Christmas Markets in Europe: 13 Things to Know Before You Go
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Last updated on October 31, 2025
Last year, I took a two-week trip with my mom to experience the magic of the Christmas markets in Europe. We visited six markets across four countries, hopping from one charming town to the next. It was everything I hoped for—festive decor, warm cups of glühwein, and ridiculous amounts of delicious food.
But the trip also came with a few surprises. Small things I hadn’t planned for ended up making a big difference in our experience. Which is why I’m sharing this post with you—to help you be a prepared traveler if you’re planning a trip to visit the Christmas markets in Europe this year.
This guide covers 13 important tips I wish I’d known ahead of time. These simple but helpful insights will save you from some of the missteps we made and help you have the best possible trip to the Christmas markets in Europe!
Table of Contents
1. Christmas Market Hours Vary
Most Christmas markets in Europe are open from the first day of December until just before Christmas. Some of the bigger markets, for example, in Cologne, Germany, will open in mid-November and shut down in early January to extend the “Christmas season”. However, each market in Cologne operates on different dates, with some closing on December 23 or 24, while others stay open until January 4, 2026.
Research the specific operational dates for each Christmas market in Europe you hope to visit. To increase your chances of visiting as many markets as possible, book your trip in early or mid-December. If you want to beat peak tourism closer to the Christmas holiday, book for late November or early December.
➡ Read Next: 10 of the Best Christmas Destinations in Europe To Visit This Year ⬅
2. Prepare for Crowds
Experiencing the Christmas markets in Europe has become extremely popular, especially for Americans. United Airlines saw a 30% increase in travel from the United States to popular Christmas destinations in Europe in 2024 compared to 2019. And that’s just Americans! There are also loads of tourists from other countries visiting. We met so many people from other European countries, like Spain, on our trip who were also partaking in the magic of the season.
Given their popularity, be prepared for crowds at the Christmas markets in Europe. We could barely move in the main square at the Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany, on the Saturday we visited. If you want to avoid the crowds, go earlier in the day, around 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. You’ll miss the lights at night, which have a special feel to it, but you should also be surrounded by far fewer people.
3. Plan Your Trip Based on the Size of the City
One thing I was super glad we had the forethought to do was plan our itinerary based on the city’s size. We stayed in smaller towns (like Colmar) on the weekends because they were less busy. But also because I knew most restaurants and attractions would be closed during the week in smaller villages. Bigger cities like Paris, Brussels or Zurich usually have attractions and restaurants open all week long (aside from Mondays, all museums in Europe are closed Mondays).
4. Book Accommodations Early
The high number of visitors means you should book your accommodations well in advance. We booked our hotel stays about three months beforehand and felt there was a fair number of options to choose from. Though it’s worth noting that the pricing will be more expensive during the holiday season.
We stayed in a mix of vacation rentals and hotels during our stay, mostly so we could wash our clothes every few days. However, I always prefer the amenities and locations of hotels over vacation rentals. If you’re looking for accommodations on your trip, we recommend Booking.com, which shows you both options!
Tools to help you plan your trip
5. Have Cash on You
We were surprised to see that most booths at the Christmas markets in Europe accept debit or credit cards. I love using my travel credit card whenever possible because I earn points as I spend. However, some stalls at the Christmas Markets in Europe will be cash only.
Always have cash on hand while exploring. Around 40€ should be plenty in case you find a souvenir, want to ride a merry-go-round, or a food or drink vendor is cash only. It’s great to have smaller bills and coins, as many items will be lower cost.
Just make sure not to take out too much money in one denomination if you’ll be traveling to different countries. For example, Switzerland uses Swiss francs, not euros, so my Mom was left with a lot of unusable euros at the end of our trip. Also, some markets, like the one in Zurich, are cashless!
6. Most Food is Served In Dishes That You Return for a Deposit
Most food and drinks purchased at the Christmas market will be served in glass or porcelain dishes, not disposable products. The item’s cost, for example, a 6€ glühwein, includes a 1€ to 3€ deposit for the mug. There will be a central dish return area where you get your deposit back after returning the dish or mug.
7. You Can Take Home Mugs As a Souvenir
You don’t have to return your mug if you want to keep it as a souvenir. Most Christmas markets in Europe release a special mug for each market or for the city for that year. It’s become very popular to keep the mugs as a collection of the markets you’ve visited.
8. Don’t Expect Everyone to Speak English
English is the universal language for most tourism. While many of the younger workers at the Christmas markets in Europe spoke some English, many did not know English at all, and it took some awkward attempts to order food in broken German or French. Brush up on the country’s language before arriving. Knowing the basics, such as hello, thank you, please, and a few numbers, like one to five, will be helpful. We use Rosetta Stone to brush up on the language before arriving.
9. Much of the Food Will Be The Same
One thing that really surprised me was how similar the food was from market to market. International destinations like Zurich and Brussels had every type of cuisine imaginable at their Christmas markets. Including traditional French, German, or Belgian dishes along with Indian, American, Spanish, and countless others.
Most markets had the same foods repeatedly; however, a few had local specialties. We enjoyed the markets in Colmar, France, and Cologne, Germany, the most due to their unique offering of traditional dishes compared to others.
➡ Read Next: 30 Christmas Market Foods & Festive Drinks You Need to Try ⬅
10. Many Goods Being Sold Aren’t Handmade
Another somewhat disappointing thing we discovered as we traveled to the Christmas markets in Europe was how similar the products being sold were. Most of the items were mass-produced and clearly not from the country we were visiting.
Almost every market had hanging star lights, candles, ornaments, gloves, scarves, hats, and other generic souvenirs.
If you are interested in buying something, look to see where it was manufactured and do a walk around of the market first to see if there are locally made products of better quality.
11. It Will be Cold: Dress Appropriately
This tip goes without saying, but the Christmas markets in Europe take place in December, when it’s notoriously cold and grey. Some years, the markets will have snow. Many times, though, they do not.
Expect temperatures to fall between 15 degrees to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and pack appropriately for the weather. Here’s everything I packed and my top tips for looking cute, but warm on your trip.
12. Getting From Market to Market
Most cities will have multiple markets to visit. Depending on where you are staying, you might be able to walk to each. However, in bigger cities, you’ll likely need to rely on some form of transportation to get around.
We almost exclusively used the bus, metro, or cable car systems in the cities we were visiting. Most had very inexpensive one-way fares or multi-day passes, which allowed us to navigate the city with ease. Use Google Maps to figure out the fastest option and research fair costs for the destination’s public transport before arriving. Many had free or low-cost public transport from the train station to the city center.
13. Don’t Overbook Your Itinerary
The last tip I want to share with you about traveling to the Christmas markets in Europe is not to overbook your itinerary. Americans, in particular, are notorious for spreading themselves thin on vacation—traveling to a new city every day or every other day.
We spent two to three nights in each destination and were glad we gave ourselves time for travel delays, rest, and exploring outside of the markets.
We encountered a five-hour delay with the trains in Germany, making what would have been a four-hour travel day into eight and a half. If we only had one day there, we would barely have been able to explore the markets.
Not moving to a new city every day also gave us time to explore the area. Some of our favorite memories from the trip were outside of the Christmas markets.
We went on a boat tour through the canals of Bruges, which was so amazing! We also visited several museums in Cologne, Zurich, and Brussels. Intentionally choose specific Christmas destinations to visit that aren’t too far from each other by train, or opt for a Christmas market cruise, which takes you to several Christmas markets along the river.
FAQ about Christmas Markets in Europe
Where are the best Christmas markets in Europe?
The best Christmas markets in Europe are largely in Germany. It’s where this tradition originated, with several historic markets operating for more than 500 years. However, many other countries have fantastic Christmas markets. You can see the 10 best here.
When are Christmas markets in Europe?
Christmas markets in Europe usually begin in early December until Christmas Eve, or the night before Christmas Eve. Some markets in larger cities begin in mid-November and go until early January, though.
How many Christmas markets in Europe are there?
There are no exact figures for the number of Christmas markets in Europe. However, it’s estimated there are between 1,000 to 1,500 markets across Europe.
What is the best way to travel to Europe’s Christmas Markets?
The train is a popular way to travel to different European Christmas markets. European trains are fast, well-connected, and affordable. You can also take a Christmas market river cruise, which takes you to five to seven ports known for their Christmas markets.
Hopefully, this guide to Christmas markets in Europe has shared helpful tips to plan a better trip. If you’re interested in seeing our exact 12 day itinerary or learning what to pack, check out our blog posts below. You can also find all of our European Christmas market posts here.
While museums may be closed in Germany on Mondays, it’s not accurate that all museums in Europe are closed on Mondays. The Louvre, the Prado, and the National Gallery, just to name a few, are all open Mondays.
Great point! Thanks for sharing.