Xmas Markets Along the Rhine River Cruise - help us with Post Cruise towns

In December I stayed in Speyer, near Frankfurt, which had a nice Christmas market. I daytripped to Worms and Mainz as well.

I haven't been to the Brussels Christmas Market but there is a nice one in Brugge (Bruges), in two locations in the historic center.

A couple of extra nights in Koln (Cologne) would be nice, or visit Trier.

Much depends on when you will be doing this as many small towns only have their markets on one weekend during Advent.

If you use Frankfurt as a hub, you could visit the markets in Mainz, Wiesbaden, Limburg, Marburg, Seligenstadt, & Heidelberg. On the weekend you can go to the one in Bad Homburg. If you are here on the right weekend, you could go to markets in Idstein, Gelnhausen, or Büdingen.

Frankfurt has not only its' main market, but also one out in the city forest and they have small ones in the neighborhoods too.

Trier and Mainz have both been mentioned thus far. I've been to both markets and found them very enjoyable - and of course these are places very much worth visiting on other grounds as well. In the same neighborhood as Trier, I would consider Bernkastel (no longer served by train but accessible by bus.) If Marksburg Castle (on the Rhine in Braubach) is not part of your cruise itinerary, I would make a point of seeing it - it is open year-round except for a few days. The Trier, Mainz and Bernkastel markets are open every day.

So... you might create a train itinerary: Cologne - Braubach - Trier/Bernkastel(bus) - Mainz prior to your flight out of FRA. If Mainz ends up at the end, it also works well as a place for your final night before departure - it's just 25 minutes by train from Mainz to FRA and departures are very frequent.

MAINZ
TRIER
MARKSBURG
BRAUBACH
BERNKASTEL

I have been to the Xmas markets at Wurzburg and Munich and liked them as well as most of the the other markets that have been mentioned in the other posts.
Mike