Perhaps you’ve been toying with the idea of visiting a Christmas market, but the potential of a long drive through freezing rain holds little appeal. In that case, you could do worse than to plan a hotel-inclusive weekend getaway by train. German Rail presently has several offers to some of the country’s best loved Christmas markets, including those in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Hanover, Basel, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Leipzig. For details, click here.

For example, should Basel, Switzerland, sound suitably exotic to you, you could go online and book a two-night package inclusive of a double room at the four-star SAS Radisson Hotel located just five minutes from the Old Town, breakfast, and rail transportation to and from your hometown at a cost of 408 euros for two persons. Should both travelers hold valid Bahncards, those passes that allow 25 percent or 50 percent savings on all rail journeys, 358 euros would cover the cost of the package for two. (Solo travelers might find themselves out of luck with this package, as I was unable to proceed with my theoretical booking of a single room.)

Intrigued, but feeling a bit shaky at the prospect of going through with an expensive booking on a Web site you’ve had to navigate entirely in German? Most sizable train stations will have a travel bureau where you can book these packages in person, going through the details step-by-step with an agent. A weekend in a luxurious hotel, exploring a new city, and a Christmas market thrown in -- how’s that for an early gift of the season for your beloved?