Every summer, Europe greets a stampede of sightseers. Instead of jumping into the peak-season pig pile, consider planning for the off-season — November through March. Here ‘s some information about a winter trip:
It’s cheaper: Off-season airfares are often hundreds of dollars cheaper. With fewer crowds in Europe, you may find you can sleep for less: Many fine hotels drop their prices, and budget hotels have plenty of vacancies. Many B-and-Bs and other budget accommodations may be closed, but those still open are almost empty and, therefore, more comfortable. The opposite can be true of big-city business centers (especially in Berlin and the Scandinavian capitals), which are busiest with corporate travelers and most expensive off-season.
If traveling without hotel reservations, consider showing up late in the day, let them know you’re a hosteler (student, senior, artist, or whatever) with a particular price limit, and bargain from there.
You’ll encounter fewer crowds: Off-season adventurers loiter alone through Leonardo da Vinci’s last home in France, ponder Rome’s Forum undisturbed, kick up sand on lonely Adriatic beaches and chat with laid-back guards in a Loire chateau. In Venice, you can be all alone atop St. Mark’s bell tower, watching the clouds of your breath roll over the Byzantine domes of the church to a horizon of cut-glass Alps. Below, on St. Mark’s Square, pigeons fidget and wonder, “Where are the tourists?” Off-season adventurers enjoy step-right-up service at shops and tourist offices, and experience a more European Europe.
Some places are just better off-season. Although many tourist-oriented parks, shows and tours will be closed, off-season is in-season for high culture: In Vienna, for example, the Boys’ Choir, opera and Lipizzaner stallions are in all their crowd-pleasing glory. London’s theater season is in high gear; music lovers can enjoy winter concerts at the grand red-velvet-draped Royal Albert Hall.
Prepare for the weather: Make sure to consider weather conditions when you make travel plans. It can be miserable — cold, windy and drizzly — and then turn worse. Europe and North America share the same latitudes and a similar climate, but you can’t go by latitude alone. Madrid and New York City should have similar weather, but Madrid is also 2,000 feet above sea level. Inland areas have colder winters, so Prague can get as chilly as Minneapolis.
Don’t write off a cold destination just because it’s winter. I spoke to a traveler who swapped the Caribbean for a good deal to Iceland in the dead of winter — and the breathtaking Northern lights viewed from her glacier hike made her glad she did.
Remember the smart traveler’s mantra: There’s no bad weather … just inappropriate clothing. Pack for the cold and wet — layers of clothing, rainproof parka, gloves, wool hat, long johns, waterproof shoes and an umbrella. Bundle up. Europe’s wonderful city walking tours go regardless of the temperature. Cold weather is colder when you’re outdoors trying to enjoy yourself all day long, and cheap hotels are not always adequately heated in the off-season. But just as summer can be wet and gray, winter can be crisp and blue, and even into mid-November, hillsides blaze with colorful leaves.
Beware of shorter hours: Europe’s winter days are short. It’s dark by 5 p.m. Start days early so you have a full stretch of daylight to have your fun. Some sights close entirely, and most operate on shorter hours. Big cities bustle year-round, but sightseeing is more frustrating in small tourist towns, which can be boringly quiet, with many sights and restaurants closed down. In December, many beach resorts are shut as tight as canned hams.
While Europe’s outdoor evening ambience survives all year in the south, wintertime streets are empty in the north after dark. English-language tours, common in the summer, are rare off-season, when most visitors are natives. Tourist information offices normally stay open year-round, but have shorter hours in the winter. Opening times are less predictable, so call ahead to double-check hours.
With a well-planned itinerary and preparation for weather, traveling to Europe can be easier and more relaxed than during the hectic summer school break. In fact, some of my warmest European memories have been in the chilly off-season.
©2016 Rick Steves. Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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