European Christmas Markets Packages

Short List, Not the Whole Guide

Our full guide covers 20 markets in 13 countries — wonderful for dreaming of your perfect trip.

Download the full European Christmas Markets Planning Guide (PDF) ↓

River Cruises with Cabins Still Open

A river cruise is still the best way we know to do the Christmas markets: the ship is your hotel, it docks in the heart of each market town, and guided walks take you straight from the gangway into the stalls. No hauling luggage between cities, no racing trains in the cold.

Both sailings below are packaged the same complete way: the seven-night Christmas sailing, a hotel night before you embark and one after you disembark so flights never race the ship, and transfers between hotel, ship, and station — all secured for you as one itinerary. Stateroom choice runs from window staterooms to French-balcony, twin-balcony, and suite categories.

Sailings run late November through mid-December. Fares are per person, based on double occupancy. Availability changes fast: now booking last cabins for this year and early bookings for next season. No sold-out sailing on this page.

Vienna's Christkindlmarkt at dusk, glowing stalls in front of the illuminated Rathaus — Vienna’s Christkindlmarkt at dusk — glowing stalls and the “Frohe Weihnachten” sign in front of the floodlit Rathaus (City Hall).

Cruise 1 · Our recommendation

Iconic Christmas Markets

AmaWaterways · seven nights · Nuremberg, Germany ↔ Budapest, Hungary

✓ Cabins still open on December sailings — exact cabin confirmed in your free quote

Markets included: Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt — the famous one, red-and-white stalls and Lebkuchen
Regensburg and Passau’s old-town markets along the way
Vienna — Rathausplatz under the giant tree, Schönbrunn, Spittelberg
Budapest — the Advent Basilica market and its light show

Combines easily: starts in Nuremberg, so Munich and Nuremberg rail nights slot straight onto the front — that pairing is the featured combined trip below. Budapest at the end connects to Vienna and Prague by Railjet.

$453per person, per day — package

Package from $4,530 per person · $9,060 for two (ten days)

Cruise fare from $4,249 pp · package adds two hotel nights + transfers

Cruise 2 · The Rhine

Christmas Markets on the Rhine

AmaWaterways · seven nights · Amsterdam, Netherlands ↔ Basel, Switzerland

✓ Cabins still open on December sailings — exact cabin confirmed in your free quote

Ports of call: Strasbourg, France — the Capital of Christmas, market in the cathedral’s shadow
Cologne, Germany — the Cathedral market beneath the twin spires
Amsterdam — the Christmas Village on Museumplein, ice rink and all
Basel, Switzerland — Barfüsserplatz, under the 13-metre Christmas pyramid

Combines easily: the Rhine & Alsace rail tour below starts in Amsterdam and ends in Basel — the same endpoints as this sailing — so the two make a round trip: sail one way, ride the rails the other, and fly home from the city you started in. It is packaged on its own as The Rhine Round Trip, below.

$453per person, per day — package

Package from $4,530 per person · $9,060 for two (ten days)

Cruise fare from $4,249 pp · package adds two hotel nights + transfers

Two Railway Tours

Prefer the train? These are the two rail routes we are recommending this season — including Europe’s newest rail tour, the Rhine & Alsace by Rail — chosen because the dates still work, the market in every city is open while you are there, and each one shares an endpoint with a cruise above, so it can stand alone or join a sailing end to end. Priced per-person, per-day first, then per person and for two.

December planning estimates — not final quotes. Every figure below is a planning estimate for December travel, built from the published 2026 sailing fares listed in our guide and per-night hotel planning allowances by tier. Your exact fare, cabin, and hotel rates are confirmed in a free quote before anything is booked.

Strasbourg's old town and cathedral in the festive season — Strasbourg — the Capital of Christmas, a highlight on both Cruise 2 and Rail Tour 2, where the rail tour gives it three nights. The two trips combine because they share the same endpoints — both start in Amsterdam and end in Basel — so they stitch end to end.

Rail Tour 1 · Trains + hotels

The Grand Triangle by Rail

Prague, Czechia → Vienna, Austria (with Bratislava, Slovakia as a day trip) → Budapest, Hungary · ten days / nine hotel nights

$149per person, per day — from, Value tier

From $1,490 per person · $2,980 for two (ten days, land only)

nine hotel nights — three each in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest, near the old-town markets
Every train between cities: Prague → Vienna (4 hrs) and Vienna → Budapest (2½ hrs by Railjet), plus the 1-hour Bratislava day trip from Vienna — we secure every ticket for you
Markets included: Prague’s Old Town Square, Vienna’s Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn and Spittelberg, Bratislava’s Main Square, and Budapest’s Advent Basilica market
Market timing checked for every stop, so no city lands after its market closes
Combines easily: this tour and the Danube sailing both end in Budapest, so the two join end to end there — and Prague, where this tour begins, is the capital the ship doesn’t reach
Best for: independent travelers who want three capitals at their own pace

Hotel tier	Per person
ValueWell-located 3-star and family-run hotels	$1,490$149/day
ModerateCentral 4-star hotels, breakfast included	$1,990$199/day
Premium5-star stays — the market-season picks in our guide, where the city has them	$2,690$269/day

Trip summary: nine hotel nights at the tier allowance, plus rail tickets for the two intercity legs and the Bratislava day trip. For-two totals are double the per-person figure, sharing one room.

Europe’s newest rail tour

Rail Tour 2 · Trains + hotels

Rhine & Alsace by Rail

Amsterdam, Netherlands → Cologne, Germany → Strasbourg, France (with Colmar as a day trip) → Basel, Switzerland · ten days / nine hotel nights

$149per person, per day — from, Value tier

From $1,490 per person · $2,980 for two (ten days, land only)

nine hotel nights — two in Amsterdam, two in Cologne, three in Strasbourg, and two in Basel, near the old-town markets
Every train between cities: Amsterdam → Cologne (about 2¾ hrs), Cologne → Strasbourg, and Strasbourg → Basel (about 1¼ hrs), plus the 30-minute Colmar day trip from Strasbourg — we secure every ticket for you
Markets included: Amsterdam’s Christmas Village on Museumplein, Cologne’s Cathedral market, Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, Colmar’s old-town markets, and Basel’s Barfüsserplatz
Combines easily: this tour and the Rhine sailing share the same endpoints — both start in Amsterdam and end in Basel — so the two stitch end to end, and Strasbourg gets three full nights here instead of a single port call
Best for: Alsace lovers and anyone who wants Strasbourg and Colmar at a lingering pace

Hotel tier	Per person
ValueWell-located 3-star and family-run hotels	$1,490$149/day
ModerateCentral 4-star hotels, breakfast included	$1,990$199/day
Premium5-star stays — the market-season picks in our guide, where the city has them	$2,690$269/day

Trip summary: nine hotel nights at the tier allowance, plus rail tickets for the three intercity legs and the Colmar day trip. For-two totals are double the per-person figure, sharing one room.

River + Rail, Combined

Here is the detail that makes the Rhine pairing special: the cruise and the train make a round trip. Cruise 2 sails Amsterdam to Basel; the Rhine & Alsace rail tour runs Amsterdam to Basel by train. Put them together and you ride the rails one way and sail the other — no retracing your steps, no second gateway city, and you fly home from the city you started in. The two trips join at their shared endpoints, Amsterdam and Basel, where one ends and the other begins; Strasbourg, which both visit, is a highlight you get twice, two different ways — a port day from the ship and a three-night stay from the train. The Danube pairing joins the same way, end to end in Budapest. Both combinations are packages in their own right:

The round trip · Rail one way, ship the other

The Round Trip · Cruise + rail, one booking

The Rhine Round Trip

Amsterdam, Netherlands → Basel, Switzerland by rail, then Basel → Amsterdam by ship (or the reverse) · 17 days / seven-night sailing + nine hotel nights

$338per person, per day — from, Value tier

From $5,739 per person · $11,478 for two (17 days, land and river only) · Moderate tier: $6,239 per person · $367/day · $12,478 for two

One city, in and out: fly into Amsterdam and fly home from Amsterdam — the loop closes where it opened, so there are no one-way flights or cross-country repositioning to arrange
The rail leg: the full Rhine & Alsace by Rail tour — two nights Amsterdam, two in Cologne, three nights in Strasbourg with the Colmar day trip, and two in Basel, every train ticket secured for you
The handoff: in Basel, where the rail tour ends and the ship is waiting — station to dock, worked out for you; then the seven-night Christmas Markets on the Rhine sailing carries you back to Amsterdam
Or run it in reverse: sail Amsterdam → Basel first, then ride the rails back — the same round trip, ship first
Strasbourg twice, two ways: a port day from the ship and a three-night stay from the train — the Capital of Christmas is the one city worth seeing both ways, and the round trip is how you do it
Booked as one trip: sailing, hotels, rail tickets, and transfers in a single itinerary, through us
Best for: anyone who could not choose between the ship and the train — this is both, with nothing repeated but the city you fly through

Tier — sailing + rail-tour hotels	Per person
ValueAmaWaterways Christmas Markets on the Rhine, from $4,249 pp as published in our guide · Value hotels on the rail leg	$5,739$338/day
ModerateThe same Rhine sailing · Central 4-star hotels on the rail leg, breakfast included	$6,239$367/day
PremiumThe same Rhine sailing · 5-star stays on the rail leg — the market-season picks in our guide, where the city has them	$6,939$408/day

Trip summary: the published Rhine sailing fare ($4,249 pp) plus the Rhine & Alsace rail tour at the tier shown. The ten-day rail tour and the eight-day sailing (seven nights) share their join day in Amsterdam or Basel, so together they make a 17-day round trip.

The Combined Trip · Cruise + rail, one booking

Cruise + Rail, One Trip

Munich, Germany + Nuremberg, Germany by rail → Danube sailing → Budapest, Hungary to linger · 13 days / seven-night sailing + five hotel nights

$238per person, per day — from, Value tier

From $3,100 per person · $6,200 for two (13 days, land and river only) · Most Do Both clients book the Premium tier: $6,250 per person · $481/day · $12,500 for two

Rail days first: Munich (two nights) and Nuremberg (one night) at your own pace, then the short train ride to Passau to embark — tickets secured for you
The cruise core: a seven-night Danube Christmas Markets sailing through Vienna and Bratislava to Budapest
Rail days after: two extra nights in Budapest for unhurried Basilica market evenings and the thermal baths
Booked as one trip: sailing, hotels, rail tickets, and transfers in a single itinerary
Best for: long-haul travelers and anyone split between the ship and the train

Tier — sailing + hotels	Per person
ValueViking Christmas on the Danube, from $2,599 pp as published in our guide · Value hotels	$3,100$238/day
ModerateAmaWaterways Iconic Christmas Markets, from $4,249 pp as published in our guide · Moderate hotels	$4,980$383/day
PremiumAmaWaterways Christmas Markets on the Danube, from $5,149 pp as published in our guide · Premium hotels	$6,250$481/day

Trip summary: the published sailing fare for the tier, plus five hotel nights at the tier allowance and the rail legs. The Rhine version — Strasbourg and Colmar rail nights wrapped around a Rhine sailing — prices the same way.

If you start with…	Add…	Why it joins easily
Iconic Christmas Markets (Danube cruise)	Munich + Nuremberg rail nights before you embark — the featured trip above	The sailing starts in Nuremberg; the train from Munich takes you straight to the ship, and you get Bavaria’s markets the cruise doesn’t overnight in
Iconic Christmas Markets (Danube cruise)	The Grand Triangle by Rail	Both trips end in Budapest, so they join end to end there — and the rail tour adds Prague, the capital the ship doesn’t reach
Christmas Markets on the Rhine (Rhine cruise)	The Rhine Round Trip package (above)	Cruise and rail tour share the same endpoints — both run Amsterdam to Basel — so together they make a round trip: sail one way, ride the rails the other, fly home from the city you started in, and give Strasbourg three nights on the rail tour (with a hop to Colmar) instead of only a port call
Either rail tour	Either cruise	Tell us the pairing you want — we re-price the same trips as one combined itinerary, with the join worked out station to dock

Price your trip

Pick a package and a tier, tell us how many are traveling, and see the planning estimate three ways — per day, per person, and for your whole party.

Package

Tier

Travelers

Per person, per day$453

Per person$4,530

For two travelers$9,060

AmaWaterways Iconic Christmas Markets sailing (from $4,249 pp as published in our guide) + two hotel nights and transfers. December planning estimate — your exact fare and cabin are confirmed in a free quote before anything is booked.

Which One Fits You?

Take the cruise if…

You want to unpack once and let the markets come to you. The ship docks in the heart of each town, guided walks start at the gangway, and there is no luggage to haul through a cold station.

Take the train if…

You like days that are yours — lingering in one city, wandering beyond the guided walk, and setting your own pace between capitals. The rail tours keep every market day unhurried.

Do both if…

You are flying a long way and want the full picture: the cruise for the river towns, plus rail days in the places the ship only passes — Munich and Nuremberg before a Danube sailing, Prague or Alsace alongside. Or take the Rhine Round Trip: rails one way, ship the other, in and out of the same city.

Make it yours

These five are starting points, not fixed departures. Swap the cluster — Danube instead of Rhine, the triangle instead of Alsace — add nights in a favorite city, upgrade the cabin or the hotel tier, or stretch a trip across Christmas and New Year using the markets that stay open into January. Tell us your dates and the markets on your list and we’ll re-price the same trip around them. The full 20-market guide is still there for dreaming — this page is for deciding.

What’s not included

Flights to and from Europe — we arrange them as part of your trip and price them into your quote
Meals and drinks beyond what your sailing or hotel breakfast includes — market food and drink is pay-as-you-go at the stalls (and the mug deposit is refundable)
Ticketed entries, such as Christmas in Tivoli or Santa’s Castle in Montepulciano
Travel insurance (recommended for every trip) and personal spending

Know Before You Go

Christmas market ornaments — a spiced heart-shaped ornament among pine cones, cinnamon, and red apples — The little things are the trip: a market mug, a hand-painted bauble, one more chimney cake.

Dress in layers

Expect cold, damp winter weather. Start with a thermal, moisture-wicking base layer, add insulating mid-layers like wool, and cap it with a heavy, weather-resistant coat — plus a warm hat, scarf, insulated gloves, and comfortable, waterproof walking shoes or boots.

Cobblestones & crowds

Historic market squares mean uneven cobblestones, temporary power cables, and dense crowds, with standing-only high tables far more common than seated areas. They’re also prime territory for petty theft — keep valuables in a front-facing crossbody bag or an internal coat pocket.

Cash is essential

Many countries use the euro, but Switzerland, Czechia, and Denmark use their own currencies. Cards and contactless may work at larger markets and in the Nordics, but cash remains essential at most markets — especially in Austria and Germany.

The mug deposit

Hot drinks often come with a small deposit for the ceramic mug — refunded when you return it, or keep the mug as your souvenir. Carry small coins: paid turnstiles or attendants are standard at public restrooms.

Questions, Answered

Are these final prices?

No — they’re December planning estimates, labeled that way on purpose. Each one is built from the published 2026 sailing fares in our European Christmas Markets Guide plus per-night hotel planning allowances by tier. Your exact fare, cabin, and hotel rates are confirmed in a free, no-obligation quote before anything is booked — nothing is charged or held until you say yes.

How does booking work?

Everything runs through Travel Magic Network. Tell us the package, your dates, and the markets on your list; we secure the sailing, hotels, rail tickets, and transfers for you as one itinerary and send you a free quote with the confirmed numbers. One trip, one plan, one point of contact — personalized planning from first call to final itinerary, with a pinch of pixie dust.

Is it too late for this Christmas — and when should we plan for next?

A few cabins remain on this season’s sailings, but December departures go first and availability changes fast — if this year is the year, don’t sit on it. For next season, booking early is how you get the cabin and the sailing you actually want; we’re already pricing packages for next year’s market season.

Why a short list — where did everything else go?

Nowhere — the full European Christmas Markets Guide still covers all 20 markets, and we can build a trip around any of them. This page is the short list: the two cruises that still had cabins open, the two rail tours whose dates and markets line up best, and the two combinations that join them end to end — including the Rhine Round Trip. If a sailing sells out, it comes off this page — that is the point of the criteria.

How do I know a cabin is really still open?

Availability is the first test every option on this page had to pass, but December cabins move daily. Your free quote confirms the exact cabin, category, and fare for your sailing before anything is booked or charged — if your first choice has gone, we will tell you straight and price the closest alternative.

Which way should we go — sail, rail, or both?

Our honest answer: the river cruise. You unpack once, the ship docks in the heart of each market town, and the logistics simply disappear — it’s why the two cruises lead this page. Rail suits independent travelers who want days to wander at their own pace, and the combined trip is for anyone flying a long way who wants the cruise and a proper stay in a favorite city. Tell us your travel style and we’ll steer you straight.

Are flights included?

Not in the package prices above — those are land and river only. We arrange your flights as part of the trip and include them in your quote, so the whole journey is planned together: flights, hotels, sailing, rail, and transfers in one itinerary.