Christmas and New Year travel

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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Christmas Tea at Edinburgh Castle: A Festive Treat or Just Regular Afternoon Tea?

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Christmas Tea. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.

When we visited Edinburgh for Hogmanay, I could not resist booking a “Christmas Tea” at Edinburgh Castle. It sounded magical. We reserved and paid for the tea in advance, excited for a festive afternoon surrounded by holiday cheer. The experience turned out to be fun and fine—though not quite as Christmasy as I’d hoped or imagined. It ended up being more of a regular tea, just taking place during the Christmas season. In this post, I’ll share all the details of our Edinburgh Castle Christmas Tea and what to expect if you’re planning to go yourself! And side note, I am pretty sure the Edinburgh Castle Tea is very similar to the Christmas Tea year round, so read this before booking any Edinburgh Castle Tea experience.

Standing in front of the entrance gate at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

In front of Edinburgh Castle. You cannot get past the entrance gate without a ticket.

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Tottenham Hotspur Premium Travel Club Review: Is the Hospitality Package Worth It?

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Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.

Last January, Dan and I spent a long weekend in London with our friends, Bryan and Pryor. Bryan is a Tottenham Hotspur supporter (yes, I have the lingo down), and Hotspur were playing in London on the one full day we were in town. We purchased Hotspur tickets with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This post provides a detailed description of what you can expect when purchasing a Hotspur ticket with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge.

Our group at a Tottenham Hotspur match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Here’s the group at the Tottenham Hotspur match.

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Lillie’s Victorian Establishment: One of the Best Christmas Bars in NYC!

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The Christmas decorated interior of Lillie's Victorian Establishment, Union Square

It’s Christmas in New York City, and time to review another one of my favorite holiday spots in New York City – Lillie’s Victorian Establishment! Lillie’s is one of those over-the-top Christmassey bars/restaurants, where everyone wants an Instagram picture. This post details a visit to Lillie’s Victorian around the holidays and how to get inside, even without a reservation!

The decorated Christmas window at Lillie's Victorian Establishment in Union Square, NYC

Lillie’s Victorian Establishment decorated for Christmas. Even if you cannot get inside, this window at the Union Square location is a fantastic spot for a photograph (there may be a line).

Christmas decorations at Lillie's Victorian Establishment, Union Square

Very fun decorations at the Union Square location starting mid-November.

With two locations, Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is a year-round Victorian-era British Pub named for late British actress Lillie Langtry. The restaurant’s namesake immigrated from Britain to the US in 1882. Her acting debut, at the New York Theatre, resulted in the building burning to the ground, leaving only a sign reading Lillie Langtry. Very interesting story. In any case, for your purposes, Lillie’s is most famous for its elaborate Christmas decorations, which go up in mid-November.

At Lillie's Victorian Establishment in New York City in November

Dan and I at Lillie’s Victorian in mid-November.

The exterior of Lillie's Victorian Establishment at Union Square, New York

Lillie’s Victorian Establishment, Union Square in November 2025.

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