Traveller Stories: Experience the magic of Christmas in Europe

Traveller Story: Experience the magic of Christmas in Europe

Traveller

Birgit Sim

What tour did you travel on?

Swiss Alpine Christmas Markets, 30 November 2025

Why did you select this particular tour?

I had always wanted to experience the magic of Christmas in Europe. I have German heritage and wanted to live through the lead up to Christmas in a cold climate. Rather than focus on just Germany, I was interested in experiencing the Alps in Switzerland and this tour ticked all the boxes. 

Who did you travel with?

Darryl Sim

Have you travelled with us previously?

This was a first-time tour with Albatross!

What was your favourite place/s on your Albatross tour?

Zermatt was my absolute favourite destination on this tour. The fact that there are no cars allowed and we had to get to Zermatt by train was particularly wonderful. The beautiful old town, the large number of restaurants and cafes, museums, opportunities for exploring and of course, on the doorstep of the Matterhorn. I wanted to experience snow and here, I got my snow fix. Such a pretty destination.

What was the most amazing thing you saw or did on your Albatross tour?

It is difficult to pinpoint one exact thing because so many aspects of this tour were remarkable. The scenery was spectacular from day 1. The cities included were all spectacular. Innsbruck's old town was so beautiful with the coloured buildings and cobble stone streets, Bern with its incredible history and Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Our first mountain experience happened in Klosters. Riding our first cable car was a great experience. The views from the top were incredible.

Most memorable moment?

The Gornergrat Mountain ride was the highlight. Riding the funicular cog railway was a wonderful experience and something that my husband, who has a fear of heights, could cope with. We had cracking weather that day, beautiful sunshine and no wind. A spectacular day for us and we will remember this experience for a long time.

What was your favourite meal on tour?

I really enjoyed the Bavarian buffet on the very first night. There was so much choice and I could sample many traditional German dishes. All the meals provided were excellent and were typical of the region we were staying in. Meals were very generous in size in all venues.

What advice do you have for anyone interested in travelling on this tour?

1. Do some research before you go into the towns and cities you are going to visit and stay in. Research the things you can do there in your free time. Research some of the restaurant menus before you go as this will help prepare you for the cost of food in Switzerland. 
2. Ask your guide about alternatives to eating in the local restaurants. We sometimes just wanted a very light meal, and we discovered that COOP in Switzerland was very well priced and offered many ready-made meal options for a fraction of the price. 
3. You will need layers of clothing to keep you warm. However, bring plenty of short sleeve T-shirts as the indoor temperatures of hotels is frequently around 25C. A waterproof coat, a warm hat, gloves and waterproof shoes are essential. It doesn't matter what level of traction your footwear has, you will slip and potentially fall if the paths and streets become icy. Some people in our group purchased attachable spikes for their footwear and they claimed this made them more confident walking in icy conditions. 
4. Don't overpack; rather pack comfortable clothes with a mix and match theme. Pack clothes that are easily washed and dried. The hotels we stayed in did not offer an onsite laundry. The cost of having to launder clothes via the hotel was very high. 
5. Not all Christmas markets are the same and many of them are makers markets offering handmade items. Do your homework about the restrictions with bringing back items into Australia.

Would you recommend this tour to family and friends?

I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wanted to experience Europe in the lead-up to Christmas. There is plenty of down time included for you to do your own exploring or relaxing away from the group. The group size is smaller than other companies and our group size of 21 was perfect. I chose this tour because it was one of the longest tours on offer. For me, it was a once in a lifetime experience. 

To find out more about our this tour click here or contact our European tour specialists for more information.

Read other Albatross traveller stories.