Vienna, Austria

Vienna’s Christmas markets are the most famous in Europe. The dream Christmas market takes place in front of the city hall. The scent of fresh pastries, strudel and candied nuts spread all out in front of a magnificent historical building, turns the clocks back a few decades. You can also listen to international choirs singing carols with free entrance on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Travel time with FlixBus: You can reach Vienna via FlixBus direct connections, for example from Munich in 5.5 hours, from Prague in about 4 hours and from Budapest in around 3 hours.

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Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg bears the title of Christmas capital – and rightly so. The “Christkindelsmärik”, as the Christmas market is still called today, was first held on the cathedral square in the 16th century. Visitors can explore over 300 stalls spread across the entire Grande-Île. The island is the historic heart of Strasbourg and with its many half-timbered houses and Gothic cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travel time with Flixbus: You can get to Strasbourg with Flixbus from Frankfurt in under 4 hours, from Paris in under 6 hours and from Luxembourg in under 3 hours.

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Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is known for its medieval and gothic buildings. The  Christmas market takes place in the cobbled streets of the Old Town Square and is the largest in Prague. Soak in the lit up spirit of the city that brings locals and visitors together in a true ‘winter wonderland’ setting. You will also find plenty of cakes and sweets such as spicy gingerbread (perníčky) and a hot sweet pastry called chimney cake (trdelník).

Travel time with Flixbus: Getting to Prague is easy with Flixbus. You can reach there from major European cities such as Bratislava, Budapest, Paris, Warsaw and Vienna.

Nuremberg, Germany

The undisputed trademark of the Nuremberg Christmas Market is the golden angel. Legend has it that a Nuremberg doll maker encountered his deceased daughter as a golden angel in a dream. He is said to have then made the first tinsel angel from thin brass foil, or tinsel. Today, the angels are mostly made from aluminum foil and sold at the Christmas market as Christmas tree decorations. The Christmas market is one of the oldest and most famous in the world.

Travel time with FlixBus: You can get there from major German cities such as Munich in 2 hours, from Frankfurt in under 3 hours and from Berlin in 5 hours. Getting there from other European cities such as Prague, Strasbourg, Vienna and Zurich is easy with regular connections offered by Flixbus.

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Copenhagen, Denmark

The famous Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen transform into a Christmas wonderland during the festive season. Beside the City Hall square you can experience 70,000 Christmas baubles and more than 1,000 Christmas trees. In the evening the gardens come to life under thousands of twinkling fairy lights.

Travel time with Flixbus: Get to Copenhagen comfortably with Flixbus from Hamburg in 5.5 hours, from Oslo in 8 hours and from Gothenburg in under 5 hours.

Zagreb, Croatia

Voted the best European Christmas Market three years in a row, the Zagreb Christmas Market 2024 runs from November 30th 2024 to January 7th 2025. Around the Jelacic Square you will find an ice rink, ice sculptures and the Jolly Christmas tram which allows visitors, children and adults alike to cruise through the city center accompanied by Santa and his elves.

Travel time with Flixbus: Flixbus offers direct connections to Zagreb from cities such as Vienna, Ljubljana, Budapest and Bratislava.

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Florence, Italy

The Christmas market has been an annual tradition in Florence for the past 500 years and the piazza of the beautiful Basilica di Santa Croce is home to the largest Christmas market in Florence. An Italian twist is added to the traditional stalls with the addition of the tasty cheese, jam, chocolate, and spice vendors.

Travel time with Flixbus: An overnight 8-hour Flixbus journey takes you comfortably to Florence from Munich. Getting there is also easy from Italian cities like from Milan in about 4 hours, from Rome in 3 hours and from Venice in 4 hours.

New York, USA

It’s a dream for many to visit the famous NYC Christmas markets as it serves as the backdrop to many Christmas films including Elf, Home Alone 2 and Miracle on 34th Street. The most popular and traditional ones can be found at the Union Square or Colombus circle. Here you can warm up with some hot soup or hot chocolate and try European delicacies such as bratwurst.

Travel time with Flixbus and Greyhound: Flixbus and Greyhound help fulfill your NYC Christmas dream with regular connections for example from Boston, MA in a little over 4 hours, from Philadelphia, PA in about 2 hours and from Providence, RI in around 3 hours.

Toronto, Canada

Toronto’s Christmas market is known as the Distillery Winter Village and takes place in the city’s Distillery District. You will find a series of stalls set up among a district of 19^th-century brick warehouse buildings.  One can stroll the cobblestone streets under the canopy lights and shop a curated selection of the finest local craftspeople.

Travel time with Flixbus and Greyhound: The fastest Flixbus and Greyhound connection from Rochester, NY get you to Toronto in less than 5 hours. You can also reach Toronto from other Canadian cities such as Hamilton, ON in 1 hour and London, ON in 3 hours.

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Birmingham, United Kingdom

The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market in Victoria Square is the biggest German Christmas Market in the UK inspired by the German and Austrian Christmas markets. Enjoy glühwein, bratwurst and pretzels while listening to live bands and carol singers. The highlight of course is Chris Moose, the singing moose found outside the Council house entrance of the market.

Travel time with Flixbus: Flixbus takes you directly to Birmingham Summer Row- Great Charles Street from the London Victoria Coach Station in about 3 hours. You can also get to Birmingham from Cambridge in 6 hours and from Manchester in 2 hours.