A GoOpti Guide to Europe's Best Christmas Markets

Bremen, Germany

As Christmas markets are a German tradition, we should start with a German destination. Bremen is a major cultural and economic hub of Northern Germany, with a rich history and strong working-class culture. For those visiting, the city offers many attractions outside the Christmas market, including the Bremen City Hall and the Roland statue, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Bremen Christmas market is available on the Bremen Marktplatz, right in the centre of the town. This is a wonderful Christmas market! You can purchase many Christmas gifts, ranging from knitted and wooden items, to candles and honey. The mulled wine is excellent, and you can pair it with delicious kartoffelpuffer (fried potato pancakes) and raclette (melted cheese over bread).

If you’re interested in some fun and entertainment, you can enjoy a ride on the ferris wheel, which towers over the stalls, or the mery-go-round in one of the market’s corners. Once the fun is all over, we suggest you have a short walk and take a picture in front of the statue, dedicated to the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale The Town Musicians of Bremen.

The market will be open this year from the 27th of November to the 23rd of December. You can check the exact schedule here.

Access from: Ljubljana, Trieste, Venice Marco Polo, Milano Malpensa, Vienna and Zagreb airports

Kraków, Poland

Kraków is one of the most stunning Polish cities which you should not miss this holiday season. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the beating heart of the Kraków, where cobbled streets inside the ancient city walls lead you to stunning churches, fun museums and lively shops. For those who like seeing places from above, Wawel Hill Castle will offer you a stunning view of Kraków's rooftops.

The Kraków Christmas market is located on Rynek Glowny, the 13th-century square right in the centre of the Old Town. You can’t miss the stalls as they sit between the famous Cloth Hall and the imposing St Mary’s Basilica. There’s usually a stage, where live music plays in the evenings. In combination with the available ice rink, we can guarantee lots of fun and laughter.

Our suggestions: The hot chocolate is top tier and don’t skip on the pierogi, sausages and zapiekanka (baguette with pizza style toppings)!

This year, the market will be available throughout December up until Boxing Day (26th of December). The town hall officials may decide to prolong the market up until early January.

Access from: Vienna, Milano Malpensa, Venice Marco Polo, Ljubljana, Zagreb airports

Milano, Italy

The city of high fashion and never-ending shopping opportunities knows how to celebrate Christmas time. The lights are all ablaze in the Vittorio Emanuele II shopping gallery, which offers only the best for your gift giving experience.

Steeped in traditions, Christmas is as sacred as it gets for the Italian people, with food and wine overflowing their tables. Between the traditional Milanese Panettone and the roast capon (castrated male chicken) with mashed potatoes, we suggest you book a table in one of the many restaurants for a proper Christmas feast.

The Milano Christmas market can be found in Piazza Duomo and will be available from the 1st of December to the 6th of January. We suggest you try and attend the opening ceremony, when the lights are lit on the central Christmas tree, which is one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in Italy.

Access from: Venice Mestre train station or book a GoOpti transfer directly from your home address

Prague, Czech Republic

We’ve talked about the Prague Christmas market before, but we want to mention it again, as it is genuinely one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.

The old town centre with its churches and synagogues is one of the most beautiful European capitals. While visiting, you should explore the city's historic landmarks like the iconic Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, which are not far away from the central Christmas market area, the Old Town Square. The square is transformed by the sparling lights and decorated stalls, which offer Czech delicacies like the trdelník (a baked sweet cone pastry filled with chocolate and cream) and an infinite variety of high-quality Czech beers. The Christmas tree towers over the buildings around it, and it’s only matched by the Astronomical Clock next to it.

The Prague Christmas market will be available from the 2nd of December to the 6th of January. You can explore it from morning until late at night. We might suggest you come and visit the market around the time when the Astronomical Clock hits the full hour. Observe the saints showing from the tiny windows when this happens!

Access from: Bergamo, Milano Malpensa, Treviso, Venice Marco Polo, Vienna airports

GoOpti is here to guarantee a smooth Christmas holiday

We all know the pain of travelling to our destinations in peak seasons like Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The streets are congested, tickets are few and crowds are never ending.

Thankfully, at GoOpti we offer smooth and stress-free transfers to and from airports and train stations, so you don’t have to worry about parking and promptly arrivals. For extra security, we offer our travellers the Absolutely No Worries Package, where we provide new flight tickets for you if you lose your flight because of intensive traffic, bad weather or other unpredictable events.

Book your GoOpti transfer now and start planning your Christmas celebration, strolling around one of our top Christmas markets of 2023.