Where in February?

If I could find a good deal, we would go to Zurich and take the train to the mountains for a ski vacation.

One vote for Madrid. February is an inexpensive time to go and Madrid is one of my favorite destinations.

Madrid since it's the warmest. Paris because it's Paris.

Are you "locked In" to flying with Icelandair? There are many options if you are not.
Norwegian Air offers a "no frills flight" to Barcelona from Boston in February (with a stop in London) for $162.50. For an additional $100, you get meals, drinks, seat selection and 44 pounds of checked luggage. Do you want to stop in Iceland en route to some other European destination? I would suggest, in general, a southern Euro destination is more attractive in February unless you have the "northern lights" or sub freezing temperatures in mind.

PAris for sure. Anytime of yr, it wins for me hands down. And I have been to,many european cities in diff times of yr.
Have fun.

I would consider ...
in: Paris, out: Brussels.
Or ...
in: Amsterdam, out: Hamburg.

Iceland was great, but not sure about a visit in the middle of the Winter?

I personally don't like touring in cold weather. We lived in Germany for four years and about the only thing we did in Winter was go skiing.

The dsys are shorter and you must pack more heavy clothes. Make sure you have a heavy overcoat, gloves and warm hat.

My choice for February would be Madrid, second choice Paris. If you could handle Greek Islands, that wouldn't be bad.

There's a reason why you can get cheap flights to Europe in February, most of it is still cold, dark and miserable. Even Madrid could be disappointing. The far south of Spain (Granada, Seville, Cordoba,) could be reasonable, you could get a train from Madrid. The alternative is to take the weather head on and say go to Sweden and find an ice hotel, which is at least an experience that can only be done during the winter.

I'm seriously considering going to New Zealand during February just to get away from the weather....

Well, I don't like winter weather so the only place I'd consider is Madrid. I've been there twice, both time in February, both times with visits to Sevilla and Cordoba, once with Toledo. Warmest, driest part of Europe. Also, since they are all west of the prime meridian yet Spain is on Central European time, it's like being on DST, so it feels like longer days (also because it's farther south the days really are a little longer). In mid-February, sunrise is around 8.10, but sunset isn't until nearly 7 pm. It's low season, so hotel prices are low, and Spain is one of the cheapest countries anyway. I never needed more than a fleece jacket and warm gloves, often discarding both for long hours during the day. Great food, great wine, wonderful sights, friendly people and ice cubes in the drinks.

I get Spain as a logical destination. I don't get Madrid at all. They have some nice museums; El Prado is great. The only other draw I can see are the green spaces but not in February. Northern Spain gets quite cold in the winter. The city IMO is about as interesting as Baltimore (it's roughly the same age).

I think staying south is good for the longer daylight hours.

As far as weather goes, it rains in Amsterdam all the time, winter is no different. Anything along the coast will be wet and dreary but no so much icy. The further north the fewer daylight hours and it will seem worse with thick clouds and rain.

Another option is to make it a ski vacation and go somewhere near the mountains.

So where would I go? I think A'dam, Brussels and Paris make a convenient itinerary, with more than half the time dedicated to Paris. Fly into one end and out the other.

Here's my take on your ideas:

I liked Madrid a lot - more than many here seem to. If you like large dynamic cities, fantastic art, and interesting neighborhoods, it's great. If (like Brad) you want "Olde Europe," go elsewhere.

Paris is great any time. I was actually there in February 1999; I just brought a winter coat, and it wasn't my first visit, so it was fine. But I wouldn't have wanted that to be my first visit - too much of the beauty is just not visible in the winter. I wouldn't have known what I was missing, but I'm not sure I would have fallen in love with Paris if my first visit was in the winter.

I don't know about Amsterdam in February. In April 2012 it was a nice mix of sun and clouds, and about 55-60 degrees F, but with its 1000% humidity I was always cold. In September 1989 it was grey, grey, grey. It's an interesting city with lots to do indoors. Just watch out for the bikes.

Unless you're interested in its museums or in the great Art Nouveau tour with ARAU http://www.arau.org/en, Brussels to me was a snooze, regardless of the weather.

Stockholm was lovely - in July. I can't imagine going in February with the short days. I know much of Europe is farther north than the US, but Stockholm is extreme.

I actually liked Frankfurt more than most seem to. Lots of interesting museums, lots of energy and dynamism. I'm not sure how many days I would spend there, but I enjoyed my two days there and would certainly return. Like Madrid, however, if you're looking for "Olde Europe," go elsewhere - you'll hate it.

I wasn't as taken with Hamburg as others are. It's OK, but nothing special.

I've never been to Zurich or Iceland.

Madrid, and then take the high-speed train south into Andalusia.

Cool - thanks for the interesting responses. I booked a Boston to Paris and Amsterdam to Boston flight today. Just to close the loop on a couple of items that were mentioned, I did check Norwegian Air (and other airlines) and nobody could come close to beating the $351 round trip Boston to Paris Saturday to Saturday flight being offered by Iceland (I'm locked into February school vacation and Norweigian Air requires mid week travel for the good prices). I paid a bit more to fly home from Amsterdam ($410 total) but as this will be my 4th trip to Paris and first to Holland it is worth the upgrade.

It turned out that my original post was not fully vetted. While the sale "included" all of those places it was really just Paris ($351), Frankfort ($351), Amsterdam ($450 if doing round trip) and Stockholm (an amazing $318 if you love the cold!). The other places were in the $800s. So, sorry about that! But still interesting to hear everyone's take.

-Matt

Don't wait too long to book your train from Paris to A'dam for the deep discount. Enjoy.

Thalys train for Paris to Amsterdam goes on sale 4 months in advance, so make sure you book in October as Chani says.

Even though I'm late to the party and you've already made your decision, here's my .02:

I love traveling during the cold months -- my natural inclination is to stay inside and cozy at restaurants and cafés, and when the weather is miserable, you don't feel bad for doing that!! I might have done Hamburg /Amsterdam - especially as I've had a hankering to go to Bremen and Hannover, and to get back to Amsterdam. February is also great museum weather.

Have fun with planning your Paris-Amsterdam and around adventure!