We spent Crhistmas in Rothenburg o.d. Tauber. I cannot imagine a better place for Christmas. It was cold and snowy and perfect for a Germanic Christmas. Started in Strasbourg and finally came home from Prague for New Years. Our experience was the Germany christmas markets started shutting down in early afternoon of Christmas eve. The Prague markets were still open over New Years.

I would vote for Salzburg. It seems like it would be PERFECT for Christmas. All gemutlichkeit!!!

Perhaps pick and choose along this route, with 3 'gateway' options ...
Munich >> Salzburg >> Vienna >> Linz >> Regensburg >> Nuremberg >> Bamberg >> Wurzburg >> Heidelberg >> Mainz >> Frankfurt

Most Christmas markets close on the 22nd or 23rd so that everyone will have taken their stands down and be home by the 24th which is when Christmas is celebrated in Germany. There are some cities with markets open after this, but not very many. Small towns will have a market on only one weekend during Advent.

I would want to be in the Alps, where there is snow. Check out packages in the ski towns or places like Garmisch.

Let's Cook in Umbria, which is based near Perugia. Italy, has seasonal centre-based cooking classes & day trips right before Christmas and again around New Year's. You might want to explore their website. Sounds like a fun idea!

Ms. Jo, for those that don't arrive before Christmas there are places where the markets stay open till the first of the year or later. In Budapest the food stalls close on the 24th but the retail continues till the first of the year. Similar is true in Riga and might also be true of orthodox Christian countries.

Last December, we stayed in Salzburg for Christmas and had a great time. It is a very compact city to stay at and visit with Christmas markets which were even open on Christmas day. Although we had great weather, we didn't have to worry about bad weather since all the major sites were within easy walking distance of the city center located hotel were we stayed. We were also able to visit sites in the neighboring country side, such as the village where Silent Night was performed, Hallstat, and Berchtesgarden, so you can also visit small, rural communities. Salzburg does scream Christmas.

I suggested Budapest up above. I decided to put my actions where my mouth was; just decided that we are off to Budapest for Christmas this year (3rd time for Christmas in Budapest)

We enjoyed our Christmas trip to Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest. A chance to experience several different Christmas markets and all easily accessed by rail.

We've been to Salzburg and Munich in December, and would recommend any of them. Both had terrific Christmas markets. We were also in Vienna and Budapest in the Winter, and I would imagine both would be great around Christmas.