Is Winter coming?
The time of adjusting leaves, snuggly garments, days getting shorter, packing away the journey stuff and bunking down for the winter.
Wait, what? Not that final one. It’s truly time for my favorite journey season in Europe! Also often known as off-season/shoulder season/low season.
Who made that up? They both had no clue what they had been speaking about, or they wished to put different individuals off as a result of they realised what I’ve, that travelling in autumn and winter in Europe is truly superior.
I really like travelling at any time of 12 months (clearly), however I’m significantly keen on travelling in the colder months for plenty of causes, and possibly I can persuade you that you simply don’t want to sit at house for the subsequent six months till it’s heat to journey once more.
I come from a land down beneath (sorry, I couldn’t resist), and once I moved to Europe, I discovered myself travelling extra in the winter.
In New Zealand, it’s not unusual to make a journey abroad in the center of the 12 months, which additionally occurs to be our winter, to make the most of the hotter climate elsewhere. And as a result of our summer season coincides with Christmas and New Year, it’s extra typical to keep in New Zealand and journey regionally to see family and friends.
Europe is the reverse. Summer in Europe is HIGH TRAVEL SEASON. With capitals, as a result of critically, locations get packed out. Most of my colleagues at work would save up their depart and go for a stunning (costly) summer season vacation.
Now I really like summer season journey, however being on a two-year working vacation visa meant I had restricted time and cash to see Europe, and I wanted to see as a lot as doable irrespective of the season.
Read More – Best Places in Europe to Visit During the Summer
Luckily, travelling in Europe throughout the winter months of September to April, often known as the shoulder seasons or low season, turned out to be improbable! I’d even go as far as to say that the greatest time to go to Europe is winter.
So what’s the deal? Why do you have to try to journey extra in autumn and winter in Europe?
Chase the summer season
This one is type of dishonest. I simply stated how a lot I really like travelling in the colder seasons, and now I’m telling you to chase the summer season in Europe in the low season.
The factor is, September/October or March/April is one in all the greatest instances to journey in Europe. During this time, lots of the southern components of Europe nonetheless have heat climate, undoubtedly higher than someplace like the UK.
It’s additionally usually a less expensive time to journey to sunnier climes as fewer individuals select to go overseas because it’s simply outdoors of the excessive season and faculty is in session. I’d go so far as to rank September as the greatest month to discover Europe, however then, it is my birthday!
If you’re not prepared to put away your summer season clothes, short-shorts, and jandals/flip-flops/thongs by September, then head to locations like Spain in winter, Portugal (attempt Lisbon in the low season!), Greece and Croatia.
Read more: When is the best time to travel to Europe? High, Low & Shoulder Seasons Guide
Just to show my Winter solar level, once I wrote this put up, I used to be in Spain in October and was 30 levels…
Read More About –Spain in Winter
Read More About –Lisbon in the Off-season. or The Algarve in the Winter
Cheaper flights
Winter or low season is additionally one in all the most cost-effective instances to journey in Europe. Flight costs in the summer season season in Europe can get just a little loopy. So many individuals are travelling, and the airways realize it!
When I first moved to Europe, I didn’t know the place to begin with ticking off my monumental, ever-growing bucket checklist. I began travelling in the offseason in Europe as a result of I realised I might use the Skyscanner ‘Everywhere’ possibility to discover locations to journey and at the most cost-effective flight costs.
Travelling in autumn and winter in Europe is typically all the time going to be cheaper, and this simply made it even higher!
I flew to locations I had by no means even thought of, like Hamburg in Germany, and I went to Iceland in November when it was early sufficient to see the Northern Lights with out the freezing temperatures.
You can decide up low cost flights for longer breaks, however I tended to search for metropolis break weekends away. It’s the excellent time to discover a metropolis in just some days.
There are loads of guides on the market on how to see a metropolis in a brief period of time, like 24 hours in Krakow or sooner or later in Copenhagen, so get the low cost flights and get exploring throughout the greatest time of 12 months to go to Europe!
Of course, it’s good to spend longer in every place, however if you happen to can have an affordable weekend away, why not?
Read More About –Exploring Iceland in November
Read More About –The Best European City Breaks in Winter
Read More About –Spending 24hrs in Krakow
Read More About –City Guide – Spending One Day In Copenhagen
Cheaper lodging
Lots of lodging suppliers use the seasons to set costs. You can strike some nice offers by selecting to journey to Europe in winter when it’s colder.
Some of the hostels I stayed in on my travels had been half the worth of the summer season months, and lots of of the Airbnbs or motels had been a 3rd inexpensive.
It’s simply another excuse to plan your subsequent European journey in winter or autumn!
Read more: Best Time to Visit Europe | When to Go (2022 Honest Guide)
(P.S. I guide most of my lodging by means of Booking.com now due to the free cancellation coverage and the number of lodging accessible, together with Airbnb-type locations.
Fewer individuals
Maybe they named it low season as a result of it places individuals off?
You shouldn’t be delay by travelling in Europe in October and past although since you’ll be one in all the fortunate ones. The ones who don’t have to push your approach by means of the crowds to see the sights!
Paris with out the crowds? Yes, please.
I visited Ireland in January, and my Mum and I had been the solely individuals in the entire of Blarney Castle. The line for kissing the Blarney Stone can go all the approach from the Castle roof down the winding staircase to the floor flooring!
Visiting the Lake District in winter meant I used to be ready to get pleasure from the lovely views with minimal (or no!) individuals.
Read More About – Paris in the Winter
Read More About – Kissing the Blarney Stone
Read More About – The Lake District in Winter
The climate
Travelling Europe in the summer season brings to thoughts photographs of the solar glowing on turquoise waters, and whereas I completely suppose there are some locations greatest visited in the summer season, there are some locations to journey in which can be significantly better when it’s colder!
Southern Spain, for instance, can simply attain a sweltering 35-40 levels in the peak of summer season, and for me, that’s simply too scorching!
Then there are locations which can be simply excellent for European winter journey, particularly round Christmas. Let me let you know, you haven’t skilled Christmas totally till you’ve been to a European Christmas market!
Travelling to Eastern Europe in winter was one in all my favorite journey experiences. Wrapping up in heat coats and scarves and wandering the streets of the outdated cities of Poland is only one instance.
Read More About – Eastern Europe in Winter
Read More About –Gdansk – Winter Travel in Poland
Christmas Markets
The BEST factor about winter journey in Europe? Christmas Markets! Yes, I discussed this above, but it surely additionally deserves its personal level.
Seriously, the remainder of the world is lacking a trick in not having these. The mulled wine, the scrumptious completely different meals, Christmas decorations, lights and music all over the place.
Read more: Best Time to Visit Europe – MUST READ • 2022 Guide
It’s a really magical expertise and one thing I in all probability ought to have listed as the first motive why I really like European winter journey a lot!
Different issues to see and do
Christmas Markets are simply one in all the completely different points of interest you may get pleasure from while you journey Europe in winter.
Try to catch a glimpse of the well-known Northern lights is high of many individuals’s bucket lists, and visiting Northern Europe in winter is the greatest time to see them.
Travelling to Europe in the winter additionally means snow, and subsequently snowboarding. Europe has some world-famous ski resorts, and a few of them are actually nice worth for cash.
Next time you need to attempt winter sports activities, take into consideration one thing like snowboarding in Bulgaria!
If you go to at the finish of the season, you too can get pleasure from the snow on the mountains with out essentially having such chilly climate.
Some of the issues that aren’t so scorching about travelling Europe in winter
Ok, so I do know I’ve stated that winter is the greatest time to go to Europe, however there are some the explanation why not all the things about visiting Europe in the off-season is improbable.
You may discover that some points of interest have extra restricted hours, or they shut in the offseason. If there’s one thing you HAVE to see, then ensure you test it out whether or not it’s going to be open first or if there are restricted low season opening hours.
The climate may also nonetheless be very heat in the shoulder seasons, but it surely will also be unsettled. One day it’s sunny and heat, and the subsequent, it’s raining. Not so enjoyable. That’s why you want to pack for winter journey with layers in thoughts!
I additionally like to undertake the angle of by no means letting the rain cease me (bar an precise torrential storm) and all the time discover a approach to get out and revel in it anyway.
While the size of days in the shoulder season in Europe shouldn’t be an issue, in the useless of winter, the sunlight hours might be very quick if you happen to go north. I’ve distinctly unfond reminiscences of going to work in the darkish and going house in the darkish in the center of winter in Scotland.
Read More About –Packing for Winter Travel
When I consider travelling in Europe, I not solely have reminiscences of sunbaked lands and turquoise waters, however I additionally suppose fondly of wrapping up in winter coats and scarves and sitting in some outdated city sq., warming my palms with a mulled wine.
If you need an affordable time to journey and never have to fear about the crowds, then belief me, winter is the greatest time to go.
Don’t let the climate put you off, and get planning your subsequent journey to Europe!
Have I satisfied you that the greatest time to go to Europe is low season?
Planning your journey to Europe in the low season? Here are some posts to assist!
- Lisbon in Winter: Falling in Love with Portugal in Off-Season
- How to Pack for Winter Travel With Carry On Only Luggage
- Spain in Winter: Why You Should Go + Best Places to Visit
- 10 of the Best Winter City Breaks in Europe
- Edinburgh in Winter: Things to Do + Reasons to Visit
- Iceland in Winter: 25 Things To Know Before You Go
- 11 Winter Destinations in Eastern Europe
- Brussels in Winter: The Best Things to Do + See
- The Best Iceland Winter Tours: Getting Around Iceland in Winter Without a Car
- Visiting The Lake District in Winter
- The Best Things to Do in Munich in Winter
- Gdansk – Winter Travel in Poland
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Read more Best time to travel in europe – Indochina Airlines
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