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Recommendations for a German Christmas Market tour?

Posted by (Idaho, USA) on

Hi fellow travelers, I am in the exploring stage right now for some options for travel in 2024-5. I have never been to Germany or the adjacent countries in the winter but always thought a Christmas Market trip would be interesting. I like to do independent traveling, but for this trip, I would like to be with a tour & around people.

I’m mostly focused on the atmosphere of the Christmas Markets, picking up a few traditional pieces made in that country and possibly one larger item. I will probably check a suitcase on the way home and hand-carry my purchases in a lightweight pack.

Could you recommend any tours for a new widow - something where there’s a nice group dynamic on the tour? I was just viewing this one as a possibility. I really like the itinerary (The Christmas Markets Of Salzburg, Innsbruck, Nuremberg, Rothenburg & Rudesheim), but i’m hoping for something less expensive since the single supplement adds an additional $1295 for the nine nights.

https://www.escapeworld.travel/christmas-markets

I would consider the RS Germany tour that has some free time for the Christmas Markets, but my husband & I were in all of those cities together, so I need some different locations for this experience.

Thanks!

Posted by
9221 posts

Not familiar with any tours specifically, but I would look at some of the river cruises that are Christmas market oriented. Have you checked Trafalger or Tauck tours? That escape world tour looks really expensive for 9 days!

Posted by
1488 posts

First, make sure you're tour winds up before 23 DEC this year, as the markets are mostly closing by then due to the 25th being mid-week.

Next, you might want to check some of the local (German) tour companies. RTT Travel specializes in trips for Americans, Holiday Travel is out of England, as is TUI.

I'm looking at a Christmas Market Cruise for 8 nights in the North Sea that's about half what the tour you listed. Places like Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, and Tallinn. There are choices out there.

You might also want to look at the French Christmas markets. Paris, Metz, Nancy, Strasbourg, & Colmar make a really nice trail across the Alsace-Lorraine, and you can easily add places like Luxembourg, Trier, Konstanz, or Basel to the trip.

Posted by
158 posts

You will love the German Christmas Markets! I go almost every year.
A river cruise is fun and relaxing BUT as a single traveler you either pay a very high single supplement or find one of the few single room on some cruises.
I have used Gate1 multiple times for a bus tour. The single supplement is much less ($200-300) and there are plenty people ready to be friendly to a single traveler.
My favorite Christmas Market in Germany is Dresden. It has wonderful decorated huts, great food, and the highest quality decorations from nearby Seiffen. My next favorite market is in Regensburg. It is a private market on the grounds of the Thurn and Taxis castle with about a 10 euro entrance charge. It is a Medieval themed market and quite charming.
Happy to answer more questions if needed.

Posted by
7813 posts

Thanks everyone for the replies & details to consider!

Posted by
2649 posts

Jean, are you on Facebook by chance? If so, check out the Magical Christmas Markets of Europe page. It is run by Vacations by Design, and they have tours, but the page is mostly people checking to do their own trips and offering advice and their experiences. So it might be a good place to gather more information.

I do not know anything about tours for these, but we are headed there for a couple weeks in December. The girls and I went two years ago and did Munich and Salzburg and had the best time! This year we are headed to Vienna, Strasbourg, and Paris, with day trips to other places.

I have not been to Dresden for the markets, but were there right after and some of the stands were still up. I adored Dresden, and you can pair it well with Prague if that interests you.

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