Christmastime in Prague OR Austria, with kids...

Kathy, I would actually prefer Salzburg. It's a smaller city with a beautiful setting against the alps. More of a country setting. The pedestrian-only shopping streets are a delight to walk along during Christmas. They also have a Christmas marketnot sure of the dates. You could take a trip to Oberndorf to see the Silent Night Chapel. You could also take a side trip to the salt mines and take a tour down into the mine. Your kids would enjoy that. For your flight to Paris, there's an airport on the outskirts of the city. I'm often down at the harbor. If you want more info or just talk about your trip, PM me.

Hello Denise! How fun that you are so close to Dana Point. :) I like your suggestion of Salzburg. We were thinking of seeing Salzburg as a daytrip from Munich. I like the idea of pedestrian only area, sounds very low key which is nice. I am trying to find a happy compromise between seeing as much as possible (more my husband) and taking it slow since we have two young kids, in the winter, who are not used to the cold weather (at all). I think 3 stops is a happy compromise, giving us 4-5 nights in each place. Salzburg would also be an easy jump from Munich, closer than Prague or even Vienna. Thanks for that idea.
I am minutes away from the harbor - would love to meet for coffee one day! Kathy

I can vouch for the Salzburg during the holidays. We spent last Thanksgiving there with our two kids, both under 12. The Christmas market is lovely with the lights, skating rink, and snow. The kids will like the market, the castle, and hopefully things like Mozart's birthplace, etc. I would pick Prague over Vienna for your extra days if I had to choose.

Hi Kathy, Another great option if you're not set on a city stay is Zell am See in Austria. It's a gorgeous town located on Lake Zell (hence the town's name) and you're almost guaranteed of snow at Christmas time. There's a great pedestrian area and the whole region is very family-friendly. We've stayed there a few times with our kids. Zell am See is about an hour by train from Salzburg and two hours from Innsbruck. Feel free to PM me if you'd like some more info on places to stay, etc if you decide on Zell am See, or would like to read my blog on the town.

I'll give a vote to Salzburg, too. We took our (then) 3-year-old out there a few years ago. The fortress was a big hit. I'm guessing the trick fountains at Hellbrunn won't be open for the winter, though. Have them watch Sound of Music before you go and visit the gardens at Mirabelle so they can see where some of it was filmed. I'm a big fan of apartment stays with kids. If you haven't looked into apartments, I would. It gives you more room, plus access to a kitchen and a washer and dryer. And it usually costs less than a room in a B&B. If you go on the salzburg.info website, click on English at the top, and there's lots of apartments listed under Accomodations.

I agree w/ posts above re: Salzburg. It's beautiful at chrismastime, especially if there is snow, as was the case when I was there during the holidays some years back. The old town and fortress all covered in snow---spectacular. There's also so much to see and do. In addition to the usual "musts" while in Salzburg, you'll also enjoy the Christmas market, which is very fun, Gluhwein for the adults and endless treats for the kids. Also a great chance to bring home small gifts for family/friends back home---endless possibilities. It's also VERY close to Munich. Aprrox 2 hours by train, so very easy to do with kits in tow. And then after a few days in Salzburg, you could go further east to Vienna, 1 of the great cities of Europe. I actually did the opposite---I started out in Vienna and made my way west to Salzburg. Vienna, too, is beautiful at the holidays, including the xmas market (the "Christkindlmarkt" - sp!) under the Rathaus (parliament bldg). Such a cultured, historic city and so much to see including Schonbrun Palace, the Hofburg Palace, the fine-arts museum (I can't spell/pronounce the german word for it!), St. Stephens Cathedral and the Lippizaner stallions show (which would be great for your children). The winter/holidays ---great time to visit S. Germany & Austria. Enjoy.

Please check the dates for any Christmas markets you will want to attend and most of them will close down on the 22nd or 23rd at the latest. There are a few cities that are now keeping them open a bit longer, but please don't count on it. Do make plans for the evening of the 24th when all restaurants and businesses except for hotels shut down. Dinner at a hotel is needed, so you might look for one of those Christmas package deals in Austria. Snow, cosy fireplace, nice meals, stuff for the kids to do. The 25th and 26th are official holidays in much of Europe, so stores will still be closed.

Thank you all for your help! It sounds like Salzburg is the place to go to for Christamas. If you have any hotel suggestions, I'd love to hear them. We need to find a family room so we will definitely book now. (I tried one hotel yesterday, already booked!) I had never heard of a Christmas package before - is that at a restaurant or hotel? I definitely think I should feed the children on Christmas day, so, I was a bit worried about things being shut down. Also, is Vienna a possible day trip from Salzburg? Also, should we do train to visit surrounding areas or rent a car? (Is driving difficult due to the weather/snow?) Thank you all. We will have a memorable Christmas in Salzburg!

Hi Kathy, We visited the Christmas Markets in Austria, including Salzburg, this past November. The Salzburg Christmas Markets (there are several) were everything we had hoped them to be. What a teriffic place to be during Christmas time. We hope to do it again. Just a note... while we're not big fans of Innsbruck in general, the Christmas Markets (and the atmosphere and decorations) there were also fantastic. Our favorite for medieval atmosphere, etc. was the the old town of Rattenberg. Rattenberg from Salzburg is a little over 2 hours drive (via Berchtesgaden). We rented a car, and even though we had 4 days with some snow, we had no problems getting around at all. www.worldisround.com/articles/362536/index.html Paul

We were in Prague and Nuremberg with our 7 yr old this past Christmas. We actually were in Nuremberg on Christmas and went to Prague on Dec 26 and were there for three days. Prague's Christmas market was still going strong and does until Epiphany in January. In Germany (at least in Nuremberg) it ends on Dec 24. My 7 yr old loved everything about both cities. We've been to Salzburg in the summer only but really loved it there. I'm sure it would be a great choice over Christmas. Have a wondeful time.

I recall meeting people who did visit Salzburg from Vienna, as a day trip, but I would advise against it. I mean it IS possible, but I personally think that's a lot of time to spend on a train in 1 day (about 2.5-3 hours each way), to only get a few hours in Vienna. Especially w/ kids in tow! Also, Vienna is SUCH a magnificient city, with so much to see and do, so I feel it certainly warrants a few days. IF your time is short and you don't have ALL that much time to spend there, is it possible to carve out, say, TWO nights for Vienna? You could get a lot done there in 2 full days & nights. And, if you don't want to take ALL of your stuff with you, to make traveling easier, you can do the following; check out of hotel in Salzburg and have that hotel store your bags, pack smaller/lighter bags with what you'll need in Vienna for 2 days, than return to Salzburg after 2 days to retrieve your bags and possibly check back into the hotel there, if needed, or just get your bags, and continue on to Munich (just around 1.5-2 yrs by train from Salzburg). I did this, for example, when I left Munich once to do side-trip (2 nights) to Garmish-Partenkirschen in S. Bavaria. I just brought a small pack with me, which made it much easier. Hotel I stayed at in Munich was more than willing to store my larger bag. Hope this helps. Smart that you're planning so far in advance---that always makes the trip itself go much smoother.

in 2010, Salzburg's Christmas market was extended to Dec. 25 & 26. I don't know f they will do it this year - I hope so since I'll be there then