Yay or nay to Christmas Markets?

I love Christmas markets and I am not a shopper. It's just fun to sip warm wine while enjoying the festivities. Two weeks, however, is a long time to focus on just the markets. I would be sure that you have a lot of non-market activities planned or you will tire of them. I took a Christmas market river cruise in 2019 and by the end of the week I was 'done' so I can't imagine two weeks. I only use trains in Germany, so I can't help you with driving questions. Weather is generally cold, but not awful and I too am a California weather wimp. Just be sure to have a warm coat and hat. One year we went and it was bitter cold and not even the locals would be out at night due to such low temperatures. No way know if you will experience that this year.

This year, in addition to the shoppers and tourists, the markets will be venues for public viewing of the football (soccer) games in Qatar, so be prepared for crowds of enthusiasts and youthful drinkers.

Markets are great if you like shopping, and each locale has different foods, so you can also have a variety of meals. Realize that the market stalls are located on the cobblestone pathways, so mobility issues may limit your movement, and if it is icy or snowing, the walkways can be slippery in addition to being crowded.

We always use the trains, so cannot help with driving issues. Most places we saw had some parking, but located away from the markets, so it could be a distance to the market stalls (even if you park at your hotel and walk).

We are located in SoCal and had a heavy coat each, plus waterproof and slip-proof felted boots, hats, gloves, and scarves. We felt adequately warm in temperatures that ranged from -5C to 10 C (so 25F to 40F approximately). We visited in December of 2019.

I loved them and look forward to seeing more Christmas markets in the next few years. I personally have no interest in shopping; that said, I love the entire environment and the foods and the drinks. We never rent a car in Europe so I’m the wrong person to ask about that.

We went for two weeks and were far from bored. This trip was one of our all time favorites. We are not shoppers but went for the gluhwein, food and ambience. The lights and decorations and seeing the little ones with a sense of wonder and anticipation in their eyes were so beautiful. Choose towns/cities that have other points of interest besides the Christmas markets such as museums, historical venues otherwise it might be an overload. The temps were actually quite moderate (40’s F) when we went and I would have loved some snow but alas there was none. A warm coat, sweater, hat and mittens and warm shoes and socks and you’ll be fine. Throw some lightweight long johns in your luggage if you are concerned. The only time we really felt the cold was one night at the various markets in the Salzkammergut outside of Salzburg. We were on the lakes and surrounded by snowy mountains so we felt it. But oh my it was so beautiful! We went to a concert in Vienna - the usual perennial Strauss stuff but we loved it anyway. There were street musicians and singers in Salzburg. We took the trains everywhere and didn’t drive. Have you considered a Christmas market cruise or tour? Perhaps with your mobility issues this would be the best alternative to the trains and driving. I hope you can go. It’s the most wonderful time of year as the song says.

I’m not a shopper and in 2019 I did an almost two week long Christmas market trip. I did other things between the markets, but I didn’t get tired of them. It was about the atmosphere for me, and they all had a slightly different feel. I enjoyed watching people, drinking gluhwein, sampling the different foods, etc. The high temperatures when I was there were in the 30s and 40s, so not really too cold. Evenings were early and I was glad for a warm coat, but again not too cold. We had no snow the whole time. This trip was to Munich, the Black Forest and Darmstadt to give you an idea of the areas. Had I gone in 2020 the area I visited in the Black Forest had a lot of snow at the same time of year, so no telling what will happen this year.

Christmas 2019- we flew into Munich, took driver/car to Ettal. We had reserved a rental car in GP and planned to pick it up weather permitting or use public transport if not. Weather turned out mild so visited markets in GP, Oberammergau and best of all Augsburg. After this we took train back to Freising and stayed 3 nights. One of the best (of many) trips of of our lives!

Regarding driving, many of the Xmas market areas are turned into pedestrian only zones, so you wouldn't be able to get closer by having a car. Some of the areas allow car access before opening and after closing- it varies.
Perhaps a better idea is to reserve a hotel in the middle of the market area , and then take a taxi from the train station to as close as you can get. Having a centrally- located hotel allows one to explore for awhile, and return for a rest. The best hotels are often fully booked by the end of June.

I'm a Californian, and if one has the appropriate clothes, the weather isn't a factor. Pack thermal layers, cashmere gloves, hat , and scarf, and rain gear. A long down coat gives a lot of protection from the cold.

As has been mentioned, each area is different, and it's more of a festival than a shopping event. The markets are magical, and provide life long memories!

Have a great time!

If you choose cities to visit that have more than markets, then you won't ever get bored. Cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Strassbourg, have tons of museums, botanical gardens, etc.

You may have to go with a mix of trains and cars. In the cities, trains are going to get you closer to everything and you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. Going to the smaller towns around the cities, a car works better, though they will have their inner cores closed off to traffic. Example: staying in Frankfurt as a hub, you can visit Mainz, Wiesbaden, Marburg, Limburg, Rüdesheim, and depending on the weekend you are here (many small towns just have their market on one weekend) you could go to Idstein, Seligenstadt, Gelnhausen, Ronneburg Medieval market, Hessen Park, or Büdingen. All of the churches in Frankfurt have some sort of concert almost every night. Organ concerts, choirs, bell concerts, etc.

Hard to say what the weather would be like. I have seen it snow every day in Dec. and the next year have it be so warm that no one was buying Glühwein. A good coat, preferably long, scarf, hat, gloves, and I like boots with thicker soles that keep my feet warm.

Message me if you like.

Vote for Yes!
It is coat weather, hat, gloves. We have both rented cars and taken trains in Italy, Austria and Germany. We prefer renting a car and being on our own timeline. We enjoy the the towns that have at least a few sights to see that aren't too far away from the markets. We have loved Bolzano, Italy, Trento, Italy, Merano, Italy, (just say the northern Italy markets - more hand made items, charming), Vienna, Salzburg and Munich are nice to experience due to sights to see in the city - Prague fits in there, too, fun to experience once. Dresden was fun due to the elaborate market stalls. For a first market run. I would do the northern Italy markets and some central Italy markets, if you have time. We drove these areas in Italy in 9 days (including flight time) and had a great time.

We did a Christmas market river cruise in 2019. The markets are special, although crowded, which might perhaps not be the best for someone with mobility issues. What I enjoyed almost more was the beautiful decorations in the streets, lights and unique shop window displays. In particular in some of the smaller places like Regensburg, the whole town just had a ‘Christmasy’ feel, and in the setting of the old buildings it was magical.

We have just made reservations for our 5th Christmas Market trip, traveling from Frankfurt airport (Aschaffenburg) to Munich airport (Freising). We pick the cities we want to visit for atmosphere and take the markets as a great add-on. We enjoy sight-seeing and casual shopping but bring home very little.

As the main atmosphere at markets comes in the evening, we spend 2 nights in a location and then move-on to another by trains. I am in my mid 70's with a couple knee replacements. As long as I am patient I can ride the trains okay. You will recognize your own limits. I was assigned to Germany for 6 years and drove a lot. I would find driving into cities to visit markets difficult.

Jo has one method of staying warm with a long warm coat. We take another route. The weather can be warm, snowy, or worse rainy & cold. I think rainy and cold is the biggest challenge to staying warm. I take a wind and rain resistant hooded shell jacket, and add warm layers as need underneath (light wt. quilted jacket, polar tech sweater, exercise t-shirts and an REI thin long underwear layer). You can mix and match to get the right level of warmth. REI or LL Bean carry the layers that meet my needs. A long coat would be cumbersome to lug from place to place if it was mild.

We very much enjoy the atmosphere at the markets. We have seen a couple musical events at churches in the evening. The tourist offices are a good source. Good luck with your plans. We really enjoy the atmosphere including the winter weather.

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

Perhaps my 2019 Trip Report will have some useful info for you. Safe travels!

No advice except to say do it while you can. Two or three of you? Would this be in addition to the other trip?

Thank you all for your input! It really does help.

I think you have eliminated my concern over getting tired of markets and the cold. Probably the biggest thing I'm not sure of is the amount of walking and standing that the markets would require. Our daughter has limitations with distance and standing for periods of time. I was thinking we could carry some light back packing chair over our shoulder to allow her to sit when needed, or try to get hotels very close by. Actually, probably we should do both.

With walking distances, I wonder about train travel and walking to and from the train to hotels.

To answer questions:

No, we have not considered a tour or cruise. We prefer to be on our own for the freedom and independence, plus its cheaper, too.

Andrea, yes, this would be in addition to our current trip planned. This trip would be the 3 of us. We are currently in negotiations about Christmas markets vs Scotland next June with all three of us.

With walking distances, I wonder about train travel and walking to and
from the train to hotels.

You should not forget about local public transit (as well as taxicabs). To get from the main train station to hotels, large cities will have trams and busses and small cities will have busses.

But, especially with mobility issues, this is something you should really map out for each town. GoogleMaps directions are good for in-city public transit for most large- and medium-large cities. If you are really off the beaten path, it may not know about all the bus routes, but that is usually more in villages and so on.

About how much walking is involved in the markets themselves: This is variable. Most markets will have website that shows the layout, so you can get a sense ahead of time. It is also good to remember that markets are often in places near other types of cafes and restaurants, so you could think about breaking up your time in the markets with actual pauses at such places.

Finally, I think that if you all like people-watching, then you will have fun at the markets, even though (as a German) I have never quite understood how popular they are with non-Germans. I really don't mean that negatively--I enjoy the market in my town, where I usually go a few times with friends and colleagues just to drink, and then with the family kids once or twice. But I suppose when something belongs to your everyday (or much more every-year) life, it is easy to underappreciate it!

My take... I would not make Weinachtsmnarkt the focus of your trips. You should enjoy your stay, the culture, food, sights and hotels. Know that Christmas and New Years are high season for skiing when planning the Alps, Bavaria etc. It may already be too late for the best reservations this year. No telling what Covid will bring. The German Government is already planning new laws/measures for a Covid resurgence. Many markets have been closed for two years. Some like Nürnberg are known for how crowded they are. Literally shoulder to shoulder. Many are open from noon. In December it is dark by 16:30 (21-22 Winter Solstice). I drive and many or the Parkhaus in the larger cities have elevators that may help. Toilet facilities can be challenging at Weinachtsmarkt. Depends where you are driving in December and winter can be hit or miss. Maybe plan a few large cities and sit in and enjoy? Starting around 18 December will really kick in high season. Dress for freezing weather. Hats, gloves and umbrella come in handy. Unless you are in the Alps, you probably do not need to plan for snow shoes/boots.

German law mandates that in the winter cars have snow tyres (or other minor exceptions) so your rental car will have winter/snow tyres. Maybe you used those for winter trips to Nevada? If not, they make a different sound and can handle differently - it is worth being prepared for the differences.

Given that it will be all 3 of you, do you have a California disabled car card (similar to the European Blue Badge)? If so I'd bring it and see if is accepted where you will be, and how it will be accepted... Blue Badge holders get several parking oncessions in Germany.

Azra,
regarding the appeal of the markets to us "foreigners"-

IMHO, the U.S. just doesn't decorate very elaborately for xmas anymore. We don't have the traditions you Europeans do, in which some of the markets are 400-500 years old in specific cities. The lights, decorations, the smells, the festivities, the food all are magical for many of us.

I sure hope to return soon!

Thank you!! All good info to help us decide our plan.

I don't shop - but we happened to be Germany in December. Spent a few hours in the market in the centre of Berlin and a few more in Munich. It was pretty the sausage and gluewein were excellent - both markets had all the same tacky made in China crap so there was no danger in me buying anything not consumable.

It was cold - but not terrible - about zero C - snow on the ground so waterproof shoes are a good idea. We come from a Christmas in summer country so seeing it all in winter is kinda cool and weird - and very unChristmassy to us!

markets in Germany and other surrounding countries.

Since you mentioned other surrounding countries ....

I won't say its the best, as that would require visiting them all first, but I've been back for this one a half dozen times and never tire of it.

All the products are authentic local handcrafts that must be reviewed by a committee in advance (I've seen imported junk in a few markets in other countries)

As for the weather, when everyone is out doing the same thing the cold melts away.

And for it getting dark early, the lights are beautiful, the city comes alive when the sun goes down.

And yes, theater and concerts galore.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JicS5mrJRBU

We lived in Augsburg, Germany for four years and did the Christmas market there every year. It was very nice.

However, NO way would I pay thousands of dollars to fly to Germany in the Winter and freeze my butt off.

It gets dark at 4:30pm. Sorry, it is just not worth it to do Christmas markets.

As an add-on note to what Azra said. Most train stations are also a main bus transfer points and have a line of taxis. Uber has not taken over. We have taken a few taxis; they are clean and friendly.

Geo....

Yes it is!,,,,,,

I am not a shopper. Viewing the previous posts, this is a regular refrain. Maybe someone who is a shopper should chime in.
I am not a shopper either. Thus I have no interest in the Xmas markets. Not as a specific trip to see. How much of the same can you stand? I don’t stand outside in the cold and snow drinking mulled wine with nowhere to sit in the winter in my own area, why would I want to pay to fly across the pond to do it there?

I am not a shopper but I love going to different Christmas markets each year. I enjoy seeing a new village or town. I really enjoy taking photos, and I like to see the the old churches that are there, and eat Xmas market food.
Have never been too cold, cause I dress properly.

Hi Susan. I took an 11 day trip a few years ago - Southern Germany, Alsace and Salzburg. Most markets don't get going until lunchtime, so you'll have the mornings to sightsee. The French markets were very different from the German ones. One of the big attractions at all of them is the variety of foods, with many local products and traditional seasonal foods. Most places have some tables where you can sit to eat, drink and rest. The cafes are all open. Churches are a good place to visit as well, both for the pews and the relative warmth and of course the decorations. Every town I went to had a huge central Xmas tree and a large manger scene. The markets start to get crowded around 5 pm when the locals get off work. By around 7 pm it's best to plan on dinner because it's so crowded it can be really hard to walk.