Another Christmas Market question

Enjoy the markets. From Munich I’ve taken a train to Salzburg (approximately 2 hrs), Regensburg (1.5 hr) and Nuremberg, less than an hour. I suggest downloading the Deutsches Bahn app and using it to plan destinations. I buy tickets via the app so no standing in line at Munich main station (which can be busy at market time). Each of the cities mentioned have their own unique character and simple things to do after you’ve visited the markets (although Nuremberg market is quite large). I found that Regensburg was best visited during the evening hours as the castle is lit and so beautiful.

Regensburg- but only if you’re willing to pay to enter the private Xmas market at the Thurn & Taxis Palace - you can get them online. We go over every other year and it’s one of our all time favorites. I don’t think the palace is worth touring- but the Xmas market is one of the best. The main market near the cathedral is just ok. But the town of Regensburg is great

Saltzberg and Nuremberg also are our favorites.

Know if you stay near Marienplatz in Munich- there are three markets close and walkable

I was in Munich this December and felt the Christmas Markets were much better than the ones 10 years ago. We were there mid week Dec. 13, 14, and 15. It was crowded, especially in the evenings. You must make advance reservations for lunch and dinner at any of the big beer hall type restaurants. We did not so had dinner at an Italian place that was not busy. The next day we were lucky to squeeze into the Augustiner for lunch and loved it. We stayed near the train station at a lovely hotel called Excelsior by Geisel. Unfortunately the construction around the train station made it very difficult to get to.
If it were my trip I would start in Munich then take the train to Regensburg (Their private Medieval market by the Thun and Taxis castle is one of the best!) Then you can work your way up the Main Danube Canal to Nurnberg, Wurzburg, Bamburg, and end at Frankfurt for your flight home. I took a Christmas Market river cruise with Uniworld ($$$$) and Gate 1 ($$) to those towns and enjoyed them both. There isn’t much concern of low water that time of year and it is very relaxing.

Well for a chain, loop trip, I’d suggest Munich to Salzburg to Innsbruck back to Munich. We love Innsbruck, especially during the Christmas markets. It may be our favorite place during this time of year.

We stayed in the Hotel Eder. It is nothing fancy but the rooms are clean, the price was good, and the included breakfast was great! It also has a good location just steps from the central station.

Hotel Europäischerhof is across the street at the southern exit of the Munich Hauptbahnhof. We got caught in the massive snowstorm this December and were grateful to be so close to the station when dealing with our luggage. It is well worn but has an excellent breakfast. The lack of air conditioning will not bother you one bit!

As recommended, Salzburg, Regensburg, and Nürnberg are you obvious nearby choices and could be done as day trips by train or strung together in a loop. Accommodations near the train stations make it a snap to drop off luggage and go about your business. A loop means dealing with your luggage on platforms and on the train, day trip means luggage freedom but the need for round trip tickets daily. I'd reserve seats for any weekend trains since the markets are popular. There was more than one poor soul standing or sitting in the aisles.

A few years ago my husband and I visited the Christmas Markets in Munich and Salzburg. We also only had a week. We arrived on an overnight flight into Munich. We trained directly to Salzburg where we spent 3 nights. One day we took the local bus to Wolfgangsee to visit the small Christmas markets in Strobl, St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen. The towns were connected by a ferry system. We then trained back to Munich to spend 3 nights. From Munich we took a day trip to see Neuschwanstein and Fussen. We flew home on day seven. We had a fantastic time and never felt rushed. It is still our favorite Christmas Market trip!