Embracing the Magic of Christmas in Europe
First things first
There are a lot of wonderful spots in Europe to visit for the Christmas holidays, and it can get overwhelming to plan a trip when there are so many options. However, you can’t go wrong with the choices. And I’ll explain more later!
The Planning
It might sound silly, but here’s a reminder: US citizens need a passport to travel to Europe. Starting in 2025, you’ll also need to apply for a travel authorization (ETIAS) before entering. Be sure to check out the details before booking your trip here!
Now let’s talk about planning and some practical tips. For this trip, we did some old school research on Google and Instagram. Narrowed down the Christmas markets and cities we wanted to visit. Then it was the time to stitch the cities together and find the best deals for flights and accommodation. It may take a couple of rounds to shuffle the connections before finding the best deals and to lock in the itinerary. Even then, I recommend tracking your flights on Google Flights in case there is a price change.
Tip: I have noticed that it is best to buy flights at least 4+ weeks out. It is very unlikely that prices will be tracking down past the 4 week mark.
Our trip itinerary:
Paris (arrival) → Strasbourg (2 nights) → Colmar & Eguisheim (day trip) → Basel (1 night) → Prague (2 nights) → Dresden (1 night) → Berlin (1 night) → Bucharest (3 nights) → Paris (1 night)
Read on if this route sparked your interest.
Paris – the City of Lights
This year my route was in and out of Paris as the connecting location in Europe. Flights are typically more affordable into Paris (CDG) airport. However, it may also make sense to fly into one airport and fly back to the US from a different one in Europe. As an example, in 2024, my itinerary was different, I flew into Brussels and out from Zurich. It was the most economical and efficient option for that route.
Since we had Strasbourg on our list for 2025, it made sense to fly into Paris (CDG) airport. There is a fast train that goes directly from the airport to Strasbourg. Our flight and the train schedules lined up perfectly, and there was no need to stay in Paris the day we arrived.
Tip: make sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time as the train sells out, especially around the holidays, and the tickets get more expensive (at least 2-3x). Link here.
Strasbourg – the Capital of Christmas
We had plenty of time for lunch before catching our train from the Paris airport to Strasbourg. The train ride took an easy 2 hours and 30 minutes. We reached Strasbourg in the evening and checked into our apartment. Staying in Strasbourg’s city center can be pricey, so to keep things budget-friendly, we booked an apartment in a quiet residential area. It was just a 20-minute walk or a 15-minute bus ride to the city center. As always, I used Booking.com for this reservation—it’s been the most affordable option for me. The apartment we stayed at was called ETAGE.
Tip: Make sure to plan and book your accommodation well in advance. Strasbourg is very popular and sells out quickly.
We spent a full day exploring Strasbourg, famously known as the Capital of Christmas. The city’s rich history reflects its unique blend of German and French influences. If you have time, join a walking tour to dive deeper into its story. In the evening, stroll through the Christmas markets to enjoy the magical glow of the lights!
The markets opened on November 26, and we arrived on the 27th, ready to dive in. The city felt magical, and the markets weren’t too crowded. But beware—the markets closed promptly at 9 PM (it caught us off guard), so plan your visit accordingly!
Colmar & Eguisheim – the Fairytale Town
Our next stop was Colmar, a perfect addition to our itinerary. Colmar frequently tops lists of Europe’s best Christmas markets and is just a quick 30-minute train ride from Strasbourg. Since Colmar is a small town, we decided to visit the nearby village of Eguisheim first. Fun fact: Eguisheim inspired scenes in the Beauty and the Beast cartoon. Changing our plans to include this charming village was hands down the best decision we made!
We took a morning train from Strasbourg to Colmar that arrived around lunch time. Since we checked out from our apartment in Strasbourg and we were staying the night in Basel (our next stop on the itinerary), our plan was to leave our luggage in the locker at the Colmar train station.
Tip: Colmar has a luggage storage at the train station, but it closes for lunch and can hold luggage until 6 PM when it closes for business.
We were lucky that we got to the luggage storage minutes before it closed for lunch. It was a quick 10 min drive to Eguisheim from the train station. Our driver was an Armenian and it was such a lovely surprise. He was a really nice guy and I enjoyed the encounter!
Eguisheim was like a real-life fairytale town, full of charm and character. Despite its small size, there was so much to see and explore—wandering through its picturesque alleys and discovering unique, authentic shops made for a delightful experience. I highly recommend adding Eguisheim to your itinerary!
Back in the car on our way to Colmar to grab lunch and explore the city!
Colmar has a great Christmas atmosphere, but it was quite crowded. We really didn’t get to enjoy it as much as we would like, but were content to cut it short after having experienced Eguisheim.
We left the train station a bit earlier, picked up our luggage, and headed to Basel for the night.
Basel – the City of Three Borders
Basel is an easy 45-minute train ride from Colmar. Since it was still early evening, we left our luggage at the train station’s 24/7 lockers and explored the city. Basel’s train station offers convenient luggage storage, unlike Colmar.
It was such a great idea as we got to see Basel in the evening since our flight from Basel was the following evening. The Christmas markets were lovely and not very crowded, but rather enjoyable!
We stayed near the airport, connected to the train station by a bus line, providing easy access to both the city and the airport. Plus, we discovered that public transportation in Basel is free for hotel guests.
The next day we spent all afternoon exploring the city of Basel and what a lovely city it is! Our encounter with magical courtyards started here which we carried through the rest of the journey.
The first part of our trip was fast-paced, and we had to say goodbye to the charming Basel and head to the airport to catch our flight to Prague!
Prague – the City of Hundred Spires
Upon arriving at Prague airport, we needed to get to the central train station as our hotel was nearby. We took a bus to the metro station but later decided to take the tram instead, which provided a direct route to our hotel without any transfers.
Tip: Validate the bus ticket at the airport only once you see the bus arriving to the stop as the ticket is valid for 30 min from the time of validation.
We stayed at K+K Hotel Central which was an absolutely great choice for our stay in Prague. It was minutes from the old town and the main attractions. The building was a historical sight (!) and the interior was a lovely surprise! We quickly found a “magical courtyard” next door with a Christmas tree and decorations, so after checking into our room, we paid it a visit!
The next day we took a walk around the city before joining the walking tour of Prague. We covered the main attractions in the old town on the tour, and got to explore the castle on our own after the dinner. The Christmas market was next on our list after the castle and it was all so worth it! Look at that Christmas tree!
Dresden – the Florence on the Elbe
As you can see, the pace of our trip is fast. Next time we will be adding an extra day to each location we stay to enjoy it a little more. While we enjoyed our trip, it is nice to slow down from time to time and not to worry about packing our things (again) to catch a train or a flight. However, in this case, the next day we were catching a train to Dresden.
Dresden is easy to reach from Prague. There was an option of a bus or a train. We chose a train for a more comfortable and reliable ride, although it was a slightly longer trip. It is worth mentioning that the bus did get a lot of good reviews online and was a reliable option as well. It comes down to preference.
We spent the night in Dresden at the Hotel Indigo, just a quick train ride from the station we arrived at. Its convenient location near a train stop and within walking distance to the city center made it a great choice.
The city had several main attractions all within a walking distance from each other, and then we checked the main Christmas markets in town – Striezelmarkt. This market has been a tradition since the 15th century. The market felt by far the most authentic. Very unique and cute looking shops that offered a variety of gift options. If you have time, I would recommend visiting Dresden.
Berlin – the Grey City
Well, we are off to our next destination – Berlin! Another train ride from Dresden. If you are contemplating whether to go to Berlin for Christmas markets – don’t! This was one of my favorite stops on our trip this year, even with the rain!
Berlin has no shortage of Christmas markets, precisely 80 of them, for any taste and preference!
With just one day in Berlin, we had time for a couple of Christmas markets and a visit to historical sights that were deeply meaningful for me, given my connection to the Soviet Union and my family’s experiences with WWII.
Bucharest – the Paris of the East
I really didn’t want to leave Berlin as the Christmas markets were amazing and there was still so much to see. Although I was content as I ran into my favorite Belgian chocolate shop on our walk – Neuhaus!
Upon arriving at Berlin airport, we discovered our flight was delayed, causing us to miss our connection. It felt like the universe was telling us to slow down and take it easy. Thankfully, we booked with KLM (a Delta partner), and our Delta status gave us access to a lounge. We spent our time there working and reflecting on our journey.
We stayed in Bucharest for 3 nights. Quite frankly, we were questioning this decision, as we didn’t have much planned in the city. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the city. Additionally, we learned that the Dracula’s castle is in Romania, and visiting the castle can be a day trip from Bucharest!
On our first day in Bucharest, we joined a walking tour of the city and enjoyed exploring the Christmas lights. Later that evening, we visited the main Christmas market across from the parliament. Although modest, it offered a fantastic selection of food.
We booked our day trip to Transylvania for the following day. The trip included 2 castles (Peles Castle and Bran, aka Dracula’s, Castle) and a visit to the neighboring city of Brasov. It was easy to book online and was very affordable for the 12 hr day trip by a bus.
Visiting the region of Transylvania was certainly a highlight of our trip to Romania. I highly recommend it to everyone. First of all, our wish came true and we had snow when we arrived at Peles Castle – our first stop on the trip. It was absolutely magical to transport into the winter wonderland. I’ll share more about this trip in another blog post.
Paris – the City of Lights
Our last day in Paris, on the way back to the US, was gloomy and rainy, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying some shopping and visit a couple of Christmas markets in the evening. That weekend in December marked the grand opening of Notre Dame cathedral, and with road closures and a surge of tourists, the city center became incredibly crowded.
Paris had several Christmas markets but since we were in the city center, the one we chose to visit was the Marche Gourmand. And let me tell you – it was packed!
It was so packed that there was no room to walk around the market comfortable. It felt like a herd of people. Having this experience, I would likely not have Paris on my list for Christmas markets. Although, I absolutely love Paris and it is one of my favorite places to visit!
This wraps the trip! If you are interested in more trip inspirations, check out my other blogs here. Feel free to send me a note with any questions at theaisleseatlife@gmail.com