Pros and Cons of Europe in Early December

Pros: Smaller crowds, mainly locals.

Cons: Can be crummy weather, cold, rainy.

Pros:
1) Less crowds at tourist sights. Although museums often operate at reduced hours, you can see far more in less time.

2) Hotels offer cheaper rates.

3) Europe's many fine serious opera companies and symphony orchestras (as opposed to the smaller ad-hoc ensembles that play Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" ad nauseum for tourists during the summer) are at the height of their season.

4) I actually find the cooler weather far more pleasant than the oppressive heat of summer, although others probably have different preferences.

5) Less Rick-niks with the tell-tale "Blue book sign". No offense meant, but I don't travel to Europe to meet some Bob from Cleavland everywhere I go...

6) Europe's approach to the Christmas season feels far more subtle and tasteful than our almost blasphemous commercialized version.

I can't think of any cons, which is probably why I try to travel exclusively in the cooler months.

Cons:
-Cooler weather, which means packing heavier and possibly icy back roads if you drive (the cold itself doesn't bother me.)
-Some stuff closed.
-Without snow, some sites are just a bit grey and depressing.

Pros:
-Christmas is beautiful (German Christmas markets are the best)
-Slightly cheaper flights
-Less crowds, tourists

I'll take December over July any day.

One con in addition to possible crummy weather is that it gets dark earlier. However, for all the pros that the other posters have mentioned (price, crowd, cooler temperatures, etc.) I also am a fan of traveling in the winter months.

Especially if where you live tends to be depressing in the winter, it's much nicer to get rained on in Paris than Colorado Springs. ;-)

OK, one slight con I can add. Longer time to recover from jet-lag. The shorter daylight hours and indirect sunlight of European winters can make it more difficult to adjust to the time change.

I mostly do my Europe travels in the Fall or at Christmas.

Pros: Fewer people, cooler weather (I live in LA and love to see a change of seasons), cheaper rates.

Cons: Starts to get dark around 4pm.

Like another poster I'll take December traveling anytime!

Go for it!

I've been in Paris mid Nov & in Feb. Nov was great for all the reasons listed above. Feb was good once I got used to the bone-chilling cold. There was one 10-15 min period when I was the only person in one of the Louvre rooms. That doesn't happen in the warm months.

Hey i am in the same boat. My husband and i are planning to go to paris, england and scotland for 3 weeks starting 13th dec.I have been thinking lately maybe its not the best time to go, as im concerned we wont get to do all the sight seeing we would like due to weather and short light days. Also can you tell me where it may snow for xmas? It is a dream of ours. We will prob be in england or scotland at the time. So do you think it will happen for us?

Don't expect snow for Christmas in the British Isles or in Paris. Although it does snow in Britain during the winter, it usually isn't cold enough to last very long. Same goes for Paris. If you really want to maximize your chances of a white Christmas in Europe, you need to go the Alps, farther east into Poland or Russia, or farther north to Scandinavia, away from the coast... or, visit the northern US or Canada, where white Christmases are more common.

And don't worry about the shorter opening hours of various sites. I have found that because the crowds are much smaller, you can move through the attractions much more efficiently, and actually see more.

I was in Ireland in January one time and it was warmer there than it was in New York. I had a great time. It was pretty in the pubs with the fireplaces roaring.

Good question Sherry! Im going to London for a week December 3-10 and was wondering the same thing. My husband is from Britain and says it gets "cold" in December, but Cold to them can mean 30 - 40! And they dont get much rain at that time. We both know that 30-40 in colorado is Nice winter weather!

Most likely London will be 30-40 and damp - the type that seeps into your bones. Go prepared. But also don't be surprised if it is cold and dreary and miserable.

I prefer damp and dreary versus hot and sweaty!!! :)

5) Less Rick-niks with the tell-tale "Blue book sign". No offense meant, but I don't travel to Europe to meet some Bob from Cleavland everywhere I go...

lol!! Too funny. I hate these travelers. Seriously, does Rick even care to see his followers toting around his book in broad daylight? Get your nose out of the guidebook and look up already!

The weather is so hard to predict so just book it and pack well. I am definitely a wet and dearly traveler over hot and sweaty. People are also more friendly when they are not elbow to elbow with sweaty obnoxious tourists.

The great part about scheduling your trip in December is that no one will engage you in debates as to whether shorts-wearing is appropriate.

Now wait a minute, Bill! If you wear shorts in North Carolina in December (or Florida, wherever you live), then I don't see what's wrong with wearing shorts in London or Paris in December. Ya gotta be true to yourself, don't you? If you wear it here, they can't make ya not wear it there.(oh please let them know I'm kidding without my having to put a smiley face on it)

As for the tourist thing, I hear that although there are less tourists, the stores will be more crowded because of holiday shopping. But they will more likely be Brits, not Americans (I am so NOT going to look like a tourist, I watch britcoms with my Brit husband and they just LOVE poking fun at Americans and how they dress and act, etc)...

Tami: You know the other thing the British do when I'm there is, they talk about my accent, as if I'm the one with the funny accent. I mean, where did they learn English??One of the things we can each do is, when you're in the UK, make a point of complimenting the locals on their English--yes, even when their accents are atrocious. After all, we can't do enough to encourage the locals to learn proper English.

There was a guy at Home Depot the other day wearing an all black Goth kilt with hobnail boots, so I guess the RS:Dresses America series isn't out yet...

Rick's on top of that, the Goth kilt thing, it's in the Dress Code chapter of his new book that's about to hit the shelves: Cleveland Through the Back Door: Vacations You Can Afford.(Please, no nasty PM's, Cleveland is a fine place, with a good art museum and much much more)

No need to be polite, Kent, we all know how bad Cleavland is...

We have traveled to the UK and Austria during Nov/dec for more than 20 years. We absolutely LOVE going then. The Christmas markets are wonderful Salzburg is especially nice, but the UK has some great markets too (Bath, Edinburgh and York stick in my mind). I love the seasonal food at that time of year too, hearty soups, great meat pies, etc. I enjoy doing my Christmas shopping there- everyone knows they will get small sized but unique with lots of thought presents! We find it easier to get to know locals at that time of year also. Just dress in layers, take a waterproof jacket with a hood, gloves, and a hat.