I think you can’t get excited for Christmas until AT LEAST 25th November however, that doesn’t mean to say we can’t all be booking our Christmas Market getaways now…
All deals listed are:
- 2 night weekend breaks – Fri to Sun or Sat to Mon
- Decent flight times that allow at least 1.5 days in your chosen city
- Based on 2 people travelling
- Less than £175pp for flights and accommodation
And this time, I’m looking at departures from Manchester.
(You can check out my London deals here).
Sat 1st Dec – Mon 3rd Dec
Hamburg, Germany
- Christmas Markets start: 22nd November 2018
- When it comes to this sort of thing, Hamburg is a worldie. I mean, nothing says German Markets more than actual real life Germany, right?
- Great food, great drink, great nightlife – Hamburg should be on your wishlist, regardless of markets!
Flight – £96pp
Airbnb – £71.50pp
- This Airbnb may not be nothing particularly fancy, but it looks clean, full of light and has got great reviews
- Location wise, you’re just a few metro stops away from the action
- Not booked with Airbnb before? Sign up here to get £25 off your first booking
- For a bit more, you could stay in this CUTE studio for £85.50 per person – it’s slightly more central as well
Total cost – £167.50 per person
Sat 8th Dec – Mon 10th Dec
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Christmas markets start: from 17th November 2018
- Amsterdam has A LOT going on for Christmas including multiple markets, multiple ice rinks and even a World Christmas Circus!
- It’s such a popular city to visit anyway – you won’t be stuck for things to do!
Amsterdam – £80pp (there are a few cheaper options but I preferred the timings on this one)
Hotel – £78pp
- Qbic Hotel Amsterdam WTC
- This is a proper cool 3 star hotel – I actually once won a stay at the Qbic in London (I am bloody jammy) which I gave to my parents and they loved it!! A really great way to do a more budget stay but without having to lose out on the style
- Whilst on a map you may think it’s fairly far out, it’s in the area of Amsterdam Zuid which is well known for its museums. The hotel is also next to the Metro station and so you can be at Centraal station in just 10 minutes
Total cost – £158 per person
Also for the same dates is a cracking £27 flight to Belfast – their markets are also supposed to be top notch.
Sat 15th Dec – Mon 17th Dec
Basel, Switzerland
- Christmas markets start: from 22nd November 2018
- This is not your start up Christmas Market, this is your bonafide WINTER WONDERLAND Christmas Market but do keep in mind that Switzerland is PRICEY!
- The airport is actually in France so you can say you’ve visited two countries in one – kapow
Flight – £64pp (or just £54pp if you left at 1810)
There are some really decently priced Airbnbs including this and this HOWEVER, in 2018, Basel introduced a nifty little incentive for tourists where if you book into a hotel, you get a free BaselCard which gives you free public transport and a load of discounts! Given how spendy the city is, I think that’s a good deal. The website says that it will be handed to you on check in, but apparently if your booking is marked ‘mobility ticket’ then you can even use it to get to your hotel. Madness. So make sure you email your hotel ahead of time to ask what’s what.
Hotel – £81 each
- Hyperion Hotel Basel
- I really wasn’t expecting such lush hotels for the budget! This one is 4 star and really well rated
- 22 min walk from the markets!
Total cost – £145 per person
Let me know if you end up booking any of these – or if you find your own deals of your own! I STILL haven’t booked a getaway for myself… There are just TOO MANY OPTIONS!
