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The majority of the trip is spent in Austria, with port days in Vienna, Krems, Melk and Linz before a final day in Passau. Packing for a river cruise in the middle of winter was the most challenging part of the trip for me. Not only did I have to buy winter clothes since I live in Florida, but I needed to make sure I brought enough layers to keep me warm. Book a late fall cruise along the Danube if you'd like to visit Vienna's Christmas markets. So where are the best Christmas markets in Europe and how can you get to them on a river cruise?
Night Cruise With 2-Nights Budapest Pre-Cruise, 3 Nights Prague Post-Cruise
Gratuity is not included for hotel stays and meals during the land portion of your trip. Uniworld offers its Belgian Holiday Markets cruise on four departure dates from late November through mid-December 2024 (and three December dates in 2025). If you're looking for a short sailing to tack onto the beginning or end of a trip, Riverside Luxury Cruises offers four-night Danube River sailings that start in Vienna, Austria, and end in Passau, Germany.
Why Viking
River cruises include a lot of perks, including docking right at the edge of most of the towns you visit. This means that in many destinations, you can walk from the ship to the middle of town in mere minutes. Before or after visiting the Christmas market, you can spend your time exploring the city, dining in a local restaurant, sipping hot coffee in a cafe or popping into shops. Some river cruise lines offer pre-cruise extensions that you can bundle with the cruise booking and allow you to arrive early at the embarkation port.
Christmas Markets of Rhine-Main
Additionally, the cruise director on board acted more like a personal concierge for guests who had questions, giving suggestions for things to do, places to eat and what each Christmas market was known for. Originating in Germany, dating back to the late Middle Ages, Christmas markets are popular in northern Europe. The market held in the Volksgarten Gardens in Linz is a magical place for adults and children alike. It features Austria's largest wooden nativity scene, featuring life-size, hand-painted figures.
Day 1
You don't have to go Europe to take a Christmas market cruise - USA TODAY
You don't have to go Europe to take a Christmas market cruise.
Posted: Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The midpoint of the cruise will bring you to the decision to visit either Ghent, which is one of the oldest cities in Belgium, or Bruges, known for its medieval architecture and beautiful canals. The cruise also visits Antwerp, where you can explore the various Christmas markets that are spread throughout the city. Your trip ends in Brussels, with a whole day to explore the cute squares and charming markets and try local fare. If your cruise starts in Amsterdam, you don't have to be on the ship until 4 p.m. So use the morning to walk around town or get tickets to tour the Anne Frank House.
Honorable Mentions: Great Christmas Markets in Europe to Try If Time Permits
Cruises on the Danube and Rhine are the most popular at this time of year because their ports of call are where most of our Christmas traditions were first created. If you want to enjoy a glass or two of seasonal cheer with your holiday shopping, Dusseldorf is a great river cruise Christmas market pick. While many river cruises traverse the waters around France, Germany and Austria, AmaWaterways' Gems of Southeast Europe itinerary takes guests to Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Romania.
Our festive river cruises
Most Rhine River cruise itineraries make a stop in Cologne no matter what time of year. You'll have your pick of river cruise lines, as nearly any that traverse the Rhine stop here. Vienna is easily the best Christmas market in Europe for anyone who loves classical music and Christmas carols given the full choral treatment. Austria's capital is famous as the former home of Strauss, Beethoven and Mozart and during the holiday season international choirs stage free performances at the Christmas market held beside Vienna City Hall.
Once at the market, look around to see which food stands are popular with locals. Middle and Eastern Europe is often colder than Western Europe, the latter of which has a milder winter season. The later in the Christmas market season you travel, the more likely you are to get rain or snow since winter is setting in across the continent.
Canada's Capital Cities plus Niagara Falls
Ships offer an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi to use before or after your trips ashore. It's also a good idea to know the currency of each destination you're going to. For example, in Hungary, euros are not accepted anywhere, so I exchanged dollars for Hungarian forints to use at the Christmas market. For example, in Vienna, I spotted a gold beaded ornament that I loved, and I bought it for about 10 euros (about $10.86).
In select ports, passengers can sign up for optional excursions that are an added cost. These could be worth the upcharge, depending on the type of experience you want to have. Included with the cost of the cruise are all of your meals and most drinks, free Wi-Fi, all onboard activities and port fees. Headsets are also included for excursions if you choose to go with the group for tours rather than venturing off on your own. The river cruise starts in Paris, where you can spend the day exploring the city, seeing the Christmas markets in Montmartre or Saint Germain or shopping for high-end gifts along the Champs-Élysées before the 5 p.m. Here, we list the eight best Christmas markets river cruises to take in 2024, along with tips to get the most out of each sailing and highlights not to miss.
The largest Christmas market on the Pest side takes place at Vorosmarty Square, which is considered one of the best Christmas markets in Europe and has more than 100 stalls, a giant tree and nativity scenes. The market on St. Stephen's Square, also on the Pest side, specializes in crafts made by skilled local artisans. If you're after something more local, you can also hop the river to the Buda side of the city to visit the Obuda Christmas Market.
These markets typically run from mid-November right up until Christmas, and Europe's river cruises allow you to visit several holiday markets in Europe often in the space of a week or less. The inclusions on most of the river cruises are similar but can vary in scope, such as which drinks are included or cost extra, and how many complimentary shore excursions you can choose from. These river cruises only run seasonally while the markets are open, so they tend to book up quickly with passengers ranging from older adults to all types of families looking for a winter holiday filled with festive fun.
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