GOING PLACES: Want to spice up your gift shopping? Sarah Marriott goes on a whirlwind tour of Europe's most atmospheric Christmas markets.
Would you rather queue to park at shopping centres or stroll around medieval squares lines with traditional market stalls? Listen to Slade's Christmas song or a choir singing carols on a snowy stage? Grab coffee before braving the traffic or sip mulled wine by an outdoor ice-rink?
For a blast of old-fashioned Christmas spirit and to surprise your family and friends with unusual handcrafted gifts, head abroad to traditional markets.
A few days chilling out with friends is an ideal way to refuel your batteries before the big day, but if you want to get the whole family into the festive mood, choose a market with ice-skating, a funfair and entertainment for all ages.
BERLIN
Germany is famous for its Christmas markets, but this year Berlin's Winter Magic Festival wins the cracker for its 40 markets and festival fun. Each market has a distinct character: head to Gendarmenmarkt for traditional crafts and art or Opernpalais for jewellery and antique toys. Families will love Alexanderplatz's fairy-tale forest and ice-skating, the big wheel at Schlossplatz and the ice-skating and tobogganing at Potsdamer Platz. from €118. Hotel booking: www.berlin-tourist-information.de.
BUDAPEST
Every day until Christmas Day, festive crowds head for the beautiful Vorosmarty Square at 5 p.m. for music and dance performances and to see a piece of art revealed in the window of a huge advent calendar. The traditional market features handicrafts such as wooden toys and leather good and seasonal specialities of mulled wine and beigli (walnut pastry). After retail therapy comes spa therapy in the snow in outdoor thermal pools. daily, from €227. Hotel booking: www.visithungary.ie.
PARIS
Even Parisians melt in the festive season and flock to see the lights of the Champs Élysées and window displays of the department stores. Traditional Alsace markets take place at Gare St Lazarre and Gare de l'Est. Think mulled wine, candles and artisan products. Other seasonal musts are Notre Dame's crêche, the ice-skating rink at Hotel de Ville and for skiers the Southern Alps has been recreated in the Stade de France football stadium. Don't forget the food markets, to add a French flavour to your celebrations. from €206. Hotel booking: www.franceguide.com.
VIENNA
Vienna's markets are dotted around the fairytale city. The Magic of Advent at City Hall has 140 stalls selling gifts and rustic Christmas decorations, and a new market is atmospherically located in the grounds of Belvedere Palace, while the narrow streets of the revitalised Biedermeier quarter are lined with stalls offering handicrafts and handmade jewellery. Choirs perform at weekends. Flights: from €209. Hotel booking: www.vienna.info.
EDINBURGH
All things German transform the heart of the city into a winter wonderland. A traditional German market lights up Princes Street Gardens with stalls selling hot chestnuts, punch and handcrafted gifts. In the shadow of the castle there is an outdoor ice-skating rink, a circus and a funfair, and Santa visits every day to feed his 12 baby reindeer. Flights: from €190. Aer Arann from Cork/Galway: €100 return until December 12th. Hotel booking: www.visitscotland.com.
All prices are for a weekend return in December ex-Dublin with aerlingus.com and include tax.
WEEKEND PACKAGES Berlin Two nights: €380. Club Travel: 01-4350010. Two nights: €301. Citiescapes: 01-6775533. Vienna Two nights: €330. Arrow Tours: 041-9831177. Budapest Two nights €241 before Dec 15th/€364 after. Twohigs: 01-6772666.