Most affordable Christmas markets to visit UK and abroad in 2024 to help you save cash

Get successful the festive tone without breaking the slope with this year’s Christmas marketplace recommendations from MoneyMagpie Editor and fiscal adept Vicky Parry

Now Halloween is over, we tin commencement talking astir the existent diagnostic of the year: Christmas!

If you’re idiosyncratic who loves to get successful the festive tone successful the weeks moving up to Christmas, it’s a fixed that a travel to festive markets volition beryllium connected your database of things to do. But immoderate are amended than others – truthful here’s a roundup of the champion UK and European Christmas markets to effort this year, arsenic good arsenic immoderate Christmas redeeming tips to instrumentality to your budget.

UK market: Manchester

Manchester is 1 of the largest Christmas markets successful the UK , determination are implicit 200 stalls crossed the metropolis centre. Explore the huts with their trade wares and unsocial gifts amongst the Piccadilly Gardens, King’s Street West, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, Market Street and much locations.

The marketplace opens connected 8th November and closes 22nd December – marque definite you don’t miss the Christmas Parade connected Sunday 8th December! You tin besides sojourn the adjacent pop-up crystal rink for a genuinely festive time out.

UK market: York

There are fewer cities much suited to Christmas than the humanities cobbled streets of York. Set successful the main centre astir Parliament Street, the York Christmas marketplace has 75 chalets of crafts and gifts, arsenic good arsenic immoderate delicious section food. The vintage carousel connected King’s Square is simply a recognisable diagnostic each year, adding immoderate amusive for the children, too.

The marketplace opens 14th November until 22nd December 2024, with implicit 80% of traders coming from Yorkshire to guarantee a truly section artisan atmosphere. Between the hours of 10am – 12pm, the marketplace is successful ‘quiet time’, to guarantee an accessible acquisition for everyone.

If you’re taking a play to sojourn the city, marque definite you besides popular crossed to Castle Howard adjacent to York. The iconic stately location featured connected surface successful The Buccaneers, Death Comes to Pemberley, Victoria, Brideshead Revisited and, of course, Bridgerton, is rather a show to spot decked retired for wintertime festivities. This year’s taxable is Alice’s Christmas Wonderland, from 15th November to 5th January.

UK market: Blenheim

A genuinely fanciful and immersive acquisition is the wintertime airy trails and Christmas marketplace astatine Blenheim Palace successful Oxfordshire. This year’s taxable is Neverland successful the Palace, with Tinkerbell starring the mode connected a delightfully Christmassy circuit done the State Rooms. Outside, acquisition the illuminated trails and the Great Skate crystal skating acquisition earlier returning for a festive day tea. The marketplace itself is afloat of crafts from section artisans and delicious nutrient and drink, a superb mode to find stocking fillers and unsocial Christmas gifts during your visit.

The festive activities are unfastened from November 15th to December 22nd, but arsenic it is simply a precise fashionable Christmas destination it’s important to publication a summons successful advance, which commencement from £44 for the Trail, Neverland and 12 months escaped introduction to the Palace.

Europe: Cologne, Germany

One of the longest-running Christmas markets and classically festive, the Cologne marketplace has respective events crossed the metropolis centre with the main marketplace close beside the awesome cathedral. The markets commencement up astir 18th November and adjacent 23rd December.

The beauteous happening astir the Cologne markets is determination are antithetic themes crossed each, specified arsenic Nikolausdorf being aimed astatine children, portion others absorption connected gnomes and adjacent a maritime taxable with pirates.

Get a bundle woody online for flights and edifice to prevention arsenic overmuch wealth arsenic you tin connected your trip. Wowcher is simply a astonishing spot to look for question deals, but comes into its ain astatine this clip of year: get a two-night enactment astatine a edifice and formation from London oregon Manchester from conscionable £179.

Europe: Prague, Czech Republic

A beautifully humanities metropolis with architecture that lends itself to Christmas lights, walk clip amongst the 14th Century Church of Our Lady Before Tyn oregon respect the 15th Century Astronomical Clock. Rather than sipping mulled wine, effort section specialty grog with rum, water, citrus and sweetener successful your glass.

The Prague Christmas marketplace has akin chalet stalls arsenic the different markets, but it’s nutrient and portion is wherever it comes into its own, with section delicacies connected offer. Look for section artisans too, with astonishing artwork and adjacent Christmas decorations similar hand-blown solid baubles. Nab a bundle travel for conscionable £105 per idiosyncratic from HolidayPirates.

Christmas marketplace redeeming tips

It’s precise casual to get swept distant successful the romance and cosy feeling of Christmas lights and mulled wine. However, erstwhile you’re buying astatine a Christmas market, marque definite you inquire yourself a fewer important questions:

• Will the recipient for this acquisition really want/use it?

• Could I bargain this elsewhere astatine a little price?

• Is this bully prime for the price?

• Have I already eaten fractional the nutrient connected connection astatine these stalls? (Another mince pastry astatine £5 a clip rapidly adds up...!).

You tin besides instrumentality an insulated flask filled with blistery cocoa oregon java portion you locomotion astir the marketplace to support lukewarm and hydrated without breaking the bank. Take clip to look astir each the stalls first, past take 1 for a solid of mulled vino oregon cider erstwhile you’ve done your shopping.

If you’re flying to Europe for your Christmas marketplace experience, retrieve that you request to alert back! That means checking that immoderate you bargain astatine the marketplace volition question location with you – cheque your airline’s restrictions, particularly if you’ve lone travelled with manus baggage.

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