Traveling with Kids in Winter
Oct 22nd, 2015, 11:16 AM
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Traveling with Kids in Winter
Hi
We are planning to visit Europe in the month of December for two weeks. We are two adults and two adults aged 11 and 8. We need some suggestions for destinations. We will be traveling from Dubai. Following are our criteria
1. This vacation is for kids. So we want to do lots of kids stuff
2. Coming from desert country, we would like kids to play in snow. No skiing or snow sports stuff. Just play with snow and ice.
3. We want to visit some good Christmas markets, few places that I heard of are Cologne, Prague etc but our options are open and we are looking for suggestions.
4. We want to go to destinations which are not expensive for stay etc.
Regards,.
We are planning to visit Europe in the month of December for two weeks. We are two adults and two adults aged 11 and 8. We need some suggestions for destinations. We will be traveling from Dubai. Following are our criteria
1. This vacation is for kids. So we want to do lots of kids stuff
2. Coming from desert country, we would like kids to play in snow. No skiing or snow sports stuff. Just play with snow and ice.
3. We want to visit some good Christmas markets, few places that I heard of are Cologne, Prague etc but our options are open and we are looking for suggestions.
4. We want to go to destinations which are not expensive for stay etc.
Regards,.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 11:53 AM
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Every destination is expensive, some more than others. The most important consideration for your trip is to have warm clothing for all four of you. If this is not available in Dubai, you are going to have to go straight from the airport to a department store and spend a lot on clothing. Try to borrow clothing from friends at home for this trip. Hope you'll encounter snow so the kids can play in it, but if you're at a resort they are going to want to try out sports. Let them, at least, go sledding.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 12:05 PM
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Why no ski ?
Lots of places in Austria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland (quite expensive) - kids can play and or do some ski intiation. Or walk around.
Snow is best found in skki stations, elsewhere we tend to remove and clear it.
Lots of places in Austria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland (quite expensive) - kids can play and or do some ski intiation. Or walk around.
Snow is best found in skki stations, elsewhere we tend to remove and clear it.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 12:39 PM
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Skiing is expensive (both skiing itself and lodging), and also you need special clothing. And ski resorts are not going to be that near the cities they want to go to, it will take a lot of trouble to plan to stay in ski resorts, and time-consuming.
Cities don't remove snow in all parks, I'm sure, where I live, they only remove it from the streets and some parking lots. Kids sled and play in the snow in lots of parks. And cities do have ice rinks, I know Paris has some (one in front of Hotel de VIlle and one used to be in front of Montparnasse Tower). Skating is easy to try and skate rental fairly cheap. If they wanted to, of course, they might if they watched some people doing it. Paris won't be as cold as some of these other places, so not much chance of snow, though. But one could throw iot into the pot, as it does have some CHristmas markets (nothing like Germany). in fact, it might be nice to be in a place that isn't so cold
http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/thin...aris-in-winter
Prague would be cheaper though, than either Paris or AUstria or Switzlerland. Germany can be reasonable.
https://www.pragueexperience.com/eve...as-markets.asp
They have an ice rink in Prague behind the Estates Theater in winter.
Cities don't remove snow in all parks, I'm sure, where I live, they only remove it from the streets and some parking lots. Kids sled and play in the snow in lots of parks. And cities do have ice rinks, I know Paris has some (one in front of Hotel de VIlle and one used to be in front of Montparnasse Tower). Skating is easy to try and skate rental fairly cheap. If they wanted to, of course, they might if they watched some people doing it. Paris won't be as cold as some of these other places, so not much chance of snow, though. But one could throw iot into the pot, as it does have some CHristmas markets (nothing like Germany). in fact, it might be nice to be in a place that isn't so cold
http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/thin...aris-in-winter
Prague would be cheaper though, than either Paris or AUstria or Switzlerland. Germany can be reasonable.
https://www.pragueexperience.com/eve...as-markets.asp
They have an ice rink in Prague behind the Estates Theater in winter.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 04:11 PM
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If you want to hold down costs definitely avoid Switz. For sure snow in Dec you will want to spend some time in the Alps but you can do that in France, Germany, Austria, etc.
Germany might be the most moderate in terms of costs, has access to Alps in Bavaria and there are quite a few towns that have Christmas markets (you will need to check on dates/details).
Prague is a wonderful city, but snow not very likely. But it is quite inexpensive and unique in central europe - since it was turned over to Hitler by Chamberlain it was not bombed in WWII so the architecture is organic - as it grew over the centuries.
Prague would make a nice pairing with Baveria for a 2 week trip and would meet budget requirements, snow activities, Christmas market and some wonderful castles the kids will adore.
Germany might be the most moderate in terms of costs, has access to Alps in Bavaria and there are quite a few towns that have Christmas markets (you will need to check on dates/details).
Prague is a wonderful city, but snow not very likely. But it is quite inexpensive and unique in central europe - since it was turned over to Hitler by Chamberlain it was not bombed in WWII so the architecture is organic - as it grew over the centuries.
Prague would make a nice pairing with Baveria for a 2 week trip and would meet budget requirements, snow activities, Christmas market and some wonderful castles the kids will adore.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 04:20 PM
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Sorry - the note about winter clothes (warm coat, hat, scarf, gloves, warmer pants and sweater) and boots with non skid soles is VERY important if they will be out in the snow for any period. The lowlands might not be SO cold but to get snow in the Alps it will be very cold.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 06:45 PM
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I grew up in a snow drift. Our three kids often disappeared into blowing snow. We know snow.
Even with these PhD like qualifications I am not sure what you mean by:
"No skiing or snow sports stuff. Just play with snow and ice."
Just playing with snow and ice can bore a three year old after an hour. An eight year old after 45 minutes. An 11 year old after 20 minutes. Add ten minutes each if they have never seen the stuff before. Your kids may get bored.
Could you be just a little more specific about what you are looking for?
Even with these PhD like qualifications I am not sure what you mean by:
"No skiing or snow sports stuff. Just play with snow and ice."
Just playing with snow and ice can bore a three year old after an hour. An eight year old after 45 minutes. An 11 year old after 20 minutes. Add ten minutes each if they have never seen the stuff before. Your kids may get bored.
Could you be just a little more specific about what you are looking for?
Oct 23rd, 2015, 07:10 AM
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You also have to realize sometimes you won't get snow in December. You might have the best chance in Switzerland but maybe not the other places.
I have traveled to Europe in Dec. 3 times with no snow and other times with snow so you never know.
It will be cold though and you will all need to bundle up.
I have traveled to Europe in Dec. 3 times with no snow and other times with snow so you never know.
It will be cold though and you will all need to bundle up.
Oct 23rd, 2015, 07:30 AM
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You know, if you had NOT mentioned price, I'd say "Go to Jungfraujoch". You don't have to stay long. You just have to go.
Jungfraujoch is in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It is at the top of the Alps in Europe.
There are no guarantees. Your view COULD be fogged in (ours was). Or you could see on a clear day to the Black Forest in Germany.
My thinking: You are coming from Dubai and you want to experience a kid haven in Wintertime. You don't need them to take ski lessons. You just want them to have fun in a climate totally opposite to yours.
Here is what they could do up there in ONE DAY:
--Take a train THROUGH rock, looking a windows where climbers hung to ropes to try to survive. Really cool movies about all of this.
--Play in a snow park
--Visit an ice palace
--Cross a frozen plateau on a flying fox
--Sled or snow disc downhill
--Do rather tame skiing or snow boarding
I THINK IT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!
How did I come to this opinion?
My kids have traveled widely. They live in a climate where they were guaranteed snow for three months of the year, and while they sledded and skated constantly, we REFUSED to shell out for ski expenses. We could fly to Europe every year for what people shelled out for equipment and ski passes. So I'm saying, we made a decision that skiing did NOT have to be our sole winter experience.
If you ask them their "go-to" cities? Paris and New York (they visited and then lived in both).
If you ask them favorite food? French and Middle Eastern.
If you ask them favorite all-time experiences besides the Millennium in Paris???
Pompeii Italy
Jungfraujoch Switzerland
Jungfraujoch is in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It is at the top of the Alps in Europe.
There are no guarantees. Your view COULD be fogged in (ours was). Or you could see on a clear day to the Black Forest in Germany.
My thinking: You are coming from Dubai and you want to experience a kid haven in Wintertime. You don't need them to take ski lessons. You just want them to have fun in a climate totally opposite to yours.
Here is what they could do up there in ONE DAY:
--Take a train THROUGH rock, looking a windows where climbers hung to ropes to try to survive. Really cool movies about all of this.
--Play in a snow park
--Visit an ice palace
--Cross a frozen plateau on a flying fox
--Sled or snow disc downhill
--Do rather tame skiing or snow boarding
I THINK IT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!
How did I come to this opinion?
My kids have traveled widely. They live in a climate where they were guaranteed snow for three months of the year, and while they sledded and skated constantly, we REFUSED to shell out for ski expenses. We could fly to Europe every year for what people shelled out for equipment and ski passes. So I'm saying, we made a decision that skiing did NOT have to be our sole winter experience.
If you ask them their "go-to" cities? Paris and New York (they visited and then lived in both).
If you ask them favorite food? French and Middle Eastern.
If you ask them favorite all-time experiences besides the Millennium in Paris???
Pompeii Italy
Jungfraujoch Switzerland
Oct 23rd, 2015, 05:46 PM
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IMHO as kids we did a lot in the snow that wasn't skiing or specific winter sports - since it was all over our streets and backyards.
Although we did trek to the hill that the high school campus sat on and used my father's original 1920s flexible flyer to slide down the hill onto the athletic field - for as many times as we were willing to climb the hill. The sled was a long one and held me, my little B and the dog - who loved being in front and getting snow and wind in her face.
Also we made snow forts, had snow ball fights with other neighborhood kids, and built sizable snow men.
So if the kids can get to an area with fairy loose snow they can do any of these. Don;t see the need for skiing given the cost of equipment and lessons but there must be places you can rent sleds or buy an inexpensive one. Also perhaps snow shoes if kids can manage them.
Although we did trek to the hill that the high school campus sat on and used my father's original 1920s flexible flyer to slide down the hill onto the athletic field - for as many times as we were willing to climb the hill. The sled was a long one and held me, my little B and the dog - who loved being in front and getting snow and wind in her face.
Also we made snow forts, had snow ball fights with other neighborhood kids, and built sizable snow men.
So if the kids can get to an area with fairy loose snow they can do any of these. Don;t see the need for skiing given the cost of equipment and lessons but there must be places you can rent sleds or buy an inexpensive one. Also perhaps snow shoes if kids can manage them.
Oct 23rd, 2015, 05:47 PM
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Sorry - note that after about 2 hours even kids (and dogs) will give up and want to head indoors for some hot chocolate. No matter how warmly dressed the snow gets inside your outer clothes and hands and feet get really cold.
