Christmas market 2 hours from UK with 'magical' winter wonderland and £32 return flights
A Christmas market just two hours away from the UK has been crowned the number one best destination to visit in Europe. Dubbed "magical" and "magnificent" by travel experts at Get Your Holiday, this winter wonderland is the perfect place to soak up the holiday spirit, with sparkling lights, festive huts and Christmas treats.
What's even better, return flights start at just £32 via easyJet, making it an affordable festive getaway. "There’s something truly magical about Christmas markets, especially when they’re located in the picture-perfect heart of a historic European city," highlighted the travel expert. Below, we have explored why Prague offers the best Christmas market.
According to Get Your Holiday: "The Old Town Square, in Prague, hosts the city’s biggest and best Christmas market. You’ll get a brilliant view of the festivities from the Old Town Hall’s tower, where you can also spot the other Christmas markets that are held around town. Wenceslas Square, Prague Castle, and Kampa Island should be on your list if you want to visit them all."
Get Your Guide detailed what to expect: "There’s a petting zoo, a magnificent 25-meter tree, and a program of carol singing and traditional performances. Adults can swap mulled wine for grog, a local rum, water, lemon, and sugar concoction."
The markets at both Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square feature large nativity scenes made of wood and straw, depicting Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the Three Kings.
At Wenceslas Square, a blacksmith demonstrates traditional metalworking over an open flame. The square also boasts an open-air ice rink, where skaters can enjoy the festive atmosphere, reported the Prague Experience.
The expert continued, "Among the handmade ornaments are winter accessories and traditional Czech foods like gingerbread and trdelník pastries."
Other food highlights include giant spit-roasted hams (šunka), barbecued sausages (klobása), garlic flatbreads (langoš), potato chips (hranolky), smoked meat dumplings (knedlíky plněné uzeným masem), sweet dumplings (sladké knedlíky), pancakes (palačinky), local cheeses, and roasted chestnuts, shared the Prague Experience.
The Prague Christmas Markets run daily from November 29, 2025 to January 6, 2026, remaining open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. However, the cheapest time to fly out from London Gatwick via easyJet is on Tuesday, December 9, for £50.99 and the return flight on Saturday, December 13, for £31.99 (at the time of writing).
The Christmas Markets are free to enter, and food and drink cost between CZK50 (£1.78) and CZK100 (£3.57), making them incredibly affordable. "Bring small denomination cash if you can (CZK200 notes are best).
"Note that places that sell food generally do NOT sell alcohol, so you’ll be going to different stalls," reported Living Prague. The experts also highlighted that travellers should always double-check their change.
"If you are buying something with a high-value note, such as a CZK2000, then make sure you get the correct change, as sometimes the vendor has a forgetful moment and does not include a CZK1000 note in the change, etc."
If you're looking for hotel options, easyJet is offering package holiday deals for Prague visitors. These deals include flights and hotels and cost at a minimum of £181 per person for four nights from Monday, December 8. Discover more by clicking here.
Worth the visit?According to a travel writer at Living to Wander, the Prague Christmas markets are not "that amazing". They shared: "I found many of the stalls to be repetitive, and especially in more touristy areas, fairly commercialised and overpriced with the same mass-produced goods and selection seen over and over.
"BUT (and this is a big but) I contend that Prague is still a magical place at Christmas time, and well worth visiting… especially if you seek out the more ‘local’ Christmas markets rather than sticking to the oft-covered tourist trek."
The top 10 Christmas markets in Europe according to Get Your Guide- Prague, Czech Republic
- Dresden, Germany
- Zagreb, Croatia
- York, UK
- Helsinki, Finland
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Dublin, Ireland
- Budapest, Hungary
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Vienna, Austria
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