IF YOU love a Christmas market but don’t know which one to visit, I hopped on a £20 mystery day trip to see where I’d end up.
What with buying presents, decorating the house and sorting social plans, December can quickly become synonymous with decision fatigue,so figuring out which festive market you fancy can be a step too far.
So when I saw a local coach company was offering a £20 mystery midweek market trip a fortnight before Christmas, it seemed the perfect solution.
As I waited to be whisked away from a bus stop round the corner from my house, I was hoping for somewhere like York or Bath.
I’ve never visited either at this time of year, so I quite fancied seeing the historic streets filled with charming wooden stalls and glittering lights as darkness fell.
Most Christmas markets in my neck of the woods only open at the weekends, so going midweek meant fewer options to choose from.
Read more on travel inspo
It wasn’t long before the guesswork was over and it became apparent we were heading to Birmingham, which boasts the UK’s biggest German market, with stalls running from Victoria Square all the way down New Street to the bullring.
I was at university in the city when the market, inspired by Frankfurt’s festive fayre, first launched, back in 2001.
I’ve only been back to the market once since I graduated and found it too crowded and overpriced, so I was a bit disappointed when I realised where we were going.
But even though Brum’s market wasn’t on my list of festive favourites, going there midweek was actually a really good call.
There were plenty of market-goers milling about to create the right atmosphere, without feeling like you had to fight through hordes of shoppers just to look at the stalls or buy a bratwurst.
Even better, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has reopened since my last visit, making the perfect place to get a bit of peace when the hustle and bustle of the market got a bit much.
It’s a lovely building, home to the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite artwork in the world, and the perfect backdrop for the wooden stalls and huge Christmas tree in the square outside.
I thought prices seemed more reasonable this time too.
A stein containing a double pint of beer was £12.50, which was pretty similar to how much a couple of beers would cost in a city centre pub.
A ride on the carousel was £5 a go.
You must check out the stalls and helter skelter tucked away in the cathedral grounds.
We also really loved the feel of the Gingerbread Christmas Bar at the bottom of the German market down in the Bullring, with its winter woodland of real trees and views out over the church of St Martin.
Would I recommend a mystery midweek market trip?
If you’ve got your heart set on a particular place or vibe, then it’s probably not for you as you need to go with the flow and be able to make the best of wherever you find yourself.
But if you’re happy to see where you end up and just want to leave the planning to someone else, then this could be a brilliant way to get your festive fix.
It’s also a good way to check out if the infamous £99 mystery holiday deals you sometimes see on Wowcher might work for you.
If you fork out £20 and don’t enjoy your mystery day out, then it’s easier to chalk it up to experience than if you’ve spent £100 for antisocial flight times, horrible hotels and the realisation that you could have booked the same break for less elsewhere.
It depends on your spirit of adventure and whether you love the unknown or like to plan every trip down to the last detail.
My last mystery coach trip was a summer day at the seaside when I ended up in Southend, which boasts the UK’s longest pier.
It can be a great way to visit somewhere new that you’d never even consider as a destination or a place you’ve been before and written off.
So why not add a mystery day trip to your Christmas wishlist and see if Santa pops a ticket in your stocking?
For more festive market trips, here’s what the UK’s best Christmas market is like – and it’s had a glow up.
Plus, England’s cheapest and priciest Christmas markets for a pint are officially revealed – how steep is yours?