Christmas market coach trip

I recently heard an advert for coach trips to a German Christmas market, so I had a look on the web...

A typical 5 day trip....

Day 1. Leave Aberdeen and travel to Hull for overnight sailing to Netherlands.
Day 2. Travel through Netherlands / Germany (with stop) and arrive at destination in evening.
Day 3. Visit markets
Day 4. Back on coach to port (with stop) and overnight back to Hull.
Day 5. Back to Aberdeen.


Here's what I'm doing...

Day 1. Fly direct from Aberdeen to Frankfurt with Lufthansa
and 20 min trip to Mainz.
Day 2-5 Visit markets in Mainz, Weisbaden, Rudesheim etc..
Day 6. Back to airport in afternoon and fly to Aberdeen.

Price is virtually the same. Now, why would anyone take a coach unless they didn't like flying?

We lived in Mainz many years ago and have visited it several times since. Lovely city on the Rhine, but a bit touristy.

Re: Christmas market coach trip

To each his own George, my mother has travelled the world, but still takes many coach trips as she actually enjoys both the company and the sightseeing on the journey, with the destination not being any more important than the rest of the trip...

Re: Christmas market coach trip

Coach trips are ok for some destinations. I have been on a few over the years.
But the one to the Christmas market is excessive. You would return back feeling totally exhausted.
I would certainly prefer to fly on this occasion.

Re: Christmas market coach trip

Couple of dozen bottles of wine, half a dozen or so bottles of spirits, few boxes of this and that, strong cheese, chiller bag plus dry ice for some perishables, no getting crawled through by security, bit of fun en route.

Given that who would fly?

Not us!

Especially when there's no need to go all the way to Germany to visit a Christkindlmarkt, there's some great markets in France and especially one in neighbouring Belgium at Liège.

Mind you ------ if you DO get to De. keep an eye out for a Choleramännchen in any nativity scenes!

You'll find varients of these Cagners across a number of European countries in their Nativity displays!

Re: Christmas market coach trip

I don't tend to bring back alcohol. What we do bring back are 'Maggi' products that we generally can't get here, WMF kitchen ware and Henckels knives and accessories. Sometimes I buy special pipe tobacco mixes and a few cigars.

Mrs. G. quite likes shopping in C&A - especially since they pulled out of the UK.

No, sitting on a coach for ages is not our idea of fun. We don't mind driving our motorhome when we can take whatever route suits us and stop whenever we like, but we'd much rather have 4 hours travel and 5 days there than 4 days travel and 1 day there.

And as I said, in our case, the price is virtually the same.

Re: Christmas market coach trip

Fly every time for me. I do not wish to spend all that time sat on my bum when I could be seeing a little if the world for real, instead of through a window.