Last December I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with roughly 4,000 strangers in Strasbourg, all trying to photograph the same wooden stall selling felt ornaments. The mulled wine line took 25 minutes. I paid €6 for a cup I could barely drink because someone’s elbow kept knocking my hand. That’s when I realized the classic “Christmas market train trip” advice online is mostly written by people who haven’t actually done it recently. So here’s what I’ve learned across five winters of riding European rails specifically for markets. Not the fantasy version. The one where you actually enjoy yourself. The Route That Actually Works…