Christmas Markets from Prague: Dresden, Nuremberg, Munich, Vienna and Regensburg
Prague has good Christmas markets of its own, on the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, and they are worth an evening. But the reason people base themselves in Prague in December is that five of the best markets in Europe are within a few hours’ drive, and you can do any of them as a day trip and be back for dinner.
A Christmas market at dusk
Where to go from Prague
| Market | Drive | 2026 dates | What makes it different |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden Striezelmarkt |
~2 hours | 25 Nov – 24 Dec | First recorded in 1434, which makes it the oldest Christmas market in Germany. It is named after the Striezel, the pastry that became the Dresden Stollen, and on 5 December 2026 a giant Stollen is paraded through town and cut. Compact, traditional, and the closest of them all. |
| Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt |
~3.5 hours | 27 Nov – 24 Dec | The most famous market in Germany and the one everything else is measured against. Strictly traditional: no plastic, no piped music, opened by the Christkind from the balcony of the Frauenkirche. Very crowded at weekends. |
| Munich Christkindlmarkt |
~4 hours | 20 Nov – 24 Dec | The market on Marienplatz in front of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with music from the town hall balcony in the evenings and a medieval market with craftsmen a few streets away on Wittelsbacherplatz. In 2026 it opens a week earlier than usual, and it is closed on 22 November. |
| Vienna Rathausplatz and others |
~4 hours | 13 Nov – 26 Dec | The grandest setting: the market in front of the neo-Gothic city hall, plus smaller ones at Schönbrunn, Belvedere and Spittelberg. Vienna does the whole thing on a larger scale than anywhere else, and opens earliest. |
| Regensburg Thurn und Taxis |
~3.5 hours | 20 Nov – 23 Dec | Held in the courtyard of a palace still lived in by the Thurn und Taxis family, lit by braziers and candles. Smaller, ticketed, and the most atmospheric of them all if you dislike crowds. |
Prague’s own markets on the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so they are still open when the German ones have closed.
Dresden is the one to do in a day
Two hours each way means you leave after breakfast and are back in Prague for the evening, having had a full afternoon in the market and the museums around it.
Our Dresden day trip: we collect you at your hotel in Prague, drive to the historic centre, and the driver stays with you for the day while you walk the market and the old town, then brings you back the same evening. From 210 € for the whole car (up to four people), 230 € for a minivan for up to eight.
Vienna, Munich, Nuremberg and Regensburg
At three and a half to four hours each way, these make a long day: an early start and a late return, or better, a night there.
- Vienna: our Prague to Vienna day trip costs from 370 € for the car, with the driver for the whole day.
- Munich: our Prague to Munich day trip costs from 370 € for the car, with the driver for the whole day.
- Nuremberg: a transfer from Prague to Nuremberg is 240 € per car one way; for a return the same day, ask us for a price with waiting.
- Regensburg: on request, as a day trip or combined with Nuremberg, which is an hour further on.
Practical notes for December
Dates. Vienna opens first, on 13 November; Munich and Regensburg follow on 20 November, Dresden and Nuremberg in the last week of November. Dresden and Nuremberg close at 2 pm on 24 December, Munich also closes early that day, and Regensburg closes on 23 December, while Vienna runs to 26 December and Prague into early January. If you are travelling between Christmas and New Year, plan on Prague or Vienna: the German markets will be shut.
It gets dark at four. Markets look their best after dusk, which in December is around four in the afternoon. That works in your favour on a day trip: arrive at midday, see the town in daylight, and the market lights up before you leave.
Bring cash. German market stalls take cards less often than you would expect, and the Glühwein mug usually carries a deposit: a few euros back when you return it.
Dress for standing still. A market is two hours of not moving in the cold. Whatever you think is enough, add a layer.
Weekends are the problem. Nuremberg and Dresden at a December weekend are genuinely crowded. A Tuesday or Wednesday is a completely different experience.
Why a car in winter
In summer the train to Dresden is a perfectly good option. In December the arithmetic changes: it is dark and cold, you are carrying whatever you bought, the last trains are early, and standing on a platform at Děčín at seven in the evening in December is nobody’s idea of a holiday.
A car waits for you, keeps your bags and your coats, and takes you from the market to your hotel door. For two or more people, split between you, the difference against tickets is small.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Christmas markets near Prague open in 2026?
Vienna opens on 13 November, Munich and Regensburg on 20 November, Dresden on 25 November and Nuremberg on 27 November. Prague’s own markets open on 28 November and run until 6 January 2027.
Can I visit the Dresden Christmas market as a day trip from Prague?
Yes, it is the easiest of them all: about two hours each way, so you have the whole afternoon and the evening lights in Dresden and are back in Prague the same night.
How much is a Christmas market day trip from Prague?
Our Dresden day trip costs from 210 € for the whole car, up to four people, and 230 € for a minivan for up to eight. The Vienna and Munich day trips are from 370 €. The price is per car, not per person.
Are the German Christmas markets open on 24 December?
Dresden and Nuremberg open on the morning of 24 December and close at 2 pm; Munich also closes early that day. Regensburg closes on 23 December. After that, only Prague and Vienna are still going.
Which Christmas market near Prague is the least crowded?
Regensburg’s Thurn und Taxis market, which is smaller and charges an entry fee. Any of the markets is far quieter on a weekday than at the weekend.
When should I book a Christmas market trip?
As early as you can. We take Christmas market bookings from October, and the weekends before Christmas fill up first.
Booking
December fills up early: we take Christmas market bookings from October, and the weekends before Christmas go first. Write to cz@cztransfer.com or message +420 773 477 799 (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram) with your hotel, the date and which market you want.
Order
How you can pay
- Cash to the driver — euros, Czech crowns, US dollars or pounds sterling
- Card to the driver, contactless — Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, or pay by phone
- Card or PayPal online, before the trip — Visa, Mastercard, American Express; the payment processor adds a 6% fee
- Crypto, before the trip — USDT (TRC-20) or Bitcoin
Payment details · no deposit, pay at the end of the trip if you like
