Our Xmas 2016 Festive Road Trip Through Germany & Austria

cologne Christmas market

 

For the first time ever, I won’t be spending Christmas at home with my family. Yes, I know, it’s weird, but it’s also kind of liberating. I’ll be free from the usual chaos that surrounds Christmas and be able to experience it in a completely new way. If I don’t like it, fine, but at least I was brave enough to try something different.

Plus, what could possibly be more Christmassy than exploring Christmas markets, frolicking in the snow and staying in a chalet in the mountains? It’s not like I’m going solo, I will have my lovely boyfriend with me, my sister may stop by, and, get this, we’re taking the dogs! We might be nuts taking them as it could be absolute chaos, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. 

We have never taken them abroad before, so it’s going to be interesting! We are really hoping for some snow so that we can take our huskies out sledding. That would be #livingthedream.

On Christmas day we’re going to cook a big roast in our apartment and snuggle up with the dogs, gazing out at the snow-capped mountains. We booked the last apartment, so I’m hoping the place will be full of guests and have a nice festive atmosphere.

What’s the plan?

So, we are getting the Eurotunnel to Calais and then making our way across Germany. I have done my research, and picked out some of the best Christmassy towns and markets to see along the way. Our main stop off points in Germany will be Cologne and then Nuremberg, both of which are known to have rather delightful Christmas markets.

nuremburg christmas market

cruiselikeavip.wordpress.com

cologne Christmas market

www.travelsmarter.co.uk

I have also asked a lovely German lady I know (my dog’s vet), and she’s given us so super useful tips. She says…

If you go to Nuermberg, pay a visit to some of the beautiful towns in the area such as Wuerzburg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which are part of the German Romantic Route.

Apparently, these towns have amazing, food, wine, culture and history dating back to the middle ages. We love quaint little towns packed with character, so we will most definitely try to stop off in some of these places.

rothernburg o.d tauber

www.cities-of-franconia.com

After we have explored Germany a little (we will only stay a couple of days), we will make our way to Austria. The boyfriend recently went on a cycling trip through Austria, and he said the scenery was absolutely incredible.

He went in the summer, so it will be interesting to see how it differs in the winter.We have booked a lovely cosy apartment in a chalet in the mountains just outside of Salzburg. Some Austrians who live in Linz gave us some recommendations.

salzburg snow christmas

fineartamerica.com

They said if you want the same sort of look as Salzburg, but prefer to be in the mountains in a small nice town, they would  recommend staying near Band Ischl or Hallstatt. Where we are staying is really close to Hallstadt, and we will try and visit both these towns.  

hallstatt

www.salzburg.com

We’re basically staying on a farm with the most spectacular mountain views. There’s also a toboggan course nearby, and the owners are more than happy to lend you sleds. I reaaallly hope it snows because I can’t wait to head out into snow filled fields with the huskies, who will have the time of their life.

33324176

I’m wondering what the roads will be like, especially as we are taking my bashed up old Vauxhall which has done its fair share of miles. I have been advised that the roads are well looked after, so I’m hoping with winter tyres and snow chains as a backup, we’ll get around just fine.

We are also hoping to visit Vienna, as everyone says this is the best place to go for Christmas markets in Austria. I think it’s a couple of hour’s drive from where we are staying, so it’s doable.

I will be taking my GoPro with me as usual and filming our adventures. Hopefully, if all goes well, I might inspire some of you guys to book an Austrian Christmas trip for next year. Xmas 2016, let’s hope you’re a cracker!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *