Winter in Europe

Hi Andrew! I will be in Europe around the same time as you and have posted the same inquiry, too. I gather from feedback that Southern Europe would be the best place to visit in the winter. But if you like to experience the Christmas markets, Northern Europe has some of the phenomenal markets (mainly in Germany and Austria). Hope that helps. Happy travels!

You need to stay near the Med - Southern Spain, southern France, Italy. We were in Paris over New Years a few years ago and it was rainy and chilly, days were short, overcast, and gloomy but the lights of the city was very pretty and it was Paris. Last year we were in southern Spain - Seville, Granada, etc. Much nicer weather but still light jacket type of cool. Nice was very nice at the time of year would be more like northern Florida.

Andrew, what do you consider "blistering cold"? ANywhere in Europe is going to feel cool compared to El Paso. As others have said, southern Europe will be warmest, but be prepared for damp weather and cool winds.

The big question is what you consider "blistering". Paris and London usually stay above freezing for the majority of the winter, and in most cities, you'll find plenty of outdoor cafes with heat lamps. The more consistently cold temperatures are in the mountains, and to the far north and east (Scandinavia, eastern Poland, Russia, etc).

I think you have two options. For reasonably nice weather stay well south of the Alps (lower two-thirds of Italy, south third of France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey)........ For not blistering cold weather, you could pick many of the maritime (coastal) regions of Northern Europe. While it's likely wet and windy, it's generally not snowing or particularly frigid. In Ireland I heard the term "soft weather" to describe it....... Be warned, however, if you're from El Paso, the "soft weather" is likely to seem pretty darn cold.

All, Thanks so much for the input! This blog works better than I thought. For the record, I'm from Missouri, so I can handle the cold. The Army just has us in El Paso at the moment. Sounds like southern Italy and the med areas it is! Thank you so much. Andrew

If what is important is the weather then go to southern Europe. If what is important is a flavour of Christmas in Europe then come to Germany (where Christmas as we know it originates) or Austria. The Christmas markets in Munich, Nurnberg, Wurzburg, Trier, Cologne, in fact any German City, town or village are unforgettable, even more so if it is snowing and you can warm up with a glass of gluwein. The Med will still be there in the summer.