The ultimate Christmas market tips: Where to fly from London Gatwick for festive fun
- London Gatwick reveals the ultimate Christmas market destinations and travel tips
- In the lead up to Christmas, more than 1.4m passengers travelled through London Gatwick to get to Christmas market destinations last year
- Christmas market-style huts will pop up in both terminals this December, bringing seasonal cheer to passengers before they fly
London Gatwick is helping passengers make the most of Europe’s most magical Christmas markets this winter, alongside some hidden gems, revealing top travel tips to ensure stress-free journeys.
Last year, more than 1.4m passengers travelled through London Gatwick to Christmas market destinations in the lead up to Christmas. With search queries for festive breaks soaring in recent years, the airport’s expanded schedule offers 122 European destinations this winter – making it easier to experience the continent’s most iconic seasonal celebrations, from twinkling alpine villages to grand imperial squares.
Whether it’s Vienna’s elegant Rathausplatz, the fairytale charm of Strasbourg or the snowy streets of Rovaniemi (the official hometown of Santa Claus!), London Gatwick will connect passengers to more than 20 festive cities across 14 European countries, with frequent services perfect for short breaks.
In addition to some special appearances across the airport from Santa Claus himself, London Gatwick will bring the magic into both the North and South Terminals, where Christmas market installations will run between 15 and 24 December. Each terminal will feature beautifully decorated Christmas huts, occupied by London Gatwick’s food and beverage partners on a rotating basis. Retailers will also offer passengers festive tastings, seasonal deals, make-up and skincare consultations, to ensure travelling through London Gatwick this festive season is as magical as the destination itself.
Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “Christmas market breaks have really increased in popularity in recent years and we’re delighted to offer such a diverse mix of destinations for passengers to choose from. As well as increased choice and connectivity, we’re excited to bring the festive spirit into our terminals with our own Christmas market experience. We’re ensuring every journey through London Gatwick feels special this festive season, which is all part of our vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”
London Gatwick’s top tips for Christmas market travel this winter:
Look around for the best deals: Prices can vary depending on where and when you fly, so it’s worth comparing options to get the best value. Midweek travel often offers lower fares and quieter terminals, helping you make the most of your trip
If driving to the airport, book parking in advance with Official London Gatwick Parking
Take cash in local currency – some markets have stalls that may not accept card payments. You can pre-order your currency exchange to collect from the airport, for more information: Currency Exchange, Travel Money, ATMs | London Gatwick Airport
If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. For more information: EU Entry/Exit System - GOV.UK
Wear comfortable footwear and warm clothing – most attractions are outdoors in lower temperatures, and there may be lots of walking around and between markets
There are restrictions on what meat and dairy products you can bring back to the UK, which you will need to bear in mind when shopping. Find the latest data on gov.uk
Take a reusable cup – whether it’s hot chocolates or mulled wine, a reusable cup will keep your hot drinks hot while enjoying the sights. Some markets may offer these for a (usually refundable) deposit fee
Many cities on our list are considered walkable, but it’s best to download local transport maps for where you are visiting, and to make sure they’re available for offline use in case you can’t connect to the internet
London Gatwick’s top 10 Christmas market picks:
Austria
Our pick: Salzburg (12x weekly with easyJet and 11x weekly with BA): A music haven nestled in the Alps with their charming Christkindlmarkt and Stern Advent market
Czech Republic
Our pick: Prague (15x weekly with Wizz Air, 14x weekly with easyJet): Fairytale architecture meets festive sparkle in Old Town Square
Denmark
Our pick: Copenhagen (14x weekly with Norwegian, 14x weekly with easyJet): Tivoli Gardens transforms into a winter wonderland
Estonia
Our pick: Tallinn (3x weekly with Air Baltic): Medieval magic in the UNESCO-listed Old Town
Finland
Our pick: Rovaniemi (6x weekly with easyJet and 3x weekly with Norwegian): Meet Santa and see the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle
France
Our pick: Strasbourg (6x weekly with easyJet): The ‘Capital of Christmas’ with nearby Colmar’s charming market
Germany
Our pick: Munich (18x weekly with easyJet): Bavarian charm and world-famous Christmas stalls
Hungary
Our pick: Budapest (11x weekly with easyJet and 7x weekly with Wizz Air): Thermal baths and festive lights along the Danube
Poland
Our pick: Krakow (12x weekly with easyJet and 9x weekly with Wizz Air): Historic squares with Polish delicacies
Switzerland:
Our pick: Zurich (18x weekly with easyJet and 7x weekly with SWISS): Elegant festivities and Europe’s largest indoor market
With 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top 10 airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
For more information:
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specialises in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition.
GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
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London, UK, 24 November 2025
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