It is a new adventure for the Webber tribe! Traveling the world together once again, yet so much has changed since our last voyage. It is the eve of our departure, and we are all anxiously scrambling with last-minute details before we are on our way. It’s a first that all of us have real jobs we’re escaping from – my babies are no longer students – and that we’re all no longer under the same roof as we pack. We also have a brave new addition to our traveling team: Vivian, married into the family last year. (She just ran a marathon with us a couple of weeks ago so I think she’s ready for an international trip.) I’m ready to transition into beloved travel-mode!
Having heard about Europe’s Christmas Markets for many years, I’m excited they’ve actually made it to the top of our travel list. It is the Christmas Markets trip of a lifetime covering 5 countries and 6 of the best Christmas market towns in Europe. I imagine ourselves strolling through the festively decorated quaint streets sipping hot mulled wine, shopping the markets, and stuffing our bellies full of the local specialties. The irresistible Instagram pictures lure you, depicting Europe’s beautiful historic squares with a festive ambiance: glittering lights, enchanting wooden huts, beautifully adorned trees, mulled wine, delicious comfort food, local crafts ... and the possibility of snow. Surely this version of Europe is magical and unbeatable! What will make the holiday experience particularly special for us is the cherished delight of traveling together as a family!
Our 14-day itinerary starts off with a quick night in Munich, Germany – one of my heart’s homes – before heading off to the #1 Christmas Market on every list: Strasbourg, France. After hitting Colmar, France and Basel, Switzerland, we spend the 3 days of Christmas in one of my favorite places in the world: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Many countries shut down their Christmas Markets after Christmas, so we take a bit of a break from markets as we travel through Switzerland and Austria on our way to Budapest, Hungary for New Year’s Eve.
I booked our trip one year ago right after discovering Greg’s favorite travel vloggers: Kara and Nate. (Greg is one of their 4 million followers.) At the beginning of December 2023, they traveled to 9 countries to see 9 Christmas Markets in 9 days. Now that’s my type of travel people! Early each morning they stepped onto a train, plane, or uber – and late every afternoon they arrived in a new country. Knowing few people travel like that and have a completely disposable income, at the end of their 3-part series, they recommended a more-realistic itinerary – which is what our route is based on.
As tempted as I was to rent a car for its ease and flexibility, we are completely relying on trains for transportation. Since we are traveling during Europe’s “December Timetable Change”, this was the worst part of the trip planning. (More on that later.) I’ve never been to Europe in December and therefore do not have firsthand experience with their winter roads. I am counting on trains to prove reliable enough to get us to all of our destinations. (Last year Germany saw its biggest snowfall in two decades causing trains to run late, or worse, be canceled.)
The packing challenge: how do we get all this bulky winter clothing into our tiny travel packs?! We are all struggling! Having checked into our flight, of course Greg is just now thinking about what he should pack! You normally wouldn’t catch me traveling in cold, wet weather but for this trip I’ve embraced Germany’s motto: "There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only wrong clothing". We’ll report back soon on how realistic a statement that is and how practical our packing list was (and if Greg made the best, last-minute outfit choices)!
How many markets are too many? While the goal is to see as many Christmas Markets as we can, I’m curious to find out what our tipping point is. I suspect the biggest deterrent will be the intense crowds in the most popular markets the weekend before Christmas. Just in case, and to keep the trip exciting, we’ve thrown in some sight-seeing, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and several days exploring Budapest, a new country for our list.
In a few short days, we’ll discover first-hand if Christmas Markets are worth the hype! Join us for the next couple of weeks as we decide if there truly is something mystical about Christmas in Europe!
No comments:
Post a Comment