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. 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
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
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
The tiny van parked beneath a tram stop that’s quietly making some of the best coffee in town
Danny Jones
In a city as big and bustling as Manchester, let alone all the other great on-the-go food and drink spots across the ten boroughs, it can be hard to know where to start – that’s why Elliott’s coffee van is cleverly grabbing people on their way in and out of town to sample his stuff.
With brilliant blends, bakes and other kinds of brews up for grabs, it’s becoming a regular stop for us.
Finding a good cafe in transit can often be somewhat of a challenge, especially when you want to support independent businesses wherever possible.
If you’re happy to settle with one of the big brands that you’ll find at most major stations, grand, but if you want a proper good grind, perfect temperature, not to mention great service from a friendly face, then come and see Elliot.
Having recently celebrated more than a year since he first posted up outside the admittedly ‘no man’s land’-ish Metrolink station, this busy little bee has brought a welcome dose of energy and colour to this particular Bee Network interchange.
While Cornbrook doesn’t feel as lonely and forgotten as, say, Pomona, just one stop along, it’s long felt ever so slightly too out of the way, lonely, and a bit grey.
Thankfully, these days (at least if you time it right), when you go around the corner and head towards the archways bordering Castlefield and the edge of Trafford, you’ll now hear tunes coming down the road, and instead of simply smelling petrol or dank water, you’re hit with a whiff of freshly roasted beans.
We get the same warm feeling when we arrive here as when we see neighbouring Libby’s canal boat cafe floating just outside The Wharf.
It’s also worth noting that Elliot doesn’t just buy any old grounds: he’s a passionate barista who has such a love for the good stuff that he decided to buy a little Piaggio Ape 50 three-wheeler van and turn it into a mobile cafe, serving speciality coffee from around Greater Manchester and loading it all up himself.
Spotlighting everyone from Kobean and Assembly to wholesalers like Carter – not to mention fresh pastries and sweet treats from beloved Stockport bakery, Sticky Fingers – this lovely lad is indie through and through.
As well as loyalty, he even does gift cards.When we say everything is freshly pressed, we mean it…
Having gone full-time last August after starting in June 2025, we’re chuffed to bits to see it going so well for him, especially seeing him slog through the Manc weather come rain or shine, even giving us our fix during the colder months in that often rather dark Cornbrook corner.
What’s more, he’s also got some solid tunes on rotation, whether you need an extra early morning pick-me-up on your commute besides the caffeine, or just want that added boost later in the day.
Elliot serves with a smile and is always happy to have a little chinwag; better still, while he’s getting bigger and longer lines nowadays, the queue always moves quicker than you think it will.
For anyone looking to pay him a visit, his opening hours are 7am-1pm every day bar Mondays (six days a week is still no joke), and you get him for an extra hour until 2pm on Saturdays.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd December 2025 
