Hi,
Just wondering if anyone can share some experiences or advice for traveling to Bavaria and Austria the last week or two of November. We've been a few times in October, but never this late in the year. Seems like the Christmas Market in Salzburg will be open. We're thinking of the Zillertal, Mittenwald area and the Berchtesgaden area as bases.
Thanks in advance.
Paul
Paul,
What kind of experiences are you looking for information on?
Weather experiences (I know, no one can predict), earlier closing times of shops and so on. I know it's not the "ideal" time to travel, but are wondering if it's worth it. Just looking for others who have traveled late November and what their opinions/thoughts were.
Paul
We are also going to western Germany and eastern France/ Belgium over Thanksgiving and the first week of December. As a follow-up to this question, what kind of attire and footwear would be recommended to purchase for that time of year? We have two adults, a baby and a toddler and do not have any kind of rain or cold gear since we live in Southern California.
I prefer traveling in the winter. The experience is just different than summer. Plus there aren't any crowds or obnoxious tourists (American, European or Asian - not referring to any Rick Steves fans!) and you rarely need to book anything much in advance.
I've been to Berlin and Prague in late November/early December and the Christmas markets are indeed in full swing. If you don't mind winter weather, you'll find plenty to do. Though unfortunately I can't comment on the specific locations you mention - at least not in winter.
Paul, my family and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in southern Germany in 2007. Comfort levels in various weather situations is really a personal thing. We spent Thanksgiving day on the Zugspitze skiing. It was cold enough for warm winter gear. The day we spent in Fussen was sunny (but chilly for some). I was warm, barely wore my jacket. My wife and daughter were in jackets, gloves, and scarf. The Christmas market in Rothenburg did not open until after our Thanksgiving weekend so you may want to check the dates. For footwear we wore waterproof shoes (Rockports for me). We found that flannel lined pants worked well at that time of year. If you plan on renting a car, make sure it is equipped with snow tires. It is the law in Germany and we did have dustings of snow here and there but nothing stuck.
I hope these few thoughts are helpful.
