Why European Christmas Markets Aren’t Right for Our Neurodiverse Family — For Now
An honest look at why European Christmas markets may be too overwhelming for our neurodiverse family right now, from sensory overload to crowds and travel.
EUROPEAN HOLIDAYS
9/17/20265 min read
Why European Christmas Markets Aren’t Right for Our Neurodiverse Family — For Now
I have always loved Christmas markets.
The lights, the decorations, the smell of food cooking, the Christmas music and that feeling that Christmas has properly arrived. There is something incredibly special about wrapping up warm, walking between the little wooden stalls and stopping for something nice to eat or drink.
And for years, visiting one of the big European Christmas markets has been on my list.
Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Cologne — I would absolutely love to experience Christmas in one of these cities.
But this is one of those posts that is quite difficult for me to write because, as much as I would love to go, I genuinely don’t think a European Christmas market break would work for our family right now.
And that’s okay.
Most Holidays Feel Possible With the Right Planning
One of the main reasons I started Holidays & Kiddos was because I don’t believe having a neurodiverse child automatically means that travelling has to stop.
We’ve learnt that there are often ways of adapting a holiday around our children’s needs.
That might mean choosing a villa rather than a busy hotel, travelling at a quieter time, taking familiar food, preparing the children for flying or asking for additional assistance at the airport.
Our holidays don’t necessarily look the same as somebody else’s, but that doesn’t make them any less worthwhile.
I’ve written a lot about preparing a neurodiverse child for going on holiday, because preparation can make an enormous difference for us.
However, I also think it’s important to be realistic.
Sometimes the adjustments needed would change an experience so much, or the potential difficulties would outweigh the enjoyment so significantly, that we have to accept that a particular trip isn’t right for us.
At the moment, European Christmas markets fall into that category.
Short Breaks Are Already Difficult for Us
One of our biggest problems would actually start before we reached the Christmas market.
Short overseas breaks can be difficult for our family.
My eldest finds the whole airport experience overwhelming. There is so much happening at once — queues, announcements, security, crowds, unfamiliar surroundings and then the flight itself.
We can use strategies to make this easier, and I’ve shared many of them in my guide to supporting a neurodiverse child at the airport.
But getting there is only one part of the challenge.
Once we arrive somewhere new, my eldest needs time to settle into the accommodation.
On a week-long holiday, we can accommodate that. We don’t have to rush out immediately. We can spend time exploring the room, unpacking familiar belongings and allowing everyone to adjust.
On a two- or three-night Christmas market break, there simply isn’t as much time.
By the time we’ve travelled, settled into the hotel and adjusted to the new environment, a significant part of the trip could already be gone.
Christmas Markets Can Be a Huge Sensory Experience
Ironically, many of the things I love about Christmas markets are exactly the things that could make them difficult for my children.
They’re bright.
They’re noisy.
They’re busy.
There are flashing and twinkling lights, Christmas music, people talking, food smells, unfamiliar surroundings and crowds moving in every direction.
For somebody who enjoys that atmosphere, it can feel magical.
For a child who is sensitive to noise, crowds, lights or smells, it could potentially feel completely overwhelming.
Of course, every autistic and neurodiverse child is different. Some children might absolutely love Christmas markets. Others may cope brilliantly by visiting at quieter times, wearing ear defenders, taking regular breaks or choosing smaller markets.
But I have to think about my children and what I know about them.
And right now, I think it would be too much.
Safety Would Be Another Major Concern for Us
My youngest is a flight risk.
This affects many of the decisions we make when planning holidays and days out.
A busy Christmas market is exactly the sort of environment where I would struggle to relax. There can be hundreds or even thousands of people moving around, particularly during evenings and weekends.
Rather than wandering around enjoying the stalls and soaking up the atmosphere, I know I would constantly be watching where my child was and worrying about losing sight of them.
There are things we can do to reduce this risk when travelling, but there are also situations where I have to ask myself a very simple question:
Would I actually enjoy this?
At the moment, I don’t think I would.
I think I would spend most of the trip feeling stressed.
Could We Make It Work?
Possibly.
We could choose a quieter Christmas market.
We could stay very close to the market so that returning to the hotel for breaks was easy.
We could visit first thing in the morning or during quieter weekday periods rather than at night.
We could use ear defenders, prepare the children beforehand and have an escape plan if things became overwhelming.
We could also choose a longer trip rather than trying to squeeze everything into a weekend.
Those adjustments might make a Christmas market break possible for some neurodiverse families.
But there’s another lesson I’ve learnt since travelling with my children:
Just because we could make something work doesn’t necessarily mean we should.
Sometimes there are other holidays that suit our family much better.
It’s Okay to Say “Not Yet”
I think there’s a lot of pressure on families to create experiences for their children.
We see beautiful Christmas trips on social media and it’s very easy to imagine that everyone else is making these incredible memories while we’re missing out.
But a holiday isn’t successful because you managed to tick a destination off a list.
For me, a successful family holiday is one where my children feel safe, we can enjoy ourselves together and we’re not constantly pushing everyone beyond what they can cope with.
That’s why, for now, European Christmas markets are off our list.
I’m disappointed because it’s something I would genuinely love to experience as a family.
But I’m not saying never.
I’m saying not yet.
As the children get older, things may change. Airports might become easier. They may cope better with busy environments. My youngest may become safer in crowds. A Christmas market trip that feels impossible now could look completely different in a few years.
And if that happens, Vienna, Prague, Budapest or Cologne might finally make it onto our Christmas travel plans.
Choosing the Holiday That Works for Your Family
If you’re reading this because you’re wondering whether you could take your autistic or neurodiverse child to a European Christmas market, my experience shouldn’t put you off.
Your child isn’t my child.
Some neurodiverse children will absolutely adore the lights, music, food and excitement. Some will manage brilliantly with a little preparation. Others may find certain parts difficult but still get enough enjoyment from the experience to make the trip worthwhile.
And some families, like ours, may decide that it simply isn’t the right holiday at the moment.
All of those decisions are valid.
Before booking, I’d think about how your child usually manages:
busy crowds and queues
bright or flashing lights
loud music and unexpected noises
strong food smells
cold weather and winter clothing
airports and flying
unfamiliar accommodation
changes in routine
eating away from home
short, busy itineraries
If several of those things are already difficult, combining them into one short trip could potentially be overwhelming.
Our Complete Guide to Travelling With an Autistic Child has more ideas for planning trips around your child’s individual needs.
Christmas Doesn’t Have to Mean a European Christmas Market
The good thing is that saying no to one type of trip doesn’t mean saying no to Christmas experiences altogether.
A quieter UK Christmas break, a woodland lodge, Christmas lights at a quieter time of day, a festive day trip or simply choosing somewhere with plenty of space and the ability to retreat back to your accommodation could suit some families much better.
That’s something I want Holidays & Kiddos to represent.
I want to share places that neurodiverse families can explore, but I also want to be honest when something doesn’t work for us.
There are so many places I still want to take my children.
European Christmas markets will just have to wait.
Maybe one Christmas, when they’re a little older, we’ll finally get there.
