One important thing about Germany at Christmastime is that 90 percent of restaurants and pretty much 100 percent of supermarkets are closed on Christmas Day and on Dec 26 (Second Day of Christmas). So if you are on a self-catering vacation or just want a reserve of snacks, make sure you stock up on Dec 24 at the latest (shops close early) or else gas stations will be your only reliable option (those tend to be quite nice, btw, so you won't go hungry or have to stay sober for two straight days :)).
I went to Winter Wonderland in London last week on a Tuesday morning and it was THE BEST experience I ever had. Christmas markets open, rides open, ice skating open but all the kids were at school. I became the kid and enjoyed everything early...in November. Always worth going on a weekday at opening time 😅
One of the local holiday traditions in Philadelphia is the light show in Macy's Center City. If you go to the noon light show except for Sunday, you get to hear the lights with the Wanamaker Organ during the finale. Then you can stay and hear more Christmas music on the organ. That will really put you in a festive mood over the holidays. Nothing like hearing Christmas music on a large pipe organ!
In Germany a know that christmas markets close before the start of christmas. But if you happen to be close to the Dutch border, there are several options available. The one in Maastricht is a nice one and goes on all the way to new years eve. But have fun this season on your travels
One holiday plus is to plan your Christmas holiday in Europe the week after TG. The towns are all decorated, the Christmas markets are open and the foreign crowds are largely small.
Hi Mark, Re: Train travel in the UK over Christmas. Most services wind down by 8-9pm on the 24th, sometimes earlier if there is MoW works. No trains on 25th/26th December (most lines). Also, the week between Christmas & New Year could also be a swath of replacement bus services.
We went from Canada to France the two weeks before Christmas and it was perfect. Home by Christmas, lots of markets. The markets in the towns in the south of france were smaller and cuter and less crowded than the one we went to in Brussels.
Great information Walter! I was keen on the road trip what you said and thought to myself - that’s me when I pack for road! I joke that I pack everything but the kitchen sink for us and our spoiled dogs 🐶 🐕
All good advice. Im ready to get to the German Christmas Markets, we leave in a little over a week. If I see you there you can have a Gluhwein on me:). Happy travels.
Mark os absolutely right: do not come to Orlando between Christmas and New Year’s Eve! We locals, we escape the town, it’s is just impossible to get anywhere, it is more expensive and if you come, don’t forget to check Bush Gardens and Sea World, do not go just Disney! Those two other parks have an amazing Christmas time! ;)
Really awesome to see you're in New York, I just came back from a trip to the states going through Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, New Haven, Providence and Boston on the Northeast corridor. I absolutely loved it.
Great tip for Disneyland for kidless people. Fly in the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Everything will be holiday themed already, so are the parades and the fireworks...you'll get everything you would at Christmas but it's not as busy. Also, for London, as the transit isn't open, the hop on hop off buses still run so if you're not a huge walker but want to get out, do a loop or two on those, you can get off and stretch your legs in the parks etc.
Would you please make a video about travelling to visit some of the WWII sites please? My husband wants to go visit those places, as his dad fought in Europe in WWII (42nd Rainbow - they liberated Dachau). He of course wants to go see the places in Europe, but he also wants to see Pearl Harbor, and would honestly just enjoy visiting any pf the places. I dont think ive aeen a travel video focusing on just the WWII destinations.
Great advice, Mark. 1. Did you get to the Christmas village at Bryant Park? The best foodie spot during the holidays. 2. Did you get to see the Moynihan Station? You mentioned trains being sold out, but pictured Grand Central (which is only commuter rail, never sold out). You have to check out Moynihan (Amtraks new digs from NYC, across from NY Penn). Happy holidays, jolly traveler. Steve
Another thing on the close connections: depending on where you're going (or where you come from) flights might be delayed due to the weather, making you miss your connection. I've had it before, a 3 hour layover, but a 5 hour delay due to snow (we were lucky that half of our plane had to go on the next one, so they decided to keep it waiting, but that's almost never the case). Especially airports that don't experience snow often and therefore are less prepared for it can give huge delays.
Great content! One more time you hit the mark! I like to start monitoring the weather days ahead of my trip😂 I am trying to understand and be prepared for the weather pattern.
A don't for winter travel in Europe: if you are not specifically wanting to visit Chritmas markets, don't visit during December. January and February are better options. It may be quite boring and sometimes depressing with the absence of holiday decorations, but with way lesser crowds you've got the place to yourself. You also enjoy way lower prices. And slightly longer daylight hours as winter solstice has already passed by.
A pal and his wife are currently visiting his sister in Munich. They've been lucky as they've been able to hit the Christkindlmarkt there and today (yesterday) they hit the one in Salzburg. I do hope they'll be able to get to Nürnberg for theirs as I've been told that's the crème de la crème of them all.
All excellent points that can move a trip from awful to awesome. Also, buy travel/trip insurance knowing you probably won't need it, but you'll be pleased as punch if you happen to have major travel disruptions.
I took the Christmas Market cruise in Europe. While it was nice, each market had similar items. Some booths with food I wanted, had not opened early. Later in the day, open air markets are like malls in America, super-jammed with shoppers.
Wait until after Christmas to fly. Austin had an ice storm last year and our plans fell apart because 90% of flights were cancelled. We arrived two days late & paid a premium price unnecessarily.
My Dad's brother used to live in Walden, New York in Orange County. When We'd visit them (uncle, aunt, and cousin) ... we oftentimes would travel on Thanksgiving. Traffic was bad. But a lot better than the day prior. We'd drive up from the Vienna, Virginia area in Fairfax County. They now live in Hillsboro, Missouri. A much longer drive. The last time I saw that aunt and uncle in person was in May 2018. But I don't get along with him that well. I have a maternal uncle (Momma's brother) who lives in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I'd rather visit him. He and I get along real good. But I'm not looking forward to flying in and out of LAS. I have ADD and bipolar. Them damn slot machines. Don't ask. Let's just chalk it up to my brother's (only sibling) bachelor trip to Atlantic City in 2012. I was his best man. Nuff said.
I just visited Colmar and Strasbourg this last WE and the hotel prices for Colmar were insane! 1000 Euros and up per night for a mid price hotel during the WE. Strasbourg was quite a bit cheaper and we paid ~800 per night for a higher star hotel. If you can avoid it, don't visit duringthe WE would be my tip 😅
I dread to think how expensive a Christmas Day flight would cost though 😬 glad I'm going the 14th-14th so I avoid Christmas Eve and New Year at Vantaa airport.
Never. Keep your crowds. Orlando ONLY during the most off-peak. Don’t mind taking my kids out of school for couple of days to actually enjoy our time in Orlando.
One important thing about Germany at Christmastime is that 90 percent of restaurants and pretty much 100 percent of supermarkets are closed on Christmas Day and on Dec 26 (Second Day of Christmas). So if you are on a self-catering vacation or just want a reserve of snacks, make sure you stock up on Dec 24 at the latest (shops close early) or else gas stations will be your only reliable option (those tend to be quite nice, btw, so you won't go hungry or have to stay sober for two straight days :)).
We go to the Edeka at the Munich airport🙂, which is open on holidays and not guilty of highway robbery.
I went to Winter Wonderland in London last week on a Tuesday morning and it was THE BEST experience I ever had. Christmas markets open, rides open, ice skating open but all the kids were at school. I became the kid and enjoyed everything early...in November. Always worth going on a weekday at opening time 😅
One of the local holiday traditions in Philadelphia is the light show in Macy's Center City. If you go to the noon light show except for Sunday, you get to hear the lights with the Wanamaker Organ during the finale. Then you can stay and hear more Christmas music on the organ. That will really put you in a festive mood over the holidays. Nothing like hearing Christmas music on a large pipe organ!
In Germany a know that christmas markets close before the start of christmas. But if you happen to be close to the Dutch border, there are several options available. The one in Maastricht is a nice one and goes on all the way to new years eve. But have fun this season on your travels
One holiday plus is to plan your Christmas holiday in Europe the week after TG. The towns are all decorated, the Christmas markets are open and the foreign crowds are largely small.
Hi Mark,
Re: Train travel in the UK over Christmas. Most services wind down by 8-9pm on the 24th, sometimes earlier if there is MoW works. No trains on 25th/26th December (most lines). Also, the week between Christmas & New Year could also be a swath of replacement bus services.
We went from Canada to France the two weeks before Christmas and it was perfect. Home by Christmas, lots of markets. The markets in the towns in the south of france were smaller and cuter and less crowded than the one we went to in Brussels.
My bucket list trips are Christmas markets. Thank you!
Great information Walter! I was keen on the road trip what you said and thought to myself - that’s me when I pack for road!
I joke that I pack everything but the kitchen sink for us and our spoiled dogs 🐶 🐕
All good advice. Im ready to get to the German Christmas Markets, we leave in a little over a week. If I see you there you can have a Gluhwein on me:). Happy travels.
Mark os absolutely right: do not come to Orlando between Christmas and New Year’s Eve! We locals, we escape the town, it’s is just impossible to get anywhere, it is more expensive and if you come, don’t forget to check Bush Gardens and Sea World, do not go just Disney! Those two other parks have an amazing Christmas time! ;)
Really awesome to see you're in New York, I just came back from a trip to the states going through Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, New Haven, Providence and Boston on the Northeast corridor. I absolutely loved it.
I hope you had coffee milk and weiners in Providence
In the US, you may be able to travel one way by train, and one way by plane. More availability, and the train is usually cheaper.
My Thanksgiving flight strategy was always depart on Tuesday before then return Monday after. Worked every time perfectly.
Spot-on, as always...very well done! 🏆
Great tip for Disneyland for kidless people. Fly in the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Everything will be holiday themed already, so are the parades and the fireworks...you'll get everything you would at Christmas but it's not as busy. Also, for London, as the transit isn't open, the hop on hop off buses still run so if you're not a huge walker but want to get out, do a loop or two on those, you can get off and stretch your legs in the parks etc.
great tip about Disney, thanks! I’ll do that with my kids, they can miss a couple of days of school.
I was at the Frankfurt Xmas market lastnite and will Xmas markets in Nuremberg, Vienna, Prague, and Tallinn.
Would you please make a video about travelling to visit some of the WWII sites please? My husband wants to go visit those places, as his dad fought in Europe in WWII (42nd Rainbow - they liberated Dachau). He of course wants to go see the places in Europe, but he also wants to see Pearl Harbor, and would honestly just enjoy visiting any pf the places. I dont think ive aeen a travel video focusing on just the WWII destinations.
Yeah I think i chose my "christmas" travel dates well- November 21st to December 22nd. Get most of the christmas markets and activities.
Great advice, Mark.
1. Did you get to the Christmas village at Bryant Park? The best foodie spot during the holidays.
2. Did you get to see the Moynihan Station? You mentioned trains being sold out, but pictured Grand Central (which is only commuter rail, never sold out). You have to check out Moynihan (Amtraks new digs from NYC, across from NY Penn).
Happy holidays, jolly traveler. Steve
Another thing on the close connections: depending on where you're going (or where you come from) flights might be delayed due to the weather, making you miss your connection. I've had it before, a 3 hour layover, but a 5 hour delay due to snow (we were lucky that half of our plane had to go on the next one, so they decided to keep it waiting, but that's almost never the case). Especially airports that don't experience snow often and therefore are less prepared for it can give huge delays.
Booked my flight to visit family way back in like April or so. Lucky just a short 45 min flight Christmas Eve morning
Excellent tips! As a New Yorker, you are spot on👍🏽
That's why a lot of markets in Germany called now winter markets, so they gonna be there till January sometimes too. :)
Great content! One more time you hit the mark!
I like to start monitoring the weather days ahead of my trip😂 I am trying to understand and be prepared for the weather pattern.
Thanks for the advise Wolters, and Happy Holidays.
Christmas and new year is where a lot of uk rail closures are for major works during that time
Christmas boat parade in South Florida. We have the heaviest Christmas tree 1 ton sandcastle in West Palm Beach
A don't for winter travel in Europe: if you are not specifically wanting to visit Chritmas markets, don't visit during December. January and February are better options. It may be quite boring and sometimes depressing with the absence of holiday decorations, but with way lesser crowds you've got the place to yourself. You also enjoy way lower prices. And slightly longer daylight hours as winter solstice has already passed by.
Can I recommend a request. Is there a way you can do a video on luxuries we are accustomed to that we don’t get in other countries?
A pal and his wife are currently visiting his sister in Munich. They've been lucky as they've been able to hit the Christkindlmarkt there and today (yesterday) they hit the one in Salzburg. I do hope they'll be able to get to Nürnberg for theirs as I've been told that's the crème de la crème of them all.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family, Mark! 😁🎄🎅🏻🎁🎁 x
You have to visit the Fürther Medieval Christmas Market ❤️
All excellent points that can move a trip from awful to awesome. Also, buy travel/trip insurance knowing you probably won't need it, but you'll be pleased as punch if you happen to have major travel disruptions.
LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! LOVE YOUR FAMILY! MERRY CHRISTMAS SOON!!
I live in Orlando and used to work for Disney. If you want a truly terrible Christmas, go to Orlando.
Thank you! Love your channel!
good poin that there might not be public transportation during holidays as well as stores closed...
I took the Christmas Market cruise in Europe. While it was nice, each market had similar items. Some booths with food I wanted, had not opened early. Later in the day, open air markets are like malls in America, super-jammed with shoppers.
❤❤❤❤
Hi Mark, awesome video
Don't: Travel at Christmas, too stressful 😅
Wait until after Christmas to fly. Austin had an ice storm last year and our plans fell apart because 90% of flights were cancelled. We arrived two days late & paid a premium price unnecessarily.
The Frankfurt Christmas market will take place from November 27th to December 21st, 2023.
aww you saw the tree but not all lite up..... because the lighting of the tree is tonight at 7pm ET
Methinks he was there last December, knowing the current decorations in the city.
Great advice! Love this video!😊❤
Thank you
Great video
My Dad's brother used to live in Walden, New York in Orange County. When We'd visit them (uncle, aunt, and cousin) ... we oftentimes would travel on Thanksgiving. Traffic was bad. But a lot better than the day prior. We'd drive up from the Vienna, Virginia area in Fairfax County. They now live in Hillsboro, Missouri. A much longer drive. The last time I saw that aunt and uncle in person was in May 2018. But I don't get along with him that well. I have a maternal uncle (Momma's brother) who lives in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I'd rather visit him. He and I get along real good. But I'm not looking forward to flying in and out of LAS. I have ADD and bipolar. Them damn slot machines. Don't ask. Let's just chalk it up to my brother's (only sibling) bachelor trip to Atlantic City in 2012. I was his best man. Nuff said.
I just visited Colmar and Strasbourg this last WE and the hotel prices for Colmar were insane! 1000 Euros and up per night for a mid price hotel during the WE. Strasbourg was quite a bit cheaper and we paid ~800 per night for a higher star hotel. If you can avoid it, don't visit duringthe WE would be my tip 😅
I dread to think how expensive a Christmas Day flight would cost though 😬 glad I'm going the 14th-14th so I avoid Christmas Eve and New Year at Vantaa airport.
If you fly exactly on the day its not as bad as 24th or 26th
People in northern states don't know how to drive in ice and snow either.
You're in New York in early December? (Just joshin' ya!)
Knowing the city, looks like last December... ❤️ your screen name
Christmas 🎄 travel to Brazil 🇧🇷 is it good?
I booked my flight to Japan for January for $621 round trip. Would have been double the price during the holidays!
It's better to wait (:
With what airline and from where?
@@Ahuntsicspotter ZipAir from LA! They fly out of other airports on the west coast. They have good reviews online
@@gumerzambrano Are you from LA?
@@Ahuntsicspotter yep
I don't like being expected to pay more for something just because a bunch of other people I can't control want to do the same thing.
Supply and demand
This is how tourism works!
@@woltersworld it's called price gouging.
A little disappointed you didn't film the video dressed as santa
I live in Orlando. Please don't come here during Xmas 😅
Never. Keep your crowds.
Orlando ONLY during the most off-peak. Don’t mind taking my kids out of school for couple of days to actually enjoy our time in Orlando.
Becareful my man - NYC ain’t what it used to be…
Don't go to Tehran, it's not very Christmassy.
NYC is awful go anywhere else