10 Reasons to Travel Europe in Winter

German winter timberland hike

Photo: edgaa

Take advantage of off-season in the worlds most visited places.
1. Fewer tourists

When my family took the vacation to Europe, it was in summer. It was summer again three years later when we returned for the Eurail-powered backpacking trip.

I know Im not alone in equating European transport with the June-August tall season. Guaranteed the great chunk of the 460 million general visitors in 2009 landed in summer.

This, to me, is the most appropriate reason to mangle out as well as choose winter.

2. Cheaper rates

A healthy consequence of reason 1, as well as it applies to everything from the airfare over to hotels as well as rail tickets upon the belligerent (though substantially not around Christmas/New Year).

According to Rick Steves, discounts have been largest in small towns as well as areas highly contingent upon tourism (assuming they havent shut down completely). Metropolises with healthy commercial centers dont have to try as tough to capture clientele.

Check out the post 5 transport deals for Fall as well as Winter transport to Europe for the small ideas upon how to save.

Christmas market

Photo: LenDog64

3. Markets as well as festivals

Last year we published the piece upon Where to Find the Best Yuletide Markets in Europe. These travel markets have been set up all over the continent during Dec in the tradition that goes behind to the 1400s, as well as theyre well well known among local as well as informal tourists.

Other annual events hold in the cold embody Carnival (late February), the Dublin International Film Festival (late February), as well as the Kiruna Snow Festival (late January).

4. Atmosphere

Snowflakes descending in front o! f the ba ck-lit Eiffel Tower. Icicles hanging from the eaves of the Bavarian B&B. The muffled crunch of tires upon snowed-over roads in central Oslo or Warsaw or Amsterdam.

Being from south Texas, we conclude the sorcery the genuine winter has in it. Id love to see Europe through that lens.

Tarvisio, Slovenia

Photo: Lady AnnDerground

5. Winter sports

Several of the Top 10 International Ski Mountains to Hit in 2010 were in Europe.

The continent gave names to both mountainous as well as nordic ski disciplines. Snowboarding is less popular than in the States yet well determined (my brother-in-law is roving Saint Sorlin DArves as we write this).

Then theres snowkiting, snowshoeing, ice fishing, extreme sledding, as well as ice racing.

Check out Ski Europe for mountain package deals.

6. Indoor attractions

Europe is abounding in indoor culture (museums, art galleries, palaces, cathedrals). These heated, well-lit spaces have been pretty appealing when the object sets during 3 as well as temperatures float around freezing (though hours might be curtailed off-season). Theaters as well as concert halls tend to put upon some-more performances during winter as well.

Or, if the day is particularly nasty, outlay it shame giveaway in the pub, such as those Matador Nights has profiled in Stockholm, Hamburg, as well as Reykjavik.

Aurora borealis, Norway

Photo: GuideGunnar Arctic Norway

7. The aurora

Darker days meant some-more opportunities to see the Northern Lights. Youll need to be in northern Scandinavia to have the satisfactory shot, yet Scotland gets strike with relations magnitude too.

Check out The Northern Lights: Best Places to See Them in Europe, Canada & Alaska for some-more info.

8.! The tem perate south

For destinations similar to the Canary Islands, Crete, Cyprus, Sicily, as well as the southern regions of Italy, France, Spain, as well as Greece, winter can be the most appropriate time to revisit weather-wise.

For example, Athens sees 50- as well as 60-degree days Dec-Feb, whereas summer easily pushes over 100. Maybe the small cold for the swim, yet theres no be concerned of heatstroke during the Acropolis.

9. Ice hotels

Every winter in northern Scandinavia, the handful of traveller accommodations have been built up from the ice. Everything from buildings to beds to shot glasses have been delicately forged from the frozen blocks.

The result is something unique, as well as we can see shots in Igloos, Castles, Sewage Pipes, as well as Survival Pods: The Worlds 9 Weirdest Hotels.

Ice hotel, Sweden

Photo: bjaglin

Matador Goods editor Lola Akinmade shares what she knows about ice hotels in Discovering the Real Scandinavia Off-Season.

10. Winter cuisine

The realities of life during northern-latitude winters have spawned the series of traditional cold-weather meals throughout Europe.

In Switzerland as well as tools of France, theres raclette as well as fondue, both of that have been formed around warmed cheese. Germans similar to to mangle out the venison when it gets cold, as well as roasted chestnuts have been the vendor tack during Yuletide markets.

Mulled wine is the traditional hot splash in most countries as well as is served in these London bars.

Community Connection

Tell us what reasons YOUve found for traveling Europe off-season.


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