Grain of Sand Moments

Visiting the European Christmas markets had been on my bucket list for years, and I was finally able to go in 2024. Before my trip I watched every video from travel vloggers that I could find, learning from their experiences and getting more excited by the day.

If you also dream of visiting the Christmas markets, here are three things to keep in mind as you plan your trip. Have any questions? Leave me a comment below!

1) Book Your Trip Early & Consider a River Cruise

When traveling internationally, I typically prefer to sign up for a group tour so that I don’t have to worry about transportation or logistics. And because I often travel alone, I feel safer being part of a group. While I’ve done land tours in the past, I decided to try a river cruise this time. I thought it would be fun to try a cruise (my first one of any type), and I liked the idea of being able to unpack and stay in one place for the whole trip. Not having to pack and unpack each day would also decrease the chances of breaking my souvenirs before I even left for home.

I booked my trip with a company called Tauck, based on a recommendation from a travel agent. When I booked in October 2023 (for travel in December 2024), my cruise was almost sold out and all of the rooms that didn’t require a single supplement were already booked. View Tauck’s upcoming Christmas cruise options.

Not all tours will sell out that far in advance, but because Christmas markets are becoming more popular and there’s such a limited travel window and limited availability, if you’re considering going on a tour – either a land tour or river cruise – do your research and book early.

2) Choose the Cities then Plan Your Trip

The number of Christmas market options are practically endless, and there will be more to see and do on your trip than just visit the markets.

Start by choosing the countries and cities that you want to visit, and from there research tour options or plan your itinerary (if you’re not interested in doing a group tour). Many markets don’t open until late morning, so even if you plan to visit multiple markets in each city, you’ll have time for additional sightseeing.

Outside of the markets, the cities are filled with beautiful decorations, and you’ll get in the holiday spirit exploring each place you visit.

3) Plan to be Flexible

My favorite way to travel is to do enough research ahead of time to know places I’d like to see and things I’d enjoy doing but to not set too strict of an itinerary. There may be attractions I want to spend more time at or new things I find to explore along the way. So I like to have a list of things to choose from, but I don’t want to be stressed or too rushed trying to see and do it all.

I think planning to be flexible also helps to manage your expectations. At some point during your trip, something might not go as planned. If you’re too rigid about your itinerary, something going sideways could make you feel like your trip is ruined. Be flexible, and enjoy your holiday.

Have you been to the Christmas markets? What tips would you add?

I’ll share packing tips and more in an upcoming blog, so stay tuned!