Visiting the Christmas markets from Huddersfield
Lucy Steel
Speech and Language Therapy
Hi, I’m Lucy and I currently study Speech and Language Therapy as a second-year student at Huddersfield.
My favourite thing about Christmas time is the markets! Before coming to uni I had never explored Manchester, Leeds or York before, but during my time here, I have explored them countless times.
How to get there
Usually, I prefer travelling to these places by train, but for Leeds you can also take the 229 or 254 bus from Huddersfield bus station, which takes roughly 90 minutes and is cheaper.
If you are someone who regularly likes to travel, it would be good to look into getting a railcard or coach card to help with bringing down the cost. The Students’ Union also organises a York Christmas trip, which is another great way to explore nearby places, while saving money.
Markets on a student budget
One of the worries for Christmas markets can be that they are expensive, and some of them can be, especially when you are living on a student budget. However, setting a budget beforehand can help manage the cost.
I like to go to Christmas markets just to explore with friends whilst doing something Christmassy, which you can do without spending a lot of money.
A good idea is to look at online videos and posts about the market you are going to as this gives you an idea of what to expect. Some of them will also talk about how much they spent, which is helpful.
York Christmas Market
York is one of my favourite places to visit at uni! Christmas time in York is very pretty, and the Christmas market is one of my favourites. The stalls in York are perfect for finding unique and affordable Christmas gifts.
One of my favourite places to go in York is The Shambles, an old street with unique shops and a market, which, again, is a great spot to find Christmas gifts.
Manchester Christmas Market
When I went to Manchester Christmas Markets with my friend, we got there late afternoon so we could explore the market stalls when it was darker. It was very nice to see it in the dark as we could see the Christmas lights better. I love the variety of food stalls available.
We also went to the Arndale Centre to do some Christmas shopping as the shops tend to have good deals and sales. The Arndale centre is just a few minutes’ walk away from Victoria Station, which you can get to on a direct train from Huddersfield.
A top tip for if you don't want to do lots of walking in the city is to use the free city bus that stops directly outside Piccadilly Station and can take you around the city centre.
Leeds Christmas Market
Leeds was a great place to meet my friend so we could go exploring. Neither of us had properly been to Leeds before, but we found it so easy to navigate.
The first section of the Christmas Market was on the left as we exited Leeds Station and had a map showing us where everything was. This was super helpful and allowed us to plan our trip better.
While in Leeds we also looked around Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre, which had lots of pretty Christmas lights and decorations. Leeds had a fun fair section of the market, which would be a great place to go to in the evening.
We are very lucky that Huddersfield has such good travel links to nearby cities, that allows us to explore new places. It can be a great thing to do at Christmas time!
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