Manchester to Nuremberg easyJet flights began on 2 November 2026 and run twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. The flight takes about two hours. As a result, travellers in the North and the Midlands, now have a direct route to one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets.
The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opens on Friday 27 November and closes on Thursday 24 December 2026. However, with only two flights a week, your dates matter more than usual. This guide covers the timetable, the trip lengths that work, fares, the terminal, border checks and how to reach Manchester Airport.
Flight details come from easyJet, Manchester Airport and Nuremberg Airport. In addition, market dates come from the official Christkindlesmarkt website. Everything was checked on 12 November 2026, so confirm times and prices on your own dates before you book.
Manchester to Nuremberg easyJet flights at a glance
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Airline | easyJet |
| Route | Manchester (MAN) to Nuremberg (NUE) |
| First flight | Monday 2 November 2026 |
| Days | Mondays and Fridays |
| Flight time | About 1 hour 50 minutes out, about 2 hours back |
| Season | Christmas market season, until around New Year |
| Manchester terminal | Terminal 2 |
| Launch fare | From £31.99 one way, as advertised by easyJet in June 2026 |
Nuremberg is a new destination for easyJet. The airline announced the route in June 2026 as part of a group of 13 new winter routes from UK airports. Manchester Airport also says it is the only UK airport outside London with a direct service to the city.
How long the route runs
This is a seasonal route. Nuremberg Airport lists it as operating during the Christmas market season until New Year’s Day. Meanwhile, Manchester Airport has described the service as running until early January 2027.
Either way, do not assume flights continue into spring. Instead, if you want to travel late in the season, check that both your outbound and return dates are still on sale.
Flight days and times from Manchester
Flights leave Manchester in the middle of the day. Flight listings checked on 12 November showed Monday departures shortly after 12:00 and Friday departures at about 13:25. Arrival in Nuremberg was shown at around 15:00 on Mondays and 16:15 on Fridays, local time.
Return flights, on the other hand, leave Nuremberg in the mid to late afternoon. Listings showed departures between about 15:25 and 16:45. Because of the time difference, they land in Manchester roughly an hour later on the clock.
Germany is one hour ahead of the UK. Therefore, the outbound journey looks longer than it is, and the return looks shorter. Times can also change from week to week, and listings around Christmas showed some different days. For that reason, treat the times above as a guide and take your booking confirmation as the final word.
Planning around the Nuremberg Christmas market 2026
Christkindlesmarkt dates and opening hours
The official website gives the 2026 dates as 27 November to 24 December. Opening hours are 10:00 to 21:00, Monday to Sunday. In addition, the opening ceremony takes place at 17:30 on Friday 27 November.
Christmas Eve is a short day. Nuremberg’s tourist board lists hours of 10:00 to 14:00 on 24 December. Entry to the market is also free.
One point catches people out. The flights started on 2 November, but the market does not open until 27 November. As a result, a trip booked for early or mid-November will reach Nuremberg before the stalls on the Hauptmarkt are trading.
Which trip lengths work with Monday and Friday flights
A twice-weekly timetable gives you three practical options.
| Trip | Nights | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Friday to Monday | 3 | A long weekend, including the busiest market days |
| Monday to Friday | 4 | A quieter midweek visit with time for day trips |
| Friday to Friday or Monday to Monday | 7 | A longer stay in Bavaria |
Friday departures within the market dates fall on 27 November and 4, 11 and 18 December. Monday departures, meanwhile, fall on 30 November and 7, 14 and 21 December. A day return is not possible on this route.
The opening Friday needs care, however. The listed Friday flight lands at about 16:15, and the ceremony starts at 17:30. After that, you would still need to clear the border, reach the city and drop your bags. It is possible on paper, but a small delay would mean missing it.
Travelling on Monday 21 December raises another issue. The market closes on 24 December, and the next scheduled return day is Christmas Day. Therefore, check carefully which return flights are on sale for that week before you commit.
What to see beyond the main market
The main market fills the Hauptmarkt, the central square of the Old Town. The official site describes wooden stalls selling traditional decorations, Nuremberg gingerbread, known as Lebkuchen, and the city’s small bratwurst.
Two smaller markets sit close by. The Children’s Christmas Market on Hans-Sachs-Platz has a carousel, a Ferris wheel and craft activities. Meanwhile, the Sister Cities’ Market on Rathausplatz sells goods from Nuremberg’s partner cities, with proceeds going to charitable projects.
Away from the stalls, the Imperial Castle and the Old Town are within walking distance. Crowds build in the evening and at weekends. A midweek trip therefore gives you calmer daytime browsing, with the lights still on after dark.
Fares and when to book
easyJet advertised launch fares from £31.99 one way when the route went on sale. Manchester Airport quoted returns from £64 per person when the first flight took off, excluding seat selection and hold luggage. However, those were the lowest fares available on the day of each announcement.
Prices for the market weeks are a different matter. For example, one fare-comparison listing on 12 November showed a return for 11 to 14 December from £221. Two flights a week means a limited number of seats, and December weekends are the dates most people want.
Midweek trips and dates before the market opens tend to be cheaper in those listings. If your dates are fixed, therefore, book sooner rather than later. Add any hold bag at the time of booking as well, because adding one later usually costs more.
Which terminal easyJet uses at Manchester Airport
easyJet flies from Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport, for both departures and arrivals. The airline moved there from Terminal 1 in November 2025, and Terminal 1 has since closed. As a result, older guides and parking bookings may still show the wrong terminal.
Our Manchester Airport Terminal 2 guide explains the layout, security and food options. It is useful reading if you have not flown from Manchester since the rebuild.
How early to arrive
easyJet recommends being at the airport at least two hours before departure. In addition, its gate closes 30 minutes before the flight. Bag drop closes earlier than that, and the cut-off differs by airport. Recent guides quoting easyJet give 60 minutes before departure at Manchester, so confirm the time on your booking.
For a Friday flight at 13:25, that means arriving by about 11:25. In December, however, allow a little more. Our guide on how early to arrive at Manchester Airport covers security at busy times.
Getting to Manchester Airport for your flight
A midday departure removes the dawn start that many winter flights involve. From Birmingham, the drive is around 85 miles and usually takes between an hour and a half and two hours. Even so, leave more time on a Friday, when the M6 is busier.
Drop-off and pick-up at Terminal 2
Manchester Airport charges for its forecourt. The current Terminal 2 drop-off prices are £5.50 for five minutes, £6.50 for ten minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes. In addition, there are no barriers, and payment is due online by midnight the following day.
A free alternative exists, however. The airport offers free drop-off at JetParks 1, with a shuttle bus to the terminal that takes about six minutes. Collection works differently: the Terminal 2 pick-up zone costs £6.60 for up to 15 minutes.
The return journey
Return flights are scheduled to land between about 16:25 and 17:45. On a Monday or Friday, that puts you on the M56 and M6 during the evening peak. Anyone driving home to the Midlands should therefore plan for a slower journey than the outbound one.
That is one reason some travellers prefer not to drive after a weekend of markets. If you would rather be collected, you can see how our Birmingham to Manchester transfer works and ask for a fixed quote.
Groups have an extra option. Christmas market trips often involve friends or family travelling together, and a Mercedes V-Class carries up to seven passengers with their bags.
Passports, EES and cabin bags
Entry rules for Germany
Germany follows Schengen rules. According to the UK government, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive. In addition, it must expire at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
British citizens can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. However, the EU’s Entry/Exit System now applies. On your first trip, you may need to register fingerprints and a photo at the border. Registration is free, although the government advises allowing extra time on arrival and again on departure.
ETIAS is a separate scheme. The EU’s official website states that this online travel authorisation is not yet in operation and that no applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce a start date several months ahead, so you do not need one for this winter’s flights.
What easyJet lets you carry
Every easyJet fare includes one small cabin bag that fits under the seat. Published limits are 45 x 36 x 20 cm, including handles and wheels, and up to 15 kg. A larger overhead cabin bag costs extra or comes with certain seats and fares.
Think about the journey home, too, when you pack. Mugs, decorations and tins of Lebkuchen take up space quickly. Therefore, leave room in your bag, or book a hold bag for the return.
One rule affects food souvenirs. GOV.UK states that you cannot bring pork, beef or other red meat products from the EU into Great Britain for personal use. Cheese and other dairy products are also banned. That rules out Nuremberg sausages, even when packaged, so gingerbread is the safer gift.
Getting from Nuremberg Airport to the Christmas market
Nuremberg Airport sits close to the city, and the transfer is simple. The U2 underground line runs from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, the main station, in about 12 minutes. Buy a ticket from the machine at the station or in the local transport app before you board.
From the Hauptbahnhof, the Hauptmarkt is a walk of roughly one kilometre through the Old Town. Taxis also wait outside the terminal. Meanwhile, a hotel inside or near the Old Town walls keeps the markets, the castle and the station within walking distance.
For the flight home, remember the exit checks. The UK government advises allowing extra time to reach your gate when you leave the Schengen area. An afternoon departure still leaves a relaxed final morning in the city.
Other easyJet routes to Nuremberg
Manchester is one of three UK airports with easyJet flights to Nuremberg this winter. London Gatwick started on 19 November, flying on Thursdays and Sundays according to easyJet’s launch details. Nuremberg Airport lists Gatwick as a year-round route with up to four flights a week.
London Luton follows on 23 November, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Nuremberg Airport lists it as seasonal, like Manchester. For most travellers in the North and the Midlands, though, Manchester remains the closest departure point.
Book your Manchester Airport transfer with National Executive Transfers
Manchester to Nuremberg easyJet flights leave at midday and return by early evening, so the trip is easy to plan around a car. National Executive Transfers provides pre-booked chauffeur travel to and from Manchester Airport in Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. In addition, we agree your price before you travel.
We monitor your flight on the way home, and your chauffeur meets you in arrivals at Terminal 2. To arrange your journey, visit our Manchester Airport chauffeur service page and request a quote.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. easyJet started direct flights from Manchester to Nuremberg on 2 November 2026. The route is seasonal and runs twice a week through the Christmas market period.
The flights run on Mondays and Fridays. Listings around Christmas week showed some variation, so check the dates on sale for your trip.
The outbound flight takes about 1 hour 50 minutes, and the return takes about two hours. Germany is one hour ahead of the UK.
The Christkindlesmarkt runs from Friday 27 November to Thursday 24 December 2026. It opens from 10:00 to 21:00 daily, with a shorter day on Christmas Eve.
easyJet uses Terminal 2 for departures and arrivals. Terminal 1 has closed, so ignore older guides that mention it.
Take the U2 underground line from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, which takes about 12 minutes. The Hauptmarkt is then a walk of roughly one kilometre.
No visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must meet Schengen validity rules, and you may need to register for the Entry/Exit System at the border.
Not on these flights. With departures only on Mondays and Fridays, the shortest practical trip is three nights, from Friday to Monday.
