★ The chosen route · v3 · in detail

The Grand Plan

Munich Alps Nuremberg Alsace Paris Bruges Brussels

Fourteen nights, 16–30 December 2026 — the day-by-day, an interactive map of every stop, and where to stay. Tap any pin to see the photos & the plan.

14
Nights
6
Bases
4
Nights in Paris
4
Countries
🛬
Arrive Munich (MUC)
Wed 16 Dec · 18:55
🛫
Depart Brussels (BRU)
Wed 30 Dec · 12:20
The whole journey

One westward sweep, six bases

The overview map — the line is your route, the numbered pins are your bases. Tap a city to preview it and jump to its day-by-day below.

🗺️ Tap any pin for photos & details · pinch/scroll to zoom · maps are live (need internet)
A second way to do it

Plan B · The Fairytale Route

You loved Rothenburg & Strasbourg — so here's the variant that gives them their magic hour: an overnight in each, so you shoot them at empty blue hour and sunrise once the day-trippers leave. The trick is making Nuremberg a daytime stop instead of a night — which means Paris (×4) and the Belgian finale don't change at all. Only the Dec 19–22 leg differs.

Below is Plan A (the Grand Plan) in full detail — its maps already show Rothenburg & Strasbourg pins, so tap them there for the photos. Prefer Plan B? Say the word and I'll make it the detailed one.

Before you go

Practical notes

🚗 The rental car

Pick up in Munich the morning of the Alps day (Dec 17); you need it through Bavaria + Alsace. Drop it in Strasbourg on Dec 22 before the TGV — that's a cross-border (DE→FR) one-way drop, so get a written quote & pre-book early (~€150–300). From Paris onward it's all trains.

🚆 The train legs

Strasbourg→Paris TGV ~1h50 · Paris→Brussels Eurostar ~1h27 · Brussels→Bruges ~1h · Bruges→Ghent ~25 min · Brussels→Airport ~20 min. Book the TGV & Eurostar ~2–3 months ahead for the best fares (they're cheapest early).

🎄 Christmas Eve & Day

Paris shops close early on Dec 24 (~17–19h) and most shut Dec 25 — that's why the 24th is department-store windows + churches and the 25th is empty-street Montmartre. Pre-book Christmas lunch/dinner. German markets you'll have already enjoyed close Dec 23–24.

🌉 Access to double-check

Neuschwanstein's Marienbrücke (the postcard view) is often iced shut Nov–Mar — plan the Alpsee-shore angle. Winter tyres are standard/legal in German rentals (confirm). Alpine cable cars close in storms — check webcams the morning of the Alps day.

📷 December light

Sunrise ~08:00 (DE) to ~08:45 (FR/BE); sunset ~16:20–16:55. The 16:15–17:15 blue hour is the daily money window — market lights on, sky still blue. Short days mean easy sunrises. Bring a compact tripod, a fast lens for markets/interiors, and spare (cold-drained) batteries.

🎟️ Book ahead

Neuschwanstein timed ticket · the Arc de Triomphe rooftop · Sainte-Chapelle · Bruges Belfry climb. Paris museum days: Louvre closed Tuesdays, Orsay closed Mondays. Reims (optional Champagne day-trip) needs a cellar booking.

🛏 About the hotel links

Every Book ฿ button opens Booking.com for your exact nights in Thai Baht (THB) — so you see real, live availability & prices there. The ฿ figures on the cards are indicative (converted at ~฿39/€, rounded); December is festive-peak, so reserve early — the best-located places (right on the canals/squares) sell out first. I can't confirm live 2026 availability from here, so treat the cards as a curated shortlist to check & book.