{"id":50333,"date":"2016-11-23T11:49:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T17:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=50333"},"modified":"2017-09-28T22:32:15","modified_gmt":"2017-09-29T03:32:15","slug":"12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/","title":{"rendered":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strolling the Christmas markets of Europe, a warm mug of mulled wine in hand, is a dream trip for holiday revelers. A festive swirl of holiday cheer awaits, eager to tickle the senses. From artisan crafts on display in\u00a0rows of\u00a0stalls adorned with garland and holly to the scent of spiced nuts and warm gingerbread hanging in the air\u2014it’<\/span>s enough to turn the grouchiest of Grinches into a warm-hearted reveler. Now imagine hopping from market to market in some of Europe’s most charming cities by way of river cruise.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 less traveled European cities that should be on your bucket list<\/a><\/p>\n

My mother and I turned this dream vacation into a reality by booking a trip with <\/span>Viking Cruises<\/span><\/a> for Christmas market season, which runs late November until December 24. This trip\u00a0remains one of our most cherished mother-daughter memories and confirmed for me why no Christmas\u00a0market in America fully\u00a0captures the holiday magic of\u00a0those found\u00a0in Europe.\u00a0(Keep in mind: Some of these markets date back to the 13th century, so it’s a holiday traditionwith\u00a0strong roots.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The trip also taught me\u00a0that we made a wise move\u2014a very<\/em> wise move\u2014by joining a river cruise. At the time, I thought it was the \u201cpractical\u201d option for us. My mother has a disability, and cruise vacations tend to service her best. The benefits, however, extend\u00a0well beyond this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 12 reasons to join a river cruise during Europe\u2019s Christmas market season. With some early planning (it\u2019s best to book these holiday river cruises 6 months to one year in advance), you, too, can experience the wonder and magic of Christmas in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"magdeburg-christmas-markets\"<\/p>\n

1. See multiple markets in one trip<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why pick just one? European river cruises string multiple\u00a0towns into one itinerary. This means that you will experience\u00a0many\u00a0markets over the course of a single journey, as each town typically boasts at least one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Down

Down the Danube River<\/p><\/div>\n

2. <\/strong>River cruises stop in\u00a0diverse\u00a0destinations
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

With a river cruise itinerary, you’ll experience grand European cities such as Vienna and Budapest, along with\u00a0quaint villages such as Stradbourg and Passau. And with each stop, no two markets are the same. Myfavorite observation\u00a0was the varied twist on the Gl\u00fchwein, or mulled\u00a0wine, across each market\u2014both the wine and the beautifully decorated ceramic mugs in which the wine was served (great souvenirs!) were\u00a0unique to each market. Just be sure to pick a river\u00a0itinerary that includes your must-see\u00a0markets.\u00a0Popular rivers include the Danube (flows through 10 countries including Germany, Austria and Hungary) and the Rhine (flows through six countries including France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland).<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> Access to each port town is crazy good<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The ships are significantly smaller than the average cruise ship you’ll find sailing the ocean. (My Viking longboard ship accommodated fewer\u00a0than 200\u00a0passengers.) This intimate size is what enables them to sail European\u00a0rivers that wind through the heart of cities and countrysides. It also means that ships can often dock right in the middle of each port town, making walking to most\u00a0Christmas\u00a0markets easy.\"cruise-cabin\"<\/p>\n

4. <\/b>Unpack once<\/b><\/h3>\n

The ship serves as a floating hotel. Your cabin is your \u201chotel room\u201d for the entire journey. If you were to DIY a trip bundling in multiple market cities, it would involve packing\/unpacking, checking in\/checking out and coordinating extra travel between destinations. No, thank you. Save that running around for exploring\u00a0the markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>It\u2019s an all-inclusive experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you tried to book individual hotels and transport yourself, it would likely cost a lot more. (Not to mention, be a logistical headache.) Pay one price and have your itinerary, accommodations, meals and most activities covered with river cruise experts\u00a0such as Viking Cruises<\/a>, Uniworld<\/a>, Ama Waterways<\/a>, Avalon Waterways<\/a> or Crystal Cruises<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. <\/strong>Fellow travelers are filled with holiday cheer<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll be surrounded by like-minded travelers in the Christmas spirit. Go ahead and sing \u201cJingle Bells\u201d at dinner while aboard the ship, and watch people put down their forks to join you.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALSO:<\/strong> Looking for more cheer? Join Orbitz Rewards and earn toward your next trip instantly!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"christmas-market-cookies\"<\/h3>\n

7.<\/strong> You’ll never go hungry<\/b><\/h3>\n

Between the meals on the ship, which include holiday accents such as Gl\u00fchwein (mulled wine) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread), and spontaneously feasting on the local delicacies at the Christmas markets, you won’t have to make a single reservation.<\/p>\n

\"Flickr

Flickr CC: Gail Frederick<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

8.<\/strong>The ship is decked out in the holiday spirit<\/b><\/h3>\n

Ships\u00a0are specially decorated with the season in mind, which keeps\u00a0the\u00a0festive mood going nonstop. I loved returning to our ship after exploring a port and seeing the giant, bedazzled Christmas tree in the main lobby.<\/p>\n

9. <\/strong><spanstyle=”font-weight: 400;”>Enjoy onboard holiday-themed activities and entertainment
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

From watching local\u00a0musical performances to baking gingerbread cookies with onboard pastry chefs to decorating the ship’s Christmas tree, plenty of holiday-themed opportunities await. While our ship was sailing to a new port, my mom and I spent an afternoon making handmade ornaments together in a special class offered to passengers. It’s one of my favorite memories from\u00a0our voyage.<\/p>\n

\"dresden-market\"<\/h3>\n

10.\u00a0<\/strong>Escorted shore excursions add extra spice<\/b><\/h3>\n

Most shore excursions are included in the price. Although you’re free to blow them off to explore the town and markets on your own, it’s worth taking advantage of them\u00a0to learn about the history, the architecture and culture of each town from local guides. Because it’s the holiday season, these walking tours often wind through\u00a0the Christmas\u00a0markets\u2014where you can get tips from your\u00a0local guide on where to get the best items\u2014and include some special surprises. For instance, while in Passau, I got to participate in a demonstration of how gingerbread\u00a0is made at a local bakery, alongside the entertaining owner-chef.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0 <\/strong>Onboard experts are ready with stellar advice<\/b><\/h3>\n

Everyone who works on the ship can serve as an in-the-know concierge, from the actual<\/em> concierge to the bartenders to the waitstaff. They’ll tell you what to shop for at each market and which delicacies\u00a0you absolutely, positively need to sample. They’ll also help you with recovery after you’ve indulged in all of this. While in Budapest, I wanted to experience a\u00a0traditional\u00a0Hungarian bath after a long day exploring the city’s Christmas market\u2014and the Viking team hooked me up with a fabulous recommendation, complete with meticulous directions and instructions (written in Hungarian), so that I’d have a stress-free evening.<\/p>\n

\"Down

Down the Rhine<\/p><\/div>\n

12. <\/strong>Float past the best of\u00a0Europe during the most festive time of year<\/b><\/h3>\n

Watch the sweeping\u00a0landscape from the comfort of the ship. To your right and left, you’ll be wowed\u00a0by the ancient castles, historic churches and colorful\u00a0hamlets nestled amidst the rolling hills and vineyards\u2014all of which are adorned with the\u00a0romance\u00a0that comes with\u00a0Christmastime. Thebest gift was getting to spend hours on the\u00a0ship deck with my mother, both of us feasting our eyes on\u00a0the splendor that is Europe in Christmas, without saying a word or lifting a finger.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz,<\/a><\/p>\n

Save<\/span><\/p>\n

Save<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Strolling the Christmas markets of Europe, a warm mug of mulled wine in hand, is a dream trip for holiday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":51187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1704,84,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holiday-vacations-christmas-travel-ideas","category-cruise","category-europe"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Vienna, Austria","latitude":"48.2081743","longitude":"16.37381890000006","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\n12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Strolling the Christmas markets of Europe, a warm mug of mulled wine in hand, is a dream trip for holiday […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"696\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"470\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erica Bray\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erica Bray\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Erica Bray\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf\"},\"headline\":\"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\"},\"wordCount\":1218,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Christmas Travel Ideas\",\"Cruise\",\"Europe\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\",\"name\":\"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Orbitz\",\"description\":\"Travel Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf\",\"name\":\"Erica Bray\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/EricaBrayBioPic-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/EricaBrayBioPic-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Erica Bray\"},\"description\":\"Erica is a practical free spirit who loves travel, yoga and ice cream. A Northwestern University-trained journalist with more than 15 years of experience straddling digital and broadcast media, Erica can be found doing handstands everywhere she travels -- even risking arrest in some cases. Learn about her at www.erica.media.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/ericabray\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz","og_description":"Strolling the Christmas markets of Europe, a warm mug of mulled wine in hand, is a dream trip for holiday […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/","og_site_name":"Orbitz","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/","article_published_time":"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","width":696,"height":470,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Erica Bray","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@orbitz","twitter_site":"@orbitz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Erica Bray","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/"},"author":{"name":"Erica Bray","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf"},"headline":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season","datePublished":"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/"},"wordCount":1218,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","articleSection":["Christmas Travel Ideas","Cruise","Europe"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/","name":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season | Orbitz","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","datePublished":"2016-11-23T17:49:47+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-29T03:32:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","width":1000,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/12-reasons-take-christmas-river-cruise-europe-season\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12 reasons to take a Christmas river cruise in Europe this season"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/","name":"Orbitz","description":"Travel Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/baaf986977e79d2062af613fbd2fc4bf","name":"Erica Bray","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/EricaBrayBioPic-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/EricaBrayBioPic-150x150.jpg","caption":"Erica Bray"},"description":"Erica is a practical free spirit who loves travel, yoga and ice cream. A Northwestern University-trained journalist with more than 15 years of experience straddling digital and broadcast media, Erica can be found doing handstands everywhere she travels -- even risking arrest in some cases. Learn about her at www.erica.media.","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/ericabray\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Magdeburg-christmas-markets.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}