Christmas Markets Holidays
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8 Days Munich to Budapest
Operator: Intrepid Travel
Discover Must do highlights on a tour of Europe's Christmas Markets
Rothenburg and the Romantic Road
Visit picturesque Rothenburg on the Romantic Road with cobblestoned streets, and alleyways filled with quaint Christmas Markets stalls. The Christmas Shop is famous for its stunning displays.
Christmas Market River Cruise
River cruise along Europe's mighty rivers, crossing up to five countries, stopping along the way to enjoy the colourful Christmas markets, from Budapest to Paris.
Vienna's Christmas Dream Market
There are many Christmas markets in Vienna but the Vienna Christmas Dream Market, in front of the City Hall, offers an unforgettable winter festive scene.
Warm Christmas Treats
Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine or steaming hot chocolate; decorative cookies and pastries, warm and fresh from the bakery. Sample each region's unique festive specialities as you explore the Christmas Markets for trinkets and trimmings for your tree.
Strasbourg, France
Take a walking tour of the Christkindlmarkt, host to 300 wooden stalls that light up the heart of the World heritage-listed Grande Île. Fairly lights and Christmas cheer light up this ever popular French Christmas market.
Recent Reviews What our clients are saying about their European Christmas Market tours
Having sailed on an Avalon river cruise before, it ...read more was difficult not to compare that experience with this European Christmas markets river cruise with Viking. Overall, I would prefer Avalon over Viking with the caveat that I sailed Avalon just before Covid and I don't know what their standard is like today. I will know soon as I'm already booked for another Avalon river cruise next Aug.
We found the Viking crew not as proactive in engaging with passengers, especially when there is an expectation that we be well informed of pertinent details to do with docking and departure times for each day of sailing. While most of what we needed to know was available somewhere, it took effort on our part to hunt down information. A number of passengers also mentioned the same observation.
Our cabin was also smaller than the Avalon equivalent making movement quite restrictive. Certainly the in-room TV channels were inferior in terms of variety with mainly news channels dominating. As far as meals go, again they were lacking in standard and variety with very few standout dishes compared to what we remember getting from Avalon. Another area of disappointment for us was the absence of two-seater dining tables for occasions when we wanted a quiet dinner by ourselves, in contrast with what Avalon offered, though not sure if this ship's dining room was configured differently to other Viking ships.
When it came to shore excursions, the crew was mostly disorganised and caused confusion among the travellers as to which group or bus they should be on. This happened a lot during our journey. That aside, the holiday was great outside the ship and I managed to tick this cruise off my bucket list. If you've never experienced an European Christmas markets tour, this itinerary could be the one.
The crew were fantastic, I couldn't fault them, they gave 110% but there was still a feeling that we should have had more information before leaving and maybe a couple of the locations for tours might have been better, particularly the Cathedral at Krems. This tour was a bit of a non event as much of the building was closed. The Vienna concert evening was expensive for what it was and not particularly well organised, there was a lot of standing around before people were shown to their seats, not good for over passengers. The concert was also very short. We did another one in Vienna a week later, half the cost and lasted another 40 minutes.
All the tour guides were great though. Very informative and often funny. Great history lessons to be had. The food was excellent, varied and plentiful for a first time cruiser, there were some old hands who had done multiple cruises that didn't agree, so maybe that needs looking at. The entertainment was fun and well done, Dressen was always on the go making sure everyone was happy.
Janina worked really hard to ensure everyone was informed and catered for. Her port talks were excellent. I would have liked to have seen more scenery as we sailed along , most of our movements were done at night, possibly partly because of the shorter days too. All in all it was great , we both enjoyed it very much.
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21 October, 2024
Make The Festive Season Extra SpecialCelebrate Christmas on a Scenic River Cruise Celebrate the lead up to Christmas amongst some of the world’s most renowned Christmas markets – it is the proverbial icing on your Christmas cake! The best way to experience Europe’s Christmas markets is on a Scenic Luxury River cruise. Drift...
18 June, 2018
7 Festive Foods to Enjoy at the European Christmas MarketsIndulging in rich and delicious food and drink is a quintessential part of the experience when you visit traditional European Christmas Markets. Truth be known, it is the coldest time of year in Europe and when you come from the Southern Hemisphere you will be feeling it. Layered clothing and...
15 June, 2018
Explore Six Festive European Christmas Markets with AlbatrossIf you are travelling to Europe over the festive season you need to visit to one of the beautiful Christmas Markets. The Christmas Market tradition dates back to the middle ages, and are an important event on the European festive season calendar for locals in current times too. Enjoy An...
