winter in europe

I have been to Paris in mid and late January during the past 3 years. Both times the weather was mostly chilly, with a little light rain a few days. I brought a nice warm coat, and scarf and that was pretty much all I needed. Based on these trips, I now love winter in Europe and will go there again during this time. I think going during Xmas would be wonderful, no matter what the weather.

Hello Kathy,
I am currently living in Heidelberg and this past winter was pretty mild. It didn't snow but 2 times and it was barely a dusting, no rain at all. Although I can't guarantee what winter will be like this year, I can tell you that for the past 3 years here in Heidelberg my neighbors have told me that its been pretty mild with little snow and very little rain.

Amanda Skelton

We were in the Normandy/Brittany area (and specifically in Dinan on Thanksgiving Day)in 2005. It was cold, but not unbearable. We just wore warm coats and gloves and all was well. We actually had snow in Dinan and Versailles--but I understand that that's not always the case.

We love Europe in November and our last two trips have been at that time of year. Just bear in mind that it gets dark much earlier and that many sites of interest have much shorter hours, so you'll want to be up early and making the most of your daylight hours. In the evenings, you can enjoy dining and then early to bed so that you can do it all again the next day.

And although the hours are shorter, so are the queues. We had Omaha beach and the Bayeaux Tapestry pretty much to ourselves. And Mont St. Michel was especially cool at night when the sparse crowds emptied out and we practically felt like the only visitors left in town. Enjoy!

Just be prepared for snow, rain, sun, sleet, ice, fog or clouds. Because for 5 weeks you have a good chance of seeing all of them . . . or not!

The weather in France and Austria last Christmas and New Year's was quite chilly (near freezing most days, snow on the ground), but other years has been bare, other years has been rainy.

In many ways winter is absolutely the best time to visit - great skiing, very few American tourists, short lines, better opportunities to mingle with the locals, hotels have vacancies, trains less full (well except sometimes for the holidays). But if you absolutely want to see snow, you may have to travel, because snow in lowland Europe at Christmas is never a certain thing.

But if you are from Hamilton in the UK, you are plenty used to rain, so that shouldn't bother you a bit. Just bring your umbrella and woolies and you'll be fine!

I've been living in Normandy since the beginning of January, and I have found it to be a very mild winter. I'm from Nova Scotia so I'm used to a real winter, so I found it very comfortable, and have rarely used my winter coat. Since being here I've been all over including Poland, Denmark and Scotland and found them cold, but not uncomfortable. No snow to be seen though

That being said, I was just in Germany (Hamburg and Bremen) for Easter Weekend, and it was the coldest I've been since we arrived here. We spent a lot of the weekend in cafes, but still managed to see quite a bit. We found have been fine in real winter gear, but we've just gotten accustomed to the mild Normandy weather and packed lightly.

I've been to Florence in March and worn flip flops, so I think it should be comfortable in Decemeber

We were in Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest the last week of Nov./first week of Dec. this past winter. We had some light snow. Just enough to be pretty as it fell, not enough to get in the way of travel/walking/etc. We also had a little light rain in Vienna. Just drizzle- no big problems. Temps were cool but not REALLY cold.

I live in Bratislava which is 30km from Vienna. You might see cold rain in December so be prepared with good shoes (a lot of puddles). It was a mild winter here BUT I was still bitter cold (I'm originally from the southwest US). It can be cold, damp and gray here in the winter so bring your coat, gloves, hat and scarf. However, while it is bitter cold outside, the indoor temperatures are HOT. In my experience, the stores/buses/etc really seem to crank the heat. Wear layers or you will be miserably hot when you go indoors.

I was surprised by the number of tourists in Budapest and Vienna this past Christmas. You'll enjoy the Christmas markets and general holiday atmosphere!

Ann

A few years ago, I traveled through Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Germany from mid-December to mid-January. The weather was chilly, but nothing horrible (but, being from Wisconsin, I might have a different chill factor). I wore a heavy fleece coat the whole time and was fine. It snowed a bit in Swizterland and Germany. I don't remember any rain. We spent Christmas in Munich that year, and it was a wonderful experience.

Being Canadian my husband is used to cold winters. But the year we visited Germany in December he swore he never ever felt that cold in his life! The temperature in the mid and northern parts of Germany never really dropped below 0 C but the sky was grey 90% of the time and you had light rain occasionally. The wet climate just got into your bones. I wore the same winter jacket and gloves and long underwear I wear in Canada when it's -20 C! Personally, I grew up in this climate and didn't mind. In fact, I loved the effect it had on my skin which really suffers during the dry winters on the Canadian Praerie.

When you get closer to the Alps the climate changes and you have a better chance of lower temperatures, snow and a dryer cold. That seems to be more bearable.

I spent a winter in Northern France some years ago and quite enjoyed the mild weather. I remember a picknick on the beach in January that was really fun.

I've been to Paris, Amsterdam, London, Florence, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Rome and Madrid all in the winter. The only place that we had warm weather (40 - 60!) was Madrid. I had a fabulous time in all the above places and enjoyed the lower airfares and hotel rates and the diminished crowds. But we were seriously cold much of the time, despite being from Chicago, where we are not wimps about winter.

I would recommend traveling in the winter, but I would advise you to wear silk long underwear, maybe even two pair at once and always have your ears and head covered. I believe you should be especially organized when travelling in winter and have your directions down pat and plans organized by area. Otherwise you can find yourself wandering about hungry, tired, cold and miserable.

Hi Kathy, We were in Salzburg and Vienna in December a number of years ago and it was snowy and cold (about 5 degrees F) but very beautiful. Vienna has a wonderful outdoor Christmas fair, with the greatest garlic-butter coated flat bread in the world.

Thank you sincerley to everyone who has responded to my winter in europe question. We are from the east coast of Australia and don't really experience very cold weather, so I am hoping we will cope as this is the only time we can travel. Thank you, Kathy

What you are acclimated to makes all the difference. I live in a northern state, and I only wear long undies when the temp is below 10F. You might need long undies when the temp is below 10 Celsius! Also, a cold rain can make you "feel" colder than actual snow and ice.

Heidelberg and Munich are COLD in the winter. Munich has wind.

Are you almost ready for that trip?

This was very informative. I sure wish someone could tell me more about Brittany during December.

Have you already looked up the cities you are going to and then the average weather? This will give you a pretty good idea. We have had really mild winters here in Frankfurt the last year or so, but I don't fool myself, it can turn on me at any time and get wild. Ha!
My husband lived in Tacoma before he came over here and he said this is a lot rainier and cloudy than the Seattle area.