Looking for fairly affordable, fairly sunny 2 month stay in Jan/Feb?

Karen, do you have a country or continent in mind, not trying to be too hard but your question is too vague.

Costa Rica

Philippines. You'll love it. Its easy from Seattle.

Almost anywhere in the southern hemisphere would work. Argentina and Brazil come to mind.

Hi thereI did leave it wide open, didn't I? LoL ! Well, it is kind of that way. I will be in Cardiff Wales for Christmas and new Years with my daughterthen have off til Feb 26th. Was planning on southern Turkey or Morocco or Seville, but have been getting less than excited as those prospects when looking at projected weather in those place. Ifg I am leaving Canada for Jan-Feb and back to the colder weather here in MarchI think I would really rather have a very warm place to hangout first. :-) So, then was thinking Buenos Aries? So, you see, it is a bit open. :-) What I suppose I should have posted was whether anyone had a particularly great place in mind based on some knowledge of adventurous things to do there or past travels that were particularly memorable?
I am a not a climber or extensive hiker ... and I really enjoy getting to know a community and the people that I might return and develop friendships over future years to come. I will be retiring in a year, so also investigating place that i might like to stay awhile. :-) So, there you have it...much more detail. Anything pop into your mind now? Karen Smilesalot

Karen, I took the Sicily tour in September, so have had some experience with it. The weather was fantastic at that time, although with the heat I had to do laundry more frequently. The one exception was an afternoon in Taormina when we endured a severe rain storm (I'm not exaggerating the word "severe"). It was somewhat similar to one that occurred on Sept. 25 last year when I was in Lucca. One point to mention regarding the Sicily tours. When the tour catalogue was printed, only two tours in February were listed. There are now six tours listed on the website, four of which are now "Waitlist Only". The price for the February tours is considerably less than for the same tours taken in the "prime" months ($800 discount). It would seem that either Sicily is increasing in popularity or travellers want to take advantage of a bargain. As Roberto mentioned, it's not likely to be exceptionally warm anywhere in Europe at that time of year, even in the south. The historical averages for Sicily are a high of 17C and a low of 6C, but even long term forecasts are not always accurate. Cheers!

Karen, I'm not entirely clear on your question? You indicated that you're going to be in Cardiff visiting your daughter for Christmas and New Years. As you'll be in Europe anyway, you could spend some time in the southern regions of Spain, Portugal or Italy. Some possibilities.... > the Algarve region of Portugal > southern Spain (Sevilla, Granada, Malaga) > southern Italy (Calabria) > Sicily (you could consider a RS tour of Sicily to make the stay interesting, as they offer several in February, some of which are now completely booked and "Waitlist Only") It's interesting the hear that you'll be retiring next year. You'll find that retirement is "the best job you never had". I retired in 2010 and quite enjoying it! Happy travels!

Thanks to all. Ken-- thank you for your reply. I guess I know that these mentioned are all possibilities, but was looking for advice about why one would stand out over others--and particularly which have the best shot for the most decent weather? The Sicily tour is an example of something I had hoped to hear of. Have you experience with this? I thought it was quite cold there in January and February? Thanks again,
Karen

If you are wondering about the average weather, and actual figures for the last several dozen years go to the Weather Underground who can tell you what happened on any particular day. Then you can decide if any particular place may be too cold for you - but remember that past performance is no guarantee of the future.

Cardiff has lots of flights to warm vacation spots in the Mediterranean region with both Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airlines. Unfortunately they are mostly seasonal and do not operate in winter. Frankly, that time of the year it's not going to be that warm anywhere in Europe, not even in Southern Europe. Southern Europe and the Med islands have mild winters similar to winters here in Central California, however it is unlikely that temperatures will soar to the 70's F in January/February. You'll be in the 60's (F) at best during the day. For warmer weather you might have a better chance if you go to the Red Sea, where many Europeans like to vacation in winter. Cardiff has a daily non stop flight to Sharm-el-Sheik, which operates also in winter. I'd consider it, if you are looking for true warmth. The Canary islands, off the coast of Morocco, is another option.

Karen, my sister and her family spent two weeks in Sicily in late December/early January a few years ago. They got a great deal on airfare and just went for it. It was cold, dreary and foggy most of the time they were there. They had a fantastic time, but that was in spite of the weather, not because of it. Buenos Aires, on the other hand, sounds like a great idea. My son and his wife went there for a month after spending some time in Paris. They got a good price on airfare and rented an apartment in Buenos Aires. This was in October, so early spring there. In January it would be nice and warm.