When you start to think of a European trip to the Christmas markets, you can first consider a cruise on the Christmas markets and decide that it is too expensive. But you don’t need to take a river cruise To discover the magic of the holidays and a very Treyard of the German Christmas markets can be lower than what you expect.
I spent 10 days on a trip on the German road to the Christmas markets and, although it took a little more planning than a river cruise, it was considerably cheaper.
This German budget for Christmas markets includes average costs for plane ticket,, housing,, transportation,, foodand a few memories. I will break down the individual costs below, but a one-week German Christmas market trip for two people will cost an average of $ 3,625, or $ 259 per person, per day.
German Christmas travel cost of Christmas
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Before going into details, here are some important considerations to keep in mind when you plan a trip to the Christmas markets:
- Germany has more than 1,500 Christmas markets with more than 50 food stands, and even more that are smaller. Do not stress too much to visit the most famous Christmas markets. Sometimes the most pleasant are the small cities you have never heard of.
- Most German Christmas markets are only open at the end of November or early December on Christmas Eve. If you want to travel between Christmas and New Years, you will have to do more research and stick to the big cities that could have a longer season.
- Some small town markets are only open on weekends or evenings, so be sure to check the dates and hours before doing your plan.
- Most German Christmas markets are located in the city Alstadt or the old town and the accommodation closest to the markets will be reserved quickly. It is best to plan your trip three to six months in advance.
- Make sure you buy travel insurance in case the weather or the disease will disrupt your holiday plans.
- Make sure you get a local currency (euros for German markets) in small confessions to use for food on the markets because all stands do not accept credit cards.
- Visiting most Christmas markets are free, but there are exceptions, such as Ravenne Gorge, which is only open on certain days and forces you to buy timed entrance tickets before your visit (and they sell early.)
The airfield at Germany costs
With the big international airports of Hub like Frankfurt or Munich, going to Germany is in fact quite affordable. You can generally find economics flights from the main American airports for as low as $ 600 to 700 per person.
I strongly recommend registering for a Flight Office subscription service as To keep an eye on sales. If you prefer to use points and miles, I suggest you download the Travel the free application To follow your credit cards and learn to earn points.
With so many German Christmas markets of your choice, simply choose your hub city and you can build your trip around this. For example, I have suggestions for the Christmas markets near Frankfurt or Stuttgart.
Total cost of plane tickets: $ 1,400 ($ 700 x 2 people)
Cost of accommodation in Germany
According to my experience, hotels in Germany are generally quite affordable, at least compared to the place where we stayed in Strasbourg, France. When you are looking for hotels, you will want to try to find housing at a distance from the Alstadt or the old town, where the Christmas markets are generally located.
Keep in mind that not all hotels offer parking and others require parking reservations. Finding a hotel with parking or there is a practical public parking nearby is important if you drive. If you take the train, look for something from a distance from the station or along a U-Bahn line in major cities.
There are a lot of charming hotels to choose, many of which will include breakfast. In big cities, you can also find chain hotels if you are looking to use points. Generally, you should be able to find hotels for less than $ 200 per night.
For example:
Total accommodation cost: $ 1,225 ($ 175 x 7 nights)
Transport costs in Germany
If you plan to visit a lot of Christmas markets, you will have to understand how you want to move. It is possible to stay in a big city like Frankfurt, Munich or Stuttgart and make a day excursions via the train. Another option is to take the city train in town, because Germany has a very good train system. Of course, you are more subject to train strikes, weather delays and trains times.
The train is quite affordable. For example, when we stayed in Stuttgart, we took the train for Ludwigsburg and Esslingen for $ 5 to 12 each. For longer distances, it will cost a little more. For example, the Frankfurt train in Heidelberg is around $ 15.
If you prefer to have a little more flexibility in your schedule (and a place to store your luggage for stops along the way), you can also rent a car and make a road trip. I rented a car for less than $ 300 for a 10 -day trip. Of course, you will also need to take into account the cost of parking and gas.
Total cost of transport: $ 200
Food costs on the German Christmas markets
While one of the best things about the trip is to eat all the delicious German Christmas foods. If you book a hotel that includes breakfast, you will probably eat most of your other meals on the markets. And unlike fairs and festivals in the United States, German food for the Christmas market is also quite affordable.
For example, a Bratwurst sandwich is generally five or six euros. A cup of Glühwein is generally four or five euros, with a deposit of one to two euros that you recover if you return the cup (although by keeping a few of making great memories.) You can have a full meal with Bratwurst, Kässespätle, Glühwein and something sweet for dessert for 20 euros. From time to time, you may want to sit in a good restaurant and eat something in addition to market food (like Schnitzel or a healthy salad), but these can also be affordable.
Total cost of food: $ 300 x 2 people = $ 600
Souvenir costs
The German Christmas markets are filled with beautiful crafts such as brewed, Christmas ornaments, pyramids, wooden toys, Christmas stars, etc. You will want to search for local products, because some of the largest markets have many suppliers who sell imported products.
The other thing to keep in mind is the way you can do everything at home. I strongly recommend bringing a bag to reusable and reusable provisions to bring to the markets and an additional bag of traffic jams to bring everything home. Remember that some of the greatest articles, such as these beautiful wooden Christmas pyramids, can be quite expensive (hundreds of dollars) and take up a lot of space when they are carefully packed for travel.
The quantity you spend depends on the quantity and what you want to bring home to improve your vacation decoration or remember the trip. A few cups and handmade ornaments do not take up much space or do not cost much.
Total cost of memories: $ 200
Total cost of German Christmas travel
A one-week German market trip costs around $ 3,625 for two people traveling from the United States in early December, or $ 259 per person per day. It is much less than the cruise on the Christmas markets, which costs around $ 3,800 per person!
| Category | Costs |
| Plane ticket | $ 1,400 |
| Housing | $ 1,225 |
| Transportation | $ 200 |
| Memories | $ 200 |
| Food | $ 600 |
| The total cost of a trip to the German Christmas markets for 2 people | $ 3,625 |
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Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.
