European cities at Christmas time are indeed something special. Filled with lights, Christmas decorations, and ice skating rinks, European cities offer a great range of holiday activities. At this time of the year, the city is full of the holiday spirit, while the smell of fresh-baked cookies and hot mulled wine spreads across every square in the city. Every year, a lot of European cities compete in offering the best Christmas experience for their visitors. Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, was voted Europe’s Best Christmas Market for three consecutive years (2016, 2017 & 2018). Since Croatia is my home country, Zagreb must be on the list of European holiday getaway cities. Now, let’s find out which holiday getaway city can you visit while spending Christmas on a budget!
Zagreb
Croatia’s capital city has become one of the most famous holiday destinations in Europe in the last few years. Filled with music, Christmas spirit, lights, delicious food, and beverages of all kinds, the city offers something for everyone. Since you will spend quite some time exploring the stunningly decorated city, you will need to stay warm. While in Croatia, there is no better way to stay warm than to keep a cup of mulled wine in your hands at all times. Occasionally you can make a toast with a local rakija and some new friends!
If Zagreb seems like a fun place, pack your bags. Zagreb can be reached by car, bus, or plane, so arriving shouldn’t be a problem. The Zagreb Airport is connected with many European cities, so you better start looking for a flight! There is a lot of accommodation options in Zagreb, depending on what you prefer. From private apartments and budget-friendly hostels to some of the best hotel chains. Zagreb is an amazing city to spend your Christmas on a budget!
If you decide to visit Zagreb with your family, you will find plenty of options for the youngsters. Zagreb has dedicated a whole program at this Advent for kids. There will be many activities happening. From oversized toys, large railway systems covered in snow, meeting characters from favorite fairy tales to the most entertaining shows. An hour drive from Zagreb is the stunning Salajland. Salajland is a property owned by the Salaj family decorated with 5.000.000 Christmas lights! They have been sharing the Christmas spirit for over 20 years and have become a popular Christmas attraction.
Manchester
The first Christmas market in the UK, the one in Manchester, first appeared in 1999. Today, this market attracts over 9 million people each year. The city center of Manchester offers a wide range of international food, drinks, plenty of hot chocolate, and toffee waffles. If Christmas on a budget seems like an amazing opportunity, the flight prices will be in your favour. If you are from Croatia, you can find very affordable flights to Manchester from Zagreb Airport. The best place to look it up is through Kiwi.com. The earlier you book, the more options you will have, and they will be cheaper. The best place to find accommodation is Booking.com where you can find all price ranges from budget to luxury.
When visiting Manchester with your family, you should know that the central family zone will be at Cathedral Gardens, home to the Skate Manchester ice rink. From Thursday to Sunday there will be shows for the kids, while the parents get to enjoy mulled wine, German beer, mini pancakes, waffles, and many more sweet & sour specialties.
Budapest
Another city on the list of European Christmas holiday destinations is Budapest. This stunning city was voted as the most beautiful Christmas market in Europe back in 2020. This year the Advent will start on the 19th of November and last until the 2nd of January. The Budapest markets will offer you a taste of hand-made chocolate, honey cake, or chimney cake. Besides the sweet desserts, there will also be variations of street food like hot dogs and burgers. Since this beautiful city gets pretty busy during the Christmas holidays, the accommodation offer becomes smaller every day, so make sure to book your stay on time. If Zagreb will be your starting point, the best way to travel to Budapest is by car or bus. Don’t forget to enjoy your Christmas on a budget!
Brussels
The capital of Belgium is home to the famous Winter Wonders event that starts on the 26th of November and lasts until the 2nd of January. This special event takes place at the Grand-Place and city center of Brussels. Winter Wonders offers a Christmas market with over 200 chalets, a Ferris wheel, an ice skating rink, the iconic Christmas tree with sound and light show, and many more activities. The plane tickets to this stunning city are pretty cheap during the whole of December, so make sure to grab the opportunity and enjoy your Christmas on a budget! Pick your favourite kind of accommodation that will suit your needs! Imagine mulled wine in one hand and a famous Belgium waffle in the other, pure perfection!
Brussels offers plenty of activities for parents with children. From riding on the Ferris wheel and ice skating to enjoying a list of activities from the twentieth Winter Wonders event with a theme of travel and trains. A great indoor activity is visiting the Museum of Natural Sciences.
Explore more!
These are just some of the cities that offer an incredible Christmas atmosphere. If you have already visited one of these cities at Christmas time, leave a comment with your best spots on the market! Due to the unpredictable situation happening in the world, it is hard to say if everything will go according to plan, but we all have our fingers crossed for the best Christmas ever! If your favorite holiday destination is not on the list, comment below and share it with us! I wish you all the best holidays, wherever you will be! If you are looking for warmer European destinations for this Christmas, check out some other cites I wrote about! Until next time, love, laugh, travel, and have the best time ever! Xx Donatela
