Christmas markets in Europe from the Netherlands
Published on 17 August 2026
Search interest in Christmas markets climbs every year from August onwards, with Vienna leading the way. Below you will find, per city, when the market is open in 2026, how to get there from the Netherlands and what a two-night weekend realistically costs.
Short answer: Most European Christmas markets open between mid and late November 2026 and close around 23 or 24 December, while Prague, Krakow, Tallinn and Budapest keep going into January. Vienna is confirmed from 13 November up to and including 26 December, Dresden from 25 November to 24 December and Strasbourg from 26 November to 24 December. From the Netherlands you can fly to Vienna, Prague, Budapest or Krakow in about two hours, and the direct ICE train reaches Cologne in roughly two and a half hours. A two-night weekend including transport and a hotel realistically starts at around 150 euro per person in Krakow or Gdansk, rising to around 250 euro per person in Strasbourg or Tallinn.
Ten Christmas markets at a glance: dates, route and indicative price
Every city below has its own page on CheapTrips, so you can compare live flight and hotel prices for your own dates straight away. The amounts shown are indicative prices per person for two nights, not a guarantee: prices move per date and per weekend.
- Vienna: 13 November up to and including 26 December 2026The Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz is confirmed from 13 November up to and including 26 December, open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, with shorter hours on 24 December. The ice rink next to it stays open until 6 January 2027. Route from the Netherlands: Ryanair operates a direct service from Eindhoven; from Schiphol you can pick KLM or Austrian. Flying time is about 1 hour 50. Indicative price: from around 220 euro per person for two nights, including the flight and a mid-range hotel. See Vienna and compare live prices.
- Prague: 28 November 2026 up to and including 6 January 2027The markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November up to and including 6 January, open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. The tree is lit on opening day. Route from the Netherlands: Transavia operates a direct service from Eindhoven, KLM from Schiphol. Flying time is about 1 hour 30. Indicative price: from around 180 euro per person for two nights. See Prague and compare live prices.
- Budapest: usually from mid November to early January, exact dates to followThe markets at St Stephen's Basilica and on Vorosmarty Square traditionally open around mid November and run into early January. Official 2026 dates had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Route from the Netherlands: Wizz Air operates a direct service from Eindhoven, KLM from Schiphol. Flying time is about 2 hours. Indicative price: from around 190 euro per person for two nights. See Budapest and compare live prices.
- Krakow: late November up to and including early January 2027The market on Rynek Glowny opens in late November and runs until around New Year, daily from 10:00. Sources differ on the exact start date, so count on the last weekend of November. Route from the Netherlands: Ryanair and Wizz Air operate direct services from Eindhoven, KLM from Schiphol. Flying time is about 2 hours. Indicative price: from around 150 euro per person for two nights. See Krakow and compare live prices.
- Gdansk: 20 November up to and including 23 December 2026The Jarmark Bozonarodzeniowy around Targ Weglowy runs from 20 November up to and including 23 December. Forbes named it the best market in Europe last year, so expect crowds at the weekend. Route from the Netherlands: Direct services from Eindhoven and Schiphol, flying time about 1 hour 45. Check per date which airline operates. Indicative price: from around 160 euro per person for two nights. See Gdansk and compare live prices.
- Cologne: 16 November up to and including 23 December 2026The market at the foot of the cathedral is open from 16 November up to and including 23 December, with over 140 stalls and free entry. It is closed on 22 November. Seven other markets are spread across the city. Route from the Netherlands: No flight needed: the direct ICE takes about 2 hours 35 from Amsterdam, calling at Utrecht and Arnhem. Indicative price: from around 150 euro per person for two nights, including the rail ticket. See Cologne and compare live prices.
- Dresden: 25 November up to and including 24 December 2026The Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt dates back to 1434 and opens for the 592nd time, from 25 November up to and including 24 December with more than 200 stalls. On 24 December it closes at 14:00. Route from the Netherlands: By rail via Berlin or Frankfurt, count on seven to nine hours one way. It is faster to fly to Berlin or Prague and add a two-hour train ride. Indicative price: from around 210 euro per person for two nights. See Dresden and compare live prices.
- Strasbourg: 26 November up to and including 24 December 2026The Christkindelsmarik dates from 1570 and is the oldest Christmas market in France: more than 300 chalets spread over about a dozen squares, open from 26 November up to and including 24 December, daily from 11:00 to 20:00. Route from the Netherlands: By rail via Paris or via Frankfurt, count on six to seven hours one way. Book the TGV or ICE well ahead and rail is no more expensive than flying. Indicative price: from around 250 euro per person for two nights. See Strasbourg and compare live prices.
- Tallinn: 20 November 2026 up to and including 6 January 2027The market on Raekoja plats in the medieval old town runs from 20 November up to and including 6 January, daily from 10:00 to 20:00. The lights are switched on at 18:00 on 20 November. Route from the Netherlands: airBaltic is the only airline with a nonstop service from Schiphol, about fourteen times a week. Flying time is about 2 hours 20. Indicative price: from around 250 euro per person for two nights. See Tallinn and compare live prices.
- Berlin: late November up to and including 31 December 2026, exact start date to followThe WeihnachtsZauber on Gendarmenmarkt is the best known of more than eighty markets in the city and runs until 31 December. Sources differ on the start date, so count on 24 or 25 November. This market charges a small entry fee. Route from the Netherlands: Direct services from Schiphol and Eindhoven take about 1 hour 20, or take the direct train from Amsterdam in about 6 hours 20. Indicative price: from around 170 euro per person for two nights. See Berlin and compare live prices.
Flying: usually fastest and often cheapest
For Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Krakow and Gdansk, flying is the obvious choice. Eindhoven has nonstop services to all five, which is the big advantage of this niche: you do not have to travel to Schiphol first.
A return fare in November and early December is often lower than in the weeks just before Christmas, because the last two weeks of December coincide with the school holidays and fares climb sharply.
Two practical rules make the difference. First, fly out on Friday morning and back on Sunday evening, so you get two full market days out of a weekend without paying for an extra hotel night. Second, travel with cabin baggage only.
A Christmas market does not require a large suitcase, and with low-cost airlines you quickly save 30 to 50 euro per person on a return trip. Our cabin baggage guide lists the current sizes per airline.
Rail: Cologne, Berlin and Strasbourg without flying
Cologne is the most underrated Christmas market city for anyone starting in the Netherlands. The direct ICE leaves Amsterdam seven times a day and calls at Utrecht and Arnhem, so from most of the country you stand in front of the cathedral within three hours. You could even do it as a day trip, but with one overnight stay you also get to see the markets in the old town and at the Rheinauhafen.
Berlin takes about 6 hours 20 by direct train, and Strasbourg six to seven hours via Paris or Frankfurt. Those times sound long, but you travel city centre to city centre and lose no time to security and transfers. Dresden demands more patience: count on seven to nine hours, or fly to Berlin or Prague and add the two-hour train ride.
When should you book?
Christmas market weekends are one of the few city-break moments where hotels fill up before the planes do. In Strasbourg, Dresden and Tallinn the supply in the centre is limited, and the weekends from late November through 20 December are often clearly more expensive by September. If you fly to Krakow, Budapest or Prague there is more supply left, but the airfare climbs as the date approaches.
A practical rule of thumb: book six to ten weeks ahead, and pick a weekend before 10 December where you can. The markets are fully open by then, the atmosphere is the same, and both the flight and the hotel are noticeably cheaper. There is more on timing in our guide on when to book flights.
What does a Christmas market weekend really cost?
The indicative prices above assume a return flight or rail ticket plus two hotel nights, divided by two people sharing a double room. What comes on top of that is reasonably predictable.
A mug of mulled wine costs between 4 and 6 euro at most markets, plus a deposit on the mug that you get back when you return it. In Krakow and Gdansk it is cheaper, in Vienna and Strasbourg more expensive. Add local transport from the airport, between 2 and 12 euro per ride depending on the city.
Practical tips for a Christmas market weekend
- Go midweek or early in the dayThe big markets in Vienna, Prague and Strasbourg are shoulder to shoulder on a Saturday evening. On a weekday evening or a Saturday morning you can walk around in peace.
- Check the closing date, not just the opening dateGerman markets normally close on 23 or 24 December. If you are going between Christmas and New Year, pick Prague, Krakow, Tallinn or Berlin instead, because those run into January.
- Bring some cashMany stalls take cards, but not all of them, and in Poland, Czechia and Hungary you pay in the local currency. Withdraw at a bank machine and decline the conversion into euro.
- Dress for standing still, not for walkingYou will be outside in the cold for hours. Thermal layers, a hat and waterproof shoes matter more than a thick coat alone.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Christmas markets in Europe open in 2026?
Most markets open between mid and late November 2026. Vienna starts on 13 November, Cologne on 16 November, Tallinn and Gdansk on 20 November, Dresden on 25 November, Strasbourg on 26 November and Prague on 28 November. Many German markets already close on 23 or 24 December, while Prague, Krakow and Tallinn continue until 6 January 2027.
Which Christmas market is cheapest from the Netherlands?
Krakow and Gdansk are consistently the best value: cheap direct services from Eindhoven and hotel and restaurant prices well below western European levels. Count on around 150 to 160 euro per person for two nights including transport. Cologne is the cheapest option without flying, because you only pay for a rail ticket and two hotel nights.
Can you reach a Christmas market by train?
Yes, and for three cities that is the smartest route. The direct ICE runs from Amsterdam to Cologne in about 2 hours 35, calling at Utrecht and Arnhem. Berlin takes about 6 hours 20 by direct train, and Strasbourg six to seven hours via Paris or Frankfurt. Book international rail tickets well in advance, because the cheap fares sell out first.
How far in advance should you book a Christmas market weekend?
For peak-season departures, meaning the weekends between late November and 20 December, book six to ten weeks ahead. Hotels in smaller city centres such as Strasbourg, Dresden and Tallinn are the real bottleneck and are often sold out or clearly more expensive as early as September.
What does a Christmas market weekend cost per person on average?
Count on around 150 euro per person for two nights in Krakow or Gdansk, around 180 to 220 euro for Prague, Budapest, Berlin or Vienna and around 250 euro for Strasbourg or Tallinn. That covers the flight or rail ticket and two hotel nights based on a double room. Food, mulled wine and gifts come on top, so add 40 to 70 euro per person.
Updated on 17 August 2026. Organisers can still adjust opening dates, so check them shortly before you travel.
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