Germany & Belgium, by train
Locals will tell you Dutch markets are small. They are right — the big ones are 1–2 hours over the border. Here is which, when, and how long it takes from where you live.
Germany
| Market | 2026 | Eindhoven | Amsterdam | Utrecht | Rotterdam | Fare from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aachen Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt | 20 Nov – 23 Dec | 🚗 ~1:25 | 🚆 2:57 (1) | 🚆 2:29 (1) | 🚆 2:58 (2) | €32 |
| Cologne Kölner Weihnachtsmärkte | 16 Nov – 23 Dec | 🚆 2:16 (1) | 🚆 2:37 | 🚆 2:12 | 🚆 3:07 (1) | €20 |
| Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Weihnachtsmärkte closed 25 Dec | 19 Nov – 30 Dec | 🚆 1:50 (1) | 🚆 2:14 | 🚆 1:48 | 🚆 2:32 (1) | €20 |
| Oberhausen Weihnachtsmarkt CentrO | 13 Nov – 23 Dec | 🚗 ~1:30 | — | — | — | — |
| Essen Essener Weihnachtsmarkt | 13 Nov – 23 Dec | 🚗 ~1:40 | — | — | — | — |
| Münster Münster Weihnachtsmärkte | 23 Nov – 23 Dec | 🚗 ~2:00 | — | — | — | — |
| Dortmund Dortmunder Weihnachtsstadt | 19 Nov – 30 Dec | 🚗 ~1:50 | — | — | — | — |
Aachen 🇩🇪
The easiest "real German market" from Brabant and Limburg: around the cathedral, compact, Printen everywhere. Drive, or train to Heerlen then the hourly local train.
Daily 11:00–21:00. Totensonntag 22 Nov: 18:00–21:00 only. Sat 12 Dec open until 22:00.
Official site ↗Cologne 🇩🇪
Seven markets in one city, the Dom market being the postcard. Worth a full day; go midweek, the Saturday trains from NL are packed.
Opening date differs by market (16–23 Nov); Heumarkt runs to 6 Jan. Several markets closed on Totensonntag 22 Nov, others open after 18:00.
Official site ↗Düsseldorf 🇩🇪
Closest big German market to Eindhoven by train (via Venlo) and one of the few that runs after Christmas. Pair with Altstadt beer halls.
Early close 24 Dec, closed 25 Dec, reopens to 30 Dec.
Official site ↗Oberhausen 🇩🇪
The car-friendly one: market plus mall plus parking. Good for a family who wants shopping and glühwein in one stop, not atmosphere.
Sources differ on 13 vs 14 Nov opening. Next to the CentrO shopping mall; huge parking.
Official site ↗Essen 🇩🇪
International market (250 stalls, many non-German food stands) on the Kennedyplatz. Quieter than Cologne, good value.
Official site ↗Münster 🇩🇪
Five markets in a cycling city that feels oddly Dutch. Best from the east and north of NL; a long day from Brabant.
Official site ↗Dortmund 🇩🇪
Runs after Christmas; the giant tree is the draw. Combine with a BVB match if you can get tickets.
Home of the 45 m "world's tallest Christmas tree".
Official site ↗Belgium
| Market | 2026 | Eindhoven | Amsterdam | Utrecht | Rotterdam | Fare from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antwerp Winter in Antwerpen | 4 Dec – 3 Jan | 🚆 1:33 (1) | 🚆 1:15 | 🚆 1:38 (1) | 🚆 0:45 | €20 |
| Brussels Winterpret / Plaisirs d'Hiver | 27 Nov – 3 Jan | 🚆 2:24 (1) | 🚆 1:56 | 🚆 2:03 (1) | 🚆 1:10 | €25 |
| Bruges Wintergloed Brugge | 20 Nov – 3 Jan TBC | — | 🚆 2:45 (1) | — | 🚆 2:00 (1) | — |
| Ghent Gentse Winterfeesten | 4 Dec – 31 Dec TBC | — | 🚆 2:30 (1) | — | — | — |
| Hasselt Winterland Hasselt | 13 Nov – 3 Jan TBC | 🚗 ~1:00 | — | — | — | — |
| Liège Village de Noël de Liège | 27 Nov – 30 Dec TBC | 🚗 ~1:30 | — | — | — | — |
Antwerp 🇧🇪
The best cross-border option from the Randstad and Brabant: direct trains, runs into January, and the city is worth it on its own.
Open over New Year; longer hours at weekends. Grote Markt, Groenplaats, Steenplein.
Official site ↗Brussels 🇧🇪
Big, 2 km long, with the light show on the Grand-Place. More spectacle than cosiness; great for a weekend.
Official site ↗Bruges 🇧🇪
The prettiest setting in Belgium and a free light trail. Overnight it; a day trip from Eindhoven is 3+ hours each way.
Projected from the 2025/26 edition (21 Nov – 4 Jan); confirm before travelling.
Official site ↗Ghent 🇧🇪
Student city, lively evenings, less touristy than Bruges. Good for a group that wants bars after the market.
Projected from 2025 (4–31 Dec).
Official site ↗Hasselt 🇧🇪
An hour from Eindhoven by car and mostly covered; the rainy-day fallback for Brabant families.
Projected from 2025/26 (14 Nov – 4 Jan). Fairground-style with a big indoor tent.
Official site ↗Liège 🇧🇪
Combine with Maastricht and Valkenburg for a one-day three-country loop by car.
Projected from 2025. Belgium's oldest Christmas village.
Official site ↗Getting there
Train times above are NS International headline figures; (1) means one change. Trains from Eindhoven to Germany go via Venlo. Coach day trips win on "no driving, no parking"; trains win on flexibility and arriving in the centre.
| Option | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Slangen Reizen "Dagje Kerstmarkt" (via Etos) | €37 pp | 13 destinations incl. Cologne, Düsseldorf, Aachen & Monschau, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent; pick-ups incl. Eindhoven, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Rotterdam; valid 21 Nov 2026 – 2 Jan 2027. |
| NS International | from €20 one way | ICE to Cologne/Düsseldorf from €20, EuroCity to Antwerp from €20, Brussels from €25, Aachen from €32. Book early. |
| 24h-Ticket NRW | €59.80 for up to 5 people | Unlimited regional trains in North Rhine-Westphalia for a day: Aachen–Cologne–Düsseldorf–Essen hopping once you are across the border. |
Rules of thumb
- From Eindhoven, Düsseldorf (1h50 via Venlo) and Aachen (~1h25 by car) are the easy German trips; Cologne is 2h16 by train and worth the extra.
- From Amsterdam, Düsseldorf and Cologne are direct ICE trips of 2–2.5 h; Aachen is nearly 3 h with a change — better as a Maastricht/Valkenburg combo.
- Most German markets end on 23 December. For after Christmas, pick Düsseldorf or Dortmund (to 30 Dec).
- Saturdays in December the Cologne ICE is standing-room; book seats or go on a weekday. The NRW 24h ticket (€59.80 for 5) makes Aachen–Cologne–Düsseldorf hopping cheap once you are across.
- Antwerp is the best cross-border trip from the Randstad and Brabant: direct EuroCity trains (Amsterdam 1h15, Rotterdam 45 min, Eindhoven 1h33), runs 4 Dec – 3 Jan.
- Bruges and Ghent are 2.5–3 h from Eindhoven each way — stay overnight. Hasselt is an hour by car from Eindhoven and mostly covered: the rainy-day option.
- Belgian markets stay open over Christmas and New Year, unlike most German ones. Antwerp and Brussels are the safe picks for 26–31 December.
Dates verified 25 Oct 2026 against official sites, NS International and ANWB. TBC = only the previous edition was published; the dates shown are projected.