Winter Travel to Europe

Europe in wintertime is magical: street markets sell spiced bread and steaming glog, twinkling lights lead your way down the Champs-Elysées, and huge holiday window displays move, spin, whirl, and capture the attention of children of all ages. Though many rural areas of the continent go ‘off-season’ (not the time to wander the vineyards of Tuscany, for example), the grand cities of Europe come alive in a big way. Cozy up with a traditional fondue in a Swiss brasserie, linger all day at art museums gazing upon the finest works of the masters, and shop in gourmet food stores until you drop. The crowds in winter are miniscule and plane tickets and hostel rooms are less expensive; you will have whole cathedrals to yourself as well as plenty of open seats at heated sidewalk cafes to sip hot chocolate and Amaretto. On top of all this merriment add some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world, and you’ve got all the seasonings for a wonderful trip.

• Bundle up and hit all the major sights at any time of day you want- no waiting!
   
• Intersperse your day with plenty of coffee, hot cocoa, or hot spiced rum stops to keep your belly warm and your spirits high.
   
• Find a local park or ‘green space’ and take a quick hike to an overlook to get your juices flowing.
   
• Cold, long nights are no match for a night at the opera or ballet, and most performance halls will offer a tour of the venue before the night’s event gets underway.
   
• Amusement parks like Tivoli in Copenhagen deck themselves out for the holiday season, complete with metal urns of hot coals to warm your hands as you head for the Ferris wheel.