Chester Christmas Market has been named one of the best in the UK for escaping the crowds, according to new research by TrainPal. The study ranked 20 popular UK Christmas markets based on rail booking data, visitor figures, year-on-year travel trends and distance from the nearest railway station.
Chester came ninth in the list with a score of 79.32 out of 100. Canterbury Christmas Market topped the rankings with a score of 96.09, followed by Coventry Christmas Market (90.09) and Glasgow Christmas Markets (86.01).
What to Expect at Chester Christmas Market
This year's market runs from Wednesday, November 18 to Tuesday, December 22, a much shorter run than Manchester's. It is held in the square by the Town Hall and features 80 traders selling local produce, handmade crafts, jewellery, stocking fillers and more.
The market is open from 10.30am to 6.30pm Sunday to Wednesday, and from 10.30am to 8pm from Thursday to Saturday. Chester itself offers ancient city walls, historic buildings and a range of independent shops and businesses for a festive day out.
How the Rankings Were Decided
TrainPal analysed 20 popular UK Christmas markets, combining rail booking data with visitor figures, year-on-year travel trends and distance from the nearest railway station to identify destinations offering a potentially quieter Christmas experience. Each market was given a score out of 100, although higher scores don't necessarily guarantee fewer crowds, rather a stronger performance against the study's criteria.
Manchester featured in 19th place with a score of 39.02, followed by Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market, which scored 22.58. The full top ten includes Canterbury, Coventry, Glasgow, Leicester, Nottingham, Bath, Worcester, Winchester, Chester and York.
