Embrace the Wonders of Traveling Europe in Winter: Your Ultimate Guide

While many people try to visit Europe in the summer due to its beautiful weather, gorgeous natural vistas, and exciting cultural events, a winter destination vacation can provide just as many unique experiences! Whether you're looking for a family-friendly trip, a solo adventure, or a couples vacation during the holidays, Europe is a strong contender for your winter vacation. Here's why.

First, you'll get far lower airline and hotel rates during your visit and save significantly on your vacation. In fact, according to an article produced by Smarter Travel, European roundtrip flights can drop to as low as $250 during the winter, compared to the usual cost of around $1,000. Even better, areas like Venice, Mayrhofen, Zwolle, and Cologne all have unique winter festivals.

So, if you want to visit Europe this winter and need help finding a destination, read on to learn more. You'll learn about the different types of winter destinations, such as outdoor adventure spots and cultural adventures, how to plan a European trip, how to successfully pack for cold weather, and why you should reserve a parking spot with our team at The Parking Spot. Let's go!

Top Winter Destinations in Europe

At The Parking Spot, we've carefully researched all your winter destination vacation needs, including when to visit Europe to avoid the busiest travel dates, family-friendly destinations your kids will love, solo experiences throughout the continent, and couples holiday spots you will enjoy. 

Classic City Escapes

While anyone visiting Europe in the winter needs to check out some beautiful outdoor landscapes, city life on the continent is lovely, too! There are many destination holidays you can try out here, including some genuinely enlightening experiences. Please note that tipping culture varies in European countries, so know these guidelines before eating.

Vienna, Austria in Winter

Vienna is a classic European city with hundreds of years of history, including its significant impact on classical music. With gorgeous architecture, notable cultural stops, and unbelievable historical destinations, Vienna provides families, couples, and single travelers with many unforgettable places to visit, no matter the time of year, including winter.

Vienna Destinations

Anybody visiting Vienna during the holidays must check out its world-famous Christmas markets. Spots like Wiener Christkindlmarkt am Rahausplatz. Even better, these markets are often close to the city's world-famous cafes, once home to the greatest German composers. On that note, classical music concerts always feature timeless masterpieces in the city.

Paris, France in Winter

No trip to Europe is complete without a stop in Paris, one of the world's oldest and most beautiful cities. With fantastic food, unforgettable activities, and culture to die for, Paris provides many great activities, even in the winter. Even better, one of the best things about visiting Europe is the ability to hop on a train and travel from most major cities in a few hours.

Paris Destinations

If you've always wanted to visit Paris but wanted to avoid fighting the crowds, winter is your best time to visit. While it's still pretty busy, fewer people are around places like the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. Most areas are also lit beautifully with gorgeous Christmas lights, and cozy, relaxing cafes provide tasty foods and rich coffee.

Prague, Czech Republic in Winter

While winter travelers often focus on cities like Paris when they visit Europe, Prague is one of the continent's greatest open travel secrets. With exquisite gothic architecture, Prague visits often feel thrown back into medieval times, particularly when lovely white snow flecks each building. Any European destination trip during the holidays should stop here.

Prague Destinations

Like most European cities, Prague has sprawling Christmas markets in the winter that work well for solo, family, and couples vacations. Visitors can also check out street vendors to try some underrated Czech foods, such as Prague Ham or beer goulash. Finally, you can stop at cultural destinations like Prague Clock Tower and Charles Bridge without the summer crowds.

Snowy Outdoor Adventures

If you’re looking for family-friendly outdoor activities or something couples enjoy doing outside in the winter, Europe has you covered. When you visit Europe in the winter, the snow is usually dense, white, beautiful, and sturdy enough for lots of exploration. Here are some of the most enjoyable destination ideas for people looking to visit Europe during the holidays.

Switzerland is not only one of the most beautiful places in the world but is consistently voted the best place to live. People who visit Europe in the winter often find this destination amiable, open, and welcoming to all visitors during the holidays. In particular, the Swiss Alps provide an unbelievably beautiful outdoor experience with many exciting activities and events.

Swiss Alps in Winter 

Anyone looking to exercise while traveling will love visiting the Swiss Alps. It's the perfect winter destination with hundreds of cozy mountain resorts offering skiing, snowboarding, hiking, snowshoeing, and other outdoor adventures. Solo adventurers will particularly love spending their holidays exploring some of Europe's densest and most intricate forests and mountains.

Innsbruck, Austria in Winter

Whether traveling with kids, your partner, or by yourself, Innsbruck makes for a sterling winter vacation in Europe. The area has plenty of fantastic dining options, including some surprisingly healthy restaurants. Most importantly, there are plenty of outdoor winter activities to fully immerse you in the unique nature of European winters.

Innsbruck, Austria Destinations

Anyone who loves snow sports must book their Innsbruck vacation when the ski slopes are white enough. Skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, cross-country ski tours, lengthy hikes, and snowboarding throughout Innsbruck’s alpine scenery is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will take your breath away and leave you wanting to come back for more.

Lapland, Finland in Winter 

Any destination vacation in Lapland (even in the fall) will likely have a touch of wintery weather about it. Summers in Lapland don’t last long, and residents play up the winter wonderland image the city so easily projects. In fact, it’s probably the most family-friendly outdoor option for your holidays, though couples and solo adventurers will also find plenty to do here.

Lapland, Finland Destinations

While Lapland is close to being one of the best places to travel in November, December, and even later, it truly brings the magic. This city is in the Arctic Circle, meaning you can see beautiful northern lights almost daily and take kids to Santa’s Village for a magical experience with Ol Saint Nick. Dog sledding (either participating or watching) is also very popular here.

Lesser-Known Winter Getaways

While you can always visit Europe during any popular destination holidays mentioned above, you can also check out some spots that don’t always get a lot of love. These well-kept secrets provide family-friendly activities, couples adventures, and solo fun. Reserve a parking spot with your local airport to ensure you can easily fly out to these quaint spots.

Colmar, France in Winter

Anybody researching Colmar will find one word used constantly in descriptions: picturesque. Located in Alsace, this town has beautiful medieval architecture, great holiday markets, and many fun activities. No, it’s not Paris. But this destination is perfect for solo holidays when you want to go somewhere a little less crazy than the capital city in France.

Colmar, France Destinations 

Colmar’s winter activities include a wine tour, multiple Christmas markets (including shops from Germany and Switzerland, and a chocolate making workshop that will teach you all you need to know about this art. You could probably spend days just checking out the area’s gorgeous architecture, which is some of the most perfectly European styles ever created.

Tallinn, Estonia in Winter

Estonia isn’t necessarily first on anyone’s European travel list. That’s what makes Tallinn such an excellent option for your winter holidays! As one of the cheapest places to travel (especially in the shoulder season), Estonia and Tallinn provide plenty of unique wintery activities. It’s a great place to relax and experience old-school European charm.

Tallin, Estonia Destinations 

Tallinn brings an old-town charm to any European vacation. It features snow-covered medieval streets and cozy cafes. It’s also home to waterfall tours, beer-tasting experiences, and food tours. It’s not exactly bustling with over-the-top experiences, but it works perfectly for anyone who wants a low-key holiday without a lot of busy activities weighing down their travel.

Ljubljana, Slovenia in Winter 

Slovenia is much like Estonia because it’s a beautiful Eastern European country that doesn’t always get the tourist love it deserves. That’s been changing a little in recent years, though, as more people discover the winter destination fun of Ljubljana. As a quieter and more affordable destination, Ljubljana takes you to a historic part of Europe for a stress-free vacation.

Ljubljana, Slovenia Destinations 

People flying to Ljubljana can take advantage of inexpensive plane tickets (including basic economy fares) to enjoy a relaxing winter vacation when they visit Europe. While here, you can check out winter scenery, go ice-skating for family-friendly fun, take a couples river cruise, or relax in a cafe on your solo adventure. Don’t forget the Preseren Square Christmas Market.

Special Winter Experiences

When choosing a destination for your European winter holidays, you must seek out some extraordinary experiences you can’t get otherwise on the continent. If you visit Europe in the summer, the following activities simply won’t be available. The best thing about them is that they’re family-friendly, work great for couples, and appeal to solo adventurers.

Holiday Markets

Christmas markets are a uniquely European event and often feature street markets with fun holiday-themed gifts and much more. Vienna, Munich, and Strasbourg have some of the best winter markets in Europe. Expect gorgeous lights, personalized gifts, beautiful Christmas tree decorations, tasty street food, and a family-friendly experience your children will love.

Winter Festivals

The European holiday season features numerous gorgeous festivals, including Christmas parties in Innsbruck, Lake Bled, Bruges, Rovaniemi, Prague, Bergen, and Copenhagen. All-day street parties with romantic river cruises and hikes work perfectly for couples. Even better, the solo partier will love letting loose a little on Edinburgh's massive New Year’s celebration.

Thermal Baths

There’s nothing quite like sitting outside in a swimming suit in the middle of a European snowstorm in a thermal bath. You’ll be 100% comfortable in this spa-like environment in places like Budapest, Reykjavik, and Zurich. For a more out-of-the-way destination, try the Tbilisi Sulfur Baths in Georgia. However, the Rudas Baths in Budapest are next-level quality, so try them out.

Northern Lights

Europe’s northern countries provide amazing northern light experiences, particularly in Norway, Iceland, Finland, Greenland, Poland, Ireland, Estonia, Sweden, and Denmark. Park warmly and bring a thermos of coffee to enjoy it even more. Regional trains make it easier to get to these beautiful spots.

Travel Tips for Winter in Europe

Before you reserve a parking spot with The Parking Spot for your winter destination trip, make sure you read through these tips. As you visit Europe for family-friendly, couples, or solo fun, you need to keep these tips in mind. They ensure that your vacation goes smoothly, particularly in winter weather. Just as importantly, they’ll protect you and your family in various ways.

Packing Essentials

Just like when you pack for summer travel, you must bring winter-appropriate clothes when you visit Europe. Staying warm will ensure that you’re cozy and happy. Here are a few things that you simply can’t ignore packing in your suitcase if you plan on traveling in Europe this winter:

• Multiple Warm Layers: Try to bring at least 2-3 sweaters or cardigans that fit easily over your undershirts and under your coats to fully layer up on the coldest days in Europe.
• Other Clothes: Bring long-sleeved shirts for outdoor fun, short-sleeved shirts for indoor time, jeans, pants, leggings, swimsuits (for thermal baths), thermals, flannels, and more.
• Waterproof Boots: To minimize potential issues as you move through Europe, wear waterproof boots that keep your feet from getting cold and wet.
• Accessories: Remember to pack gloves, hats, earmuffs, scarves, warming packs, sunglasses, and comfortable jewelry. Sunglasses, in particular, help prevent snow blindness.

Transportation

Any European vacation requires you to find transportation options that make sense for you. Thankfully, the continent provides multiple choices that can ensure you get where you need to go without any difficulty. Just a few types that make sense when you visit Europe include:

• Train: Eurail and other options help people get around Europe quickly and efficiently. You can buy multi country passes that make your trip reasonably inexpensive.
• Flight Deals: Use various apps to identify great flight deals into and out of Europe. Remember: winter flights are much cheaper than summer ones, so you’ll save money no matter what.
• Car Rental: Companies like Kayak, Expedia, and AAA provide plenty of inexpensive rental car options in Europe. There are also European firms that will work directly with you.

Budget Travel

Whether you’re booking hotels, flights, or various attractions before you visit Europe in winter, it’s essential to keep a few tips in mind to ensure things go smoothly for you. These simple suggestions help you save money, no matter who you book with for your vacation:

• Book Ahead: When you book ahead for flights, hotels, and other destinations, you save money. Discounts of 20% or more are often available when booking months in advance.
• Use Booking Platforms: European-centered booking platforms like Worldpackers make trips more accessible and affordable. Some even help people earn money simply for being members.
• Don’t Forget Ride Sharing: Ride-sharing apps, such as Uber, are available in Europe and can make getting to various destinations reasonably easy for most people.
• Remember, Trains, Trains, Trains: Americans must acclimate to European train travel, as it’s one of the most effective and cheapest ways to get around the continent.
• Book With Hostels: Hostels are great for solo adventures because they’re cheap and may even help you meet new friends or travel partners.
• Try AirBnB: If you’re looking for a family-friendly trip or a couples vacation, AirBnB and similar services can help you save on your trip.
• Go Somewhere Different: Go off the beaten path and try something more original than Paris or London. Belarus, Prague, and even Poland are advantageous places to visit.

Safety Tips

Traveling through Europe in the winter requires travelers to follow various safety tips. These include avoiding icy conditions, staying warm, and constantly checking weather conditions. Read on to learn more about how you can keep yourself and your family safe:

• Driving on Icy Roads: Many European roads are steep and very icy. Pay close attention to weather alerts for ice and try to work around these areas. Book a cab if you’re nervous.
• Staying Warm: While some European countries are mild in winter, a true snowy vacation requires keeping warm. Always layer up shirts, sweaters, coats, and multiple socks.
• Checking Weather: Download weather apps and check them regularly while in Europe. Unpredictable storms are common, so always have backup indoor plans if things go sideways.

You Can Visit Europe This Winter By Working With The Parking Spot!

A trip to Europe for the holidays helps you avoid the massive crowds that usually make visiting the continent so frustrating and immerses you in cultural and outdoor experiences you’ll never forget. Embrace the season and the countries you visit by diving head-first into what they offer, and make sure you book ahead with Global Entry or TSA Precheck before flying.

Furthermore, streamline your airport security experience when traveling through the busiest airports in the world by working with The Parking Spot. When you sign up to reserve a parking spot ahead of time with us, you not only reduce confusion and frustration but also get access to parking coupons. The Parking Spot is available across the country in many airports.