Author: wareontheglobe

European Christmas Market Itinerary: Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel & Paris in 6 Days

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A Strasbourg building covered in Christmas lights at dusk during the Capitale de Noel market season

The short version: This 6-day itinerary covers 18 Christmas markets in Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and Paris. Four cities, two countries, entirely by train with no rental car. Fly into Paris CDG, take the direct TGV to Strasbourg (about 2 hours), base there for four nights with day trips to Colmar (30 minutes) and Basel (1 hour 20), then finish with one night in Paris. We did this in December 2025 and paid roughly €240 per person in train fares.

Christmas Market Dates & Hours at a Glance (2026)

Last updated: August 27, 2026. Strasbourg has not published its official 2026 programme yet, so the dates below are the 2025 dates. Colmar and Basel have both confirmed 2026. I’ll update this post as soon as Strasbourg announces.

City Dates Hours Markets From Strasbourg What we paid
Strasbourg, France Nov 26 to Dec 24 (2025 dates; 2026 to be confirmed) 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily; closes 6:00 p.m. Dec 24 8 Base city n/a
Colmar, France Nov 23 to Dec 29, 2026 (confirmed) 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mon to Thu; 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fri to Sun. Open Dec 24 (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Dec 25 (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), Dec 26 (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) 6 About 30 minutes by TER, trains throughout the day €30 round trip, bought same day
Basel, Switzerland Nov 26 to Dec 23, 2026 (confirmed) 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. On Dec 23 Barfüsserplatz closes 8:00 p.m. and Münsterplatz 6:00 p.m. 3 squares, about 150 chalets About 1 hour 20 minutes, direct €30 round trip, second class
Paris, France 2026/27 dates not yet released. The 2025/26 Tuileries market ran Nov 15 to Jan 4 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. 1 main market (Tuileries) About 2 hours to Gare de l’Est €90 one way, booked two weeks out
Not all six Colmar markets run on the same calendar. The Gourmet Market on Rue de la Montagne Verte and the Place Rapp Christmas fair are open November 23 to December 30, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., December 31, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and January 1 to January 3, 2027 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Official sources: Noël à Strasbourg · Colmar, la Magie de Noël · Basel Christmas Market

Illuminated Strasbourg Capitale de Noel sign strung above a street at the Christmas market

Strasbourg – Capitale de Noël.

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Finally, I Made It To The European Christmas Markets!

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Couple standing beneath the illuminated Strasbourg, Capitale de Noël arch on a crowded street during the Christmas markets

I had been wanting to go to European Christmas markets for years. Truly, YEARS. And finally in 2025, due to Dan’s job change, we found ourselves with an extra week of vacation in December and booked a last minute trip to the Alsace during Christmas market season. We visited Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel, and Paris over the course of a week! I will be posting more about this trip, including information about the Colmar market and comparing Colmar and Strasbourg, but this post details exactly what we did over the course of one week. Highly recommend taking an extra week of vacation to Christmas market hop!

Illuminated wooden chalet stalls at the Christkindelsmarik Christmas market in Strasbourg, France

A real, live Christkindelsmärik.

DAY 1: WELCOME TO STRASBOURG – THE CAPITAL OF CHRISTMAS

We arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle after an overnight flight from Newark (NYC). We took the train, which we pre-booked, directly from CDG to Strasbourg, France. We arrived in Strasbourg in the early afternoon, left our luggage at our hotel, Voco Strasbourg City Center (by IHG), and promptly walked to the Place Kléber Christmas market, one of Strasbourg’s eight (!!) Christmas markets. I didn’t originally expect to jump right into the markets without a nap, but it being too early to check in, off to the markets we went.

Strasbourg's giant Christmas tree lit up in Place Kleber at the Christmas market

Welcome to the Christmas Capital – this is Strasbourg’s largest Christmas tree in Place Kléber.

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3 Actually Good Restaurants Near Milan Centrale (2026)

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The facade of Milano Centrale station in Milan, Italy

Last updated August 2026

The three best places to eat near Milano Centrale between trains are Osteria Italiana (six minutes’ walk, classic Italian, opens at 11:00), Berberè Pizzeria Centrale (eight minutes’ walk, sourdough pizza, opens at noon) and Bistrot Milano Centrale, a small food hall you can reach without leaving the station. Here is how to choose between them on a tight connection.

The authors standing together on a street in Milan on a sunny afternoon

Us in Milano.

We have been in this exaction situation more times than you can count. This list steers you away from the touristy restaurant strip right outside of Milano Centrale, the restaurants with laminated menus in 15 difference languages, and avoids the international fast food chains serving exactly what you would eat at home in the train station.

I would note, however, if you have more time and are just eating near Milano Centrale, there are better restaurants. They just aren’t ideal for a meal between trains!

Quick Comparison

  Walk from Centrale Opens Price Best for
Osteria Italiana 6 min 11:00 €€ An early lunch, a first trip to Italy, a long menu of the classics
Berberè Pizzeria Centrale 8 min 12:00 €€ Sourdough pizza and a room full of Milanese students, if you have 2 hours
Bistrot Milano Centrale Inside the station 6:00 €–€€ Under an hour, an early train, or when you cannot face moving your bags

Under 1 hour between trains → Bistrot Milano Centrale, inside the station.

2 hours or more, and it is after noon → Berberè Pizzeria Centrale.

2 hours or more, arriving before noon, or you want a proper sit-down meal → Osteria Italiana.

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I Used Emirates Dubai Connect on an 11-Hour Layover — An Honest Review

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Dubai skyline seen on an Emirates layover between the Maldives and New York

I travel to the Maldives once a year from New York, often through Dubai. I almost always have an 11-hour overnight layover in Dubai flying home. My flight usually arrives at 9:30 PM, and my NY flight departs at 8:30 AM. I have flown this exact Maldives–Dubai–New York routing annually since 2020. I used Dubai Connect in November 2025, flying Emirates Economy from Malé to New York via Dubai.

The routing is always the same: out of New York with a stop in the Emirates Lounge at JFK, on to the Conrad Rangali, and back the same way. If your layover lands at a more civilized hour than mine, I have written separately about what to do on a Dubai layover.

This Dubai Connect review covers how to book it, who qualifies, how to use it, and what you can realistically expect from Emirates’ free layover hotel.

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A Culinary Journey Through Baku: Traditional Azerbaijani Foods to Try

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Four folded qutab flatbreads on a blue plate, two filled with herbs and two topped with purple sumac

Baku, Azerbaijan (read my post about it here). I almost skipped a food tour. I was late planning, and I only found one option online. I booked it a few days in advance. Very unlike me. This turned out to be a fantastic idea, and took us on an Azeri culinary journey through Baku, trying all sorts of traditional Azerbaijani foods that we would never have discovered on our own. This post describes our food tour, and the delicious Azerbaijani foods we sampled.

Baku, Azerbaijan at dusk, with the illuminated Flame Towers rising above a fountain and park

Baku, Azerbaijan.

STOP ONE: A TRADITIONAL AZERBAIJANI DINNER

After meeting our guide in front of a KFC (yes, the US fried chicken chain) near Nizami Park, we jumped right into dinner at an approachable restaurant serving traditional Azerbaijani foods. Fisincan Restoran was our destination. The exterior reminded me a bit of a 1990s Parisian restaurant, with the interior featuring traditional tablecloths, but the ceiling full of plastic flowers popular with the Instagram crowd.

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