Flying to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) of cheap and direct flights is the easiest way to travel to the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, Germany’s most famous Christmas market (Weihnachstmarkt).
Cheap direct flights on British Airways or Ryanair to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) are the best way to travel non-stop from London Heathrow or Stansted to the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt in Bavaria, Germany. Connecting flights from other British airports are also possible on several airlines including Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France. The Nuremberg Christmas market is not the biggest or oldest Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany but it is arguably the most famous and the most popular German Christmas market amongst foreign visitors.
Transportation from Nuremberg Airport (NUE) to downtown Nürnberg is exceptionally easy by public transportation. Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers but most visitors find the U-Bahn train (metro / subway) easy and much cheaper. Factor the easy and low cost of transportation from Nuremberg Airport into budgeting before opting for other airports such as Munich or Frankfurt.
In 2024, the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt (Nuremberg’s Christmas Market) in Germany is open from November 29 to December 24, 2024. For visitors planning ahead, the market is open on November 28 in 2025. Market hours are generally from 10 am to 9 pm, and closing at 2 pm on Christmas Eve.
Cheap Flights from the UK to Nuremberg
Direct flights from the UK to Nuremberg Airport are currently possible only from London-Stansted on Ryanair (daily) and from London-Heahthrow on British Airways (four flights per week in the 2024-2025 winter season.)
From other British airports such as London-Heathrow, London-City, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, connection flights are available through for example Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), or Paris (Air France).
Taking the train or bus from Munich Airport may often be the better transfer option but keep in mind that transfer cost and time from Nuremberg Airport to Nürnberg center are negligible.
Fly Ryanair from London Stansted to Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
For the 2024-2025 winter season, Ryanair has at least daily flights from London-Stansted (STN) to Nuremberg Airport. Cheap deals are often available but prices are sure to rise closer to Christmas and especially for travel over advent weekends.
If traveling over a weekend, keep in mind that returns to the UK are much cheaper on Monday to Wednesday, while flights from the UK are often far cheaper on Saturday than on Friday or Sunday. Hotels in Nuremberg are often cheaper on Sunday than any other day of the week.
Ryanair also has many non-stop flights from other European airports to Nuremberg – see below.
Fly British Airways from London Heathrow to Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
British Airways increased flights for the 2024-2025 winter season from London Heathrow (LHR) to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) to four flights per week. These flights are on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday and are ideal for weekend breaks, although travelers able to fly to Germany on Monday and return to London on Thursday are likely to get the best prices.
Fly on Lufthansa to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) and the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt
Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, has non-stop flights to Nuremberg Airport only from Frankfurt Airport (FRA). These flights are mostly used by connecting passengers on long-distance flights but are of course also most useful for travelers to the Nuremberg Christmas market. Connecting flights on Lufthansa (and subsidiaries Austrian and Swiss) are available to Nuremberg on around 400 different routings from all over the world.
Lufthansa also allows flight and train combinations (or flight and Lufthansa bus via Munich Airport) if flights are booked with Nuremberg (NUE) as the final destination.
Travelers arriving at Frankfurt Airport on Lufthansa and some other airlines can also use the Rail&Fly deal to continue the journey to Nuremberg by train. At €30 one-way second class, Rail&Fly is a good deal as any train may be used. Direct trains from Frankfurt Airport take around 2h30 and depart mostly at least hourly. Full-fare one-way tickets are around €75 but advance reservations for a specific train could be as cheap as €20. See timetables and book tickets at Deutsche Bahn / German Railways.
Non-Stop Flights to Nuremberg Airport from Other European Airports
Only a few major carriers have non-stop flights to Nuremberg Airport. These flights are particularly useful for intercontinental travelers who may add the European flight onto a long-distance flight at a fraction of the normal European flight cost. This allows travelers from all over the world to reach Nürnberg through non-German hubs as well.
Non-stop flights to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) are available mostly daily from major European hubs including:
- Amsterdam (AMS) on KLM
- Istanbul-Atatürk on Turkish Airlines
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on Air France
- Hamburg (HAM) on Eurowings
Cheap non-stop flights to Nuremberg Airport (NUE) low-cost airlines (mostly Ryanair) are usually only a few times per week but at very good prices, from countries in especially Mediterranean vacation destinations such as
- Spain — Barcelona (BCN) on Vueling and on Ryanair to Alicante, Malaga, Mallorca, Seville, and Valencia.
- Italy — Bari and Palermo on Ryanair
- Hungary — Budapest (BUD) on Ryanair
- Rumania — Bucharest on Wizz Air
- Serbia — Belgrade on Air Serbia
The best alternative airport to Nuremberg Airport is Munich Airport (MUC) with its huge number of European flights and easy train or bus travel to Nuremberg. Frankfurt International Airport has unrivaled intercontinental connections but the train or connection flights may add considerably to the cost of travel. Nuremberg is also easily reached by train or car from most parts of Europe.
Nuremberg hotels are generally less pricey than those in Frankfurt or Munich but early reservations are recommended and prices tend to stay high during the pre-Christmas Advent season.
More on Traveling to Nürnberg:
More resources for planning travel to Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany:
- Buy a Nürnberg City Card to save on sightseeing and transportation.
- Top Sights to See in Nuremberg:
- Visit the Nuremberg Trials Memorial (Courtroom 600)
- Reichsparteitagsgelände (Nazi Party Rally Grounds)
- Visit the Germanisches Nationalmuseum — the largest cultural history museum in Germany.
- Visit the Kaiserburg — Imperial Castle in Nuremberg
- Visit the Albrecht-Dürer-Haus Museum where the artist lived and worked for two decades.
- Visit the DB German Railways Museum
- Visit the Nuremberg Christmas Market (Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt)
- Transportation to Nuremberg in Bavaria
- Traveling by Train to Nuremberg – German Railways Timetables to Nuremberg
- Book Flights on Lufthansa, KLM, or Air France.
- Cheap Flights to Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
- Transportation to Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
- Transportation from Munich Airport (MUC) to Nuremberg
- Nuremberg hotels are generally less pricey than those in Frankfurt or Munich.
- Adidas Factory Outlet Stores — half an hour north of Nuremberg but a very popular stop en route to Bamberg.
- Suntransfers give online quotations without requiring flight and personal details.