Valkenburg Christmas Markets

Itinerary

Highlights

• Hotel for 3 nights with breakfast
• Last night dinner in the hotel
• One evening with live music
• Leisure Time in Valkenburg
• Included visit to Aachen Christmas Market
• Arrival day porterage & welcome drink (2025 tours only)

Your Itinerary

DAY 1 From your chosen joining point your feeder vehicle will take you to your designated interchange point where your holiday begins. After joining your holiday coach, head to Dover for the short sea crossing to Calais. Drive through France and Belgium and onto your hotel in Valkenburg, Holland for your 3 night stay. First 2 nights with breakfast, last night with dinner included in the hotel.

DAY 2 - 3 At leisure in Valkenburg with one INCLUDED excursion

Visit Valkenburg town centre where you have ample time to explore the shops and the Christmas Market. Valkenburg's Christmas Market is spectacularly held in the Town Cave and the Fluweelengrot (Velvet Cave). Twinkling lights and magic illuminations reflect off the walls and soft Christmas music gently disturbs the serene silence more typical of these surroundings. You will see caverns, decorated niches, stalls with various Christmas items for sale and stalls demonstrating old Dutch trades and handicrafts. On Saturday evening the Christmas Parade passes through the centre of Valkenburg (starts at 19.30).

NB Your free day in Valkenburg is likely to be the Sunday (Saturday for 2025 departures) or Wednesday for the Monday departures and an entrance fee applies to both caves (not included). In the past few years timed entrance tickets had to be pre-booked and pre-paid online (https://www.christmastownvalkenburg.com/tickets/) with no option to buy these locally at the caves themselves. This is likely to still be the case this year but tickets should not be booked until your tour has been guaranteed to operate as once booked, the tickets cannot be amended or refunded. As a guide, entrance tickets in 2023 were Velvet Cave approx €8.50 pp and Municipal Cave approx €8.50 pp plus booking charges.

INCLUDED EXCURSION
Aachen Christmas Market
For about four weeks before Christmas, the squares and lanes around Aachen Cathedral and the town hall are transformed into a Christmas village. Twinkling lights and the scent of mulled wine and Aachener Printen (kind of gingerbread) wherever you go - and all in a unique atmosphere! It’s no coincidence that Aachen Christmas market has regularly made it to the top tenBest Christmas Markets in Europe in recent years.

DAY 4 After breakfast, travel back through Holland, Belgium and France to Calais for your return to England arriving back early to mid-evening.

IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION

ETIAS
ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorisation System) is due to begin in April 2025 and will be an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals (inc. UK) travelling to Europe. ETIAS will be linked to a traveller’s passport and is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

ETIAS must be applied for at least 72 hours in advance of travel and will cost €7.00. Under 18’s and Over 70’s are free, but they still need to be registered. For more information, please visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Passport
For advice on passports when travelling into Europe please visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/travelling-in-europe/

EES (European Entry & Exit System)
The planned launch date of 10 November 2024 has been delayed and no start date has been given as to when EES (European Entry & Exit System) will be in place. This is the new entry and exit system for UK citizens (and many other citizens) when entering or exiting the EU. For more information, please visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en

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Accommodation

Grand Hotel Monopole, Valkenburg - 3 Star Hotel .

Stay for 3 nights at the family-run Grand Hotel Monopole, which is a firm favourite with Crusader clients. 

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