What Exactly Is a Christmas Market River Cruise?

Europe is known for its amazing Christmas markets, and one of the easiest ways is doing a christmas market river cruise. There’s something pretty magical about experiencing the Christmas markets in person. While Germany is often considered the birthplace of the traditional Christmas market, these festive markets can now be found throughout Europe—and even in some cities in the U.S.

Think of a Christmas market as a festive outdoor market filled with local food, drinks, handmade gifts, decorations, music and plenty of Christmas spirit. Each market has its own personality, which is part of what makes visiting several of them on one trip so much fun. A European Christmas market river cruise is one of my favorite ways to experience several of these festive destinations without constantly packing and unpacking. Sign me up!

Why Christmas Market River Cruises Are So Popular

Many of the most famous Christmas markets are located along the Rhine and Danube rivers, which makes a river cruise an easy way to experience several of them in one trip. Honestly, it’s the best of both worlds!

One of the things I love most about river cruising is the ease of it. I discuss this in depth over on my other blog [insert link]. And when you’re visiting Christmas markets, you’re probably going to be shopping and picking up special gifts and souvenirs along the way. The last thing you want to do is keep packing and unpacking those purchases every few days. Many Christmas market river cruises are around seven nights, so you can unpack once and wake up in a new destination without having to move hotels every few days.

Rhine vs. Danube: Which Christmas Market Cruise Is Right for You?

As a travel advisor specializing in river cruises, I get this questions ALL THE TIME! Which river shjould I sail down? Which one is better? Check below for a quick comparison on the two. 

Rhine Christmas Market River Cruises

A Rhine itinerary can include destinations such as Cologne, Strasbourg and Basel, depending on the cruise and itinerary. I like to think of these as the “big three” for a first-time Rhine Christmas market experience. You’ll find historic city centers, medieval architecture and festive markets, along with beautiful scenery along the river

Danube Christmas Market Cruises

Danube itineraries can take you through Austria, Germany and Hungary, with stops that may include Vienna, Budapest and other historic cities. If you love grand architecture, major European cities and that fairytale Christmas feeling, a Danube itinerary can be a great fit.

The right river really comes down to what you want to see. If you’re torn between the two, this is one of the places where having a travel advisor help you compare the actual itineraries can make a big difference. I dig into the details on a previous blog post here!

Rhine vs. Danube: Which Christmas Market River Cruise Is Right for You?

Okay, so you know you want to go on the European Chritmas market river cruise, but really how do you decided between all the different options. Here are some important factor to sondier:

Itinerary selection: You first should decide and think about if you have a preference on which river, the Danube or the Rhine. Dig into the actual cities the ship visits and see what excursions are of interest to you. 

Timing: Most Christmas market cruises operate from mid-November through mid-December. Some markets close before Christmas, while a few stay open later in the season, so don’t assume that sailing right before Christmas means every market will still be operating.

There are many things to consider when selecting your cruise line. I personally love how decorated the AMA ships are during the holidays. They did a great job bringing in the decor of the places onto the ship. If personalization and private experiences are particularly important to you, Uniworld is one cruise line I’d consider. They offer a number of private experiences, although these are generally an additional cost.

Airfare:  You know you need to get to Europe before you can even start enjoying the Christmas markets! Your itinerary will most likely be multi-city, meaning you’ll fly into one city and home from another. Some cruise lines offer “free air,” but don’t just look at the word FREE—take a peek at the schedules and gateways to make sure the flights actually work for your trip. Airfare varies in price and availability, especially around the holidays, so look at the entire trip cost rather than just the cruise price.

Cabin: We often recommend a balcony or higher category on a river cruise because there’s so much scenery along the way. That said, your cabin choice should depend on how much time you plan to spend in your room and your overall budget.

Budget: Pricing can vary significantly depending on the cruise line, itinerary, cabin category and dates. As a very general starting point, you may see Christmas market river cruises around $6,000 per person, but I typically encourage clients to think about the total trip budget, including airfare, pre- and post-cruise hotels, transfers, excursions and spending money. For many travelers, I think a $10,000-per-person overall budget is a more realistic starting point for a comfortable trip—but your actual trip could be higher or lower.

And don’t wait too long to start planning. Christmas market cruises are popular, and the most desirable sailings and cabin categories can book well in advance. If you have specific dates, a particular itinerary or a preferred cabin category in mind, earlier planning gives you more choices. Your future self will thank you! 

Whats included in a Christmas Market River Cruise?

There are so many different river cruise lines to choose from. We’ve personally experienced about 12 different lines, and new ones seem to be popping up all the time!I would say that your accommodations ,meals, onboard entertainment and some beverages are included. Excursions, transfers and services do vary. So instead fo just seeing a price and using that as a comparison you really need to dig in and compare apples to apples. One of the major different between river cruise lines is what they actually include, do keep that in mind when seeing one price advettrised– look at the entire package! 

Is a Christmas Market River Cruise Right for You?

If you love Christmas and the traditions from other countries around  christmas then you will really enjoy a christmas market cruise. A lot of people also love the shopping/hunting for the best curios and souvenirs. There’s something different about finding a unique gift in a Christmas market and bringing it home to your children, grandchildren or friends. Instead of ordering something online, you get to bring home a story along with the gift—and that’s part of the fun.

But Christmas markets are not just about the shopping. Each christmas market has a unique treat whether it is a special mulled wine or delicious sweet treat (gingerbread like you’ve never tasted) and more to sample. This is a lot of fun to compare which ones are your personal favorites! So bring on the foodies! 

If you and your companion are history lovers, you’ll also appreciate the traditions and historic settings surrounding many of these markets. You’re not just looking at Christmas decorations—you’re experiencing traditions that have been part of these communities for generations.

I would say that visiting the Christmas markets at some of these major ones across Europe will bring on a certain level of crowds. Yes, you’ll encounter crowds, especially at the most popular markets in the evening. But if you’ve experienced Europe in the summer, the crowds during Christmas market season may feel much more manageable. And because many markets are concentrated in smaller areas, you can often visit during the day when things are a little quieter.

Final Thoughts of Christmas Market River Cruises

Just writing this blog for you has been dying to get back to these Christmas markets! If this is on your list, don’t wait until the last minute to make it happen. This is a trip to plan ahead for—so grab your girlfriends, your family or your favorite travel companion and start dreaming!

Ready to start planning?

There are a lot of Christmas market river cruises, and they’re not all the same. If you’re trying to figure out which river, itinerary, cruise line, dates and cabin make the most sense for the trip you have in mind, that’s where we can help. Let’s get planning!