If you’re after a cheap Christmas Market trip to Europe, then you’re in the right place!
We’re not just thinking about the cheapest Christmas Markets in terms of flights and hotel costs – though that’s a key part of our decision.
We’ve also looked into the Christmas Markets with the best prices, meaning you can enjoy as many hot apple ciders, mulled wines and bratwursts as you like!
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Our Pick of The Cheapest Christmas Markets in Europe
O come all ye faithful… and behold our selection of the best cheapest Christmas Markets for 2025!
Gdansk Christmas Market, Poland
Opening dates & times:
Friday 21 November – Tuesday 23 December 2025
Thu-Sun: 12-8pm, Fri & Sat: 12-9pm
Gdansk Christmas Market was voted the best Christmas Market in Europe for 2025, so you can’t really argue with that! The market is spread across town, mostly around the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy) and nearby streets Tkacka and Bogusławskiego. There’s also a dedicated arts and crafts market at the city’s Academy of Fine Arts – great for a special souvenir or two.
Why it’s affordable: Flight and hotel prices in Poland are generally lower compared to other popular Christmas Market destinations like Germany and Austria. Also, food and drink is reasonably priced, as are souvenirs. Hotels and apartments are usually cheaper too.
Fly direct from: London (Stansted & Luton), Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle.
Gdansk cheap hotels
I visited 7 Christmas Markets in 7 days!
Check out my epic Christmas Market Crawl, as voted for by you!
Zagreb Christmas Market, Croatia
Opening dates & times:
Saturday 29 November 2025 – Wednesday 7 January 2026
Opening hours to be confirmed
Advent Zagreb, the Croatian capital’s Christmas Market, has everything from live music and ice skating to traditional food and drinks stalls. Marvel at the light installations and music performances at Zrinjevac, and don’t miss the historic Gric Tunnnel, which turns into an immersive Christmas adventure every year.
Why it’s affordable: While Croatia can be pricey in high season and along the coast, the capital Zagreb offers surprisingly good value. Christmas Market prices aren’t bad at all – last year a mulled wine was €3.90 / £3.40. You can also find well-priced accommodation, particularly as you go further from the city centre.
Fly direct from: London Stansted.
Zagreb cheap hotels
Lille Christmas Market, France
Opening dates & times:
Thursday 20 November – Monday 29 December 2025
Sun–Thu: 11am–8.30pm, Fri-Sat: 11am–10pm
Closes early 24 & 29 Dec, closed 25 Dec
Don’t sleep on Lille as a Christmas Market destination. It’s so close to the UK, and let me tell you – the French know how to do festive! There’s a huge ferris wheel you can ride for amazing views of the twinkling streets, and you can chomp on delicious hot waffles and tartiflette, a delicious dish of potato, cream, cheese and bacon. YES PLEASE!
Why its affordable: You can get to Lille on Eurostar in less than 1 and a half hours. Bag a couple of their cheapest tickets – or even try Eurostar Snap – and you can travel there and back for under £80. Food and drink is reasonably priced and there are lots of smaller hotels and guest houses that are budget-friendly.
Train from: London St Pancras.
Lille cheap hotels
Cologne Christmas Market, Germany
Opening dates & times:
Monday 17 November – Tuesday 23 December 2025
Some stalls stay open until Sun 4 January 2026
Times
Sun–Wed: 11am–9pm, Thu–Fri: 11am–10pm, Sat: 10am–10pm
Cologne was my favourite Christmas Market out of the seven I visited as part of my European Christmas Market Crawl. As well as the main cathedral market they have one called Heinzels Wintermärchen, which is based around a folk story and was just the cutest spot with traditional stalls and a whole heap of festive magic.
Fly direct from: London (Heathrow & Stansted), Manchester and Edinburgh.
Train from: London St Pancras, changing at Brussels Midi.
Wrocław Christmas Market, Poland
Opening dates & times:
Friday 21 November 2025 – Wednesday 7 January 2026
Mon-Sun: 10am-9pm (some days have special opening times)
Another beautiful Christmas Market that won’t break the bank, Wrocław’s picture-perfect town square makes the ideal backdrop for all sorts of festive fun including delicious local eats and artisan gift stalls.
Why its affordable: Prices in Poland tend to be at the cheaper end of things, compared to many other European countries. A mulled wine (grzaniec) here in 2024 was 20 PLN / £4.10 – and you can get it even cheaper if you opt out of a traditional cup. Plus there’s a good selection of flights from Uk airports with low cost carriers, and well-priced accommodation as well.
Fly direct from: London (Gatwick, Stansted & Luton), Leeds Bradford, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Wrocław cheap hotels
Berlin Christmas Market, Germany
Opening dates & times:
Monday 24 November – Tuesday 30 December 2025
Mon-Fri: 12pm–10pm, Sat & Sun: 11am–10pm
Home to over 70 Christmas Markets, Berlin had to make the cut for my collection of the cheapest Christmas Markets in Europe. Head to WeihnachtsZauber market on the newly renovated Gendarmenmarkt for handmade treasures, or soak up the romantic vibes at Charlottenburg Palace.
Why its affordable: While prices can be high in capital cities, you also get the advantage of loads of choice – so you can opt for something that suits your budget. Berlin has so many options for flights and accommodation – and great transport links to and from the centre – there’s loads of scope for making this trip super budget-friendly. Plus a mulled wine only costs €5 / £4.36!
Fly direct from: London (Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted & Luton) Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.
The Cheapest Smaller Christmas Markets
If you’re desperate for a dose of Euro Christmas but your wallet is running on empty, don’t worry – there are simply LOADS of Christmas Markets out there.
Forget famous destinations and bucket-list landmarks for a second, and remember what we’re all here for: twinkly lights, delicious drinks, cute stalls and seriously heartwarming, cosy vibes.
And the great news is, you can get all those and more for some seriously bargainous prices at loads of places across Europe. My picks for this year are…
Timisoara Christmas Market, Romania
Opening dates & times:
Sunday 30 November 2025 – Wednesday 7 January 2026; times tbc
You can sip on mulled wine at the Christmas Market in Timisoara Romania to your heart’s content if they keep a lid on their 2024 prices. Last year a cup cost just £1.76!
I visited back in 2015 and it was such a cute dose of Christmas coziness, I’d love to go back and see it now.
Timisoara cheap hotels
Brno Christmas Markets, Czechia
Opening dates & times:
21 Nov – 31 Dec 2025; times TBC
Heard to beautiful Brno for an affordable festive experience. In 2024, you could get a svařák (mulled wine) for £2.16.
This city is a great alternative to Prague, which is super booked up for Christmas already! You get the same charming squares and Christmas vibes, but for less money – and with less of the crowds!
Brno cheap hotels
Debrecen Winter Fayre, Hungary
Opening dates & times:
To be confirmed (2024 dates: 29 Nov-Christmas)
This is my top pick for a lovely cheaper alternative to Budapest Christmas Markets.
While Budapest is mostly affordable when it comes to flights and hotels, I found the prices at the Christmas Markets themselves to be pretty high. And this can mount up if you’re knocking back the bratwursts and beers.
Not in Debrecen though – where a beer can cost you as little as £1.11.
Debrecen cheap hotels
Book A Festive Break To One of The Cheapest Christmas Markets in Europe
So there you go! We hope this guide to the cheapest Christmas Markets in Europe for 2025 has helped you narrow down your top destinations and get excited about spending a cosy weekend away this Christmas.
@cheapholidayexpert Which was my FAVE Christmas Market?🎄And what came last?! 💾 Save this for the future and tag someone who you think would like this! 👋 I’m Chelsea and I’ve just finished doing a #ChristmasMarketCrawl around Europe - and here’s how I’d rank the 7 markets I visited ☝️ And as for the markets, here’s the specific ones I visited for each 👇 In order that I visited/show in the video NOT in the order of their rankings - for that, you’ll need to watch the video 😉 1️⃣ Budapest, Hungary Advent Feast at the Basilica 2️⃣ Vienna, Austria Wiener Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz 3️⃣ Kraków, Poland Kraków Christmas Market 4️⃣Berlin, Germany WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt 5️⃣ Cologne, Germany Market 1: Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market Market 2: Heinzels Wintermärchen (also known as Heinzels Winter Fayre) 6️⃣ Basel, Switzerland Market 1: Münsterplatz Christmas Market Market 2: Barfüsserplatz Christmas Market 7️⃣ Strasbourg, France Market 1: Place Kleber Market 2: Place Benjamin-Zix Market 3: Place Grimmeissen Market 4: Place Saint Thomas Market 5: Rue Gutenberg Market 6: Place de la Cathedral 🎬 I’ve made a review video for each of these Christmas Markets and so if you’d like more info, go and check that out! #ChristmasMarketCrawl #christmasmarkets #europechristmasmarkets ♬ original sound - Holiday Expert
