Winter in Europe is magical — think twinkling Christmas markets, cozy cafés, and snow-dusted streets. But it can also be challenging: icy cobblestones, short daylight hours, and unpredictable weather.
Whether you’re visiting Prague, Vienna, Bruges, Barcelona, or Copenhagen, these essential travel tips will help you stay warm, travel smart, and make the most of your European winter adventure.
Looking for a Christmas city break guide? Check out our Best European Cities to Visit in Winter post.
Layer Up Like a Pro
Funnily enough this is a whole conversation I've just been having with one of my children. Son number 2 has just moved back to the UK after growing up in Ibiza. All those times he bemoaned how hot it was here and how he'd love to be cold, wouldn't care about it etc. Oh how we laughed while chatting on the phone the other day. He was freezing, and it wasn't as much fun as he imagined. I had tried to explain to him that he couldn't fathom how cold he may get! Which led to the conversation about how just sticking on the Northface jacket (as cozy as they are) wasn't going to cut it.
Layers said I! And if any of you are from the UK you know exactly what I mean. You can travel through all four seasons before making it to work. Layering therefore is somewhat of an art form.
If you're going to be wandering about enjoying the Christmas sites then moving indoors to warmer cafes or museums you need to get it right, because you also don't want to be lumbered holding on to a load of clothing. Think Thermal base layers (Oh.. thermal underwear, don't care, you CANNOT beat it!), merino wool and very definitely windproof outerwear, there's nothing worse than the biting wind cutting through your layers! Perhaps a nice big scarf/wrap that also doubles as a nice layer over your knees when your sitting having a hot chocolate; decent gloves and a good hat to keep those ears warm!
Pack the Right Footwear
One of my first Saturday jobs was working in Millets (a camping and outdoor shop in the UK). I loved it, and it was there I obviously learned about the joys of a darn good boot! We would have a lot of customers who were obviously hikers, but also clients who were going on pilgrimages, whether it was their first Hajj or the Camino de Santiago. Naturally it was the place I bought my first pair of boots for a walking holiday in the Lake District, how I loved my Berghaus Boots! Listen, if you're booking a weekend or a week away in the winter you're probably going to be exploring as much as you can and there is nothing worse than cold numb toes. Do your feet a favor and get yourself a proper pair of waterproof and windproof / insulated boots (and some decent socks) with a good grip. Not only will your feet thank you, you'll enjoy yourself a lot more, and I'm willing to bet you'll never look back!
Plan Around Daylight Hours
I think I may have already mentioned in a previous post my love of Winter. The lack of daylight has never bothered me. I am absolutely built to hibernate, the cozy darkness an excuse to hunker on down, cover the place in blankets, read an absurd amount and drink an equally absurd amount of tea. I also love the cold early mornings watching it slowly become light and seeing the mist rise of the sea. Every morning is a photo opportunity really! Then how the day slowly changes to dusk then nightfall, as lights come on and even the most mundane of places suddenly seem to become more magical. If you allow it, it really is a season where wonder is always within your reach.
So, what am I rambling on about? Well, do your homework about where you are going of course! The further north you are visiting the darker it is earlier, there be some long dark nights! What time is the sun coming up? A lot of the places I've suggested visiting have a lot of water! Canals, the sea. They make for magical photos in the morning. Dusk is equally captivating, and that moment when the lights come on?!! Know your sun up, sun down times!
Check Holiday Closures
There's nothing more disappointing then getting yourself all excited to see something and then discover it's closed. Oh my word, the amount of people that turn up in Ibiza in the winter season and are surprised to discover that most of the island is shut! We've got plenty of Christmas stuff going on, but the island is a different beast in the Winter. So make sure you inform yourself about where you are going and what exactly it is you want to see. The Christmas Markets are fab but obviously they pretty much all close January 6. So what's left? Are the places you want to see closing over Christmas and New Year or reducing their hours? What about the restaurants you've heard about? It really pays to do your homework online, check out the tourist information websites for where you want to visit. It is also worth booking tickets online in advance to avoid any disappointments!
which leads nicely to...
Know Your Indoor Options
When we're dreaming of our winter get-a-way in our mind we're all wrapped up warm, arm in arm with a friend or loved one whilst the snow slowly flutters down; it's all very romantic. Until it's biting wind, icy rain and piles of slush. The weather is what it is so it helps to have some indoor places to visit up your sleeve! Plan museums to visit, palaces to dream your way around, and cozy cafés for a warming hot chocolate or mulled wine! The recurring theme here is basically planning! So yes, get online, have a mooch. Are there any exhibitions on while you're visiting? What are you going to do if you wake up one morning and it is chucking down with rain?
Use Public Transport Wisely
All this walking about and embracing the place sounds very romantic but in the cold weather sometimes it can be tough going. Don't be afraid of the local public transport. You are not the first tourist to visit and there is always someone who knows what's going on with it. Just ask! Look in to getting local travel passes where you can just hop on and off when you want, if the idea of communicating with a stranger who doesn't speak your language terrifies you! Most networks are pretty easy to figure out. So give your feet a little break and explore more, travel further!
Look in to city cards like the Prague Card, Vienna City Card or the Barcelona T10 Pass for example. Or Apps like..
Pack for Health & Comfort
I was once gifted a real pearl of wisdom and it was this. "Any **** can be uncomfortable." At the time I was like "What does that even mean?" and now having spent many many years watching people on their holidays, at the beach, I. Totally. Get. It.
The level of discomfort you see people put up with because they simply cannot be arsed is quite frankly astounding. Looking after yourself and your comfort, and the comfort of those with you, makes you feel better and in turn totally transforms your experience.
It is as simple as packing lip balms, moisturizer, a bloody good hand cream, and portable hand warmers (total lifesavers). Honestly, the freezing cold and lip licking will end up splitting your lips if you don't keep them balmed up, the same with your hands, it can so easily become a totally miserable experience! When packing, don't just think about socks, shoes and layers but what extras are going to make sure you are happy and well?
Book Accommodation Near the Action
You're all wrapped up cozy, hot chocolate in hand, browsing market stalls, listening to magical Christmas Carols but your mind keeps wandering back to "Should we be making a move soon?", "Will there be a taxi?" and "Where exactly where we staying?" Life my friend is far too short for that and you now have the internet. Nowadays I search on Expedia (or whatever other travel site I may well be using that day) and I search using the map function. I am quite simply not interested in being in the arse end of nowhere for the sake of a few quid. Remember our little nugget of wisdom "Any **** can be uncomfortable." Life is short and I am far too long in the tooth for that to be me, nor should it be you.
Embrace Hygge & Slow Travel
It took me a few years and journeying the length and breadth of Spain to really learn to embrace the idea of slow travel. I either didn't enjoy the journey because I was so focused on the need to get to the destination, or it was the other extreme of just how much can we squeeze in to have made this worth it? Eventually I came to realize that one, I didn't need to see everything, and honestly I didn't really want to. And two, it's those little moments in between that glue your trip together that are the moments you revisit in your mind more often. It is the cozy cafe's and a deep breath, starting up conversation with your table neighbors. It is the unexpectedly long lunches in a local restaurant chatting to the waiters, eating the local fare. It is the canal side walk and the beauty of a different place or just watching your kids run around like headless chickens, free and happy.
Have a think before you go about what it is you really want to see and then maybe just allow yourself to be present.
I also found that as amazing as I think my memory is, it is laughably not! So I started taking a notebook with me on journeys and I would write a little bit for each day, what we had done etc. and would stick in receipts, tickets, anything... even those paper placemats from a restaurant we'd visit that would have a map of the place on. You know, everything! They're so nice to revisit and remember all the things you did that you will inevitably forget about!
As I've said, a European Winter really can be something special... if you're prepared. Stay safe, stay warm, travel smart and experience the season like a pro!
Happy Winter x