Christmas Markets?

[Betsy Lamb]

Mrs Betsylamb and I are planning on going to the Christmas Markets this year. We haven't done them before so any information would be gratefully recieved.
In particular - Aires, are they busy around the christmas markets? Which Markets are best (thinking Bruges, Ypres, Brussels, Trier, Aachen, Cochem, Metz)?
thanks in advance

Ian

 

[dazandandrea]

We are off to Bruges end of November, first week od December.
Will be staying at Memling site then cycling into the city.
Hopefully we will have a day in Ghent , getting there by train from Bruges.
Ghent market is much bigger and we loved it last time we went.
We were planning on driving to Austria but just cant afford it.
Have fun.

 

[TerryL]

Our favourite is Cologne but there are plenty of others around Germany and France. Depends on how much time you want to spend and how far you wish to travel. Cologne is around 4 hours from Calais and there is a stellplatz near to the zoo that you used to be able to book in advance - sorry don't have the info, we went there around 10 years ago - but it's at the end of an autobahn line or an easy cycle. The city has the benefit of 7 or 8 different venues too for variety.
Did it a few times as a coach driver and they were very well organised, as you would expect from Germany!

 

[pjay]

For info, the Koeln stellplatz is inside the low emission zone, if you don't have a green sticker there is an exemption corridor to get to the stellplatz as per the link below....

Umweltzone - Reisemobilhafen Köln

www.reisemobilhafen-koeln.de

Pete

 

[pampam]

Liverpool

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Have been to Ghent and Brugge Christmas markets and did not think they were that good.
We are maybe looking at a week in December to do the german and French markets.

 

[orridge]

Gravelines is good for a traditional French Christmas Market. Lille or Arras are also good.

For visiting Brussels or Ghent you could stay in Bruges and get the train in which would be more convenient than trying to find somewhere in Brussels.

Valkenburg in the Netherlands has their markets in the underground caves and enroute to Aachen or Cologne.

 

[suavecarve]

Gravelines is good for a traditional French Christmas Market. Lille or Arras are also good.

For visiting Brussels or Ghent you could stay in Bruges and get the train in which would be more convenient than trying to find somewhere in Brussels.

Valkenburg in the Netherlands has their markets in the underground caves and enroute to Aachen or Cologne.

Seconded for Gravelines. Ideal first or last one. Lille is supposed to be mahoosive pre covid times but overnighting is an issue