rbnwdln

My husband and I are unexpectedly retiring at the same time this summer. We would like to get away for a month next winter - January or February. We are looking at the US, Mexico, etc, but are open to Europe if the price is right.
Can anyone recommend a nice warm spot for this. We are 60, active, but prefer to chill. Southern Italy? Any recommendations for a month in Jan or Feb?
Moderate prices are important. Thanks!!!

dutyfree

Where do you live and what type of temps/area would you like to be in-rural or city?

rbnwdln

We live in Northern US. Temps need to be in the 60's or 70's. Prefer access to a city/large town.

stevewith

Consider Lisbon, which is inexpensive, quite charming and fascinating, and which generally enjoys mild winter weather. But when the sun isn't out, I imagine temperatures dip below 60 on some days. It is also a hilly town, and while the tram system and other public transportation is excellent (and taxis are dirt cheap), I tend to think some hillwalking every day is unavoidable. Beautiful apartments that go for a song are really the norm in Lisbon. Food and wine is great in my book.

I enjoy Napoli a great deal, but I honestly can't think of another southern Italian city that greatly appeals to me for a whole month. I would probably want to get out of Palermo and tour Siciy with a car, and wouldn't stay in Catania at all. The temps on the Adriatic and in the center of Southern Italy are cold. Were I to stay for a month in Napoli, I would probably pick a calmer residential neighborhood, like Vomero or Mergellina, rather than be in the depths of the historic center (although I would visit there a lot). I don't think Sorrento quite makes sense in Jan/Feb, but could be fun with almost all the tourists gone. Again, even this area -- including Napoli -- can feel some very chilly winds in those months on some days.

Some of Spain's southern coast might be quite nice, but you really need to cherry pick your spots to avoid being in the belts of "snow birds" from the UK and other parts of northern Europe (unless you like that sort of thing). I'd probably check out Alicante or Cadiz. Others would go for Sevilla or even Barcelona, but they don't much appeal to me as much as I like Spain overall. Girona would appeal to me a lot -- but I'd also want a car and do not really know how cold it gets in winter.

Sounds like fun whichever continent you pick.

stevewith

One more caution:

If the temps "need" to be no lower than the 60s for medical reasons, then you really can't risk Europe. Not only is a fairly safe bet that you could experience at least some days in the 50s even in the southernmost parts, insulation and heating is the generally sunny countries is really very meager. Residents just get through the few cold spells without investing in serious heating infrastructure. So if you truly need that 60+ weather, as some folks do, Europe isn't advisable.

BigRuss

Good luck with this. You're not really looking in the right place.

Nearly every place in continental Europe will be below the 60s in the winter absent some freak heat wave. Lisbon's average temperatures in January and February are in the low to mid-50s. The southernmost major city on the continent is Athens, and its average winter temperatures are in the 40s. For reference: Madrid and NYC and Naples are on about the same latitude (all 40 degrees N) so Southern Europe is nearly the same latitude as the northern US.

Some islands may be warmer, especially if they're colonial outposts off the coast of Africa (e.g., Madeiras) . . .

And what's "moderate"? Speak in real numbers. Bill Gates's moderate is a lot more than mine. Europe generally is more expensive than the US and FAR more expensive than Mexico, Belize, Central America and much of South America. This is less true for Portugal (which is the poorest country in Western Europe) and Central Europe, but there isn't a country in Central Europe that fits your bill.

stevewith

Latitude obviously does not produce equivalent temps across the Atlantic, and the fact that Athens is the southernmost city doesn't mean it is the benchmark for winter temps in cities in a more northerly position. Some have winter temps warmer than Athens, as you note.

60s and 70s are the norm for Europe in winter, even in places with historically mild winters. But wrong measures are being applied if you look at latitude and try to make comparisons.

rbnwdln

Thanks, Steve! Great advice.

BigRuss, I AM Bill Gates. So I need some place that is less than a billion a week.

stevewith

rbwdln (or should I call you Bill?)

I just noticed I made a very poor and possibly misleading word omission in my second post, which I hope you caught.

As I should have written, 60s and 70s are NOT the norm for Europe in winter, as I am sure (hope!) you already knew.