You can fly to Strasbourg Christmas Market from the UK for a few days from £59 return

While the UK has its fair share of cosy Christmas markets, if you fancy a trip further afield this winter you won’t have to go a million miles to find your magical winter wonderland

There’s nothing quite like magical twinkly lights, Christmas carols and the smell of mulled wine wafting through a Christmas market to get you in the mood for the festive season. And while you don’t usually have to travel too far to find your nearest market in the UK, you might fancy a quick trip to foreign shores. A quick trip away doesn’t have to break the bank either – in fact it could work out cheaper than a train ticket to Scotland!

Strasbourg is home to Christkindelsmärik – the longest-running Christmas market in France which began in 1570 and attracts two million festive travellers every year. There are more than 300 wooden chalets selling everything from unique gifts to traditional treats and the area around the Cathedral transforms into a twinkly wonderland with 15 different Christmassy spots.

Every year a 30-metre Christmas tree lights up Place Kléber and is the highest-decorated Christmas tree on the Continent. We found this return flight from London, leaving on November 27 and returning on November 30 for just £59 for anyone who fancies a few days in France. You’ll arrive at Basel Mulhouse Freiburg which is just 90 mins drive from Strasbourg and much cheaper than flying into Strasbourg International.

A train ticket to Edinburgh on the same dates is £89 if you book now – but will be much pricier nearer the date. However, Edinburgh isn’t a bad shout if you’re looking to keep your feet on the ground – it often makes the top 10 Best Christmas Market list. Its stunning Scottish market takes place on Princes Street, just an eight minute walk from the train station and offers a wide selection of festive treats as well as a towering Ferris wheel and plenty of glittering lights and unique gift ideas.

Or there’s Birmingham – this year it was crowned the top Christmas market in the UK and is renowned for being the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria. But if you’re really keen to find a change of scenery another option is Colmar, just 47 miles from Strasbourg, which has a picturesque fairytale-style setting and has been hailed the ‘Disneyland of all Christmas markets in the world ’ according to LadBible.

The top Christmas markets in the UK for 2024 according to Christmas Tree World

1. Birmingham

2. Edinburgh

3. Manchester

4. York

5. Nottingham

6. Bath

7. Winchester

8. London

9. Glasgow

10. Newcastle

And the top 10 Christmas markets in the world according to Time Out are:

1. Strasbourg, France

2. New York, USA

3. Cusco, Peru

4. Singapore

5. Nuremberg, Germany

6. Ravenna Gorge, Germany

7. Vienna, Austria

8. Edinburgh

9. Valkenburg, The Netherlands

10. Hong Kong