Christmas Market Day Trips from Gatwick 2026: 4 Checked, Cheapest First

Gatwick gets more of our searches than any other airport, so here's the short list. Four Christmas markets you can do in a day from Gatwick this December, cheapest whole day first.

Every flight is the cheapest same-day return on Google Flights for that date, checked on 7 October 2026. The whole day adds our ground costs for each city: getting in from the airport, local transport, lunch, dinner and a coffee or a pint. Things to do are on top.

1. Lyon, Sat 12 Dec: about £98

easyJet out at 06:00, landing at 08:40, flight £54. About 11.4 hours in the city, the longest day here by far, and home at 23:55. The market on Place Carnot runs 20 November to 24 December, per the City of Lyon. That weekend there's also a craft market on Place Sathonay.

Open Saturday 10:30 to 22:00, about 100 chalets. From the airport, our cost data has the bus and tram in at about £4 there and back. The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière up the hill is free and the view over the city is the best thing in Lyon.

Lyon from Gatwick on Sat 12 Dec

Lyon's market as a day trip

2. Basel, Wed 16 Dec: about £104

easyJet out at 07:45, landing at 10:25, flight £53. About 7.8 hours in the city, home at 21:55. The market runs 26 November to 23 December on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, free to walk round. Switzerland is dear on the ground, so eat at the stalls.

Open every day 11:00 to 20:30. Buy the CHF 10.70 day ticket at the airport, it covers the number 50 bus and every tram after. A mulled wine was about CHF 6 last year.

Basel from Gatwick on Wed 16 Dec

Every franc we'd spend in Basel

3. Berlin, Tue 1 Dec: about £126

easyJet out at 07:45, landing at 10:40, flight £79. About 7.7 hours in the city, home at 22:30. Gendarmenmarkt opens 23 November and runs to 31 December, per the organiser. Berlin has dozens of markets, so you won't run out.

Gendarmenmarkt charges €2 to get in, but it's free Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 14:00, per the organiser, so on a Tuesday go before two. Under 12s are always free. It's open until 22:00, and the stalls sit between the two domes and the Konzerthaus.

Berlin from Gatwick on Tue 1 Dec

4. Hamburg, Thu 10 Dec: about £132

easyJet out at 07:30, landing at 10:10, flight £82. About 7.3 hours in the city, home at 21:15. The big one on the Rathausmarkt runs 23 November to 23 December, per the co-organiser's listing. Dark by about four, so save the town hall square for last.

Open every day 11:00 to 21:00 and free to walk round, with about 80 stallholders. The S1 train from the airport takes 25 minutes to the main station and a single is €4.10. Look up: there's a flying Santa with a reindeer sleigh over the market three times a day.

Hamburg from Gatwick on Thu 10 Dec

Which Christmas market is cheapest from Gatwick?

Lyon, on the dates we checked. It's also the longest day. Basel is a close second on price but shorter. Berlin and Hamburg cost more, mostly on the flight.

Which one is best for a first Christmas market day trip?

Hamburg or Berlin if you want the classic German market, mulled wine, wooden stalls and all. Basel if you want small and pretty and can live with Swiss prices. Lyon if you'd rather have the longest day, good food and a market as a bonus.

How we picked

A real same-day return from Gatwick, the market open on the day, and the cheapest flight we could find for it. Prague and Munich had cheap flights too, but not on dates we could pair with confirmed market dates yet.

See every day trip from Gatwick

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Photo credits. Top: Andreas Trojak, CC BY 2.0. Basel: Pierre Likissas, CC BY 3.0, cropped. Hamburg: Z thomas, CC BY-SA 4.0.