Best Budget-Friendly Christmas Markets in Europe
If you’re looking to get away this festive season, you don’t have to break the bank to do so as there are many excellent locations just a short train ride away!
You can spend three days in many European cities this winter for under £200. Considering costs of transport, accommodation, food and spending money, below is the top 3 affordable options to help get you into the festive spirit.
Arras, France
Located in northern France, this historic city hosts a large Christmas market with around 150 vendors. Only a two-hour train from London, you can walk the markets red carpet any time between the 29th of November and the 29th of December.
For under £150, you can spend three days in the architectural town, which gives you plenty of time to visit the market as well as explore some of their renowned WW1 sites.
Brugge, Belgium
Identifiable by its canals, cobbled streets and medieval houses, Brugge is the capital of Western Flanders in northwest Belgium. During the festive season the city is adorned with decorations, transforming it into a winter wonderland. It has excellent train routes, connecting it to the UK in a cost-efficient way, allowing you to indulge in the country’s traditional cuisine of chocolate and waffles, while remaining cost conscious.
Riga, Latvia
Riga is accredited for the first ever decorated Christmas tree and is sure to showcase their history in the annual Christmas market. Hosted around Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, Riga offers some of the cheapest food and drinks of all the European markets. Be sure to wrap up warm when visiting as December is the snowiest month for Riga, building the festive atmosphere of the city.
Written by Hannah Wallis, Images sourced from countries official tourism websites and Unsplash
