Extending 4/5 days somewhere in February from Berlin

Typical destination from Berlin in February is Mallorca (PMI) island for almond blossom.

Alternatively Tromsø in Norway for chasing Northern Lights and some snow.

But why? In Berlin and near Potsdam you can easily fill 4-5 days.

There are 2 to 4 Ryan or Wizz nonstop flights to Budapest each day. They take about 90 minutes (so door to door is about 4 to 5 hours) and starts at about $25 (but plan on paying $100 with all the extras).

Here is some about February in Budapest
https://www.hellotickets.com/hungary/budapest/budapest-in-february/sc-157-2598
https://www.budapestbylocals.com/february-in-budapest/
https://www.headout.com/blog/budapest-in-february/
https://budapest-travel-tips.com/calendar-budapest/budapest-february/

In the right tourism location, for a four star hotel the UPHotel has gotten very good reviews and starts at 91 euro a night in February. For a three star in the right location, the Medosz begins at about 62 euro a night and the Hampton by Hilton Budapest City Centre is about 42 euro a night. Just a sample for prices. More about hotels here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/rs-forum-favorite-hotels-and-their-cost Or look for a short term rental.

ANd some more poop here: https://community.ricksteves.com/users/50322

Oh heck, if you can be here between 27 February and 4 March you can see one of the Europe's most interesting festivals: Mohácsi Busójárás https://youtu.be/1jt1fDQQJvg?si=_kxfO3LZKlfqM84s

Looking for suggestions from people who have traveled to Europe in the
winter months.

MarkK is a local (I believe)
I am Texan but live here
So you are off to a good start.

Mallorca would be a tad warmer, but its nearly a 3 hour flight. I thought about Malta but again a long flight and only two direct a week.

I go for the unusual, so I would think about hiring a guide and doing a driving tour in Romania ... beautiful country with the snow. I know a guide if that interests you. https://www.romaniatourism.com/

At a different time of the year i would have more ideas, but I think for February with short time you would be best served in a city with a lot to do in a dense environment .... or a well organized road trip with a guide. So the great cities of Europe within a 2 hour flight are Budapest (obviously the most beautiful and laid back of the group), Vienna (thousands of museums to stay warm in), Paris (hard to imagine a bad time to be in Paris), Rome (been in Rome in February ... naaaaaaa), London (too many language problems in London), Berlin (for Berlin book your time well.... lots to see.... but requires organization I think).

We lived in Augsburg, Germany for four years and found that the only reason we liked Winter was to go snow skiing in the Alps.

Yes, it is warmer in Spain and Portugal as well as Italy and Greece, but consider doing Egypt, which is great in the Winter. Much to see there, take a Nile cruise and tour of it ancient sites. Also, Egypt is cheaper than Europe. Do a tour, we loved Gate 1 Travel.

Another option is Copenhagen, which should be warmer than Berlin, and a round-trip ticket, nonstop, is less than $100. Like Budapest, Copenhagen offers a lot of history, art, etc, and it's not expensive to visit in FEB.

We are talking 4 or 5 days, including getting there I presume. That rules out Egypt I think, otherwise a great idea. Istanbu certainly works and if you book Turkish air it can be a lay over on the way home.

You don't mention any special interests or what you're looking for. But my suggestion would be to stay in Berlin, it's an amazing city and 4-5 days will only allow you scratch the surface on what the city has to offer.

Hi, marshaliff, without more information from you, you’re going to get responses that are all over the place and that may or may not be what you want.

I would first suggest that you not only give us some idea about your likes and dislikes, but also how much time you are already spending in Berlin. You said you’re there for a family event, but did you have plans to do any sightseeing there? Berlin really is a wonderful city and there’s plenty to do there so if you’re not allowing any time to see it, I would strongly suggest you stay in that area and explore northern Germany.

But however, if you have already allotted time to Berlin and want to expand, please let us know your interests. Do you prefer history over scenery? Do you want to see lots of museums or would you prefer a small town atmosphere? Europe is huge and it’s hard to pinpoint ideas without having a bit more specifics.

If you're willing to fly from Berlin, then your selections are obviously increased. I don't fly in Europe, barring an absolute emergency .

If you want to stay within an one to two hour or so radius by train from Berlin, I would suggest Leipzig, Jena, Weimar, Meissen, Naumburg an der Saale , these historically and cultural cities, along with the Greater Berlin area. ...all easily accessible from Berlin.