December Holiday Packages

Christmas Markets & December City Lights

For a short city break built around Advent stalls and mulled wine, these Christmas market holidays carry the festive season best.

• Prague: The Old Town Square market runs from late November into early January, with a 20–25 minute transfer from the airport into the medieval centre. Trdelník stalls and a towering tree by the Astronomical Clock make it one of the most photographed markets in Europe — we’d suggest going on a weekday evening, since weekends draw the heaviest crowds.
• Vienna: The Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz has run in some form since the 1970s, with over 150 wooden stalls circling the illuminated town hall. Glühwein here is served in collectible mugs, and the imperial architecture around the square lifts the whole visit above a standard market trip.
• Budapest: Vörösmarty Square hosts the main market, roughly a 30-minute drive from Ferenc Liszt Airport, and pairs naturally with an evening soak in one of the city’s thermal baths afterwards. The combination of festive stalls and hot spring water in near-freezing air is genuinely worth the trip on its own.
• Krakow: The Rynek Główny market square is one of the largest medieval town squares still standing, and its Christmas market fills the space with oscypek cheese stalls and carved wooden ornaments. It runs quieter and noticeably cheaper than the bigger capitals, which suits travellers who want the atmosphere without the queues.
• Lyon: Rather than a traditional market, Lyon holds its Fête des Lumières each December, when building façades across the city are lit with large-scale light installations for several nights running. It’s a different kind of festive trip — less about stalls, more about walking the city after dark — and it rewards a longer stay than the market cities above.