Celebrate Winter Markets Season in Europe

Underscoring the importance of the off-season market for travel to Europe, Auto Europe, a leader in European car rental services for over 56 years, is recommending the top 10 Christmas markets in Europe and offering savings on travel to attend the events.

The recommendations:

Christkindelmarkt, held in Leeds, opens from November 12 through December 19, and is one of the largest and most established German Christmas Markets in the UK with over 40 chalet stalls from authentic German traders.

The second recommendation is the Brussels Winter Wonders, held annually from November 26, 2010 through January 2, 2011 and features a vast number of stalls in a true holiday atmosphere.

Third is the Lille Christmas Market in France opening November 24 through December 30. This month long celebration is extremely popular and in addition to stalls selling arts, crafts and local cuisine, there are many events for children.

The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Fair, held November 18 through December 23 in Birmingham, UK offers over 180 stalls to browse and shop.

The city of Cologne, Germany hosts seven Christmas Markets from November 22 through December 23,  attracting over 2 million visitors annually.

Sixth on our list is the Bath Christmas Market. Held in the UK from November 25 through December 12,  the Abbey Churchyard is a magical setting and transformed into a Christmas shoppers' haven.

In Berlin, there are well over 50 Christmas Markets from November 22 through December 31. Visitors can see over 100 stalls featuring mulled wine, baked cinnamon stars, handicrafts, amusements and more.

Another option: Enjoy a beautiful Cologne Christmas Market from November 19 through December 23, 2010 at London Southbank Christmas Market held in London's Southbank Centre/London Eye. Wander about and find unusual Christmas presents such as amber and silver jewelry, hand crafted toys, glass ornaments and other unique handcrafts.

Ninth on Auto Europe’s list is the Canterbury Traditional Christmas Market in the UK from November 19 through December 23. Visitors can enjoy the Yuletide festive atmosphere while wandering through the many stalls.

Basel, renown as the Christmas City at the heart of Europe, celebrates their Christmas Market from November 25 through December 23. This largest traditional market in Switzerland offers specialized Christmas shops such as the Johann Wanner Christmas House and also features numerous concerts and guided Christmas tours.

Auto Europe offers a multitude of savings on car rental, airfare and hotel services for travelers to enjoy these events and reminds travelers not to forget to request snow tires or chains on car rental if you expect to explore the regions outside the markets.

Auto Europe services over 8,000 car rental locations in 130 countries worldwide. In addition, through their tour division, FlyInternational.com they offer scheduled airfare to Europe with over thirty carriers and service three-, four- and five-star worldwide hotels.

Visit www.autoeurope.com.