With early morning flights be sure you have allocated time to get to the airport...if it is too early public transport may not be available.

Make sure those UGG boots are really water-proof. I have seen lots of people with soggy UGG boots, that completely ruined their day, due to freezing, wet feet.

Good, silk long johns are a must. They don't take up much room, and will be a life saver on cold, chilly days. Look for Cuddle Duds.

Humm not sure about where best to buy your wardrobe items. In our fairly large US city I would go to local REI or other outdoors store and/or buy online.

When you visit Paris Christmas Markets, like along the Champs Elysees, in front of Notre-Dame or Sacre-Coeur, go for the raclette and vin chaud.

<i>as for waterproofing I myself have an amazing pair of UGG australia "hiking" boots so ill be pretty warm in these</i>

I agree with Mainhattengirl. Wet and cold Uggs will make you miserable.

the UGG boots aren't slippers they are actual shoes pretty much a hiking boot water proof vibram sole etc UGG isnt just slippers haha!

Silk long johns? does that keep you warm? I would have thought wool would be preferable?

is there a website we can use to check public transport times?

lynds

For Germany, http://www.bahn.de/i/view/DEU/en/index.shtml has train and bus schedules for the whole country. It also has time tables for most other countries in Europe.

If snow is deeper than the sole, which it certainly could be, you'll wish you had waterproofed. I bought some waterproofing spray for my daughters' Uggs, applied it well a couple of times, thoroughly, outside in open air. Good even for Minnesota winters.

Silk long johns are good for outdoors cold weather, and great for travel: much more compact and lightweight than wool, they feel good next to skin, and they help keep you warm.

maps.google.com, enter your destination and departure points under Directions, the time you want to leave or arrive, then click the logo that looks like a train (or alternately walking or biking person). Voila your worldwide transit time info. A great tool.

Venice can be beautiful in the winter. For one thing, it's not crammed with tourists during the day. Venice in the snow or in a mysterious fog is entrancing. But avoid the winter high tides (acqua alta) which swamp the lower parts of the city.

However, adding another destination to your trip is the last thing I'd recommend.

Silk long johns are great--quite warm and very light. Easy to rinse out if required.

I'm not sure Christmas markets are going to suit a bunch of "mates" who are probably fairly young--I don't know, I haven't done this, just wondering.

I am talking about the UGG boots, not slippers. The uppers absorb water like a sponge. If snow is wet at all, your feet will be soaked in no time. I really think a different shoe or boot would be better than this. Plus, once they get wet, they take forever to dry.

I have only seen the Ugg boots that Mahattengirl describes. Totally impractical in the snow. Terrific for après ski or walking to the lodge after a day on the slopes. But terrible for walking around in rain/snow.

Setting aside the fact that you are try to visit 11 places in one month - giving you 2 days per location - once you take out the 11 days spend traveling from one place to another are, I don;t think you are prepared for a real winter.

The only UGGs I have seen have a very thin sole and no protection versus snow and ice. Not slippers - but boots only for dry pavements. For snow and ice you need boots with a thick sole that will insulate your feet from the ice/packed snow. Look at LL Bean or Eddie Bauer web sites to see the winter boots referred to.

And while some of the area you are going to can be warmer in the winter - almost all can have snow (including those in Italy) and those north of the Alps - esp Switz, Prague, etc are very likely to have snow and possibly be very cold (zero - farenheit, not centigrade).

UGG make loads of boots/shoes that are not the traditional UGG boot - here's an example of waterproof UGGS - http://www.uggaustralia.com/s/UGG-US...=c&cagpspn=pla

Also I agree with all the other posts above - you're trying to cram way too much into the time you have. If you're doing the planning for your group prepare for mutiny! Getting from one place to another is mostly just stressful and time consuming - especially with a group of people. With a group of inexperienced travelers it will be a nightmare. There's a reason pretty much everyone is advising you against it!

But, it sounds like you've already booked flights so I guess some is already a done deal. Maybe if you shared what you've already booked people might be able to help with.

Here are some train sites -
Switzerland - http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
Germany - http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml
France - http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers
Italy - http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD
UK - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

I also don't think you've indicated what your group is interested in seeing/doing.

Regarding Christmas markets, I used to travel to them in France and Germany every year to buy stupid stuff for resale back in the USA, and I cannot imagine a bunch of 20-somethings enjoying more than one of them. The stuff they sell is incredibly schlocky for the most part, the food is sh&t, the mulled wine at least takes the edge off the tackiness, sometimes there are apple latkes that are worth a taste, but for the most part they are third-tier carnival venues.

And yeah, 11 venues in a winter month is going to get very old very quickly, IMO. And you need snow boots, not UGGS.

<i>cannot imagine a bunch of 20-somethings enjoying more than one of them. </i>

Glühwein and other hot alcoholic drinks. That's all they need to know.

Those boots look great. I wouldn't mind a pair myself. Let us know how they work in your trip report (which I Iook forward to).

It's worth walking through Christmas markets to follow nose towards the food smells and such, and the experience, not to buy souvenirs. I'd skip the spiced winter beer.