What if, this year, the trip to the Christmas markets were part of the festivities? After Our selection of the most beautiful Christmas markets in France, heading for accessible European destinations on a single direct Eurostar train, direct, from Lille (1 hour) to Cologne (3 hours 20 minutes). For families, it’s also a chance to turn a simple trip into a real European adventure. No need for an airport, a car, or a parking spot: you board in Paris, get off right in the city center, and there you are, surrounded by holiday lights and the aroma of mulled wine!
Which Christmas markets can you visit by Eurostar from Paris?
Lille 🇫🇷 (1 hr), Brussels 🇧🇪 (1 hr 22 min), Antwerp 🇧🇪 (2 hr), London 🇬🇧 (2 hours 15 minutes), Aachen 🇩🇪 (2 hours 40 minutes), Amsterdam 🇳🇱, and Cologne 🇩🇪 (3 hours 20 minutes) are accessible by direct Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord.
What is the fastest route?
Lille: 1 hour by train and a 5-minute walk to Place Rihour.
How much does a round-trip ticket from Paris to London cost for Christmas?
Starting at €88 per person, reduced to €66 with the 25% discount from the HOURRAIL Club! (34 €/year).
Do I need to book far in advance?
Yes: The best Eurostar fares become available 3 to 4 months before departure, and weekends in December fill up quickly.
And with the HOURRAIL Club!, Enjoy discounts all year round, especially on Eurostar trains.
Our discount of 25% applies to each Eurostar ticket, even when you're traveling with your family.
For example, for a round-trip flight from Paris to London starting at 88 € per person : €88 → €66 with the HOURRAIL Club!, or €22 saved per person.
For a family of four, this amounts to Save €88 on a single round-trip ticket, given that the HOURRAIL Club! costs €34 per year.
With just two round-trip tickets between Paris and London, the pass has already paid for itself!
The Lille Christmas market is the easiest to reach by Eurostar from Paris: the trip takes just under an hour, and both Lille Flandres and Lille Europe stations are only a 5-minute walk from the market.
Christmas spirit in Lille - © Alexandre Ricart, Unsplash
📅 November 18 → December 30, 2026
🚆 Paris → Lille: about 1 hour
📍 Train station → market: 5-minute walk
For a first Christmas outing with the kids, it doesn't get much simpler than this. The market is setting up Rihour Square, right in the heart of downtown, featuring designer booths, regional products, decorations, and a wide variety of gourmet specialties. The Ferris wheel set up on the Grand-Place is the perfect way to round out the outing: it offers a view of Lille all lit up from above.
🎄 What makes Lille unique: A Flemish atmosphere, a Ferris wheel in the heart of the city, and a market that’s particularly easy to reach by train.
💡 Ideal for: A day or a weekend with the family.
Brussels is 1 hour and 22 minutes from Paris by direct Eurostar, and Brussels-Midi Station is about a 15-minute metro ride from the historic center.
Christmas at the Grand-Place in Brussels - © Luna Zhang, Unsplash
📅 November 27, 2026 → January 3, 2027
🚆 Paris → Brussels: about 1 hour and 22 minutes
📍 Brussels-Midi Station → downtown: about 15 minutes by subway
With more than 200 cabins, Plaisirs d'Hiver is one of the largest Christmas markets easily accessible from Paris. The market stretches from the Grand-Place to Bourse, Sainte-Catherine, Vismet, and De Brouckère. But Brussels isn’t just about the chalets: the program also includes a Ferris wheel, an ice rink, attractions, and a sound-and-light show on the Grand-Place.
🎄 What makes Brussels unique: the combination of a huge market, the illuminated Grand-Place, and numerous attractions for children.
💡 Ideal for: A car-free family weekend.
Antwerp is about 2 hours from Paris by Eurostar, with a stop at one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe.
Antwerp - © Marcus Loke, Unsplash
📅 December 4, 2026 → January 3, 2027
🚆 Paris → Antwerp: about 2 hours
📍 Antwerp Central Station → market: about a 15- to 20-minute walk
Winter in Antwerp transforms Antwerp’s historic center into a true winter village. The chalets are set up around the Grote Markt, Groenplaats, Suikerrui, and Handschoenmarkt, along with an ice rink, holiday lights, and plenty of entertainment. Antwerp Central Station is itself one of the most spectacular in Europe: the arrival is already part of the journey.
🎄 What makes Antwerp unique: A magnificent train station, a historic Flemish town center, and a lively Christmas atmosphere.
💡 Ideal for: Combine a Christmas market, architecture, and shopping.
London is a 2-hour-and-15-minute ride from Paris on the Eurostar, and Hyde Park (and Winter Wonderland) is about a 12-minute subway ride from St. Pancras.
London in Winter - © Robert Bye, Unsplash
📅 November 19, 2026 → January 3, 2027
🚆 Paris → London: about 2 hours and 15 minutes
📍 St. Pancras → Winter Wonderland: about 3.3 km, which is about a 12-minute subway ride to Hyde Park Corner.
In London, Christmas takes on a whole new scale. The most famous event is Winter Wonderland, located in Hyde Park: attractions, a Ferris wheel, an ice rink, shows, food vendors, and chalets make it more of a massive Christmas park than just a market. And Winter Wonderland is only part of the experience: Leicester Square, Southbank, and Trafalgar Square also offer their own Christmas festivities.
🎄 What makes London unique: the sheer scale of the decorations and attractions, offering a true Christmas experience for the whole family.
💡 Ideal for: families who want to turn the Christmas market into a big city trip.
Amsterdam is about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Paris by direct Eurostar, and the historic center is just a few minutes' walk from Amsterdam Centraal.
Amsterdam adorned with festive lights - © Nerissa J, Unsplash
📅 Holiday season: November → January
🚆 Paris → Amsterdam: about 3 hours and 20 minutes
📍 Amsterdam Centraal → historic center: a few minutes' walk
Amsterdam doesn't have a single large, centralized Christmas market like Brussels or Cologne; instead, the city offers a variety of events spread across different neighborhoods. The Funky Christmas Market, located in Westerpark (scheduled for December 20, 2026), is a good example, featuring designers, fashion, design, music, and Christmas specialties. But Amsterdam’s true winter spectacle is elsewhere: the Amsterdam Light Festival, from November 26, 2026, to January 17, 2027, transforms the canals into a luminous art gallery.
🎄 What makes Amsterdam unique: the holiday lights along the canals and a more urban, creative, and artistic Christmas atmosphere.
💡 Ideal for: a two- or three-day getaway.
Cologne is 3 hours and 15 to 20 minutes from Paris by direct Eurostar, and the cathedral market is a 1-minute walk from the central station.
Photo by Tobias Rademacher on Unsplash
📅 November → December 2026, depending on market conditions
🚆 Paris → Cologne: about 3 hours and 15 minutes
📍 Cologne Central Station → Cathedral Market: about a 1-minute walk
Cologne is probably one of the most impressive destinations for experiencing the tradition of German Christmas markets. The city has several markets, each with its own unique character: the most iconic one is located right in front of the cathedral, with a huge, lit-up Christmas tree and the Gothic facade of the cathedral as a backdrop. The Cologne Harbor Christmas Market, on the banks of the Rhine near the Chocolate Museum, offers a spectacular view of the river and the cathedral from its Ferris wheel.
🎄 What makes Cologne unique: several different markets in the same city, with the impressive cathedral as a backdrop.
💡 Ideal for: families who want to experience the German tradition of Christmas markets.
Aachen is about 2 hours and 40 minutes from Paris by direct Eurostar (the same route as Cologne), and the market is a 10-minute walk from the train station.
Christmas Market - © Hatim Kanchwala, Unsplash
📅 November 20 → December 23, 2026
🚆 Paris → Aachen: about 3 hours with a transfer
📍 Aachen Hbf → market: about a 10-minute walk
The Aachen Christmas market is one of the most famous in Germany. For over a month, the streets around the cathedral and city hall are transformed into a Christmas village: in 2026, it will be the 53rd edition. The setting is particularly spectacular, with Aachen Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) towering over the hundreds of stalls in the historic center. You can’t leave without trying the Printen, the famous spiced cookies that originated in the city.
🎄 What makes Aachen unique: a market set up around the historic Charlemagne Cathedral and an iconic local specialty, the Printen.
💡 Ideal for: a true immersion in the tradition of German Christmas markets.
| Destination | What kind of experience? | From the train station |
|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 Lille | An Easy Getaway with Kids | ⭐ 5 min |
| 🇧🇪 Brussels | Large Market + Attractions | ~15 min by subway |
| 🇧🇪 Antwerp | Flemish Christmas + Architecture | ~15–20 min |
| 🇬🇧 London | XXL Christmas and Attractions | ~12 minutes by subway |
| 🇳🇱 Amsterdam | Canals + Lights | 5 min. |
| 🇩🇪 Cologne | German tradition + cathedral | ⭐ 2 min |
| 🇩🇪 Aachen | Historic German Market | 10 min |
The HOURRAIL Club! costs 34 € per year and currently entitles the holder to 25% off every Eurostar ticket, including with family, for trips up to December 16, 2026, subject to availability. Destinations accessible by Eurostar include, among others, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Lille from Paris.
For a round-trip ticket from Paris to London starting at 88 € per person: 88 € → 66 € with Club HOURRAIL!, which is a savings of 22 € per person. And for a family of four, that’s a savings of 88 € on a single round-trip ticket!
The current promotion allows HOURRAIL Club members to enjoy 25% off Eurostar,
So, rather London, Brussels, Lille, or Amsterdam for your next Christmas weekend?
Fondateur du calculateur d'itinéraires ferroviaire, Railee.com, je suis convaincu que nous pouvons voyager sans avion en Europe. Et après avoir traversé l'Europe en train de nuit de Paris à Istanbul jusqu'au Cercle Polaire, je vous partage tous mes bons plans pour optimiser vos voyages en train.
