Travel & Tourism

8 European Christmas markets you can fly to from Manchester, from £27 return

Including the number one Christmas Market in Europe.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 3rd December 2025

Manchester’s Christmas Markets may be fairly famous in their own right – but for those of us who live here they’re perhaps a little less magical than they are for visitors (drinking a gluhwein immediately outside your office takes the shine off it a bit).

Which is why Manchester Airport has now rounded up eight European Christmas markets you could jet off to from as little at £27 return.

That means you could be hitting cities across the continent that have their own time-honoured festive markets to enjoy, from Switzerland to Poland and beyond.

The airport has singled out eight festive destinations from its network of more than 200 that won’t break the bank.

So get packing your comically small Ryanair bag and check this lot out.

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Brussels

Brussels is one of the cities you can fly to from Manchester for a European Christmas break
Brussels is one of the cities you can fly to from Manchester for a European Christmas break. Credit:
 Luna Zhang on Unsplash

Head to the Belgian capital and you’ll find twinkling Christmas markets sprawling right across the city.

This is a perfect European destination if you like your Christmas season to be filled with beers (for which Belgium is world-famous), chocolate, and fries.

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The heart of the action is Grand Place, but the markets sprawl out across a number of other locations like the Marché aux Poissons, with more than 200 stalls; and the Place de Brouckère, which offers an ice rink and funfair rides.

Fly with Ryanair from £27pp return | Market dates 28 November – 4 January

Milan

You’ve surely seen Milan’s jaw-dropping cathedral – well this is the backdrop to the Italian city’s Christmas Markets, which fill the Piazza Duomo every December.

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You’ll find stalls selling handmade trinkets, cheese, and charcuterie, as well as panettone which actually originated right here in Milan.

Fly with Ryanair from £29pp return | Milan Christmas market runs from 1 December – 6 January

Gdansk

Stop what you’re doing right now and get ready to book flights, because you could jet off to Europe’s best Christmas market from just £30 per person.

Gdansk is big on spectacle and covers the city in Christmas lights and street performances, with stalls filling the picturesque Old Town.

It’s also a bargain for British visitors, with beer less than £3 and Polish delicacies like Pierogi dumplings costing even less than that.

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So you can stuff your £8.50 bratwurst in Manchester, frankly.

Fly with Ryanair from £30pp return | Gdansk Christmas market runs from 21 November – 23 December

Oslo

If you want an authentically white Christmas, this might be the place to try – Oslo is one of the most northern major cities and that means a good chance of snow – and maybe even a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

The markets themselves have food stalls, a Ferris wheel, an ice rink and a carousel for a picturesque and varied experience.

And if you head out of town you’ll have Norway’s beautiful lakes, fjords and woodlands to explore too.

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Fly with Ryanair from £30pp return | Oslo Christmas market runs from 8 November – 4 January

Riga

Riga at Christmas time. Credit: Unsplash by Daniels Joffe

Another affordable European Christmas spot on the list from Manchester Airport is Riga, the Latvian capital.

Music runs through the markets’ veins, with live performances throughout December from folk banks to Christmas choirs and even DJ sets at the weekends.

These are proudly local markets too, with artisanal stands selling local handmade products.

Fly with Ryanair from £37pp return | Riga Christmas market runs from 29 November – 1 January

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Bratislava

Bratislava is one of the fastest-growing markets in Europe, and is another one that’s both authentic and refreshingly affordable.

Wander the streets of the Old Town to be surrounded by Viennese-inspired architecture and charming market stalls, selling classic fare like bratwurst as well as more local favourites.

Don’t miss langos (a savoury fried bread with sour cream) and lokshe (a potato pancake).

You can also head across to Bratislava Castle to explore a medieval-themed market.

Fly with Ryanair from £38pp return | Bratislava Christmas market runs from 27 November – 6 January

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Bucharest

Right in front of the Romanian Parliament building you’ll find Constitution Square, and Bucharest’s festive activities.

There are more than 130 stands to explore here, selling handmade gifts plus Romanian and international food at reasonable prices.

There’s also a main stage with musical and dance performances, and a Santa’s Grotto where the little ones can meet elves and reindeer.

Fly with Ryanair from £45pp return | Bucharest Christmas market runs from 29 November – 28 December

Zurich

Zurich at Christmas. Credit: Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Nowhere captures a magical Christmas scene quite like Switzerland, and if you fly over to Zurich at this time of year you’ll be able to wander the Christmas markets with the snow-capped Alps in the distance.

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The largest markets are actually indoors, in the grounds of the city’s main train station, where you’ll find Swiss traditions like raclette and mulled wine plus a giant Christmas tree.

Swiss Airlines and easyJet both fly to Zurich from Manchester.

Fly with easyJet from £79pp return | Zurich Christmas market runs from 20 November – 23 December

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Featured image: Daniels Joffe on Unsplash

Travel & Tourism

Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure

Danny Jones Danny Jones Elbow and celebs backing

Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.

The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.

Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.

With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.

Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.

“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”

In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.

Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.

For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.

Brits start petition to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closure amid budget cuts
Jodrell Bank won’t go down without a fight.

In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.

Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.

The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.

Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.

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Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

All Greater Manchester boroughs to have 24-7 night buses from next month as new services launch

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Night bus

Extra night buses, new routes, and more frequent bus services are being rolled out across the Bee Network at the end of this month.

You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy, and now plans to introduce these from September onwards have been confirmed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), along with a series of other measures.

Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford will all get a 24-hour bus service by next month, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.

It’s expected that once the new services have launched, it will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.

Some of the other changes set to be introduced from next month include a selection of brand-new bus services, and more frequent buses during the day and at the weekends.

All Greater Manchester boroughs will have 24-7 night buses from next month / Credit: TfGM

There will also be better connections overall to key employment and leisure destinations like Manchester Airport, Trafford Centre, MediaCity, Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton, Kingsway Business Park, and Logistics North.

“The Bee Network belongs to the people of Greater Manchester and it needs to work for every community,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.

“As we build it, we’re listening and responding to what residents want with the biggest set of improvements we’ve ever made in one go.

“We’re bringing night buses to every borough, launching new routes and ensuring buses run more often in the mornings, evenings and weekends. In doing so, we’re making it easier than ever for people to get around the city region by bus, but we’re also supporting our businesses, whose staff and customers need a reliable and safe way to reach them.

“Almost three quarters of a million people live within walking distance of a bus route we’re improving over the next few months, and we’ll continue improving connections for even more communities based on the feedback we get.”

Read more:

Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.

Featured Image – Aleksandr Popov (via Unsplash)

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