The top hotels in Strasbourg, Colmar, Nuremberg and Vienna sell out for December by the end of August. Not the good ones. The top ones, meaning the properties within walking distance of the market square, which is the only thing that matters when it is minus two degrees and you have been drinking Gluhwein since four.

It is late August 2026. That deadline is now.

Here is what the season actually costs, when the cheap window sits, and the tax change in Vienna that most booking pages will not show you until checkout.

The 2026 dates, confirmed so far

Most European Christmas markets open between 20 and 28 November 2026 and close on 23 or 24 December. A handful run longer. Here are the specific ones worth planning around.

• Vienna. The main Rathausplatz market runs 14 November to 26 December 2026. Schonbrunn continues into early January as a New Year market.
• Prague. 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, one of the longest runs in Europe.
• Strasbourg. Opens in the last week of November and closes 24 December 2026.
• Nuremberg. Traditionally opens the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent and closes 24 December.

Cities confirm final dates in late summer, so check the official city tourism page before you lock in non-refundable travel. The pattern above has held for years, but the exact opening Friday moves.

The cheap window is smaller than you think

The best value for 2026 sits on weekdays between 1 and 15 December. In that stretch every major market is fully open, crowds are meaningfully thinner than the mid-December weekends, and hotel rates run 20 to 40 percent below the peak.

Everything about that window is driven by two behaviours. Weekend visitors from within the same country pile into Friday and Saturday nights, which is why a Saturday in Strasbourg costs nearly double a Tuesday in the same week. And international visitors cluster into the last ten days before Christmas, because that is when the holidays start.

Arrive on a Sunday, leave on a Thursday, and you are paying close to the lowest rate the season offers while seeing exactly the same market.

The two windows to avoid are the opening weekend, when rates spike on novelty and half the stalls are still setting up, and 16 December onward, when prices climb every single day until the markets close.

What rooms actually cost

Rough ranges for a mid-range double room within walking distance of the main market, based on December 2026 pricing.

City	Weekday, 1 to 15 Dec	Weekend, mid Dec
Strasbourg	130 to 200 euros	240 to 400 euros
Vienna	110 to 180 euros	180 to 300 euros
Nuremberg	100 to 170 euros	200 to 340 euros
Prague	80 to 140 euros	140 to 240 euros
Colmar	120 to 190 euros	230 to 380 euros

Ranges reflect mid-range double rooms within roughly fifteen minutes on foot of the main market. Properties further out run 30 to 40 percent less and are usually worth it in Vienna and Prague, where public transport is excellent, and usually not worth it in Colmar, where it is not.

The Vienna tax change

From 1 July 2026, Vienna's accommodation tax, the Ortstaxe, sits at 5 percent of the net room rate and applies to every night booked anywhere in the city. On a 160 euro room across four nights that is roughly 32 euros, and it is frequently collected at the property rather than shown in the rate you compared online.

It is not a large sum. It is a large annoyance if you budgeted to the euro, and it is exactly the kind of line item that gets added at the final step of a booking after the comparison is already done.

Which market for which trip

Nuremberg is the benchmark. Strict rules on what can be sold, no plastic, no piped music, and the Christkind opening ceremony is genuinely a thing rather than a marketing exercise. It is also the most crowded per square metre of any market on this list. Go on a weekday or do not go.

Strasbourg is the largest and the most photogenic, spread across roughly a dozen squares in the old town. It calls itself the capital of Christmas and prices accordingly. Pair it with Colmar, 30 minutes away by train, which is smaller and prettier and where you should stay if you want to sleep.

Vienna is the best choice if you want a city that has other things to do when the market gets tiring. Twenty markets across the city, plus museums, coffee houses and concert halls that all operate normally. It also has the deepest hotel supply on this list, which keeps rates the most reasonable.

Prague is the cheapest of the big four by a clear margin and runs the longest, into January. The Old Town Square market is small and very crowded. The Peace Square market in Vinohrady is where people who live there go.

Practical things that change the trip

Book the room before the flight. This is the reverse of normal advice and it is correct here. Flights to Vienna, Prague, Strasbourg and Nuremberg in early December are plentiful and reasonably priced. Central hotel rooms are the scarce item. Lock the room, then find the flight around it.

Check the walking distance, not the district name. Central sounds meaningful and is not. In Strasbourg, being on the wrong side of the Ill from Place Broglie adds twenty cold minutes each way. Look at the map pin.

Bring a mug deposit budget. Most markets charge a refundable deposit of 3 to 5 euros on the Gluhwein mug. You will forget to return several of them. This is fine and the mugs are the best souvenir on the site.

Assume it will be wet rather than snowy. Early December in Strasbourg and Nuremberg averages a few degrees above freezing with rain far more often than snow. Waterproof shoes matter more than a heavy coat.

Where cashback fits

Christmas market rooms are the least negotiable travel purchase of the year. Supply is fixed, demand is concentrated into three weeks, and there is no clever timing trick that beats simply booking early. Which means the only variable left is what you get back.

A 170 euro room in Strasbourg booked through Best returns 17 euros a night. Across four nights that is 68 euros, which is a genuinely large number of Gluhwein and roughly covers the Vienna Ortstaxe if you are going there instead.

Common questions about Christmas market hotels

When should I book hotels for European Christmas markets?
Six to nine months ahead for central properties. Top hotels in Strasbourg, Colmar, Nuremberg and Vienna typically sell out for December by the end of August, so late summer is the practical deadline for the best locations.

What is the cheapest time to visit Christmas markets?
Weekdays between 1 and 15 December. All major markets are fully open, crowds are thinner than mid-December weekends, and hotel rates run 20 to 40 percent below the peak.

When do European Christmas markets open in 2026?
Most open between 20 and 28 November 2026 and close on 23 or 24 December. Vienna opens earlier on 14 November and runs to 26 December. Prague runs 28 November to 6 January 2027.

Is Strasbourg or Nuremberg better?
Strasbourg is larger and more photogenic across a dozen squares. Nuremberg is more traditional and more tightly curated. Nuremberg is more crowded per square metre. Both are better on a weekday.

Do I need to pay a city tax on top of the room rate?
In most of these cities, yes. Vienna charges 5 percent of the net room rate as of 1 July 2026. German and French cities apply per-person nightly rates that vary by property class. It is usually collected at the property rather than included online.

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Images: Hero of an evening Christmas market via Pexels. Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt by Aarp65. Strasbourg market stall via Pexels. Vienna Rathausplatz by Bybbisch94. Wikimedia Commons images used under Creative Commons licence.