The Dead of Winter: Best Time to Visit Europe?

Most people do their traveling in the summer. After all, that's when school is out and when most places of employment allow for some R&R. However, summertime is often the most expensive time to travel. Often you have to book hostels and pensions months in advance. Sometimes you even have to reserve a spot in line to see your favorite museum. Tourist places in the summer often jack prices up two, even three times as much as their regular prices due to the volume of tourists that come through in the summer in comparison to the rest of the year.

If you are looking for a better time to travel, then try the off-season. You might be pleasantly surprised. It might seem crazy to travel in middle winter with the freezing weather, but if you are a non- conventional traveler, then traveling in the off season is perfect.

Two winters ago I backpacked through Central Europe (Berlin, Germany; Zagreb, Croatia; Budapest, Hungary; and Krakow; Poland) in February. Despite the cold weather (and a bit of a snow), it was one of the best sojourns of my life. Why? Because my friends and I did not fight the typical travelers' nightmares. We could walk into museums without waiting in long lines, never missed a single train due sold out tickets, our hostels were practically bare, and we even encountered a few pleasant off-season discounts.

Aside from the conveniences we encountered, the whole of Europe seemed to be filled with a magical whimsy. The winter snow dusted over European capitals with the sparkle of red and white lights for Valentine's Day. The cold of February was countered with the warmth of a droll, underground Polish pub or a heart-warming bowl of Hungarian goulash. Since many people do not travel in the winter, we found that our the walking tours we took were vastly smaller than previous summer tours and therefore, much more personal. We felt we could explore the cities on a more intimate scale as opposed to rushed, crowded and impersonal experience that often comes with summer travel.

Like anything there is always a downside. One warning I would heed to the winter traveler is to check ahead with tourist bureaus for any sights that may be closed on the off-season. Also, always look for any "seasonal activities." For example, some cities may offer a horse- drawn sleigh tour of the city for "winter only." If you think out of the box, you might be pleasantly surprised.