Map tips: each color represents a different day. Click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
Guest post by kjakubczak
We started our journey with an overnight flight from Cleveland to JFK to London Heathrow. An unremarkable, yet incredibly fast, journey thanks to some great tail wind.
Day 1: London to Newbury
Upon landing at Heathrow, we took the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station. The Heathrow Express is an easy, quick, and cheap way to get from the airport to central London, England. From here, at Paddington, we transferred to another train to get to Newbury, the home of Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey).
Paddington Station, as with many train stations in Europe, will post on a giant screen/board what platform your train is departing from, usually on a few minutes before the departure time. This can make it feel like a bit of a mad dash, but as long as you’re paying attention to the board and to the announcements, no problem. And, if you miss a train, one will be coming along shortly after, so no worries there.
The train from London to Newbury was about an hour long, and once in Newbury you do need to take a taxi to get anywhere close to Highclere Castle. We took a taxi from the train station to our first hotel, the Carnarvon Arms. It was a small (very small) hotel but very close to Highclere Castle. We had a bit of trouble upon check-in (they had downgraded our room unexpectedly because of a series of unfortunate events with other rooms). We were able to get some of our money back, which was a relief. We had a dinner in their pub and settled in for the night.
Day 2: Highclere Castle and back to London
- Highclere Castle
- London Eye
- Big Ben
The next morning, first we had a lovely, included breakfast, and then we had pre-arranged transportation from our hotel to Highclere Castle with Cabco Newbury, which was quite convenient. You can visit the outside grounds of Highclere Castle without buying any type of ticket but to get inside you need to be going on a tour. We had booked tickets for a Christmas Tour & Afternoon Tea. The inside of the castle was beautiful, and it was amazing to see inside after watching all those seasons of Downton Abbey. Fun fact: The “downstairs” doesn’t exist in Highclere Castle; it was all filmed on a set. So, you won’t be seeing Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen! The tour guides were exceptional. After the tour of the inside of the house, we wandered the grounds (not so beautiful in the winter) and the gift shop a bit, and then sat down for our included tea. It was held in a special event pavilion, and it was fine. The tea and the food were alright. If given the choice I would probably have skipped the tea, but it was included in the tour ticket.
Again, we had prearranged to be picked up at the castle. We had to swing by our hotel and pick up our luggage and had a very tight turnaround time to make it to our departing train. Luckily, we made it onto the train right when the doors were closing and we set off back to London.
The train took us back to Paddington Station and our London hotel, the Best Western Plus Delmere Hotel, was only a few minutes’ walk from Paddington. My best advice when settling on a hotel for London is to pick one that’s by a Tube stop. The Tube is cheap, and you can get anywhere quickly with little trouble. The attractions in London are so spread out, you’d never find a hotel within walking distance of all the sties anyways, so just find one close to the Tube. Our hotel was small, and I believe some rooms were even in the “basement,” but we were given a nice room on the 2nd floor and had a nice stay. The concierge was very helpful, and the included breakfast was adequate.
I had been to London before when I was in college, but it was my husband’s first time. So, we made sure to see all the most touristy sites. On our first night in the city, we went on a ride on the London Eye, which I quickly learned was no longer for me (I do not like heights). But he enjoyed it, so it was worth the endeavor. And it was nice to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben all lit up.
Day 3: London
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Buckingham Palace
- Trafalgar Square
- Covent Garden
- British Museum
On our first full day we took the hop-on/hop-off bus to get the lay of the land. The stop was not particularly close our hotel, about a 20-minute walk, but we survived. First, we got off the bus by the Tower of London/the Tower Bridge to snap some photos (I’m glad we did because the weather wasn’t as great the next time we were there!). We continued the bus loop got off at Buckingham Palace. We walked around this area for a while and then went onto Trafalgar Square. They did have a Christmas market set up, but since the latter part of our trip was going to be consumed by Christmas markets, we just ambled by. From there, we walked to Covent Garden and had dinner at a restaurant nearby (there was a bit of an incident with a mouse at said restaurant which really ruined my dining experience). We then went to the British Museum for their Friday night hours. It’s a nice way to see the (free) museum with less crowds.
Day 4: London
- Westminster Abbey
- Houses of Parliament
- Churchill War Rooms
On our second day in London, we hit some more key sites: Westminster Abbey (a must), the Houses of Parliament (skip), and the Churchill War Rooms (a must for any history lover). We had dinner near the theater district and saw The Devil Wears Prada that evening.
Day 5: London
- Tower of London
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Millennium Bridge
On our last full day in London, we spent most of the day at the Tower of London. We had lunch afterwards and walked down to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge. By this point the rain and the wind were doing some damage to our spirits, so we went back to the hotel to pack up and have dinner close by.
My best advice: Eat all the sticky toffee pudding you can get your hands on! People are negative about the cuisine in London, but on top of the desserts, you’ll also get some of the best fish and chips, Indian food, and gin cocktails you’ve ever had.
Second best advice: Keep an eye on your phone. A new trick of pickpockets is to ride their e-bikes and grab the phone of unsuspecting tourists who are taking pictures, checking Google maps, etc. Step away from the street if you need to be on your phone.
Day 6: London to Bruges
The next morning, we had a (very) early start to get on the Eurostar train to Belgium…Brussels then on to Bruges. The Eurostar train departs from St. Pancras station and is a bit more like flying than taking a train. Meaning, you must go through security and wait at a “gate” for your train. Give yourself plenty of time! The 2-hour train ride took us through the Chunnel and onto Brussels. We had a quick “layover” and got on a train to Bruges, our home base for the next 3 nights. The Belgian trains and train stations were easy-peasy to navigate.
Once in Bruges, we had a debacle with losing a wheel on our luggage on the walk from the train station to our hotel (Dukes Academie). Great hotel, bad luck with the luggage. Watch out for those cobblestone streets! We checked in and started to wander around Bruges. I fell in love. We did a Waffle and Beer workshop which was a great way to start our stay in Belgium. Got to make – and eat – lots of waffles and try an assortment of Belgian beers. Highly recommend if you have some time to kill!
We went to the main square and had our first taste of the Christmas markets (the main square was about a 10–15 minute walk from our hotel). Bruges didn’t have the best or most expansive markets, but worth seeing nonetheless, if you’re there at the right time of year. We had dinner by our hotel and then visited a smaller Christmas market, also close to our hotel. They had some drink huts and a skating rink, and it was a nice place to sit and enjoy the atmosphere.
Day 7: Bruges
- Basilica of the Holy Blood
- Minnewater Lake
- Belfry Tower
- Rosary Quay
- Church of our Lady
- Bonifacius Bridge
On our first full day in Bruges, we wandered again! We saw the Basilica of the Holy Blood and then went on a Legends of Bruges (free) Walking Tour which covered the other main sites: Minnewater Lake, Belfry Tower, Rosary Quay, Church of Our Lady, Bonifacius Bridge. We also did a canal boat tour this day which is kind of a must-do in Bruges. We had mussels for dinner at Restaurant Poules Moules – when in Belgium/Bruges, eat mussels! And we wandered the main Christmas market some more.
Day 8: Flanders
The next day we took a guided tour of WWI sites in Flanders, led by Quasimodo Tours. We saw some interesting sites, but war history isn’t exactly my favorite, so I think my husband enjoyed it more than I did. It was a full day and a lot of time in a van, but overall, I don’t regret going.
Day 9: Ghent
- Graslei and Korenlei
- St. Bavo’s Cathedral
- Gravensteen Castle
Our last day in Belgium we took the train from Bruges to Ghent. The walk from the train station in Ghent to the main part of the city was a little long for my taste, so we took public transportation back to the train station, which I should have done in the first place. Ghent was nice, but not quite up to par with Bruges, in my opinion. Graslei and Korenlei are the most picturesque areas, in my opinion. We saw St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Altarpiece (worth seeing), took a canal cruise (a big “nope” in my opinion) and took an audio tour of Gravensteen Castle (only “meh” for me). It was a nice and easy day trip from Bruges and I’m glad we went but if I were choosing between Bruges and Ghent, I’d choose Bruges.
Our last night in Bruges we had dinner at Halve Maan Brewery which is a staple.
Other tips: Make sure you eat plenty of waffles and plenty of chocolate! On the chocolate front, look for a white, yellow, and red coat of arms plaque on the outside of a chocolatier to determine if it’s locally produced.
Day 10: Bruges to Strasbourg
The next morning, we had an early morning train departure to head to Strasbourg, France. We again had to transfer in Brussels, no big deal. The train from Brussels to Strasbourg was quite lengthy but the time passed quickly. For the big train trips, I do recommend booking tickets in advance, but for the smaller commuter-style trips there’s no need to book your tickets in advance. You can buy them the day of. And you can do them on the various apps instead of doing it in person.
Our hotel in Strasbourg, Arok Hotel, was about a 2-minute walk from the train station. Huzzah! It was a nice and modern hotel. I recommend if you’re going to be in Strasbourg during the Christmas market season stay outside the pedestrian zone or else you’re going to be hoofing it quite a ways with your luggage. It was easy enough to walk to our hotel from the train station, dump our luggage, and then continue to the main area of Strasbourg.
We walked around Petit France (gorgeous views) and then took the Happy Strasbourg Original Walking Tour (free). Again, a nice way to get familiar with the main sites.
I tend to Google “Instagrammable spots in <city>” to find out which locations I want to see the most. Rue des Orfèvres, The House of Bears next to restaurant Zum alten Straßburg, Le Tire Bouchon, Lohkäs Restaurant, Maison Kammerzell, and Le Gruber are some of those for Strasbourg.
Strasbourg was CROWDED. Oof! We were there the first weekend the Christmas markets were open so I thought they’d be less crowded, and that might be true, but then I can’t imagine what they were like closer to Christmas! But the markets are certainly lovely. And the cathedral is stunning, even though we only saw the outside.
Restaurants that take reservations seem to be a hot commodity in Strasbourg, but we had managed to book one in advance, Restaurant Alsacien Strasbourg Schnockeloch. We still had to wait a painfully long time to be seated and to be served, but at least it was something.
Day 11: Colmar
The next morning, we wandered around Petit France again, and then we were off to the train station. I wish I had booked a boat trip in Strasbourg, but we had such limited time; it is what it is.
We took a very short, and a VERY packed train from Strasbourg to Colmar (this was a Saturday). We walked from the train station to our hotel, Novotel Suites Colmar Centre, and again I had regrets about the walking; we took a taxi to the train station when we left. This hotel was awesome. Highly, highly recommend. Friendly staff, phenomenal breakfast, nice room.
Colmar was a fairytale town! We walked around La Petit Venise, marveling at the beautiful buildings and decorations. Au Vieux Pignon, Quai de la Poissonnerie, Marché Couvert, Schwendi Fountain, Brasserie des Tanneurs, Maison au Pèlerin, La Maison des Têtes, Eglise des Dominicains, the Pfister House, the Customs House, and Chez Hanson are some of the noteworthy sites here!
The Christmas markets in Colmar were also exceptionally crowded, and the town is even smaller than Strasbourg, so it felt that much more jammed. We had dinner at Wistub Brenner which is a must-do, but also a must-reserve-in-advance situation.
Day 12: Eguisheim, Riquewihr, and Kayserberg Christmas Markets
On our next day, we took a guided tour (booked on Get Your Guide) to Eguisheim, Riquewihr, & Kaysersberg, to see their Christmas markets. These towns were quaint and adorable…and packed. I can’t even imagine trying to drive and park myself. Thank goodness we had a van driver who knew what they were doing. I recommend all these towns, and it’s hard to pick a favorite. They were straight out of Beauty and the Beast. We just wandered around and took in the sites without a specific plan. It worked out perfectly.
Day 13: Colmar
We had one more full day in Colmar which was great since it was a Monday and a lot calmer and less crowded. We took in all the best sites again. The carousel bar was a highlight of the Christmas markets. We also visited the Alsatian Wines Museum which was better than I had expected. (The museums in this area of Europe are really all-in on the audio guides, so your excitement about, and appreciation for, the museum is really going to be related to the topic at hand. I am a fan of wine, so I was a fan of this experience).
We had dinner Le Comptoir de Georges where I had one of my favorite meals of the trip – fish in a Riesling sauce.
I forgot to mention the mulled wine! This was a staple of every Christmas market, and collecting mugs at each market is a rite of passage. Get the wine, pay for the mugs. [“Vin chaud” and “glühwein” are both names for the same spiced wine beverage, also known as mulled wine. The main difference between the two is the language they are spoken in. “Vin chaud” is French for “warm wine” and “glühwein” is German for “mulled wine]. The “vin chaud” in France can come in red or white, and glühwein in German is usually red. I preferred the white vin chaud myself.
Of course, we also managed to find some wonderful snacks at the various food booths throughout the Christmas markets. We weren’t much into the shopping, but we do like to try the local foods!
Day 14: Colmar to Zurich
On our last full day of the trip, we took the train from Colmar to Zurich, Switzerland. This time we had a taxi take us from our hotel to the train station in Colmar. We had a brief stop in Mulhouse on the way to Zurich. Zurich wasn’t my favorite city; feels like a normal “bigger” city than the rest of the places we went. Our hotel, Hotel Alexander, was fine for one night, but nothing to write home about. It was an easy walk from the train station. We wandered around the old town a bit, took in the views of the lake and the churches, and stopped by a couple of the Christmas markets (of course). And then took the bus/tram to Lindt Chocolate Factory. It felt like a “must do” and we did walk away with a ton of chocolate. Again, we had an audio tour here. The factory tour is very new and modern and overall pleasant. We had dinner at a British pub – might as well end the trip the way we started it!
The next morning, we walked to the train station and took the train to the airport where we departed for our return trip to the US.
Summary
Overall, these are some of the most popular Christmas markets in Belgium and France. They lived up to the hype, but they were very, very crowded. Make sure you know what you want to see. Maybe plan to see those things a couple of times, in case the crowds are overwhelming the first time. Use Google maps for directions, both walking and public transportation. Don’t buy too many train tickets in advance; be flexible with timing.
Traveled in November 2024
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