Christmas Markets within (say) 6 hours drive from Calais

[bornagain]

Hi,
Any recommendations for Christmas Markets within reasonable travelling distance of Calais, ideally located within easy reach of Aires ?
I assume somebody on here will have done this over the last few years and I would very much like to here their opinions.
Regards
P

 

[suavecarve]

Havent done anything too far away from Calais, but I would factor in Gravelines as first or last night xmas market

 

[Landy Andy]

Arras. Nice winter aire too.

 

[meanders]

Went to Bremen years ago by air, but not in the motorhome. Incredible. It's a days drive from Calais though.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Berlin markets are good. No idea how long from Calais we flew.

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[chaser]

Ypres. Ok plus the last post at night.

 

[NR]

Hi,
Any recommendations for Christmas Markets within reasonable travelling distance of Calais, ideally located within easy reach of Aires ?
I assume somebody on here will have done this over the last few years and I would very much like to here their opinions.
Regards
P

We are off to Cologne is a couple of weeks then stopping off in Belgium, first time doing this but our research suggests it will be productive.

 

[Dutch 68]

As an add on extra the tiny town of Monschau has a cracking Christmas market and is just so pretty

 

[rolosroller]

Cologne or down the Mosel or Bruges & Gent

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[bladerunner]

brug(g)es?

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[AlunandFelicie]

Cardiff

 

[Brains]

As you are in Lincolnshire, Harwich/Hook of Holland would be your logical crossing.

Leave after work on a Friday and get the short overnight cruise over and could be in Dusseldorf, Koln or Bonn within 3 hours, just in time for an early lunch before you descend on the markets.

A lot shorter and more pleasant that battling around the M25 and then still having a days drive from Calais, probably cheaper as well.

 

[MichaelT]

Aachen, Koln, Strasbourg, Colmar, Baden Baden

 

[bornagain]

As you are in Lincolnshire, Harwich/Hook of Holland would be your logical crossing.

Leave after work on a Friday and get the short overnight cruise over and could be in Dusseldorf, Koln or Bonn within 3 hours, just in time for an early lunch before you descend on the markets.

A lot shorter and more pleasant that battling around the M25 and then still having a days drive from Calais, probably cheaper as well.

We are in North Lincolnshire but are participating at an event at Silverstone on Sunday 24th November, we plan to stay the night in the SE of England and use the tunnel to cross the channel - we will use the Tunnel as a bit of a novelty never having used it before.

 

[LostinWales]

We are off to Cologne is a couple of weeks then stopping off in Belgium, first time doing this but our research suggests it will be productive.

Koln excellent. Also Saarlouis in Saarland

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[LostinWales]

Saarlouis has a Facebook page in English. I am biased because I used to work there, but the Altstadt is second to none, and you get cheap fuel in Luxembourg

 

[Roadrunnerbeepbeep]

We have just come back from Bruges, a lovely city, plenty to do and they were just starting to put up their Xmas lights.
There are a couple of aires around the ring road, we stayed at the campsite, https://camping-memling.be/ 2 miles from centre, which was lovely, even had heated floors in washrooms, we used the bus to go into town, (€2.50), dogs allowed on bus and everywhere.

 

[MattWithMoho]

I'm with Landy Andy - Arras (1h15m from Calais) - We stumbled across this gorgeous french town last year on our way home, the whole town and its multiple squares are all lite up, it has a great Aire a short walk into town, plus if you fancy doing 2 locations, Brugge is only 1h40m away

 

[Jerrywh]

Arras is a lovely town, not sure about the Xmas market.
dunkerque has a fine Xmas market ..

 

[Bovadriver1]

Hi,
Any recommendations for Christmas Markets within reasonable travelling distance of Calais, ideally located within easy reach of Aires ?
I assume somebody on here will have done this over the last few years and I would very much like to here their opinions.
Regards
P

As an ex Coach Tour Driver I can recomend Lille 1 Hr, Maastricht 4Hr and Cologne 5Hr from Calais subject to traffic conditions and your right foot !

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[maison]

Bruges has a good Christmas market and is a lovely town. If going by motorhome the Aire is very convenient if you can get on. It’s very busy around that time.

Don’t discount Paris! Two or three very different markets there. We loved it. Stayed, in our m/h, on the Bois de Boulogne site. Bus and train trip into the centre very easy from there.

 

[Daviesabroad]

Arras. Nice winter aire too.

Absolutely great place...
About an hour and a half away from Calais?

 

[DangerMousy]

In my opinion, Cologne is the best option for Christmas market(s) within a short drive of Calais: there are multiple markets around the city and plenty to keep you occupied for several days. Bruges is nice for one evening, but the market is tiny. I do like the Winter Gloed trail around the town each year which is beautiful.

For our short winter break we usually get the tunnel over later afternoon, do 1 night in Bruges, followed by 3 in Cologne, and then back to the tunnel in one go. Do try to avoid weekends in Cologne though, as it it gets extremely busy.

 

[Lazyboy]

The caves at Valkenburg, Netherlands, are well worth a visit. Not far from Maastrict or Aachen. Trier is also a good visit.

 

[Mr porky]

Manchester

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[andysam]

Dusseldorf and Koln (Cologne). I might be biased though as I used to live in Duss for a few years.

 

[RobertJary]

Another vote for Aachen, Cologne, Bonn, Dortmund and Dusseldorf. Been to all these over the years.