Deals for Christmas Markets

Christmas markets brighten up the pre-holiday scene in many places in Central and Eastern Europe. These specialty markets offer toys, Christmas decorations, traditional beverages such as gluhwein, or hot spiced wine, and traditional sweets including stollen. They are fun, and can be a good source of gifts for people who have everything.

This year British Airways (www.britishairways.com) is offering weekend breaks to three cities known for their Christmas markets--Vienna, whose market dates back to 1294, Ptague and Berlin. The Prague and Berlin packages are moderately priced, considering they include flights from London and two nights in luxury hotels plus some extras. The per person price for Prague is just over $300.

In Berlin, the package includes flights, two nights at the elegant Berlin Bristol Kempinski and some extras, and costs about $400 per person. The pre-holiday period is a good time to visit all these cities, because crowds tend to be small at tourist attractions. In Berlin, don't miss the Christmas market at Alexanderplatz.