Europe honeymoon in winter in Europe - what you need to know
Oct 7th, 2012, 10:29 AM
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It doesn't matter if riding in a sleigh is a sport or an activity. In either case it presupposes that you know it will be cold, the countryside will be covered in snow, that you will have to deal with walking through snow, ice, slush, sleet - or if you're really lucky - only chilly rain.
Also that your travel plans can easily be help up by fog or other bad weather.
It seems that these posters quite likely don't understand the conditions that they will have to be touring in.
Also that your travel plans can easily be help up by fog or other bad weather.
It seems that these posters quite likely don't understand the conditions that they will have to be touring in.
Oct 7th, 2012, 12:17 PM
#23
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 12,820
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah, yes, winters in Heidelberg, headquarters of United States Army Europe. There was a cold wind that frequently froze the locks closed on the driver's side of my car.I had to squirt a liquid of some kind in the lock to thaw it, but frequently I just gave up and crawled in on the passenger side, over the gear shift. Those were the days...Good times.
Then there were the horrendous fogs we'd get sometimes. I remember driving home very late one Thanksgiving night when I couldn't see the side of the road. I had to drive (VERY carefully and slowly down the center line of the road back to Patrick Henry Village.
Or the mornings when the road out of PHV was so icy that it took us 45 minutes to get the few hundred feet out the gate. We theorized that the Russians had designed post housing because if there were an emergency, the army would never get out.
I have no desire whatsoever to visit Europe in the winter.
Maybe southern Spain, Greece or southern Italy would be all right.
Then there were the horrendous fogs we'd get sometimes. I remember driving home very late one Thanksgiving night when I couldn't see the side of the road. I had to drive (VERY carefully and slowly down the center line of the road back to Patrick Henry Village.
Or the mornings when the road out of PHV was so icy that it took us 45 minutes to get the few hundred feet out the gate. We theorized that the Russians had designed post housing because if there were an emergency, the army would never get out.
I have no desire whatsoever to visit Europe in the winter.
Maybe southern Spain, Greece or southern Italy would be all right.
Oct 7th, 2012, 01:05 PM
#24
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>Notice who isn't reading/posting to this thread? Anyone who actually needs the help/advice.<<
Why interrupt a self-congratulatory roll? I don't think helping other people was the point of starting the thread, do you seriously?
The point was to call attention to oneself, puff out the chest with self-regard, shake one's head, tsk, tsk at youth, declare oneself glad to be older-- no, make that mature and wiser, well beyond romantic ideas, having put them all aside by the 3rd honeymoon (or never having had one to begin with).
When I plan a trip to India or Asia, I don't plan to "slow" travel. I go to see the famous wonders of the world. One I was young, I had a lot more energy and willingness to get up and go than some people here seem to be able to muster.
Anyway, the real reason no one would read past the first few sentences is not just the condescension. It's boring to read.
Why interrupt a self-congratulatory roll? I don't think helping other people was the point of starting the thread, do you seriously?
The point was to call attention to oneself, puff out the chest with self-regard, shake one's head, tsk, tsk at youth, declare oneself glad to be older-- no, make that mature and wiser, well beyond romantic ideas, having put them all aside by the 3rd honeymoon (or never having had one to begin with).
When I plan a trip to India or Asia, I don't plan to "slow" travel. I go to see the famous wonders of the world. One I was young, I had a lot more energy and willingness to get up and go than some people here seem to be able to muster.
Anyway, the real reason no one would read past the first few sentences is not just the condescension. It's boring to read.
Oct 7th, 2012, 01:21 PM
#26
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 26,390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems like you've done a good job reading it biz.
Let me point out that the reason people ask these questions on Fodor's is because we are experienced.
I'm all for people doing 23 cities in 16 days, but if they ask for my advice, I'll tell them.
It's a good thing to ask for a take advice. The other day I was at the mechanics and I mentioned to my guy that I was thinking about getting a new car. He asked about the car, I told him and he told me why I shouldn't consider that car. When his partner walked into the shop he said, "LSky is thinking about getting a ___" The other guy told me almost exactly what Mech1 told me.
Were they puffing up their chests, tsk-tsking at my naiveté? I think not. He was sharing knowledge. Was he afraid of losing my business? No, he told me what type of car I should consider. I’ve turned plenty of people onto this shop, he’s not afraid of losing me to a another car, just a bad car.
Let me point out that the reason people ask these questions on Fodor's is because we are experienced.
I'm all for people doing 23 cities in 16 days, but if they ask for my advice, I'll tell them.
It's a good thing to ask for a take advice. The other day I was at the mechanics and I mentioned to my guy that I was thinking about getting a new car. He asked about the car, I told him and he told me why I shouldn't consider that car. When his partner walked into the shop he said, "LSky is thinking about getting a ___" The other guy told me almost exactly what Mech1 told me.
Were they puffing up their chests, tsk-tsking at my naiveté? I think not. He was sharing knowledge. Was he afraid of losing my business? No, he told me what type of car I should consider. I’ve turned plenty of people onto this shop, he’s not afraid of losing me to a another car, just a bad car.
Oct 7th, 2012, 01:40 PM
#27
Pegontheroad: You have to get used to our new friend biz. She joined up a couple of days ago and has posted well over 100 times - either scolding or insisting she is THE expert on just about everything you ever thought of . . .
"<i>The point was to call attention to oneself, puff out the chest with self-regard</i>"
Just about describes things perfectly.
"<i>The point was to call attention to oneself, puff out the chest with self-regard</i>"
Just about describes things perfectly.
Oct 7th, 2012, 04:54 PM
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Biz seems to have problems with everyone and everything. I thought the point was to provide useful info.
And since I noticed 5 or 6 similar threads recently with the same problem thought it might be useful - if someone similar looks for honeymoon in winter.
If you disagree that's fine.
We're all entitled to our opinions.
And since I noticed 5 or 6 similar threads recently with the same problem thought it might be useful - if someone similar looks for honeymoon in winter.
If you disagree that's fine.
We're all entitled to our opinions.
Oct 7th, 2012, 05:01 PM
#30
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,018
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NYTrav, I saw no condescension and your post wasn't boring. All of your advice is good. It seems to be human nature, however, for people to want approval of their plans rather than hear the truth about problems. If a poster continues to respond with justification after justification for poor plans (20 cities in 20 days or beach time on the AC in Jan), then I give up and figure they have their minds made up.
Peg, We were also in Germany for three years. We were in Frankfurt, so got little snow, but boy, a fews miles away. . . The worst storm we ever drove through was in April, from The Netherlands to Frankfurt. I was praying until we could find a place we could even see to stop. S. Germany is beautiful in winter, but mostly for winter sports and sitting by a fire.
We were caught a couple of years ago when there were a couple of days that a lot of airports in Europe were closed - hundreds were stranded in Dublin, and water lines frozen all over Ireland. DD had no water for a week. We had been in Italy and it was absolutely freezing and snowy in Milan with lots of flts delayed. We were feeling lucky our flt left for Ireland on time, only to be redirected to Shannon, then Cork. Ended up good for us, as we were not staying in Dublin and would have been stuck had we gone there. Stayed in Cork instead for a couple of unplanned days.
Great things can happen if you don't get too stuck on your plans. We stayed in a wonderful hotel, had one of the best meals ever in Cork and saw those beautiful red foxes playing and running in the snow. DD says you almost never see them because they usually blend in with grass and trees.
Traveling in winter in Europe can be great if you know your way around a bit and have alternative plans, but anything can happen and the short days are so different from the long days of summer. When people have only a week with a set itinerary and things don't go well, it can be a bummer. I wouldn't want to be the planner (or the new spouse of the planner) of some of those honeymoons.
So, NYTrav, keep on giving good advice. Sometimes people do "get it" and make better plans and appreciate it.
Peg, We were also in Germany for three years. We were in Frankfurt, so got little snow, but boy, a fews miles away. . . The worst storm we ever drove through was in April, from The Netherlands to Frankfurt. I was praying until we could find a place we could even see to stop. S. Germany is beautiful in winter, but mostly for winter sports and sitting by a fire.
We were caught a couple of years ago when there were a couple of days that a lot of airports in Europe were closed - hundreds were stranded in Dublin, and water lines frozen all over Ireland. DD had no water for a week. We had been in Italy and it was absolutely freezing and snowy in Milan with lots of flts delayed. We were feeling lucky our flt left for Ireland on time, only to be redirected to Shannon, then Cork. Ended up good for us, as we were not staying in Dublin and would have been stuck had we gone there. Stayed in Cork instead for a couple of unplanned days.
Great things can happen if you don't get too stuck on your plans. We stayed in a wonderful hotel, had one of the best meals ever in Cork and saw those beautiful red foxes playing and running in the snow. DD says you almost never see them because they usually blend in with grass and trees.
Traveling in winter in Europe can be great if you know your way around a bit and have alternative plans, but anything can happen and the short days are so different from the long days of summer. When people have only a week with a set itinerary and things don't go well, it can be a bummer. I wouldn't want to be the planner (or the new spouse of the planner) of some of those honeymoons.
So, NYTrav, keep on giving good advice. Sometimes people do "get it" and make better plans and appreciate it.
Oct 7th, 2012, 05:04 PM
#31
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 4,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
nyt - good advice and I would add winter travellers should
check to make sure the resort or island they want to visit
isn't closed up for the off-season, i.e. some of the popular
Greek destinations are 'out of business' from the end of
October - and it can be miserable on an island with the
howling wind and nowhere to find a welcoming inn-keeper let
alone a decent resto.
check to make sure the resort or island they want to visit
isn't closed up for the off-season, i.e. some of the popular
Greek destinations are 'out of business' from the end of
October - and it can be miserable on an island with the
howling wind and nowhere to find a welcoming inn-keeper let
alone a decent resto.
Oct 7th, 2012, 06:16 PM
#33
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 12,820
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Be sure you have chains for your car if you're driving anywhere that could possibly have snow. Engraved forever in my mind is a trip to Gstaad on the icy roads protected from a 1000 foot drop by railings that looked like match sticks. The car kept skidding. I have never again been that scared.
However, a close second was a trip from somewhere in the Dolomites, around Cortina, as I recall. I was nervous about driving on the mountain roads, so my friend from Idaho, who'd had lots of mountain driving experience, was at the wheel.
The car went out of control, did a 360 turn and then a 180, smashed into the rock wall that protected us from another 1000 foot drop to the valley below. We ended up sliding backward down the road. If I'd been driving, we'd all be dead.
In neither case did my car have chains.
Oh, yeah, and there was the trip from Genoa to Heidelberg just after Christmas when the Autobahn developed a layer of black ice. We were driving very, very slowly because we realized that the road was icy. We saw a Mercedes driving at high speed coming from Heidelberg, where the roads were bare, and hitting the black ice. It spun around and around but was going so fast that we didn't see what ultimately happened to it.
My friend was at the wheel. As the Mercedes whipped by, she said, "Don't look!" I said, "Too late."
janisj: It seems to me I've read only one other post by biz, and it showed the same cranky know-it-all attitude.
However, a close second was a trip from somewhere in the Dolomites, around Cortina, as I recall. I was nervous about driving on the mountain roads, so my friend from Idaho, who'd had lots of mountain driving experience, was at the wheel.
The car went out of control, did a 360 turn and then a 180, smashed into the rock wall that protected us from another 1000 foot drop to the valley below. We ended up sliding backward down the road. If I'd been driving, we'd all be dead.
In neither case did my car have chains.
Oh, yeah, and there was the trip from Genoa to Heidelberg just after Christmas when the Autobahn developed a layer of black ice. We were driving very, very slowly because we realized that the road was icy. We saw a Mercedes driving at high speed coming from Heidelberg, where the roads were bare, and hitting the black ice. It spun around and around but was going so fast that we didn't see what ultimately happened to it.
My friend was at the wheel. As the Mercedes whipped by, she said, "Don't look!" I said, "Too late."
janisj: It seems to me I've read only one other post by biz, and it showed the same cranky know-it-all attitude.
Oct 7th, 2012, 09:22 PM
#34
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually, the original poster (and some of the replies) came off condescending to us too. There are people who prefer cold weather, who have plenty of experience driving (or flying or taking trains) in winter and aren't daunted by it, and know how to plan realistically. We would far rather be in Europe in January than in July -- we had a winter non-skiing honeymoon in northern Europe and it was wonderful.
Perhaps these posts weren't meant to be patronizing, but that's how some of them seemed to us. biztravfood (whoever that is) was not the only one who showed a "cranky know-it-all" attitude.
Perhaps these posts weren't meant to be patronizing, but that's how some of them seemed to us. biztravfood (whoever that is) was not the only one who showed a "cranky know-it-all" attitude.
Oct 8th, 2012, 02:34 AM
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agree that travel in winter can be great - if you are prepared and used to it. I prefer cold myself and we've done several trips to european cities in winter. But we're form NYC so it's not cold for us.
If you come from a place that doesn't have winter, haven;t traveled a lot and don;t understand/are not prepared for the conditions you can encounter - it can ruin a trip. And that's an even bigger problem with a honeymoon and all the attached expectations.
If you come from a place that doesn't have winter, haven;t traveled a lot and don;t understand/are not prepared for the conditions you can encounter - it can ruin a trip. And that's an even bigger problem with a honeymoon and all the attached expectations.
Oct 8th, 2012, 03:42 AM
#36
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I will be travelling Europe from start of November to sometime in January alone and feel I am prepared for alot the weather will throw at me, lived in Aberdeen for 9 years and the winters here pretty harsh.
I have no set itineary just gonna book first city and take it from there
I have no set itineary just gonna book first city and take it from there
Oct 8th, 2012, 06:02 AM
#37
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 26,390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I love to travel to winterscapes, it's the only chance I ever get to wear a lot of wool. Snow is beautiful and the cold doesn't bother me at all.
Like the OP, I think that some ppl don't understand the huge difference in winter travel. When I 1st started to travel, I thought Spain was a lot like So Calif.
Like the OP, I think that some ppl don't understand the huge difference in winter travel. When I 1st started to travel, I thought Spain was a lot like So Calif.
Oct 8th, 2012, 06:38 AM
#38
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 15,770
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some posters might seem condescending to some other posters, but one has no knowledge of
how familiar EVERYONE is with winter ( or summer ) travel
Some years ago I asked if we should travel to Spain in Sep. or Oct , emphasizing that we did not like hot weather.
One poster said something like" you don't like hot weather and you are going to SPAIN in Sept?".
Perhaps, it was not the most polite way to put it, but it was not a bad
way to drive the point"home".
We ended up going in the second week of Oct. and had a lovely time.
Have been going to Spain every year since.
how familiar EVERYONE is with winter ( or summer ) travel
Some years ago I asked if we should travel to Spain in Sep. or Oct , emphasizing that we did not like hot weather.
One poster said something like" you don't like hot weather and you are going to SPAIN in Sept?".
Perhaps, it was not the most polite way to put it, but it was not a bad
way to drive the point"home".
We ended up going in the second week of Oct. and had a lovely time.
Have been going to Spain every year since.
Oct 8th, 2012, 08:55 PM
#39
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This seems like a good place to ask the following:
I’ve been to Europe during Christmas, so I know the weather is a crap shoot, but I love the culture, museums, cafes, etc. I would like to go to a warm beach during Christmas, but fear I’ll get bored after 3 days. I live in the NE of the US. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I’ve been to Europe during Christmas, so I know the weather is a crap shoot, but I love the culture, museums, cafes, etc. I would like to go to a warm beach during Christmas, but fear I’ll get bored after 3 days. I live in the NE of the US. Any suggestions? Thanks!
