Christmas Markets 2026: Airport Transfers to Europe’s Best Markets

Europe’s Christmas markets 2026 open in waves: Vienna’s Schönbrunn market starts first on 6 November, Vienna’s Rathausplatz and Budapest follow on 13 November, Cologne on 16 November, Salzburg on 19 November, Munich on 20 November, and Nuremberg and Strasbourg on 27 November, with Prague’s Old Town Square from 28 November. In every one of these cities you can get from the airport to the main market by public transport in under an hour – fastest in Cologne, where the S-Bahn drops you a few steps from the cathedral market in about 15 minutes. For a driver waiting in arrivals, each city section below links to our airport transfer pages.

Christmas markets 2026: dates and airport transfers at a glance

City	Main market & 2026 dates	Airport	Public transport to the market	Taxi (approx.)
Vienna	Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz: 13 Nov – 26 Dec 2026	Vienna (VIE)	Railjet to Hauptbahnhof ~15 min, €5.50, then U-Bahn	Fixed fares from around €42
Prague	Old Town Square: 28 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027	Prague (PRG)	Trolleybus 59 + metro A ~35 min, CZK 46 (≈ €1.90)	Around CZK 800 (≈ €32)
Budapest	Vörösmarty tér: 13 Nov – 31 Dec 2026; St Stephen’s Basilica: 13 Nov 2026 – 1 Jan 2027	Budapest (BUD)	100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér ~40 min, HUF 2,500 (≈ €7)	Around HUF 14,000–17,000 (≈ €38–47)
Strasbourg	Christkindelsmärik (place Broglie) and seven other markets: 27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026	Strasbourg (SXB)	Shuttle train to Strasbourg station ~9 min, up to 4 per hour	Around €30
Nuremberg	Christkindlesmarkt, Hauptmarkt: 27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026	Nuremberg (NUE)	U2 to Hauptbahnhof ~12 min, €3.90	Around €25–30
Cologne	Cathedral market (Roncalliplatz): 16 Nov – 23 Dec 2026	Cologne Bonn (CGN)	S19 to Köln Hbf ~14 min, every 20 min	Around €50–60 (metered)
Salzburg	Christkindlmarkt, Domplatz & Residenzplatz: 19 Nov 2026 – 1 Jan 2027	Salzburg (SZG)	Bus 10 to the centre ~15 min (Mon–Sat), €2.50 advance	Tourist board quotes around €12
Munich	Christkindlmarkt, Marienplatz: 20 Nov – 24 Dec 2026	Munich (MUC)	S1/S8 ~40 min to the centre, €15.10 single	€96 fixed to the Hauptbahnhof zone

Fares are for one adult, one way, as published in 2026; taxi figures are per car. Several transport operators change prices at the start of each year (and Munich’s MVV in December), so check the current fare before you travel.

Vienna Christmas market 2026

Dates: the Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz runs from 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily 10:00–22:00 (24 December until 18:30). Schönbrunn Palace has the longest season, 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and Spittelberg, Art Advent on Karlsplatz and Am Hof all run from 13 November to 23 December 2026, according to the Vienna Tourist Board.

From Vienna Airport: the S-Bahn trunk line through central Vienna is closed until the end of October 2027, so the quickest route is an ÖBB Railjet to Wien Hauptbahnhof (about 15 minutes, twice an hour) on the €5.50 ticket that also covers your onward U-Bahn ride; continue by U1 and change for the U2 to Rathaus. The Vienna Airport Bus line VAB 4 runs direct to Karlsplatz (€11), handy for Art Advent, and the CAT now runs as a bus to Wien Mitte (€14.90). Taxis and transfers offer fixed prices from around €42. Full details are in our Vienna Airport to city centre guide; compare drivers on our Vienna Airport transfers page or see Vienna transfers.

Tip: visit Rathausplatz on a weekday afternoon; evenings and weekends are by far the busiest.

Prague Christmas market 2026

Dates: the markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square are listed by the official Czech tourism board, VisitCzechia, from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Smaller markets open earlier: Peace Square (náměstí Míru) from 20 November, Republic Square from 25 November, both until 24 December.

From Prague Airport: there is still no train. The cheapest route is trolleybus 59 to Nádraží Veleslavín and metro line A to Staroměstská or Můstek, a few minutes’ walk from Old Town Square – about 35 minutes on a 90-minute ticket costing CZK 46 in the app (≈ €1.90). The Airport Express bus (CZK 200, ≈ €8) goes to the main railway station. A taxi or transfer is around CZK 800 (≈ €32). See our Prague Airport to city centre guide, Prague Airport transfers and Prague transfers.

Tip: buy a 24-hour ticket on arrival – it includes one large suitcase free and covers your evening market trips.

Budapest Christmas market 2026

Dates: according to the organisers’ own websites, the Vörösmarty tér fair opens on 13 November 2026 and runs until the early hours of New Year’s Day (craft stalls until 28 December), daily from 11:00 (closing 21:00–22:00). Advent Bazilika in front of St Stephen’s Basilica runs from 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027, from 11:00 until 22:00 or 23:00 at weekends.

From Budapest Airport: the 100E Airport Express bus runs 24 hours a day non-stop to Deák Ferenc tér in about 40 minutes for HUF 2,500 (≈ €7). Vörösmarty tér is a short walk from the last stop, and the Basilica is a little further. The cheapest route is bus 200E plus metro M3 on a HUF 850 (≈ €2.30) 90-minute ticket, while a metered taxi costs around HUF 14,000–17,000 (≈ €38–47). See our Budapest Airport to city centre guide, Budapest Airport transfers and Budapest transfers; local operators include Car Service Budapest.

Tip: regular 24- and 72-hour travelcards are not valid on the 100E, so buy the separate airport ticket for that leg.

Strasbourg Christmas market 2026

Dates: the City of Strasbourg’s official “Capitale de Noël” site gives 27 November to 24 December 2026. The market is spread over eight sites in the historic centre, including the original Christkindelsmärik on place Broglie, the stalls around the cathedral, the Great Christmas Tree on place Kléber and Petite France. Daily opening hours for 2026 had not been published at the time of writing; in recent years chalets have opened from late morning until around 21:00, closing early on 24 December.

From Strasbourg Airport: the airport at Entzheim, about 10 km from the city, has a shuttle train to Strasbourg’s central station – up to four trains an hour, taking about 9 minutes, according to the official tourist office. A combined train and tram ticket is sold for the trip; from the station it is a walk of around 15–20 minutes, or a short tram ride, to place Kléber and the cathedral. Taxis wait until the last flight of the evening and cost around €30 to the centre. See Strasbourg Airport transfers and Strasbourg transfers; local operators include Ghost Driver.

Tip: in recent years the centre has been partly closed to traffic and security-checked during the market, so taxis and transfers may drop you at the edge of the island.

Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt 2026

Dates: the City of Nuremberg confirms 27 November to 24 December 2026 on the Hauptmarkt. The Christkind opens the market on the evening of 27 November, when it stays open until 22:00; otherwise it is open daily 10:00–21:00 and until 14:00 on 24 December.

From Nuremberg Airport: underground line U2 runs from the airport directly to the Hauptbahnhof in about 12 minutes, with trains up to every 10 minutes from early morning until after midnight. A single for price level A (Nuremberg–Fürth–Stein, including the airport) costs €3.90 under VGN’s 2026 fares. From the Hauptbahnhof it is a walk of around 15 minutes through the old town along Königstraße to the Hauptmarkt. A taxi takes around 15 minutes and costs around €25–30 to the old town. See Nuremberg Airport transfers and Nuremberg transfers; local companies include Taxi-Zentrale Nürnberg eG.

Tip: the opening evening is the most crowded night of the season – arrive a day later if you want space to browse.

Cologne Christmas markets 2026

Dates: the market beside Cologne Cathedral runs from 16 November to 23 December 2026 (closed on 22 November, Totensonntag), Sunday to Wednesday 11:00–21:00, Thursday and Friday 11:00–22:00 and Saturday 10:00–22:00. The Neumarkt market has the same dates, and the Old Town market (Altstadt) runs from 23 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, according to the city portal koeln.de.

From Cologne Bonn Airport: S-Bahn line S19 runs from the airport station to Köln Hauptbahnhof every 20 minutes in about 14 minutes, and some ICE trains also stop at the airport. The cathedral market starts right outside the station. A local VRS ticket for the trip within Cologne costs around €3.80 (price level 1b in 2026). Taxis are metered: since 1 June 2026 the Cologne tariff is €4.90 plus €2.90 per km, which works out at around €50–60 to the centre depending on route and traffic. See Cologne Bonn Airport transfers and Cologne transfers; operators covering the city include ComfortCars Chauffeur Service.

Tip: leave suitcases at your hotel or a station locker first – the cathedral market is tightly packed in the evenings.

Salzburg Christmas market 2026

Dates: the Salzburger Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz is listed by Salzburg’s tourist board from 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. Hours are generally Monday to Thursday 10:00–20:30, Friday 10:00–21:00, Saturday 09:00–21:00 and Sunday 09:00–20:30, with shorter hours on 24–26 December and 1 January.

From Salzburg Airport: bus 10 runs every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday, to the city centre in about 15 minutes, and trolleybus 2 runs daily to the Hauptbahnhof in about 23 minutes. A city single costs €2.50 bought in advance at a machine or online, or €3.00 on board. Salzburg’s tourist board puts a taxi from the airport to the centre at around €12, depending on traffic. Many visitors fly into Munich instead and continue by train. See Salzburg Airport transfers and Salzburg transfers; companies include VPC Premium Transfer Salzburg.

Tip: combine the market with a ski trip – our Salzburg Airport to Saalbach and Zell am See guide covers the resorts.

Munich Christmas market 2026

Dates: the City of Munich gives 20 November to 24 December 2026 for the Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz, open Monday to Saturday 10:00–21:00, Sunday 10:00–20:00 and 24 December until 14:00. It is closed on 22 November (Totensonntag).

From Munich Airport: S-Bahn lines S1 and S8 together run about every 10 minutes and reach the city centre in about 40 minutes; both stop at Marienplatz, directly under the market. A single costs €15.10 and the Airport-City-Day-Ticket €17.50 (group €32.60), but MVV usually changes fares in December. The Lufthansa Express Bus (€12.50 online) goes to the Hauptbahnhof, and a taxi costs a fixed €96 to the Hauptbahnhof zone. See our Munich Airport to city centre guide, Munich Airport transfers and Munich transfers.

Tip: buy the Airport-City-Day-Ticket rather than a single – for a little more you can ride the U-Bahn and trams to other markets for the rest of the day.

Pre-booked transfers for Christmas market trips

Public transport is the quickest way into most of these cities, but a pre-booked transfer is worth it when you arrive late at night, travel as a family or group, carry lots of luggage, or are combining several markets in one trip – Munich, Salzburg and Nuremberg, or Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. A fixed price agreed in advance also avoids surge pricing on busy market weekends. Book early for the first two Advent weekends (28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026), when demand peaks.

How we compiled this guide

Market dates and opening hours come from official city and tourism websites (Vienna Tourist Board, VisitCzechia, City of Strasbourg, City of Nuremberg, City of Munich, Salzburg tourist board), the organisers’ own sites in Budapest and the city portal koeln.de for Cologne, checked in October 2026. Airport transport fares and times come from our own airport guides and official operator pages; where a fare is not officially published, we have written “around”. Taxi figures are typical fares, not official tariffs, except where a fixed fare is stated.

Tips for visiting Europe’s Christmas markets

• Check the closing day. Most markets close on 23 or 24 December; Vienna’s Schönbrunn, Prague, Budapest, Salzburg and Cologne’s Old Town market continue into the new year.
• Mug deposits. Mulled wine is usually served in a mug with a refundable deposit – keep it as a souvenir or return it for your money.
• Carry some cash. Card payment is now common, but not universal at smaller stalls.
• Weekday visits. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest everywhere; weekday mornings and afternoons are the calmest.
• Winter weather. Snow and fog can delay flights and road transfers, so leave a buffer before onward trains or flights.
• Use official taxis. Take taxis from the marked airport ranks or book in advance, and ignore people offering rides in the arrivals hall.