Reims sets its market on the Place d'Erlon and before the cathedral where the kings of France were crowned, with a scale that puts it among the largest in the country outside Alsace. The regional specificity is champagne: the houses are in the city, several run cellar visits through December, and the market's drinking is done in flutes rather than mugs.
No attendance figure is published by the city, so we record none.
The practical advantage is access. Reims is forty-five minutes from Paris Est by TGV, which makes it the only major French Christmas market that works as a day trip from the capital, and the trains on December Saturdays reflect that.
The cathedral itself runs a light-and-sound projection on its west front during the season, which is a separate programme from the market and worth checking the times for.
PlanningA month-long window in front of the cathedral, 45 minutes from Paris by TGV.