Christmas is all about food, shopping, and spending quality time with loved ones, and a Christmas market is the perfect place to enjoy these festivities. In the run-up to the big day, many Brits will be planning a trip to one of Europe's Christmas markets. However, unpredictable weather and a lack of festivity can make choosing the perfect city tricky. We’ve reviewed the European cities with an annual Christmas market to identify the top 10 most festive locations to visit this winter. Each city has been given a festivity score out of 100 based on how Instagram-worthy it is, the likelihood of snow, and the increased demand from tourists over the festive period.
The most festive markets
Set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Innsbruck in Austria takes the top spot as the most festive market. This picturesque city received a festivity score of 95 out of 100 based on 1k Instagram hashtags, 600k estimated visitors during November and December (up 19% compared to the rest of the year), and a 46% chance of a snow day.
The second most festive market is Tallinn in Estonia, with a 40% chance of snow and a flight demand increase of 28%, giving this city a festivity score of 89. In third place is Helsinki, which is closer to Lapland than any other city in our top 10. Helsinki’s Christmas market attracts around 300k visitors a year, and with a 39% chance of snow each day, it's sure to get you in the festive spirit.
Edinburgh is Europe's most Instagram-worthy Christmas market
For many British tourists, a winter trip to one of Europe’s Christmas markets is not complete without capturing the magic in a perfect photo. We’ve
ranked the most Instagram-worthy markets based on how many times the hashtag {place} Christmas markets has been publicly posted.
Edinburgh’s Christmas market is the most Instagram-worthy, as this Scottish capital boasts 55,200 hashtags. Second place is awarded to Strasbourg in France, with 34,400 hashtags, while Vienna follows shortly behind in third place, with 22,500 hashtags.
The weather can make packing for your city break difficult and can impact your time away. Our study has identified Europe's sunniest and rainiest Christmas markets to help tourists plan their trip.
Spain's two most populated cities are home to the sunniest Christmas markets – perfect for those hoping to escape the gloomy winter weather. Barcelona takes first place, with an average of 432.8 minutes of sunlight per day across November and December, while Madrid takes second place, with an average of 389.1 minutes. Third place is awarded to Merano in Italy, with a daily average of 351.1 minutes of sunlight.
We’ve also revealed the rainiest European markets to help Brits avoid getting caught in a downpour. According to our study, Geneva is officially the rainiest city, with an average of 4.4mm of rainfall per day in November and December. Italy takes second and third place for rainy cities. Milan’s average daily rainfall is 3.7mm, while Merano takes third place for the sunniest and rainiest market, with an average daily rainfall of 3.4mm.
Stylist's advice on what to pack for a winter city break
City breaks typically involve spending a few nights or a long weekend away, which for many people means travelling with just a cabin bag to keep costs down and make packing easier.
According to our study, most (67%) Brits would be likely to travel with just hand luggage if going on a winter city break, despite 60% worrying about fitting in everything they need. When asked the biggest reason they would consider opting for a check-in bag instead, the most popular response (34%) was concern over the bulkiness of winter clothing.
Going on a short winter break means packing smart by choosing versatile and practical clothing options. We’ve enlisted our internal Head of Womenswer Design, Jo Collins, to explain what this means and which essential clothing pieces you should pack.
Seasoned travel writer and founder of Breathing Travel, Carolin Pilligraph shares her top three tips for maximising hand luggage allowance and keeping clothes crease-free
Avoid overpacking unnecessary items
“One mistake I see is overpacking toiletries. Invest in some reusable containers instead and decant your essentials. Another mistake I see is people packing for every possible weather scenario – check the forecast, pack layers, and be strategic. A scarf can double as a blanket on chilly plane rides and dress up an outfit for a night out.”
Maximise space by choosing lighter garments
“When it comes to maximising hand luggage allowance, wear your bulkiest items on the plane, and don't be afraid to get creative with your personal item – a large tote bag can hold a surprising amount of essentials. For colder destinations, the key is in the fabrics. Opt for wool, cashmere, and thermal blends over cotton, as they're warmer and take up less space. Never underestimate the power of a good pair of tights. They take up virtually no room and can add an extra layer of warmth under jeans or dresses.
“In colder months, arm warmers and vest tops can become your best friend. Roll them tight, and they will take up next to no room. Pop them on under everyday shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses when temperatures drop instead of wearing a bulky sweater. Thermal layering is key – pack versatile thermal leggings, long johns, and tops that pack flat but keep you cosy.”
Fold clothes to avoid creases
“My go-to trick to keep clothes crease-free is to fold, not roll, as in my experience rolling just leads to more wrinkles. Instead, fold your clothes neatly and place a sheet of tissue paper between each layer to help prevent creases and keep everything looking crisp.
“Always pack a spare outfit in your carry-on, because you never know when a spilled coffee or a delayed flight might leave you in need of a fresh look.”
Methodology
We used desk research to create a comprehensive seed list of European Xmas markets (50 in total). Using Open Meteo to obtain daily weather data from the past 10 years, we calculated the probability of snow (the number of days it does snow vs it does not snow across the data) during November and December, as well as an average number of snowy days during that time frame.
We ran searches through Instagram of {place} christmas markets to calculate the number of hashtags for each Christmas market. We searched a combination of flights {place} to gather search term data by month-year for each Christmas market, comparing the 9 monthly averages up until September with October and November monthly averages for spike in flight demand.
The number of Christmas market visitors was obtained through desk research using the most trusted sources. Where this data was not available, we obtained the annual tourist figures and came up with a two-month average (November, December); numbers highlighted in red are estimates. We then combined these into a weighted rank: both snow metrics at 25%, Instagram at 20%, and flight demand and number of visitors at 15%.
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