Christmas Markets dates - booking for 2024

[mickeysgal]

Help!  We are new to river cruising and looking at the 2024 end of Nov sailings.   We are currently looking into a Nov 26 cruise from Regensburg to Budapest, so we thought we'd fly in early to Munich to perhaps cover Munich and Salzburg on our own. Traditionally, what dates would the market start to be open?  It would be best for our work schedules to take an end of Nov cruise, rather than sometime in Dec, but  don't we run the risk of the markets not being even open yet?  

[Coral]

Here is info about Munich this year:

https://www.munich.travel/en/topics/markets-festivals/christmas-markets

 

Salzburg:

https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/advent/salzburg-christmas-market

 

I did a Christmas market trip Nov 20-30th along the Danube. We hit all the Austrian markets but not the German markets in time. We were always a day early in every German port (including Munich and Regensburg.)

 

We also hit the Austrian Lake District - Wolfgang and St. Gilgan. Those were good also as far as Christmas markets.

 

We were RT Vienna. Only half of markets were open at the beginning but all were open at the end of the trip.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Coral

[notamermaid]

Welcome to the wonderful world of river cruising. The day to focus on for Germany is Totensonntag, Sunday of the Dead, which is observed as a quiet day and the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar. Christmas markets are usually closed. In 2024 it is the 24th of November. Many markets outside of Germany open earlier, as well as some in Germany.

 

So 26th November sounds like a good day to start a river cruise, most likely you will see all the markets open (no guarantee).

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Coral]

29 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 

 

So 26th November sounds like a good day to start a river cruise, most likely you will see all the markets open (no guarantee).

 

notamermaid

 

 

Though they want to see the markets before the cruise (in Munich and Salzburg) via land.

[notamermaid]

10 hours ago, Coral said:

Though they want to see the markets before the cruise (in Munich and Salzburg) via land.

Ah yes. Forgot to mention that: in the other thread steamboats reported that Munich airport market opens early and a few markets in Munich proper open before Sunday of the Dead. The other countries are not bound by that rule for the Sunday as much. Salzburg would need checking.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2968897-christmas-markets-river-cruises-2023-infos-and-tips/page/2/

 

notamermaid