ericjonolsen

Hello fellow travelbugs,

Just thought I would poll the readers to find out if it is worth taking a vacation through Central Europe this coming January/February. With my work schedule, it appears the best time for me to take a vacation will be in January, and at the latest early February. Unfortunately, with the new client I have (contract work), I don't foresee Spring/Summer being an option. Plus, truth be told, I haven't gone to Europe in 2013, so I'm dying to go as soon as possible.

I know there can be a certain romance to Europe in the Winter - snow covered mountains, Christmas markets (Prague), and hearty meals by the fireplace all sound wonderful. But let's be realistic - am I going to waste my vacation?

Here is my temporary itinerary: London > Paris > Luxembourg (always been obsessed with this country, but I've read it pretty much shuts down between November-March) > Vienna > Prague. I know the Christmas market in Saint Charles Square in Prague runs until January 14th, so perhaps I could see that.

I plan on traveling via rail so I can see the countryside. My last two trips to Europe have been Cruises (Northern Europe last June, and Southern Europe/Mediterranean last October), so I wanted to do something different this time.

I live in California, but grew up in Michigan/Ohio, so I am familiar with snow and cold temperatures; not to mention I lived in Calgary for two years in my early twenties. The idea of beach/Caribbean is not as appealing to me.

I don't ski, but am not opposed to spending a few days in Austria/Switzerland in a ski chalet/resort.

Please be realistic - I can take it! I understand sightseeing will be limited to how much cold I can take, and I probably won't be indulging in hours-long walks around the city center.

But then again, it would finally allow me to wear my 3/4-length wool pea coat, and scarves I've bought in Europe!

What have YOU done in the Winter in Europe? I would love to hear your stories, and any itinerary suggestions are also welcome. I plan on 14 days for my trip, including airfare to and from Los Angeles; 15 days if necessary.

Thank you in advance for all of your replies. I love this site, and the community of travelers.

Eric

lauren_s_kahn

I wouldn't do it. Winter in Europe is like winter in New York plus a lot of the attractions close for the winter and/or have limited hours.

Only way I would recommend it would be if you were focused on skiing--and you aren't.

Really up to you how much inconvenience you want to put up with.

asps

It is up to you to decide. On the plus side, you will not find crowds. On the minus side, days are short, snow and fog may block transportation, it can get very cold (above all in continental Europe). I have travelled in January, mainly for business (and even in Luxembourg), places were nice but somewhere temperatures were really freezing.

sparkchaser

Well, firstly as you noted there will be no Christmas markets when you come aside from the one in Prague.

Europe in Winter is great, mainly because of the low amount of tourists. Nights are long and days are short so be prepared for that. Ice and snowstorms can be expected to play havoc with rail lines so be sure to maintain a certain degree of flexibility.

If you've been through Ohio/Michigan and Calgary Winters then you have a good idea what to expect, but be prepared to have Mother Nature throw you a curve ball -- in my neck of the woods, Winter 2011/212 was bitter cold with temps down to -20 but Winter 2012/2013 was pretty mild, so much so that I didn't once drag out my heavy peacoat.

I am not much of a skier so I don't do the whole ski thing. My Winter activities in Europe include going to Tunisia or Spain to get some sun or heading to Czech Republic to chill out and drink beer. A few years ago we went to Sweden for some outdoor activities (cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, and saunas) and that was a blast.

As for Luxembourg "shutting down" in the winter, that is only with regards to tourists, there are full time residents there ya know. Lodging will be inexpensive.

justbronwyn

I went to Paris in January a few years ago. I loved how there were virtually no lines for the museums, fewer people in the cafes,etc.

I'm from Alaska so I'm used to cold weather. However, one thing to keep in mind is that unlike the US where we are in our warm cars, you will be out walking in the cold for hours. In Alaska I would probably only wear a light coat for similar temperatures. I usually only pull out the big down coat when it's below 15F up here. But in Paris I needed a warmer coat because I was out walking.

mariha2912

Hello!

I think this is a very personal thing. I am coming from Greece and I work in tourism industry here, so winter is the only time frame I might have a chance for holidays/trips. I am not familiar with most of your destinations, I have been a few times on London and Paris on January/February though and 2 years ago I took a 3+ weeks long trip to Poland end of January/February... I guess Polish weather conditions might be similar to your other central Europe destinations... Believe it or not, the most mishaps happened in a visit in London I think on 2008 or 2009 (?) when there was a snow fall during night and there was maybe 10 cm of snow on the roads. London not used to see snow was sort of paralysed, no public buses, some sites closed, people not going to work... I never faced a problem due to weather conditions on other countries, as some destinations are used to have low temperatures and snow for weeks or months and life keeps going on as usual. Weather is unpredictable of course, on recent years even more so, an extreme event might happen, but in general I do not think this is a concern in terms of public transport etc functioning...
On winter timetables on museums, sites etc tend to be sorter and some seasonal spots are completely closed, but you seem to include mostly cities or places where wintewr is the peak season, so I think everything will be open whenever you go, even if for sorter hours. Dark coming earlier than later plays a role on that too.

Personaly I am very interested walking around for hours in each place and visit many museums and sites and parks and zoos and aquariums and I manage fine. Do take note that I live very near a ski resort here and Greece and I am used to low temperatures in winter and physically in general I have a high tolerance on cold. During my Poland trip, I met an American woman on Auschwitz camp on a windy day, temperature was only -2 C but she was obviously suffering and said that she had been on Warsaw and Krakow so far and due to cold she had to stay mostly indoors so she didn't enjoy the trip too much due to this. She was planning to get a flight to Gdansk, I was there one week ago and temperature was -15C and this is not the extreme temperatures Poland gets, so I can't think she managed to explore or like Gdansk either... 2 weeks before by arrival, temperatures reached even - 40 C and many homeless and other people had died...
I think you have to think seriously about this, if it is an issue for you or not.
Then, I think you have to decide on what your interests are exactly in order to advise further. On my opinion, eating indoors and sampling local beers and visit museums and inside areas might be great. Admitelly some scenic spots and gardens and parks or rural areas are not at their best on winter. It's up to you : )

nytraveler

Don;t see any reason not to do it. The cities are in full swing - with all museums and cultural attractions fully open. And the weather should not be unbearably cold - you're not going to Siberia. And It's certainly not too cold to walk around for a couple of hours - just make sure you have clothing you can layer and good quality cold weather boots that insulate your feet from the pavement/ice/snow.

I enjoy europe in the winter - but would not head to Switz unless you specifically want winter sports - due to the very high costs.

Dukey1

I agree with Nytraveler in that a great deal depends on what you like to do. If you are going mainly for "inside" things such as museums, churches, etc., I think it is a great time to visit. As to weather, how much is that a factor for you? I visited northern Europe/Scandinavia in November a couple years ago. Took the train from Stockholm to Copenhagen. I wasn't all that thrilled by seeing mile after mile of snow-covered terrain.

I DID like being able to visit places on MuseumIsland in Berlin without waiting in long lines.

Christmas Markets? Look, there are a lot of people who will tell you that if you've seen a couple you've seen them all; the only thing that changes is the location. Am sure all the Christmas Market lovers will unite and disagree.

Prices will probably be cheaper both to get there and to stay.

OK, so the days are shorter and for some that's a major thing; it's also why they have electricity.

annhig

Winter in Europe is like winter in New York plus a lot of the attractions close for the winter and/or have limited hours.>>

this is absolutely not my experience - we went to both Prague and Budapest between Christmas and New Year and had a great time. THese countries are geared up to bad weather, the concert halls are in full flow, all the galleries and museums are open..if these things interest you, you should have a terrific time.

We also went to Madrid in February, and Rome and loved them too at that time of year.

a few days in Salzburg or Vienna might be nice, and there's no need to ski!

fourfortravel

"Winter in Europe is like winter in New York plus a lot of the attractions close for the winter and/or have limited hours"

Not sure that I'd agree about the closed attractions. If anything, it seems as if every third store and restaurant in Vienna right now is on "urblaub" (holiday). Museums were in full swing all winter (except Mondays, of course.)

I live in Vienna, and have traveled to Prague and Paris in the month of January. In Vienna, especially, the museums (and restaurants) are delightfully empty; in Paris there were more school groups, but overall the museums were much quieter than I would expect during high tourist season. Prague was mostly outdoors, but it gave me an excuse to purchase a faux fur hat. There is ice skating through March at the Vienna Rathaus, as well.

Winter can be fun with a camera, too. Pure black and white winter images, to me, are striking.

MarthaT

I say go for it. I try to get to Central Europe at least every other year the week before Christmas. Yes it is cold but you can always step inside somewhere to get warm.
I live in Florida but now have managed to get a good winter wardrobe. It took a few years, some things are hard to find as I imagine they would be in California also.
But I love the scenery and falling snow and find it really special in winter.

kenav

bronwyn - Not everyone in the U.S is in their cars in winter. I'm from NYC and we're walking about everywhere. Big cities are like that.

I would definitely go. Why not? So, it's cold. Big deal. Cities are in full swing with museums, concerts, etc. And you won't roast as you would in the summer. And, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, etc. are used to cold weather. They don't close up. They're not "out of season" just the tourists are.

fmpden

We spent Christmas and New Years in Germany and Prague a couple of years. You just have to prepare for cold weather with proper clothing and footwear. And you have to be prepared for some weather disruption. We had one day in Germany where the train schedules were all messed up by a freezing fog on the electric lights. A four hour train trip was six with a couple of different changes. You just have to go with the flow.

We did not find any indoor attractions closed except for the holidays. Maybe outdoor attractions are but we were not interested in a low of outdoor attractions. Daylight hours are much shorter but we still saw just about everything we wanted to see.

KL467

I would go. I have been to Europe for the Christmas Markets, but did many other things besides the markets. The lines are much shorter. I made sure to dress for the weather.

denisea

Spent Christmas a few years ago in Paris and going again this Christmas. Sure the holidays will be over and the decorations gone, but agree with the above that museums are open with no lines, in most cases! Bring gear to layer, make sure you have good gloves, scarf and hat. If you have some boots that are water proof (or at least resistant), it helps.

My favorite travel item for winter are the little glove warmers that heat up once exposed to air. They also make them for your body and for your feet. These are sold in stores that carry outdoor/camping gear and are great for a day outside if cold is a problem for you.

Go, just know that gardens, etc....won't be your best option. A little gluhwein or vin chaud will chase the chill.

AtlTravelr

I've been to France & Switzerland first week of March and it was wonderful. We did get snowed upon in Zurich but I never felt like everything was shut down. Our first stop was a little town in the Black Forest and as the day was sunny and dry (though very cold), everyone was still outside sitting at the cafes in the square and we joined them in our winter coats. Now admittedly we didn't do that in Zurich but even there we still bought sausages from an outside vendor and ate them as we walked around and ducked in for coffee when we got cold. Bottom line - if this is your best chance to go then I would definitely go. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to choose any month to travel. But then again, I like NYC in winter and will be going again in January. I have an easier time dealing with cold than the heat of summer!

cafegoddess

I love Europe in the winter! I live in a tropical island, I will not go to Europe in the summer time.

1. Less people
2. Less expensive accommodation
3. No long lines
4. No problem with last minute restaurant reservations
3. You get to wear your sexy boots, skinny jeans and the softest cashmere sweater

Go and have a great time!

Christina

I wouldn't do it because I like going to Europe in summer, and can, so it wouldn't represent best value for my vacation time and dollar. Besides, I have too many other things to do in Winter, I ski and am skiing in the US during winter. And clothing is a lot heavier and bulkier to pack.

BUt if you can't go any other time and don't mind the cold and other issues (weather, getting dark early and not getting light until much later in the morning, etc.), sure, why not if you have things to do. Some attractions are indeed closed or with shorter hours in winter, but they tend to be things in small towns or chateaux, some museums, etc. Museums aren't a problem, you can go easily enough, even if shorter hours. Airfare is chaper, anyway, that's a plus.

Don't count on lodging being so cheap, it is often about the same rate most of the year, but cheaper at end of summer in many places I've been (including Spain, France and Prague).

If you don't ski, the idea of going to a ski resort sounds nutty to me, now that will be expensive.

msteacher

Go for it! Just bring the right clothes. You'll enjoy short lines at museums, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to sip warm coffee and enjoy the cafe culture of Europe's cities.

However, you may want to modify your itinerary. Five countries is a lot of ground to cover in two weeks. Minimizing locations will minimize the risk of weather-related delays. Also, you've picked mostly cold weather places. If you're concerned about temps, Spain, Italy, or Greece should be warmer and have minimal chance of snow (though often rainy in winter). I was in Rome and Athens last Feb and lucked out with sunny skies and temps around 60 F. Walked right into all the major sites without ever standing in line. I don't think I'll ever go to Europe in the summer again!

Improviser

Well not all of Europe is blanketed in snow all winter. Is there a particular reason why you would not consider some more southerly countries in Europe?

For example, places like the Greek islands rarely see snow and it can be 20C/68F in January in some places.

Rather than concentrating on what to do in the cold, what about where to go for the best possible weather.

I also agree with msteacher, 5 countries in 2 weeks is far too much moving in such a short period of time. For example, you could spend your entire 2 weeks on the island of Crete and still not see/do all there is to see/do on the island, even given it is out of season.