Christmas Market Flights from the UK 2026: Where to Go and When

Vienna gets going first. The Schönbrunn Palace market opens around 6 November and runs into January, with the big Rathausplatz market following a week later. Cologne's main Roncalliplatz market opens around 16 November and closes on 23 December, so don't leave that one too late.

Prague and Kraków both open at the end of November and stay open past New Year, into early January. Strasbourg, the one everyone calls the original, starts around 26 November and finishes on Christmas Eve.

A few cities haven't confirmed exact dates yet, and some guides disagree by a day or two. Check the official city website before you book anything non-refundable. Flights are the bit you want to lock in now, since prices for early December weekends start climbing from late October.

Kraków from £30 one-way on Ryanair from Stansted is the best value Christmas market trip in Europe. The market fills the main square, mulled wine is about £3, and a central hotel on a weeknight in early December can be under £60. Jet2 flies there from Manchester and Birmingham too, and easyJet has just added a Newcastle route for this winter.

Prague from £35 one-way on Ryanair from Stansted, or from about £45 on easyJet from Gatwick. The Old Town Square market is the famous one and it gets packed on Saturdays. The smaller market at Náměstí Míru is calmer and has better food. Prices on the ground are higher than Kraków but still well below London.

Vienna from £40 one-way on Ryanair from Stansted. easyJet has added Vienna to its winter schedule as well, which should keep fares honest. Vienna is the classiest of the lot. It's also the priciest once you land, so budget £100 a day if you want to eat and drink properly.

Cologne from about £45 one-way on Eurowings from Heathrow. There are seven markets across the city and the one in front of the cathedral is a proper sight at night. The catch is the short season. It shuts on 23 December, and the weekends from late November are rammed.

Strasbourg is gorgeous but awkward to reach from the UK. There are no budget flights straight in, so most people fly easyJet from Gatwick to Basel-Mulhouse from around £35 one-way and take the train, which is about 80 minutes. Some go via Paris on the Eurostar instead. Either way, it's a two-day trip at minimum.

Nuremberg is the one to watch this year. easyJet has added it as a new winter route, and the Christkindlesmarkt is one of the oldest in Germany. Expect launch fares to be keen in November.

Go the first week of December, Sunday to Wednesday. Markets are fully open, fares are often half the weekend price, and you can actually reach the stalls. A Tuesday flight to Kraków or Prague is routinely under £40 when the Friday flight is £90.

Pack hand luggage only. A small bag is included with Ryanair and easyJet, but a cabin trolley bag can cost £20 to £40 each way. If you're bringing back gifts, a fold-up bag inside your rucksack is cheaper than paying for hold luggage on the way home.

Book flights first and hotels second. Hotel prices in Vienna and Prague climb harder than airfares in December, so it pays to choose flexible-rate rooms and keep checking. My mate did Kraków last December for £210 all in, flights and three nights included. That's about the price of one night out in London.