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!
Insights from the Inside
If you haven’t started already, it’s time to start planning your summer air travel. If your plans include air travel within the US and you haven’t yet made your reservations, it’s not too late to score some good fares. The Boeing 737 MAX groundings have reduced capacity, which seems to have propped up fares and this will likely last through the summer.
B-737 MAX operators in the US and Canada
- Southwest – 31
- American Airlines – 24
- Air Canada – 23
- United Airlines – 14 (MAX 9)
There have been 387 MAX aircraft deliveries around the globe, 92 of which are in the US and Canada. Don’t wait too much longer to make your plans as fare sales may be few and far between this year.
If you’re traveling internationally, there is less concern for your long-haul travel. Large, wide body aircraft aren’t affected. If you’re planning to use points and miles, airline awards should still be available if you know how to search. Business class and first class award booking are still be available, too.
Those Business Class (and, yes, even First Class) awards are still out there. It requires fewer points and miles that most people think. International premium awards seats can be found for not much more than economy tickets. Enhance your travel experience with exclusive club access, priority boarding, lie-flat seats, and a shower on arrival. The talented staff at PointsForDeparture.com can help to make this a reality for you.
Vienna Christmas Markets – December 2018
My new tradition of visiting European Christmas Markets drew me to Vienna this year. The Viennese Christmas Markets start in mid-November and continue until Christmas and the end of the year. The city hosts several markets scattered throughout and all have a slightly different flavor from one another. Here are just a few that we visited:
- Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
- Dozens of vendors including gifts, traditional food and drinks
- Ice skating with skate rental
- Christmas Village / New Year’s Eve Village at the Maria Theresien Platz
- Popular market that lasts until the New Year
- Old Viennese Christmas Market at the Freyung
- Very small market near Town Hall with a few
We found great local foods and the obligatory Weihnachtspunsch (Christmas Punch), a warm and sweet alcoholic drink. The crafts we abundant and too many to list. One of my favorites was jewelry made from the graffiti street art around the city and along the banks of the Danube Canal.
If a November or December visit to Europe is on your schedule, a trip to a city with traditional Christmas Markets is well worth the effort.
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.
Well, summer is closing which means a couple things at the airport ticket counter and airline gates. Vacation travelers are fewer and disruptive weather is waning (though not gone yet). At my airline and airport typical summer travelers are a small party or a couple headed for Europe. Of course we see some variations:
- Travelers to Asia
- Groups
- Families
- Unaccompanied minors
The challenges we face in airport customer service are primarily due to flight delays causing missed connections. I’m pretty good at finding alternate routes to get people to their destination. One of the best ways to avoid finding yourself in need of this help is to give yourself as much time to connect as possible. It’s one of the things I recommend to travelers every day. While an hour or less can be a “legal connect time”, it’s way too short for comfort. Personally, I try to give myself at least three hours at the gateway airport. This past winter I went to Paris and had over six hours at the connecting airport. By departure time, it was snowing, inbound flights were delayed and a mostly full flight went out with many empty seats, even in Business Class. I can’t stress it enough, if you’re connecting to your international gateway, don’t risk a tight connection!
We have a few ways to re-accommodate travelers and there are different lengths to which we’ll go.
- Reroute on the same airline the same day
- Reroute on the same airline another day
- Rebook on an alliance partner (Star Alliance, One World, etc.) airline
- Reroute on a non-partner competitor
Tools at our disposal
If the delay reason is out of our control (weather, Air Traffic Control, etc.) we may not go past the second bullet, though there may be other circumstances such as frequent flier status or availability on later flights. If our flights are full for days, which often happens, I’ll send you to another airline. If the delay is our fault, like a mechanical or crew issue, we’ll do whatever we can to get you moving. Travelers are entitled to much more if the delay or cancellation is “controllable”.
So, the airports are not as crowded, the flights are not quite as full and the weather delays are not as frequent. We get a little rest after Labor Day from the craziness of summer travel…until the holidays!
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• Hacks to make your travel experience less of a hassle
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• Tips and tricks on how to navigate frustrating travel speed bumps
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