Winter trip to Germany and what other country?
 

Hi all,

I know I am ahead in planning but I love to plan.....that and my husband needs a bit of convincing. I am a great itinerary planner but the winter weather is throwing me for a loop with a winter trip.

We plan to visit Germany next December to see the Christmas markets and good friends. The friends are located near Stuttgart and Augsburg.

My husband is not thrilled to go back to Germany again so I need to add another country.

The sky is the limit....what is a good Christmas/winter destination to visit as a part of an itinerary including Germany? (Outside of Paris....we've done that.) I am not sure yet if our trip will include New Years or not.

We should have 18 days total and while I have been all over Europe, it has been a while since I did it in winter. We like to rent cars once there and would entertain both plane, car, or train travel between destinations.

We will have two boys, 10 and 12, in tow who are seasoned travelers.

Thoughts? Thank you!

You don't give us a lot to work with -- the sky IS the limit really.

It will be winter everywhere so I'm not sure I want to plan a driving tour -- except maybe in more southern parts of Italy or Spain. All the big cities will be festive with lights and Christmas concerts and such but wouldn't be 'car' destinations.

How about London and some other city in England - like York?

What about a skiing holiday in either Germany or Austria? Innsbruck is easy to get to by train or plane and there are numerous resorts clustered around there. Or maybe in Garmisch?

Lavandula

Well that was the point. We are open to anything. Thought maybe it would spark a comment by someone who has to been Germany and another country in winter and wants to share a postive experience. I've been to Europe 13 times, so I feel like I can't think beyond my typical itinerary which is Germany and neighboring countries in summer.

Thought it might be fun to see what suggestions I get. It isn't a nose job so I just put it out there.

[QUOTE=lavandula;16873154]What about a skiing holiday in either Germany or Austria? Innsbruck is easy to get to by train or plane and there are numerous resorts clustered around there. Or maybe in Garmisch?

Lavandula[/QUOTE

We love Garmisch....hubby is insistent on another country. Innsbruck would be pretty at Christmas. We did Zell am See a few summers ago and loved it. Maybe Austria would be fun in winter!

>>Thought it might be fun to see what suggestions I get. It isn't a nose job so I just put it out there. <<

Who said it was??? Maybe I should have included a smiley face . . . >>You don't give us a lot to work with ;) -- the sky IS the limit really.<<

I thought I gave a couple of useful comments . . . oh well.

Sorry, I read it wrong! I thought you were just throwing something random out there. Do you have experience with York in winter? I have yet to spend time in the UK.

My son would love it though. And the nose job comment was a joke. I know lots of folks take vacations seriously, but I just want to enjoy this one since I know winter will affect us maximizing it.

Well, Germany and Austria are sort of a pigeon pair for me in terms of snowy landscapes, winter markets and decorated towns. We had been planning a winter trip to Innsbruck ourselves (staying in Igls) for next year but have stalled plans as we have aging dogs at home and can't travel just at present. But Innsbruck is easy because it has an airport and there are flights from Frankfurt. Coming from Stuttgart or Augsburg though you could train it without much trouble. I have visited Innsbruck before, like in 1989, but I remember it as a pretty destination. Don't feel you would be stuck with Innsbruck though, you pick your own favourite resort!

Lavandula

I guess sometimes reading tone is difficult on line . . .

>>Do you have experience with York in winter? .<<

Yes - and I try to hit London at least once every Fall or Winter. I love LOVE London over the holidays. One issue is transport from late Christmas Eve through all of Christmas Day because there is virtually no public transport. But that can be easily handled/worked around. York and London would be wonderful for kids the ages of yours.

York has one of the best museums anywhere (the Castle museum) plus the amazing Railroad museum. Plus the medieval Walls and the Minster etc etc etc. And London has the London Transport Museum, the Natural History, Hamley's, the London Eye, and everyones's 'must' the Tower of London. Plus the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio, and the British Museum, and double decker buses, and black cabs, and street performers, and wonderful theatre and Christmas Pantos and concerts, and lights. Just the best destination for families.

Awesome info! Thanks! I will do some research on York. An English speaking country is more my husband's style!

Austria and Switzerland.

We often combine Germany and Switzerland on our winter trips. This past year we incorporated Austria too. Lovely countries all.

Prague! It's cold but charming in the winter - and there are Christmas markets there too :)

Haven't been to Switzerland. I imagine it is beautiful in winter!

I love Prague! I was thinking winter would be a good time to go again. Cesky krumlov is also fairly close and supposed to be worth the visit in winter too!

Haven't been to Switzerland. I imagine it is beautiful in winter!

It is. Trust me on this.

I admit you lost me on "the nose job", I'm not used to "argot". Does it mean it is a big thing or a small thing?

I suggest you have three choices, go where it is cold and snowy, go where it is dull and grey or go where there is a chance of 16C and above. I live in Europe and where I live it is dull and grey. Here in the UK I would recommend Manchester for the Christmas markets and York for the old walls and cathedral around Christmas. If UK interests you but you want somewhere on the continent you might look at Denmark or coastal parts of the Netherlands but generally, it will be as described.

German winters are not at all like German summers, cold is the order of the day see also Austria, Czech and Switzerland with a number of options on Christmas markets which grew out of trying to make some money when most business just closed up and people stayed in doors. Is it pretty, well sometimes and the days are short and come 3 pm you want to be back in a warm bar.

Warmish includes Portugal on the southern coast and Sicily, we Europeans also go to the Canary islands and Morocco in the winter just to stay warm, see the sun and eat well.