12 Days of Blogmas: Day 7 🛤️

On the seventh day of Christmas, GingerLeafLiving gave to me………………………. Christmas market trips!

With not long to go until the big day, you may be in need of a last minute festive trip to tick the last few items off your list and get into the festive spirit. So this year, leave the car at home and plan a visit to a Christmas market or shopping day by bus or train.

We know that car use needs to be reduced to help us live sustainably, so why not try planning a completely car free day/ weekend trip this Christmas? Firstly, you can research where you can get to easily from your local train station or bus route, and explore their festive offerings. Maybe there is a stop near you where you never get off, and you can be a tourist in your own area. For local events, familiarise yourself with your local bus service to make the most out of planning your trip. Or you might have somewhere in mind, to visit the markets and attractions on offer. Then you can use apps like Trainline to plan your route to get there. Using public transport is not only better for emissions and issues like air quality, but takes the stress out of driving and parking in busy periods and navigating new places. You can also relax and watch the world go by while sipping a hot drink, listening to a podcast or festive music or looking through your market purchases. Going to markets relates back to one of our earlier festive Blogmas gifts of supporting independent makers, so the money that would have gone on fuel can instead to be used to get a unique gift for a loved one while supporting someone’s livelihood.

⬆️ Here are a few pictures from my visits to the Chester and Manchester markets this year – all done by train!

So whether you pick a meeting place to get together with friends, a family day out or a solo trip away, have fun planning your festive trip by rail or bus and enjoy the fun of the season without the stress and dependence on car travel. See where you can explore this month!