{"id":2615,"date":"2025-12-19T13:12:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=2615"},"modified":"2025-12-19T13:12:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:12:01","slug":"i-played-christmas-market-bingo-there-were-plenty-of-shocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=2615","title":{"rendered":"I played \u2018Christmas Market Bingo\u2019 \u2013 there were plenty of shocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

When I arrived into\u00a0Stockholm Central Station<\/a>\u00a0on the overnight sleeper\u00a0train\u00a0<\/a>from\u00a0Hamburg<\/a>, I was nervous.<\/p>\n

I was in the middle of my \u2018Christmas<\/a>\u00a0Market Bingo Challenge\u2019. I had given myself \u00a3500 to spend over five days, ticking things off my bingo card whilst I traversed across various\u00a0European festive fairs.<\/a><\/p>\n

My transport and accommodation were booked in advance, so the real danger to my budget lay in the markets themselves. The bingo budget covered mulled wine and sausage, transport, accommodation and a wildcard, so I had to make sure every penny counted.<\/p>\n

If I was smart with my spending, I was able to carry the total on from one day to the next.<\/p>\n

Mulled wine and sausages were all mandatory bingo squares of course. But it meant that one particularly expensive market could easily throw everything off plan.<\/p>\n

And Stockholm worried me especially.\u00a0Scandinavia<\/a>\u00a0is not exactly known for being cheap, and enjoying food and drink at Christmas markets can quickly spiral in cost if you are not careful.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To ensure I stuck to my budget, I had one present on my list to buy from my Christmas Market crawl but otherwise I was simply window shopping.<\/p>\n

It felt cosy and calm, but almost suspiciously so. I worried the lack of crowds might mean prices were scaring people off.<\/p>\n

But, it was time to face my fears.<\/p>\n

Since Sweden does not use the euro, I had no idea what damage I was about to do when faced with a menu priced Swedish krona.<\/p>\n

Prices started at 30 SEK for a classic hot dog, but I went for the more traditional Christmas Market option \u2013 the bratwurst.<\/p>\n

The sausage arrived slathered in ketchup and mustard, gloriously so. I took a bite and it was delicious, with enough garlic to repel unwanted strangers for hours.<\/p>\n

Then came the reveal.<\/p>\n

50 SEK, or, as I happily discovered, \u00a33.99.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Markets often labelled budget, such as\u00a0Budapest<\/a>\u00a0or Tallinn, can be the opposite once you arrive. In Budapest two years ago, a bratwurst cost me \u00a313.75!<\/p>\n

Tallinn shocked me this year too.<\/a>\u00a0Mulled wine started at \u20ac7, or \u00a36.15, and a sausage plate cost \u20ac15, or \u00a313.20. Even with the cheaper accommodations, this feels criminally overpriced.<\/p>\n

German markets still set a good standard.\u00a0<\/a>In Hamburg this year, I paid \u20ac5 (\u00a34.38) each for a mulled wine and a bratwurst, which was very reasonable, especially given the superb quality.<\/p>\n

The only cheaper markets I have personally experienced were years ago in Romania. In Timisoara, where a pint of mulled wine cost just \u00a31.<\/p>\n

I expect prices have shot up since\u00a0<\/strong>2017 but that kind of value still\u00a0tends to exist in places that are less visited,<\/a>\u00a0like Brno in Czechia, although you should not expect vast markets with endless stalls like in Germany.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But for charm, fair prices and a reminder that Christmas markets do not have to be cash grabs, Stockholm may just surprise you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I arrived into\u00a0Stockholm Central Station\u00a0on the overnight sleeper\u00a0train\u00a0from\u00a0Hamburg, I was nervous. I was in the middle of my \u2018Christmas\u00a0Market Bingo Challenge\u2019. I had given myself \u00a3500 to spend over five days, ticking things off my bingo card whilst I traversed across various\u00a0European festive fairs. My transport and accommodation were booked in advance, so the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t