School Christmas Markets Trip to Aachen

Looking for a magical experience to get your German students talking? Look no further than a school trip to Aachen’s Christmas markets!

Aachen is Germany’s westernmost city and sits on the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, putting it within easy reach for a short school trip to the German Christmas markets.

Once the imperial residence of Charlemagne, Aachen is now famous for its magical Christmas markets. Make sure you try some of the famous Printen – this local type of gingerbread is absolutely delicious, especially when it’s fresh out of the oven!

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

(Depart school the previous evening)

Arrive in Aachen and enjoy breakfast in a traditional cafe

Walking tour of the town

Explore the Christmas markets, followed by lunch in a local cafe or from the food stalls at the market

Afternoon

Visit the Cathedral and Treasury

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation

Day 2

Morning

Explore Aachen followed by time to enjoy some traditional warm Printen (a local delicacy) from the Christmas market

Afternoon

Depart and travel back to Calais for Channel crossing

Evening

Arrive back at school

1 night's half-board accommodation
Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:8
Itinerary planning service
Motorway tolls and taxes
Return ferry crossings
Return executive coach travel
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

A Level

Festivals and traditions
Aspects of German-speaking society
Cultural heritage
Individual research project opportunities

GCSE

Food, drink and eating out
Customs, celebrations and festivals
Travel and tourism
Understanding German culture and identity

Key Stage 3

Exploring the town
Food and drink
Cultural traditions

Primary

Exploring the town
Food and drink
Traditional crafts
Festivals and celebrations

Accommodation

a&o Aachen Hauptbahnhof

The A&O hostel Aachen Hauptbahnhof offers comfortable, modern accommodation; in a central location with sights in the old town such as the Cathedral and Elisenbrunnen fountain just a 10 minute stroll away.The hostel boasts 188 rooms ranging from single rooms to multibedded rooms with private en-suite facilities. Students will normally be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, with staff in twins and singles.Leisure facilities include a games room, library, TV lounge and internet terminal. There is complimentary wi-fi in public area's.A buffet breakfast is served each morning, and snacks and drinks are available at the bar throughout the day.

DJH Aachen

Extremely popular among school groups, the DJH Aachen is situated in its own grounds in Colynshof, a ten-minute drive from the city centre and was newly renovated in 2016.Students are mainly accommodated in four-bedded rooms in a modern style (some may have five beds depending on group breakdown), with showers and toilets shared on each floor. Staff will be accommodated in en-suite twin rooms. A single room supplement will apply if they are requested.Various meeting rooms are available for evening activities. Many school groups request this friendly and welcoming hostel each year.

Educational Activities

Centre Charlemagne

The Centre Charlemagne is locatedin the heart of Aachen.

Cultural Activities

Aachen Cathedral & Treasury

Built in the ninth century by the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, Aachen's cathedral has been the focus of the city's

Aachen Christmas Market

Held in the market place in the shadow of the ancient cathedral, Aachen's annual Christmas market draws visitors from all

Café van den Daele-Kockartz

Located in a historic building in the heart of Aachen, this cafe serves traditional, hearty German breakfasts as well as

Elizabeth Halle Swimming

Aachen's original 1920's Jugendstil indoor swimming pool is another popular choice for school groups. There are two separate pools which

Guided Tour of Aachen

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides from Aachen's tourist office will give you an insider's view of the medieval heart of their

Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet

Why not stock up on delicious Germanchocolates on your visit to Aachen? The Lindtfactory shop sells this high quality chocolate

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.