Best Christmas Markets in Europe: Opening Dates by City

Combining two countries, say Vienna and Prague? A HelloRoam Europe eSIM covers both on one plan, so you can sort out the next leg without hunting for café Wi-Fi.

Below are each city's 2026 dates, how to choose and combine markets, what the big UK networks charge for EU roaming this winter, and the entry rules for British passport holders.

Christmas market dates for 2026 in one table

We checked every date, price and rule in this guide on its official source on 25 October 2026. Dates and hours can still change, so check the official site before you book.

Europe's best Christmas markets, city by city

Each city below earns its place through the history of its market, its setting or the length of its season. Where a claim comes from a market's own website, we say so.

Nuremberg, Germany

Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt fills the Main Market Square from 27 November to 24 December 2026, with an opening ceremony at 5.30pm on 27 November. It opens daily from 10am to 9pm, but the market's German-language page shows 10am to 10pm on the opening day and 10am to 2pm on Christmas Eve, its last day. The official Nuremberg market site calls it one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in the world, and its history page dates the first written mention to 1678.

The wooden stalls sell gingerbread, Spekulatius almond biscuits and handmade decorations, and the market's own site says it places the greatest importance on offering traditional wares. Save room for the finger-length Nuremberg Bratwurst, a city speciality for more than 700 years.

Dresden, Germany

Dresden's Striezelmarkt holds its 592nd edition on the Altmarkt, in the centre of the old town, from 25 November to 24 December 2026. It opens at 4pm on 25 November, then runs daily from 10am to 9pm, with a short day on Christmas Eve from 10am to 2pm. The City of Dresden's market page calls it Germany's oldest Christmas market.

More than 200 traders sell Ore Mountain crafts and Dresdner Christstollen. Look out for the Pflaumentoffel, a little figure made of prunes that is seen as a lucky charm, and the 14.61-metre step pyramid the city bills as the world's largest.

Cologne, Germany

Cologne's cathedral market sits on Roncalliplatz, in front of the cathedral, from 16 November to 23 December 2026, and closes on Sunday 22 November. It opens from 11am to 9pm on Sundays to Wednesdays, to 10pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 10am to 10pm on Saturdays. The cathedral market's website lists more than 120 stalls and over 100 free events on its central stage.

It is one of many markets around the city. Cologne's tourist board lists themed markets with Heinzelmännchen (the city's legendary house elves), angels, fairy-tale figures and sailors, linked by a Christmas Market Express tourist train. Cologne came late to the tradition: its first Christmas market opened in 1820.

Aachen makes an easy second stop. Deutsche Bahn lists 33 minutes for the fastest train from Cologne, and Aachen's Christmas market fills the old town around the cathedral and town hall from 20 November to 23 December 2026, daily from 11am to 9pm, closing at 8pm on 23 December.

Heidelberg, Germany

Heidelberg spreads its market across six squares in the old town from 23 November to 22 December 2026, according to Heidelberg Marketing. The ice rink on Karlsplatz, below the castle, stays open until 6 January 2027. The organisers say the market gets particularly busy at weekends and in the evenings, and they suggest coming by bus or train.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

For a smaller walled town, Rothenburg's Reiterlesmarkt runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026 between the Town Hall and St Jakob's Church. The town's official website gives opening hours of 11am to 7pm from Sunday to Thursday and 11am to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with the market closed on 22 November.

Käthe Wohlfahrt's Christmas Village in the town stays open all year and has a museum inside, so the festive shopping does not stop when the market does.

If your route stays inside Germany, from Cologne to Dresden, data plans for Germany work at every stop.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna's Christmas Market fills Rathausplatz, in front of the Gothic-style City Hall, from 13 November to 26 December 2026. It is open daily from 10am to 10pm, closing at 6.30pm on Christmas Eve. The Vienna Christmas Market website describes it as one of Europe's biggest and most beautiful.

The Ice Dream skating rink at the market runs from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, closed on 31 December. The U2 stops at Rathaus, and lines 1, 71 and D stop at Rathausplatz/Burgtheater.

For a Vienna-only break, an Austria data plan keeps maps and tram times on your phone between markets.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague's two main markets, on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily from 10am to 10pm, according to the Prague markets organiser. That makes Prague the pick if you want a market trip after Christmas or over New Year.

Prices are in Czech koruna rather than euros, so mobile data in the Czech Republic is handy for checking exchange rates as you shop.

Strasbourg and Colmar, France

Strasbourg has called itself the Capital of Christmas since 1992, and its Christkindelsmärik dates from 1570. The 2026 markets run from 27 November to 24 December, and the city's official Christmas site lists eight of them across the historic centre, from Place Broglie and Place Kléber to Petite France.

Colmar is also in Alsace, and the Colmar tourist offices' Christmas site sets out 23 November to 29 December 2026 for the town's six Christmas markets. Eurostar lists London to Strasbourg at just over five hours, with a change in Paris.

With both cities in France, French mobile data plans cover an Alsace trip from start to finish.

Brussels, Belgium

Brussels runs Winter Wonders from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with Brussels-Central station at the heart of the event. The Winter Wonders website lists 238 chalets across the city centre, from Place de la Monnaie to Place Sainte-Catherine. Eurostar runs direct from London St Pancras to Brussels in under two hours.

The Winter Wonders interactive map shows its chalets, attractions and landmarks, and mobile data plans for Belgium keep it to hand as you walk between squares.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest's Christmas market, Vörösmarty Classic Xmas, fills Vörösmarty Square in the city centre. Its official website says the 2026 market opens on 13 November and stays until the New Year, with craft stalls until 28 December.

A second market, Advent Bazilika, fills St Stephen's Square from 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027, according to its organisers.

Hungary uses the forint, not the euro. If Budapest is your only stop, a Hungary-only data plan covers the trip.

Picking the right market for your trip

No official body ranks Europe's Christmas markets, so match the city to the trip you want:

• A classic first visit: Nuremberg, with its opening ceremony and stalls on the Main Market Square.
• The oldest claims: Dresden, which the city calls Germany's oldest market, or Strasbourg, whose market dates from 1570.
• The earliest start: Vienna and Budapest (13 November) and Cologne (16 November).
• After Christmas or over New Year: Prague (to 6 January 2027), Brussels (to 3 January 2027) and Budapest's Advent Bazilika (to 1 January 2027).
• Several markets in one city: Strasbourg (eight), Colmar (six), Heidelberg (six squares) or Cologne.
• No flight: Brussels, direct by Eurostar, or Cologne and Strasbourg with one change.
• A small walled town: Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
• Skating as well as shopping: Vienna, where the Ice Dream rink stays open into January, or Heidelberg, whose rink below the castle runs to 6 January 2027.
• Lower prices for eating out and hotels: Prague or Budapest.

Eurostat's 2025 price levels for restaurants and accommodation, where the EU average is 100, put Czechia at 69.5 and Hungary at 82.4. Germany (108.4), France (116.0), Austria (116.8) and Belgium (116.9) sit above the average. These are national averages, not stall prices, but they show where eating out and hotels cost less. For more ways to keep costs down, see our guide to budget city breaks from the UK.

Combining markets on the Rhine or the Danube

Brussels and Cologne share a Eurostar route. Eurostar puts London to Cologne at just over five hours with a change in Brussels, so you can stop for Winter Wonders on the way out or back.

Strasbourg and Colmar are both in Alsace and suit a single trip to eastern France.

If you are choosing between a Rhine trip and a Danube trip, base the Rhine trip in Cologne: its tourist board calls it the metropolis on the Rhine, and Aachen is an easy add-on. Vienna and Budapest both sit on the Danube and both open on 13 November, so the two capitals pair well for an early-season break across one border. Prague is on the Vltava, not the Danube, so plan it as its own stop.

Timing a visit around Totensonntag and St Nicholas Day

Sunday 22 November 2026 is Totensonntag, the day Protestant Christians in Germany remember the dead. Cologne's cathedral market and Rothenburg's Reiterlesmarkt close that day, and Aachen's market opens only from 6pm to 9pm, so plan a late-November weekend around it.

St Nicholas's Day falls on Sunday 6 December. Nuremberg's market site notes that it was the traditional day for giving children presents in Luther's time. In Dresden, Saturday 5 December brings the Striezelmarkt's Stollen Festival.

Entry rules for British passport holders this winter

GOV.UK's travel advice for Germany, and its pages for Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Belgium and Hungary, set out the same Schengen rules for a full British citizen passport. You can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and time in every Schengen country counts towards that limit.

Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, and must expire at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) may ask you to register your fingerprints and a photo the first time you enter. It costs nothing, but allow extra time at the border. If you travel by Eurostar from St Pancras, the checks happen before you leave the UK. Children aged 11 or under are not fingerprinted but may have a photo taken.

ETIAS, the EU's new travel authorisation, is not needed yet. As of October 2026, the official ETIAS website says it is not in operation and collects no applications. The EU has not announced a start date yet and will give the date several months ahead. A transitional period of at least six months will follow the launch. You should apply during it, but travellers without an ETIAS will not be refused entry if they meet all other entry conditions. When it opens, apply only through the official site.

Rules can change before December, so check GOV.UK's foreign travel advice for every country on your route before you travel.

UK roaming charges and mobile data on a market trip

Three of the four big UK networks charge for EU roaming unless your plan already includes it, while O2 builds it into its tariffs up to a limit. This is what each network's own page shows:

• EE: a £2.72 daily charge, a 7-Day Pass at £16.50 or a 12-Day Pass at £27.50, all using your UK allowances. EE's roaming page also marks the EU zone as eligible for its Inclusive Extras.
• O2: roaming in its Europe Zone is included in its tariffs, with a 25GB limit (or your UK allowance, if that is lower). O2's EU roaming page says this applies to phone SIMs only, not tablets.
• Three: £2 a day if you joined or upgraded between 1 October 2021 and 17 December 2025, or from 1 June 2025 on a SIM Only 24-month Lite plan with 25GB or 120GB of data, and £2.75 a day if you joined or upgraded on or after 18 December 2025. Three's Go Roam page says you can use up to 12GB of your data allowance in its Go Roam in Europe destinations.
• Vodafone: £2.75 a day on pay monthly plans that do not include Europe roaming. Buying an 8-day pass for £16 or a 15-day pass for £21 avoids the daily charge. Both are listed on Vodafone's extras page.

Older plans can carry different terms, so check your own plan in your network's app. If roaming is already included, as with O2 up to its limit, you may not need anything else for a short break. BT Mobile also includes roaming at no extra cost in 47 destinations, France among them, as our guide to BT Mobile roaming explains. If your network charges by the day, add up the cost for your trip and see how an eSIM compares with roaming before you go.

A travel eSIM is a digital SIM you download before you fly, so there is no card to swap. Apple's Dual SIM guide says iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later can use Dual SIM with a physical SIM and an eSIM, and iPhone 13 and later can also run two eSIMs. Either way, you can keep your UK number on the phone while the travel eSIM handles data. The iPhone must be unlocked to use two different networks. On Android, check whether your phone supports eSIM before you buy.

Every country in this guide is on HelloRoam's Europe plans: Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Belgium and Hungary. A Vienna and Budapest trip, or Brussels on the way to Cologne, then needs no new SIM at the border. Our eSIM setup guide walks through installing it on iPhone and Android.