Back in early November, I was struggling to fall asleep on a weekday night. As the minutes ticked by, existential dread crept in—how tired would I be for work the next day? Like most people my age, I turned to the soothing glow of my phone and started doom-scrolling TikTok and Instagram. What began as a mindless scroll quickly spiraled into a deep dive of FBI-level internet sleuthing. Eventually, I found myself on the European Christmas Market side of TikTok, and let me tell you, I was hooked.
Intrigued, I started researching Christmas markets in Austria, France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and, of course, Germany. Before I knew it, I was looking up market dates, must-try foods, weather conditions, hotel accommodations, flight prices, and even mapping out a route to optimize travel time between markets. That night, I pieced together an entire itinerary, complete with budgets and accommodations—and I still managed to grab a few hours of sleep before work.
The next day, my mission was to get my husband on board and plant the seeds for this festive adventure. Thankfully, it didn’t take much convincing, and within a week, I was booking everything.
We spent an unforgettable week in Germany and the Netherlands, visiting eight different Christmas markets and soaking in the magic of the season. I scored an amazing deal on airfare, flying out of Newark, New Jersey, and into Frankfurt, Germany. While many influencers and bloggers advised skipping Frankfurt, we decided to spend two days there—and I’m so glad we did!
Frankfurt is an incredible city, and the Römerberg Christmas Market quickly became one of my favorites from the trip. With Hilton points to spare, we stayed at the Hilton Frankfurt City Centre, perfectly located for exploring the city. At the market, we had our first taste of Glühwein and Apfelwein, devoured brats, pretzels, and discovered the joy of Kartoffelpuffer with applesauce—basically a potato latke, and absolutely delicious.
What started as a sleepless night turned into one of the most unforgettable trips I’ve ever planned. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we explore the enchanting Christmas markets of Cologne, Germany, and I share tips to help you plan your own magical holiday adventure!
Ash
Plated passport 
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