Personally I would chose Frankfurt. The Christmas Market is in the old centre and has lots of atmosphere. It stetches from the banks of the Main up towards the shopping centre and most places around the centre are easily explored on foot.

I would choose neither one of your suggestions. Been to the Christmas Market 4 times and the best is Munich. It is located around the Marianplatz, with "off spring"s in several other areas in town. You can rail to Nurenberg to visit their market, rail to Salzburg for their market. These are great 1 day rail trips. Each market offers different crafts, foods, drink and activities. A drive up the Romantic Road to Rudesheim to visit the village and store"Katie Wolfhart, is like being in a wonderland!!!"

This is the best!!

oldest, best and most famous Christmas Markets:

Nuremberg

http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/

Stuttgart

Dresden

Strasbourg

Cologne is also good

koeln.de/tourismus/weihnachten/weihnachtsmae…

Frankfurt + Brussels?

are you flying with Ryanair?

Than this equals to

Hahn + Charleroi

From Hahn I would rather suggest

Trier

http://www.trier.de

http://www.trierer-weihnachtsmarkt.de/

and Bernkastel-Kues

bernkastel.de/new2008/cms/front_content.php…

http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-bernkastel-kues.de

Stuttgart ( www.stuttgart-tourist.de ) has Europe's largest, most visited, and one of the oldest and most beautiful Christmas Markets ( www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de only in German) from 26Nov to 23Dec set in the center of town by the old and new palaces and the Stiftskirche (church). There is also the World Christmas Circus ( www.weltweihnachtscircus.com only in German) from 11Dec to early Jan.

15 minutes away by public transportation are also two additional large themed Christmas Markets that attract over a million people each: Esslingen ( www.esslingen.de ) Medieval & Christmas Market set in the well preserved medieval center of this city which is particularly nice at night when lit by torches; and Ludwigsburg ( www.ludwigsburg.de ) Baroque Christmas Market set close to Germany's largest perfectly preserved Baroque palace with several days' worth of things to visit.

So there are three excellent Christmas Markets distinctly different to easily visit.

Stuttgart has many excellent museums including the Mercedes Benz Museum and the new Porsche Museum is set to open this December. Wilhelma ( www.wilhelma.de ) is Europe's largest combination zoo-botanical garden set amidst the nice Moorish architecture of this former palace, and there is plenty to see indoors or out any time of the year. Stuttgart's mineral waters are western Europe's largest and have three large associated baths, and you can swim outdoors in the pools, and in the Leuze one in bubbly carbonated water. Stuttgart also has excellent opera, ballet and musical venues, with plenty of opportunities for seasonal music.

Stuttgart has one of the longest pedestianized streets in Germany, Koenigstrasse, with lots of shops along it and nearby. Breuninger is the second largest private department store in Europe after London's Herod's and also is the second largest department store in Germany. Easily accessable by train is Metzingen ( www.metzingen.de ) which has the most factory outlets of anywhere in Germany for even less expensive shopping.

The Christmas Market itself has many places to eat and/or drink (I'm partial to the salmon cooked on wooden planks in front of a wood fire in the Finnish part of the Christmas Market), and Stuttgart has excellent restaurants and the third most Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany after much larger Berlin and Hamburg. Of course there are also bars and good nightlife of all sorts.

I live several blocks away from the Christmas Market and never get tired of repeatedly visiting it!

Among other ways, Stuttgart is easily and inexpensively accessable from London Stansted by Germanwings ( www.germanwings.com ) twice daily. You can sign up on their website to be advised of their frequent even cheaper special offers, sometimes even actual free flights.

Thanks guys for all your advise! I need to have a re-think as I'm not to sure where to go now.

hi pudge,

yeah, sorry, sometimes too much information is confusing:-) but don't worry, any christmas market you pick will surely be wonderful!

tom

Been doing the ryanair express to the xmas markets for the last 10 years and I'd pick Frankfurt .... not only is it a great city with a brilliant market, it's very central for trains to most of the other destinations suggested.

We're off there again this year having been in Dusseldorf for the last 2 years ... we need a regular fix !!!

Wherever you choose, I'm sure you'll have a fab time