My Ranking of European Christmas Markets
One of my favorite family traditions (newer, but still a tradition) is going to European Christmas markets with my dad. We started two years ago with Paris and though I was unable to attend Vienna’s markets last year with my dad and sister, we continued this year with Munich and Prague and added my mom to the mix! Because of the uncertain nature of standby flying, we ended up adding Dresden and Brussels.
Munich
I visited Munich over the summer and fell in love with the pastel neighborhoods and pints of beer. Going back in the winter, I fell in love with the smell of cinnamon-roasted nuts and twinkly lights that lined the streets. We first visited the Schwabing Christmas market. This one set the bar too high and was my favorite out of any that we went to the rest of the trip. It was clear that it was a local favorite. It was packed shoulder-to shoulder, and for good reason. People were chatting and drinking which really showed us how big of a cultural event these markets are. The art at this market was unique, handmade and local.
I truly could have bought something from each stall if I wasn’t on a budget. The other markets we visited were great and authentic as well but didn’t have the same artisan feel as the first one. A lot of the items for purchase were obviously wholesale manufactured at the rest of the markets, but there were opportunities to find more hand-crafted items if you took the time to look. The Marienplatz market was definitely a must-do, as well. Vendors line the plaza and if you can imagine it being busier than it normally is, you’ll be prepared for your Christmas market experience in Munich.
Dresden
The Dresden markets were super authentic. I felt like I was stepping into a medieval town. We indulged in spatzl, gnocchi and glühwein to warm ourselves up. As I’m not a huge wine fan, I typically opted for the spiked hot apple cider, which I cannot recommend enough. Walking through these markets, I noticed again that there were more unique and hand-made art items, which piqued my interest.
Typically, when you order a drink at any market, you’ll receive a ceramic or glass mug. If you return the mug, you get a few Euros back, and if not, you have a cute, cheap souvenir mug! We ended up keeping 4 mugs from different Dresden markets. They had unique designs on them that we just had to have! When packing these, we stuck some socks in them and wrapped them up in our clothes for easy storing to take up little room.
Brussels
We were only in Brussels for about 16 hours, but that was just enough time to explore the city at night! In our short exploration, I realized how much I love Brussels.
The city streets were adorned with twinkly lights, and we happened to stumble into Grand Place just as a giant light projection show began. It truly felt like we were in Disney World! This is definitely one place in which I need to spend more time!
Prague
This trip was my first time to Prague. I instantly fell head over heels for the city. The Eastern European influence on the buildings and streets was something that intrigued me because I had never experienced it before.
The Christmas markets here were quaint and had tasty food but honestly could not compare to authentic German markets. We still found our necessities of glühwein and crafted souvenirs, but the quantity and quality of these markets were just a little less than what we experienced in Germany.
Within a week, we hit almost 10 Christmas markets around Europe. They were all unique in their own ways, but still gave that familiar, traditional vibe that a Christmas market should give off. Next year, I’m hoping to go to markets in Vienna! Any other suggestions? Let us know!
Go to sleep in the winter and wake up in summer
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A few days in Buenos Aires, Argentina
As my regular readers know, I work for a US based international airline, so I can take advantage of the fantastic travel benefits and share my experiences and insights. I often blog about “Insights from the Inside” and have helped many get through difficult travel roadblocks.
In this chapter, I’ll review my latest trip: Buenos Aires, Argentina
We decided to take a quick trip to Buenos Aires (BA) partly due to the convenient flight schedule that maximizes time on the ground. I was able to work a full day then catch an overnight flight to EZE that arrived before noon. That allowed most of a full first day to spend in the city. The return two days later was at 9:00 PM giving us effectively three days to tour and explore the city.
An advance warning:
Your UBER app may not work. Mine didn’t work at all but my traveling partner’s did work on Wi-Fi inside the airport. Another option is Cabify, though it wasn’t completely reliable either. Submit a comment below for more details.
We had a few things we wanted to do in the short time we were there.
- Visit La Recoleta Cemetery. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, the founder of the Argentine Navy, and a granddaughter of Napoleon.
- Take a city walking tour
- There are many options for city tours in BA. I always recommend a free tour where the guide works for tips only.
- Visit La Boca, a neighborhood on the southeast side of the city
- EAT!!! (Sorry vegetarians)
- Argentina has outstanding, inexpensive beef and BA has some very good places to try it.
It was an easy three day trip with overnight flights in both directions allowing maximum time all three days. It was a great visit and getaway from the northern hemisphere winter.
If you’re looking for an easy, exotic getaway, Buenos Aires is a must-consideration and PointsForDeparture.com can help!
I’ve started a new personal tradition of visiting European Christmas markets. Before I get to Vienna, I’ll share the trip details. Flying standby requires a little extra planning so at the last minute I chose Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) as our gateway to Europe. This is all based on which flight loads look best for us. We arrived at IAD from out origin at about 12:00 EST so we had several hours to kill. Using the great benefit of my Priority Pass Lounge Card, included with my Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa, we had a couple lounges from which to choose for our four hour wait.
- Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (Concourse A)
- British Airways Galleries Lounge (Concourse B)
- Turkish Airlines Lounge (Concourse B)
There’s also a restaurant option of Chef Geoff’s in Concourse C.
I had never been to any of the IAD lounges so I wanted to experience all I could. We started at the Virgin Clubhouse. We entered the lounge and found it mostly empty. There was a limited selection of food. While the lounge was quiet and comfortable, I was a little disappointed. I’ve flown Virgin Atlantic Upper Class and expected more from its fun, hip reputation.
After we finished our coffee and eggs, we moved on to the Turkish Airlines Lounge. We found this club much more inviting and comfortable. The food and drink options were typically Middle Eastern including hummus, tabbouleh, olives, lamb and beef. There was a nice vegetable and fruit selection and of course, Turkish coffee. One wall had several televisions with American football playing as well as two TVs, each connected to a Roku. The largest of all screens seemed to be for Turkish self-promotion. There was plenty of seating, though it did fill up as we got later in the afternoon.
The British Airways Club is only open until 2:00 PM so we didn’t try it.
Turkish Airlines has done well with their club and that will be my first choice when killing time at IAD.
Perhaps your experiences seem less melodramatic than this. But if you’ve spent any length of time living out of a backpack or a suitcase, there’s a fair chance you’ve chalked up one, some or perhaps many of a traveller’s classic rites of passage.
Best of round the world travel – Lonely Planet