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Episode 28: Don’t Make these Christmas Market Mistakes!

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If you’re dreaming of Germany’s Christmas markets, don’t let common mistakes ruin the magic. In this episode I share 7 pitfalls to avoid so you can plan smarter, enjoy more, and create unforgettable holiday memories. Pair this episode with our DIY Germany Travel Planner and new interactive Christmas Market Planning Map featuring our top markets so you can plan your dream trip with confidence!

Helpful Links

Nürnberg Christmas market Lebkuchen

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Our DIY Germany Travel Planner and our Germany Trip Planning services help you create a personalized itinerary that fits your travel style—whether you’re dreaming of fairytale castles, scenic train journeys, or off-the-beaten-path adventures.

With custom itineraries, one-on-one consults, itinerary reviews and our DIY Germany Travel Planner, we’ll make sure you feel confident and ready for an unforgettable, meaningful, and FUN trip. 

I don’t even know how we would have cracked the code for this trip without you!!! You are simply amazing and so helpful!! Thank you so much! – Julie

About Cate

 Hi, I’m Cate, host of the Germany Travel Planning podcast and co-founder with my husband Aaron of My Germany Vacation.

I used to live in Germany and have worked as a German professor and intercultural trainer preparing people to live, study, and work in Germany. Aaron, who used to work in IT, and I have 35 years experience traveling to all corners of Germany (and into surrounding countries).

As digital nomads we spend several months each year in Germany and surrounding countries doing on the ground travel research.

We started My Germany Vacation to help you plan unforgettable, stress-free, and super fun trip to Germany and beyond. We’d love to help you, too!

Aaron and Cate in Meersburg
Aaron and Cate in Meersburg

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Here’s how we can help you plan your perfect trip in 2025

GERMANY TRAVEL PLANNER: Just getting started? Have questions about Germany’s confusing train tickets or how to find the best guided tours? Not sure which parts of Germany should be in your itinerary (and what to leave out)? Our Germany Travel Planner answers those questions and more via how-to videos, our interactive Germany Planning Map, City Cheatsheets, and MUCH more. Click here to unlock the best of Germany the easy way!

GERMANY TRAVEL CONSULT: Feeling overwhelmed? Itinerary just not coming together? Wonder if a few tweaks would take your trip to the next level? Book an Itinerary Review, Full Zoom Consult or Complete Itinerary with Cate! She’ll help you create or tweak your itinerary, recommend train tickets/passes, hotels, things to do, guided tours, show you how to buy train tickets, orient you to specific cities, help you plan out day trips, and answer your Germany travel questions.

ACCOMMODATIONS: We recommend using Booking.com since they have widest range of accommodations available from hostels, boutique hotels, luxury chains, aparthotels, at the best prices. Check out our accommodation guides for specific recommended hotels.

WHAT TO PACK: If you’re bringing your phone, be sure to bring this plug adapter, this power bank, and this wrist strap. They’ve been lifesavers for us! You can see our other packing essentials posts at 15 Items We Take and Germany Packing List.

TICKETS & TOURS: For guided tours, day trips, private tours, and skip-the-line tickets, Get Your Guide is our go-to!

TRAINS & BUSES: To research train schedules and buy tickets or a Germany Rail Pass, we recommend the official Deutsche Bahn (German Rail System) website (and download their DB Navigator app). For buses, look at FlixBus, which offers tickets for routes within Germany and to other European countries. FlixBus is often cheaper than trains but can take longer.

2 Comments

  1. Ellen Winkler says:

    Hallo Cate and Aaron

    So nice to see the Weihnachtsmarkt additional to your offerings. I joined, Magical Christmas Markets of Europe, on Facebook a few years ago. I found this sight to be borderline hysterical when it came to proper clothing attire. One would think that these markets took place in Antarctica with recommendations that include heated vests, expensive boots, 100 layers… pretty funny. Jeremy Pike is a prominent member, he seems to have been to every market in Europe and puts out a calendar of opening and closing dates. Not sure if he includes Krampus runs… Anyway, great addition! BTW, I’m from Stuttgart originally, my family moved to MA when I was 4, I try to get back as often as I can.
    Tschüss
    Ellen

    1. Hi Ellen! We were just in Stuttgart for the Wasen and Ludwigsburg pumpkin festival! I lived there for a while when I was 19/20 so it’s always fun to go back. I remember a few decades ago when it used to get cold at the markets but over the past few years it hasn’t seemed as cold (except for a few evenings in very southern Germany). I didn’t even wear gloves at all during our 5 weeks in Berlin last December/January! Thanks for listening to our podcast and being part of our Facebook group 🙂

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