Excited for upcoming Christmas market trip, need some suggestions and advice

Posted by Travel233 on 10/29/23 12:29 AM

We booked a flight and are going to be arriving in Munich on the 21st at 1:30pm and leaving at noon on the 30th. Should I have flown to Frankfurt instead? Trying to plan a smart itinerary since we've never seen the Christmas markets and most likely won't be able to return for years. There's just me and my wife no kids. Do we need a rental car or can we get by with a rail pass? We booked with Lufthansa, should we try to get a rail pass included? What do you think of this it?

21st: settle in to hotel, get dinner, check out Munich Christmas market in the evening.
22nd: Rail to Nuremberg, sightseeing and Christmas Market
23rd: Rothenberg day trip, Christmas Market in the evening.
24th: Rail to Prague, sightseeing Christmas market
25th: Christmas concert, sightseeing
26th: Travel to Salzburg, sightseeing
27th: Back to Munich, sightseeing
28th: day trips to dachau, Neschwanstein castle
29th: unsure
30th: depart noon for home

Something seems off on this itinerary. We only have the nights of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd to catch some Christmas markets and we're not sure which to try to hit. Maybe a couple per day and rent a car? Not sure where to spend Christmas to be able to enjoy some sort of concert or festival Christmas day and not sure where to go after Christmas. I think the markets in Prague are still open but not ssure if we should do Vienna or stick to southern Germany or what.

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

10/29/23 01:51 AM

20143 posts

You can get everywhere with trains. A rail pass would be overkill since there are really no long distance trips.
Tons of concerts in Prague on Christmas day, from Christmas Mass to Ballet to Opera.
https://www.pragueexperience.com/opera-concerts/opera-concerts.asp?EventYear=2023&EventMonth=12&Offset=150

Still Nuremberg to Prague and Prague to Salzburg is 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours each. So I'd say spend 2 nights in Nuremberg, Prague, Salzburg, and Munich. with your fist night in Munich, I think that would be plenty.

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

10/29/23 02:16 AM

4754 posts

Just a few thoughts-
Are you saying you still don't have lodging? Have you done any research to see if lodging is available in your price range in your proposed cities?
I would definitely spend night(s) in Rothenberg and Salzburg. The Rothenburg markets are small, but I just love being in that town. The (English) Night Watchman's tour is 8pm. He has a website, so you can check if he does tours daily in the winter. Avoid weekends if you can, the crowds come in on Friday and Saturday nights.
We were in Salzburg for Easter one year, and altho not religious, went to services ( in German) in the Cathedral. It was a spectacular event, with a full choir and orchestra, in the beautiful Cathedral. The service was two hours, and we could have left anytime, but it was just so incredible. I'm assuming Xmas services would be even more spectacular, there or in any cathedral in a big European city.
Skip Fussen IMHO, it's a tourist trap, and tickets may be already sold out.
Vienna would be magical.
I'm sure you know that not much is open from afternoon of Xmas Eve until Dec 27. Make sure you get dinner reservations wherever, perhaps in the hotels where you're staying.
Having spoken of the limitations, let me say that the Xmas markets are a magical experience and you'll have a wonderful time. I'll attach my trip report from 2019. You'll have warm memories forever!
Safe travels!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/christmas-markets-switzerland-france-germany-2019

Posted by Travel233 OP

10/29/23 02:24 AM

13 posts

We haven't booked any rooms. Do I need to panic or what? Flying into and out of munich should we try to make it to both nuremberg/rothenberg and Vienna?

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

10/29/23 02:35 AM

20143 posts

I'd skip Vienna. Munich, Nuremberg, Prague, and Salzburg is plenty for 9 days.

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

10/29/23 03:24 AM

4754 posts

When I planned our trip in June, (for December,) many convenient hotels were already booked. Good luck!

Posted by Russ

Paradise

10/29/23 02:00 PM

6651 posts

Why are you traveling into Munich twice? Going into town on Day 1 wastes a fair amount of time. Geographically speaking, you are way overstretched for your time... on the whole, your transportation agenda involves too much zooming around between major destinations where you won't have time to see much of anything but the Christmas markets. I suggest you stick to Germany and hack off some of the outlying distractions you have mentioned. You can spend less time in transit and still see A LOT and visit a lot of markets with the outline below

Arrive 12/21, direct train to LANDSHUT for one night. (35 minutes.) "settle in to hotel, get dinner, check out Christmas market in the evening." Beautiful old town center. Trausnitz Castle. Christmas Market is open until 20:00. It's located just outside Landshut's old-town zone.

12/22: You will end up in NUREMBERG for 3 nights. This can be a "two-fer" market day...

Direct train to REGENSBURG (38 minutes.) Store bags in station locker. See the old town zone (UNESCO World Heritage status) and Christmas Market (open 10 - 21:00.) PM RE train at any hour you like (60 minutes) to NUREMBERG, where you booked for 3 nights.

12/23, 24: Time in Nuremberg, great city for many reasons, day trip or half-day trip to ROTHENBURG/market.

Christmas Day itself is a good day to travel. Most people are at home, but trains are running and stations are open, including some food establishments. Read up here about Leipzig, Berlin, Potsdam rail stations... the Berlin Hbf station isn't mentioned, but I find it fantastic in its own way.

https://railtripping.com/en/8-railway-stations-in-germany-you-should-visit

12/25: Direct train to LEIPZIG (2 hrs 10 minutes.) Stow bags in lockers, explore the station, take a walk. Direct train to BERLIN after that (1 hr. 20, min's.) where IMO you should book at least 3 nights. The Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market is open until 10 pm on the 25th and afterward as well. If you go to the Nordbahnhof station mentioned above, you'll be right near the Mauerpark (Berlin Wall Memorial site.)

12/26-27: see Berlin. World-class city.

12/28: Direct train to MUNICH, 4 hours. See Munich for 2 days.

TRAIN TICKETS to pre-purchase: only TWO...

1) Nuremberg > Leipzig (stopover) > Berlin

2) Berlin > Munich

For all other journeys between these towns, cheap day passes on the regional trains are available - buy them day by day as you go - or you can spring for Deutschland-Tickets, one for each of you at €49.