DREADING the thought of doing the Christmas shopping? Perhaps a change of scene and scenery might be in order.

And if battling through airport security puts you off the idea of heading to the Continent, why not let the train take the strain?

Eurostar trains can whisk you from London to Brussels in just two hours for connections to destinations across Europe, including the German city of Frankfurt, where the Christmas market has been a feature from 1393.

Straddling the banks of the River Main, the city has long been a key trading centre, which takes the business of Christmas very seriously and has exported its expertise to several British cities. More than 200 market stalls, carousels and Germany’s tallest Christmas tree are all packed into Romerberg square and the surrounding streets, stretching down to the nearby riverbank.

One landmark not to be missed is the Honey House, a 300-year-old half-timbered building put up each year for the duration of the market, packed with a host of honey and beeswax candles.

There are tasty treats aplenty at the market, from hot sausages and gluhwein to Frankfurt specialities such as Bettmanchen, small marzipan and almond treats, and hot apfelwein, the local cider. Apfelwein can also be sampled at the traditional Apfelwein pubs.

A green wreath over the doorway is a traditional sign that Apfelwein is served, in a large jug called a Bembel and drunk from a special ribbed glass called a Gerippte, usually while enjoying a hearty meal.

Among the brands to look out for is Possman, produced by a family which has been in the business since about 1880. Nestling in the cellars of its headquarters in the city are three unusual fermenting vessels, made using what were intended to be the hulls of Second World War U-boats. Welded together in Frankfurt after shipyards on the coast were destroyed by Allied bombing raids, the submarines were abandoned unfinished when the war ended and were snapped up by the firm in 1946 as it repaired wartime damage.

To keep the Christmas theme going, the city's Palmengarten Botanical Garden stages a seasonal exhibition in its historical Palm House and visit also offers an excuse to call in at the Cafe Siesmayer next door, whether for a snack, a full meal, or coffee and cake.

Other popular spots to stop off for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate are the three branches of Wackers Kaffee in the city centre, run by the same family since 1914.

For a filling meal of German fare, try the Klosterhof, in Weissfrauenstrasse, but make sure to leave a little room for some of the splendid sweets.

For a change of pace and a taste of Germany away from the city, the Main Valley south-east of Frankfurt offers a number of choices, including Seligenstadt and Aschaffenburg, both about half-an-hour’s travelling time away by road or Rail.

Seligenstadt grew up around a former Benedictine monastery, next to the river and surrounded by the close-packed streets and half-timbered buildings, with the stalls of the Christmas market tucked into the small square in front of the town hall.

Aschaffenburg was once the second home of the Archbishops of Mainz, whose former residence, Johannisburg Castle, stands in a prominent position above the River Main. Looking at the building today and touring the galleries of the museum and art gallery it now houses, it is hard to believe that in 1945 air raids and artillery fire during the closing stages of the Second World War reduced much of it to rubble.

An unusual attraction in the town is the Pompeiianum, an idealised Roman villa, built in the 1840s on the orders of King Ludwig of Bavaria, who was inspired by excavations of the ruins of Pompeii.

Its garden includes a tiny vineyard, which produces grapes used to make one of the world's rarest wines. Although offered a taste when I visited the town, I was feeling under the weather, so sadly wasn't up to assessing its qualities.

Schlossplatz - Castle Square - between Johannisburg and the town centre is the site for the Christmas Market, with the stalls and rides coming alive as darkness falls.

This year's Frankfurt Christmas Market opens on November 23 and runs until December 22, Seligenstadt’s is open from November 24 until December 11 and Aschaffenburg’s from November 24 until December 22.

  • While a change of trains in Brussels is currently required to reach Frankfurt, with a Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) InterCity Express train linking the city and Brussels, DB plans to launch a direct London-Frankfurt rail service through the Channel Tunnel by December 2013.

BRUSSELS may be just the ticket if you want to enjoy a short break and give your Christmas shopping a Continental flavour. Direct trains from London St Pancras International make the journey simple, hotels abound in the administrative centre of the European Union and the annual Winter Wonders event will put you in the Christmas mood ahead of the big day.

The rectangular space of the Place St Catherine, once the city’s fish market, provides the setting for the main Christmas market, with more than 240 stalls, a skating rink, street entertainers, carousels and a giant ferris wheel. This is also a good spot to find fine food, with many of the restaurants focusing on fish.

For fashion fans, the nearby Rue Antoine Dansaert is a mecca, with many of Belgium’s leading designers having shops here. A fashion trail is just one of series of walks that can be found at the website of Visit Brussels, including a classic tour around the landmarks in the heart of the city, from the mischievous Manneken-Pis statue, to the spectacular Galeries Saint-Hubert shopping arcade, home to the Neuhaus chocolate shop, owned by the company which invented the praline.

A stone’s throw away from the arcade is the showpiece Grand Place, or Grote Markt in Flemish, dominated by the facades of the 15th century City Hall, the King’s House and the historic homes of the city’s guilds. Here you will also find more Christmas market stalls and a giant Christmas tree. The square also forms the setting for a son et lumiere show every night during the Winter Wonders event, running from November 25 until New Year’s Day.

  • GETTING THERE - William Crossley travelled to Frankfurt and Brussels with Railbookers. For full details of all Railbookers’ tours to Christmas markets in Germany, Belgium and other countries across Europe, see the railbookers.com website or call 0203 327 0871.

Short breaks in Frankfurt, including standard class train travel from London and two nights’ bed and breakfast at the Concorde Hotel, a stone’s throw from the main railway station, start from £285 per person.

For a more exclusive experience, with accommodation at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, in the heart of the city centre, call Railbookers for rates.

Short breaks in Brussels start from £129 for a one-night short break, including rail travel from London and bed and breakfast accommodation at the Hilton Brussels City hotel, in Place Rogier, close to Rue Neuve, Brussels’ answer to London's Oxford Street.

Alternatively, stay at the Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace, in Rue Gineste, from £139 for a one-night stay and rail travel. The art nouveau building, which celebrated its centenary in 2008, was recently refurbished in a style inspired by the paintings of Gustav Klimt. Beer fans will find the hotel's Deco Verre bar hard to resist, with a range of three dozen Belgian beers behind the bar and the Nouveau Taste restaurant serves up a range of classic Belgian and international cuisine from a menu that also offers suggestions for the best wine to accompany each dish.