I am studying abroad in Spain this September until December 17th and plan on leaving Europe the 2nd or 3rd of January. I am looking for opinions on what to do from the 17th of December until I leave. I am on a budget but am open to any trip ideas. I like outdoor activities, food, art, and am a very open minded person. I want the best European winter experience I can get, any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Anthony

<i>I want the best European winter experience I can get, any ideas?</i>

I have no idea what that means. You want to be cold and wet?

You have failed to mention:
-budget (as in actual numbers, not the word which itself is pretty meaningless)
-modes of transportation
-what you want to see/do (can you ski? snowboard?)
-anything you want to avoid?
-any particular place you wanted to spend Christmas? New years Eve?
-do you need to return to Spain to catch a plane out of Europe?
-do you have any special dietary requirements that need attended to?

You will be in Europe in prime time for Christmas Markets (actually you'll have about 7 days to visit them). I'd head straight to Prague and spend a few days there and hit the Christmas market then head to Germany and work your way West also hitting Christmas markets then head into Brussels for a few days, then Paris then back to Spain(?) to leave.

>> the best European winter experience I can get <<

German Christmas markets have been mentioned. Usually, the markets will be closed after 23 Dec. Do not ask for "the best" Christmas markets - they are all good, but there is added value if you are in a historic town or city.

The second European winter experience is, of course, snow and snow-related activities like (snowshoe) hiking, skiing, snowboarding, toboggan. However, for snow-related activities, there are a few facts to consider:

Firstly, we never know when the snow will come. There is a 30 per cent chance of snow by 17 Dec, a 50 per cent chance by 24 Dec, a 70 per cent chance by 26 Dec, a 90 per cent chance by 31 Dec and a 100 per cent chance by 10 Jan. Chances are better when you go on the very highest elevations like the Zugspitze (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) or some glaciers in Austria.

Secondly, until 24 Dec there is low season, meaning extremely low prices (many hotels will even be closed until 24 Dec.), but on 26 Dec peak season starts with skyrocketing rates. Peak season will last until 3 Jan.

Thirdly, do not even think of Switzerland - unless you are (1) a Russian oligarch, (2) a Chinese billionaire or (c) owner of a few Arabian oilfields. My preferred country for skiing would be Austria which is more affordable. I personally go for skiing into the Black Forest which turns into a winter wonderland by late December and is extremely inexpensive, partly due to the fact that most hotels give you a ski pass for free.

I spent more than a week in Italy in December last year, most of it was solo. I had a great doing Rome and Florence and Tuscany. I'm not sure if Italy qualifies for a "winter experience", but the weather was brilliant, crowds were less,costs were less. Do have a look at my TR:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-december.cfm

I think (speaking in the most general terms) that visiting cities works out better in the winter-time and when you're traveling solo than "outdoor activities".

Any particular places that interest you more than others?

>>> September until December 17th and plan on leaving Europe the 2nd or 3rd of January.

I presume you have a proper visa, permit, visa treaty etc, to legally stay the intended length of days appropriate for your nationality. If you are subject to the Schengen 90 day rule, you need to mix Schegen / non-Schengen countries properly to stay within the rule.

Are you under 26 -if so look at the cheap Eurail Youthpasses - for lots of good stuff to plan a rail trip check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check the latter's online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested rail itineraries in all parts of Europe.

I want the best European winter experience I can get, any ideas>

Though folks may recommend southern Spain or Italy or Greece IME London, Amsterdam and Paris are three cities that can be enjoyed at any time of year and cheap flights can take you to one or two of those - twin them - fly into London - take the Eurostar train to Paris and fly back from there.

Thank you all for the input

I want the best European winter experience I can get, any ideas>

Actually your OP is a big vague - do you want to see winter and do winter sports or do you want a place in Europe where winter is not winter but more spring or fall like?

>>>I presume you have a proper visa, permit, visa treaty etc, to legally stay the intended length of days appropriate for your nationality. If you are subject to the Schengen 90 day rule, you need to mix Schegen / non-Schengen countries properly to stay within the rule.<<<

Um, she's only going from 17 Dec to 2 or 3 Jan. She won't even be there for a total of 90 days -- how would the Schengen zone affect her? Is there a nuance of crossing a calendar year? Even so, that's only for three days...

<i>Um, she's only going from 17 Dec to 2 or 3 Jan. She won't even be there for a total of 90 days -- how would the Schengen zone affect her? Is there a nuance of crossing a calendar year? Even so, that's only for three days...</i>

You missed the first few words of the OP...

If she is studying there for some months would she not have a longer visa than a tourist?

Not if the study program is designed to be within the limits of schengen (I.e. Just under 90 days) to avoid the hassle of an additional visa...

So in that case they could basically only go to Britain or out of the Schengen area.

Winter in Britain can be nice - London area rarely gets cold enough to snow and London is always nice.