What better time to cruise one of Europe’s most iconic rivers than when Christmas markets are in full swing on atmospheric shore stops?
This four-night, full-board cruise with Jules Verne sails from Vienna to Budapest on board MS Vivaldi, visiting both cities, as well as Slovakian capital Bratislava, for escorted sightseeing, plus ample time soaking up the Christmas festivities in each location.
As well as the skating rinks and seasonal stalls, in Vienna you’ll get to see the architectural showcase of the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy along the famous Ring, including the Vienna State Opera, Hofburg Palace and Natural History Museum.
Sightseeing in Budapest starts in Buda and the castle district, followed by Pest to view the Parliament building, St Stephen’s Basilica and Heroes Square.
Don’t miss the Christmas markets of Vorosmarty Square and Basilica, where lasers are projected onto the church.
- Get there: Christmas Markets on the Danube from £1,455pp (two sharing), including flights from Heathrow on December 1, four nights’ full board and drinks with meals, excursions, UK tour manager, expert guides. vjv.com
Jingle bells in Germany
Contiki, the social travel brand for 18 to 35-year-olds, offers a fun-filled German Christmas market tour featuring six cities and three quaint towns and villages starting in Frankfurt, then on to Koblenz, Cologne, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Rothenberg and Munich.
Highlights include LGBTQ+ friendly Frankfurt Christmas market with pink sparkling Christmas trees, Wilhelma – Stuttgart’s twinkling Christmas Garden lights trail – and ice-skating at Cologne. You’ll sample local delicacies and join in a gingerbread-making class along the way.
- Get there: From £1,067pp sharing, five nights’ B&B accommodation (plus further two meals), transport in destination, sightseeing, experiences as per itinerary and trip manager. Departs December 3. contiki.com
Seasons greetings – Scandi-style
Add Scandi chic to your shopping with a festive short break in Sweden’s third largest city of Malmo.
Browse for handicrafts at the stalls in Gustav Adolf Square, take a ride on the carousel and spin around on the ice rink, before feasting on local delicacies such as smoked sausage, gingerbread biscuits and glögg (mulled wine).
If you’re still peckish try a julbord, a traditional buffet served in Swedish restaurants at Christmas featuring pickled herring, gravlax, paté, knäckebröd (crisp bread), meatballs and beetroot salad.
- Get there: Three-night tailor-made Malmö Christmas break from £517pp (two sharing), including B&B at the Elite Plaza Hotel on Gustav Adolf Square, flights with 23kg hold luggage (Heathrow) to Copenhagen, and return train transfers to Malmö. sunvil.co.uk
Revel in Riga
Riga is said to have started the tradition of decorating Christmas trees more than 500 years ago, and the charming Latvian capital still puts a brightly dressed tree at the centre of its celebrations.
The festive market in the Old Town Square is more intimate than many of Europe’s best-known events, with stalls selling traditional gifts including handmade clothes,
Latvian hats and colourful mittens, with sausages, sauerkraut and karstvins (mulled wine) warm visitors. Send your letter to Santa at the special post house and peer into a cosy ‘cats’ apartment, constructed in Dom Square, especially for the festivities.
A Newmarket Holidays group trip includes a guided tour of the capital, including the House of the Blackheads, the Freedom Monument and two cathedrals. There’s also the option to visit Gauja National Park, a refuge for elk, European bison and brown bears.
- Get there: Three nights’ B&B from £352pp (was £453), including flights from Leeds Bradford on December 15, a tour manager and city tour. newmarketholidays.co.uk
Have yourself a merry Lille Christmas
One of Europe’s best-loved Christmas markets is less than 90 minutes from London direct by Eurostar or 75 minutes’ drive from Calais. It’s a shopper’s delight with independent stores along the cobbled streets of Old Lille, luxury French brands and the traditional market with 80 chalets.
Ride the glittering big wheel and marvel at the view over La Grand Place or listen to carols while browsing the wooden huts in Place Rihour.
- Get there: Vieux-Lille is home to the 19-room Clarance Hotel, a contemporary five-star gem set in an 18th-century townhouse, with Michelin-star restaurant, La Table, and free bikes available to explore the city. Rooms from £183pn, clarancehotel.com. Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille from £39 one way. eurostar.com
Yule love this
A guaranteed Christmas cracker, TUI’s Yuletide Wonders five-night, full-board festive cruise on board Isla calls in at some of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets.
Starting and finishing in Frankfurt, famous for its elaborate decorations and backdrops of Romerberg and Paulsplatz, you’ll also get to soak up the fairy-tale scenery of Baden-Baden and call in at Unesco-approved Strasbourg, France’s self-proclaimed Capital of Christmas with its 300 stalls, gigantic decorated tree and 1,000-year-old cathedral.
Other stops include Speyer, where you can weave your way around the stalls, Breisach with its cobbled streets and red-roofed buildings, and Worms, where Gothic architecture and ancient city
walls are top of the sightseeing list.
On board the ship there is Christmas card crafting, gingerbread making, mulled wine tasting and festive films.
- Get there: From £950pp for a deck 1 superior cabin, flights from Heathrow, transfers, tips and service charges. Cruise departs November 26. tui.co.uk/river-cruises/
Ancient traditions in Austria’s lake district
Head to Austria’s lake district where the handsome villages on the shores of Lake Wolfgangsee hold traditional markets each in a distinctive style.
In St Gilgen, the theme is Baroque art, in St Wolfgang it is lanterns, while Strobl prides itself on its authentic stalls and dozens of nativity scenes. For the complete Christmas market experience, take an hour’s bus ride to Salzburg, hometown of Mozart, where you can listen to renditions of Silent Night, the carol that was written nearby, at free daily concerts in front of the cathedral at 5pm.
- Get there: Base yourself in the village of Fuschl am See where there is snowshoeing, tobogganing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Three nights half-board at Hotel Seerose with views across Lake Fuschl, return BA flights from Gatwick/Heathrow to
Salzburg and transfers from £585pp. inntravel.co.uk
Cruise into Christmas
CroisiEurope has launched a brand new hotel barge cruise taking in the enchanting Christmas markets along France’s Alsatian canals. The three-night jaunt, on board the 22-guest MS Madeleine, is a round-trip from Colmar, known as Little Venice, which has six Christmas markets, each with its own theme.
Other highlights include Kaysersberg with its little chalets overlooked by the castle ruins, and the medieval village of Riquewihr with its brightly-coloured homes and picturesque markets.
Festive activities on board include gingerbread-tasting and an evening of Christmas tales and songs.
- Get there: From £788pp for a four-day, full-board cruise including excursions. Departures on November 26 and 30 and December 4, 8, 12, 16. Flights extra. croisieurope.co.uk
Tinsel in Transylvania
Combine gifts and ghouls on a Christmas trip to Transylvania. Home of Vlad the Impaler, the main inspiration for the character Dracula, those looking to explore the legend can visit Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s Castle) as well as other castles and fortresses. But amid all the dark culture, Transylvania has a rich Christmas spirit with markets in some of Romania’s most picturesque medieval towns.
Untravelled Paths offers a three-night tour beginning with a night in the capital city of Bucharest, before travelling to the heart of rural Romania through the plains of the Transylvanian countryside, visiting Peles Castle on the way. In Brasov, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Christmas market, stopping to warm up in one of the town’s bohemian cafes.
Or join a walking tour taking in the grandeur of the Black Church and find the narrowest street in Europe. Then journey through the foothills of the Carpathian mountains to the fairy-tale town of Sibiu – voted European capital of culture in
2007 – for the Christmas market, or skate around the ice rink in the central square.
Finally, travel back to Bucharest via the spooky corridors of the forbidding Bran Castle.
- Get there: From £270.20pp including transfers, transportation, B&B accommodation, and entry to Peles Castle and Bran Castle. Flights extra. untravelledpaths.com
Festivities and football
Love Christmas, but can’t bear to miss the live action of the FIFA 2022 World Cup Final from Qatar?
Combine the two on this three-night, no-fly winter cruise to Belgium on the ship Ambience, where the footy will be shown on board.
On arrival you’ll get the chance to visit beautiful Bruges for the annual Winter Glow. The Flemish city hosts two markets, one in the main Markt Square and the other in Simon Stevinplein.
You can then take a spin on the outdoor skating rink, or watch from the warmth of Winterbar Vorst, and follow the mesmerising Light Trail that illuminates the city’s monuments.
- Get there: Three-night, adults-only sailing from Tilbury, Essex, on December 18 from £349pp. Ambassador Fares, which include Expedition Drinks Package, from £492. ambassadorcruiseline.com
The rail thing
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to the vibrant German markets in Frankfurt (via Brussels) or Munich (via Paris).
See seat61.com for all European train routes, including night train options, as well as which train provider serves the best wine. Prost!
