European winter/new year holiday ideas

[Jose Jones]

Hello GF peeps, perhaps you can help me out.

 

My mum is putting the hard word on me to visit for Christmas. 

My missus is not that keen as it's not really a holiday and it's nice and warm in Australia at that time of year.  Also I might be headed over two weeks earlier with work and so she'll have a 5 and 3 year old for 24 hours on the plane by herself.

 

So I thought about sneaking in 4 or 5 days over New Year somewhere nice in Europe as a bit of a sweetener.  Problem being the wife lived in London for 5 years so has been to loads of places, so some of the obvious good ones are out. 

 

Therefore I come to you wise folk to offer some suggestions.  Looking for something to include old buildings, nice scenery, some snow, good stuff to eat and drink, easy to get to.  Probably can't afford skiing unfortunately.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Krakow? I went on a stag do but have wanted to go back for a few days ever since. Lively little city, great food everywhere, quite cheap.

[Section_31]

Reykjavik, then take her to the blue lagoon.

[Jose Jones]

She's been to Krakow, we've both been to Iceland. Thanks for the suggestions though dudes.

[Bjornebye]

Bruges or Cologne. Bruges at xmas time will be ace. Or Florence.

[lifetime fan]

Prague, Budapest, Berlin or maybe even Scotland?

[Jose Jones]

Bruges or Cologne. Bruges at xmas time will be ace. Or Florence.

I shagged one of her friends in Bruges once so that is probably out. Cologne though could be on the short list. Stig winning so far.

[Jose Jones]

Prague, Budapest, Berlin or maybe even Scotland?

Budapest could be good. Think my sister might have been there though.

[mattyq]

I very much liked Riga. Good food, cheap and some stunning architecture

Guardian has some good choices

 

Winter breaks in Europe: readers’ travel tips

Thermal spas in Baden-Baden, a festival in Venice, and exploring the markets in Athens … Readers suggest their tips for winter holidays in Europe

 Relax in one of Baden-Baden’s thermal baths. Photograph: Alamy

 

Guardian readers

 

Thursday 29 January 201511.29 GMT Last modified on Saturday 31 January 201500.13 GMT

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Google+

Shares

162

 

 

Winning tip: Baden-Baden, Germany

Jump on one of the bargain flights to Baden-Baden and visit the town’s thermal spas. The oldest, Friedrichsbad, has various bathing stages including soap massages, steam rooms and hot thermal pools, culminating in a dreamy sleep room with warmed beds. Afterwards, join locals sipping hot chocolate in the numerous cake shops.
carasana.de
bowbank

Sicily

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Musicians at Agrigento’s almond blossom festival. Photograph: Alamy

Sicily, where the almond blossom is in full bloom by mid-February, is a great place to fast forward into spring for a few days. Agrigento celebrates with the annual Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore, a fiesta of folk music, parades and local produce which takes place in the ruins of several Greek temples. Under blue skies, sightseeing on the island is a serene treat rather than a sweaty summer scrum.
visitagrigento.it
ID3208844

  Valencia, Spain

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Valencia’s Mercado Central. Photograph: Alamy

Just two hours from the UK, Valencia in winter basks in bright sunshine reflecting off an azure sea. Try the food market for fresh local products, visit the gothic cathedral, the aquarium for the kids and the interactive City of Arts and Sciences. Have a ball game or siesta on the city beach and eat real “paella” at the locals’ favourite Bodego de la Sarieta.
bodegodelasarieta.com
nicolletta

Athens

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Photograph: Alamy

We stayed in Athens near Filopappou Hill. The Acropolis museum was an amazing experience. There were no crowds and the weather was ideal for walking around the best areas of the city: Syntagma square, Monasteraki square with its flea market, and the bustling shopping streets.
theacropolismuseum.gr/en
ID461533

Tromsø, Norway

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Dog-sledding in Norway. Photograph: Mark Hannaford/Getty Images/AWL Images RM

Tromsø’s got it all - a perfect blend of exotic and comfort. There’s lots to do all in walking distance, super museums of early life and art, Arctic Cathedral (with midnight concerts in February and March), an aquatic centre and the sparkling waterfront. Then there are the excursions - dog-sledding was an unmissable experience! We didn’t really mind not seeing the Northern Lights, it just means we’ll have to go back.
visittromso.no/en/
CambWoman

Venice carnival

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Photograph: Alamy

What better way to bring a bit of colour to grey winter days than to find yourself in Piazza San Marco surrounded by revellers in full Venetian splendour (and the occasional animal onesie!) Allow yourself to be swept along by the crowd in an explosion of February fun against the beautiful back drop of this floating city. If you end up in the midst of carniva, then grab that glass of Prosecco, don a mask and join the party!
venice-carnival-italy.com
Corbetthelen1980

Iceland

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Photograph: Alamy

Only three hours away, Iceland is ideal for a short winter break. You can stay surprisingly snug kitted out in thermals while riding Icelandic horses – even the horses have winter shoes. Try the magic of swimming outdoors in hot springs while snow and darkness fall. The northern lights are at their best between November and February: if you don’t spot them on your first trip you will be taken again, for free, until you do.
CornishJay

Budapest

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Chess players in the Széchenyi baths in Budapest. Photograph: Alamy

Budapest might not be an obvious choice for a European winter break but its amazing indoor and outdoor baths make an excellent and relaxing tonic to soothe the winter blues. They vary from the 16th century Rudas and Kiraly Baths, which are Turkish in style and incredibly beautiful, to secessionist and art-deco era baths like the Gellért or Széchenyi. The steam from the 37C warm water gets so thick you can only see just in front of your hand but despite the outdoor temperature it’s perfectly warm.
visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-baths
BrigadierCrispbread

Trieste, Italy

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Caffe San Marco in Trieste, Italy. Photograph: CuboImages srl / Alamy/Alamy

Take the train from Venice, sweeping across the limestone karst past the fairytale Hapsburg palace of Miramare to the magical city of Trieste, a place of unresolved geography and architectural history lesson on the erstwhile Austrian riviera. Follow in the literary footsteps of James Joyce, English teacher extraordinaire, finishing with a local Illy coffee and Sachertorte in the Caffè San Marco. A funicular tram, complete with sepia lighting, ascends the plateau before trundling down the highway to the Slovenia border. Just watch out for the bora, the biting winter wind!
annindk

Bratislava, Slovakia

FacebookTwitterPinterest

 Statue of King Svätopluk. Photograph: Alamy

I was amazed by Bratislava’s natural beauty and the hospitality of its people. Yet, the relationship of the city with its history was puzzling in many ways. No mention in any museum of the Communist past or the break-up of Czechoslovakia. The statue of Svätopluk in front of the rebuilt castle symbolises what seemed to me as a country that is still struggling to come to terms with its past, that romanticises times long gone (Svätopluk’s empire) and that has yet to find a way to critically reflect on its most recent history.
Dorothea Baltruks

 

[Remmie]

I find your ruling out process to be a bit arbitrary Jose!

 

I was just in Gdansk and it was lovely, very cheap to get to and stay. Loads of pretty buildings, bound to be snowing.

 

Vilnius Lithuania is another one, I visited it in the snow and it was amazing.

Stig's shout of Florence is a good one and also recommend Budapest

[setreal]

Lake Constance (Bodensee). A personal favorite of mine would be Lindau, but there are plenty of other places to go/stay and lots of stuff to do, with the mountains not far away for example.

 

Lindau:

 

 

[Sugar Ape]

If you're thinking of Prague ( Which is ace around Christmas the markets are boss and the flights are cheap ) then I can highly recommend these two places. They're right in the centre, 5 minutes from the Charles bridge one way and 5 minutes the other to the Christmas markets and the main square, but down a quiet side street.

 

They've both got 24 hour receptions and are happy to arrange things like pick up from the airports but are luxury apartments and I think only cost me around £80 a night when I was last there. Sometimes you get a better deal through Expedia, sometimes from their own site.

 

http://www.retezova.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d456351-Reviews-Hotel_Residence_Retezova-Prague_Bohemia.html

 

There are a few different apartments on this site, the ones I'm talking about are the Royal Boutique Residence ones in Retezova street. Great place.

 

http://www.pragueresidences.com/catalog.php

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d2668321-Reviews-Royal_Boutique_Residence-Prague_Bohemia.html

[Bjornebye]

http://www.visit-sthelens.com/

[Sugar Ape]

http://www.visit-sthelens.com/

 

* Shudders *

 

The biggest selling point on that site seems to be free car parking. 

[Section_31]

Stuttgart is alright but disturbingly French, but there's a lovely little place on the outskirts called Esslingen. 

 

They have a nice little sparkling wine factory where everyone goes on a Saturday to have a tipple, sell delicious pasta and have jazz music in some of the cellar bars with some of the top musicians from the states and Canada.

 

We got shown around by a British guide who'd been there since the 60s and who I'm fairly certain was a spy. 

[bouncebrigade]

Granada

Verona

 

Two of my favourite European cities.

[mattyq]

http://www.visit-sthelens.com/

Haha, my granny was from St Helens

Whenever we went out with her for a day trip she used to insist on telling anybody who'd listen she was from St Helens

It was mortifying as a kid

[Jose Jones]

If you're thinking of Prague ( Which is ace around Christmas the markets are boss and the flights are cheap ) then I can highly recommend these two places. They're right in the centre, 5 minutes from the Charles bridge one way and 5 minutes the other to the Christmas markets and the main square, but down a quiet side street.

 

They've both got 24 hour receptions and are happy to arrange things like pick up from the airports but are luxury apartments and I think only cost me around £80 a night when I was last there. Sometimes you get a better deal through Expedia, sometimes from their own site.

 

http://www.retezova.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d456351-Reviews-Hotel_Residence_Retezova-Prague_Bohemia.html

 

There are a few different apartments on this site, the ones I'm talking about are the Royal Boutique Residence ones in Retezova street. Great place.

 

http://www.pragueresidences.com/catalog.php

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d2668321-Reviews-Royal_Boutique_Residence-Prague_Bohemia.html

Oops.

[Jose Jones]

If you're thinking of Prague ( Which is ace around Christmas the markets are boss and the flights are cheap ) then I can highly recommend these two places. They're right in the centre, 5 minutes from the Charles bridge one way and 5 minutes the other to the Christmas markets and the main square, but down a quiet side street.

 

They've both got 24 hour receptions and are happy to arrange things like pick up from the airports but are luxury apartments and I think only cost me around £80 a night when I was last there. Sometimes you get a better deal through Expedia, sometimes from their own site.

 

http://www.retezova.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d456351-Reviews-Hotel_Residence_Retezova-Prague_Bohemia.html

 

There are a few different apartments on this site, the ones I'm talking about are the Royal Boutique Residence ones in Retezova street. Great place.

 

http://www.pragueresidences.com/catalog.php

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d2668321-Reviews-Royal_Boutique_Residence-Prague_Bohemia.html

Annoying woman has been to Prague twice so is a no go. Cheers though.

 

Some good suggestions. The Baltics might be good.

Also, how would one get to Lindau? That looks pretty marvellous.

[setreal]

Annoying woman has been to Prague twice so is a no go. Cheers though.

 

Some good suggestions. The Baltics might be good.

Also, how would one get to Lindau? That looks pretty marvellous.

 

This looks helpful:

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-complete-guide-to-lake-constance-448409.html

[moof]

Croatia.

[JagSquared]

I went to vienna and Bratislava in early January. Vienna is a superb city great for art, history and culture, food and everything I've got a tonne of recommendations if that's where you want to go.

 

Bratislava was alright good food but not a patch on vienna.

[bouncebrigade]

I went to vienna and Bratislava in early January. Vienna is a superb city great for art, history and culture, food and everything I've got a tonne of recommendations if that's where you want to go. Bratislava was alright good food but not a patch on vienna.

 

Austrians bore the fuck out of me.

 

P.S. Yes, I may be slightly generalising.  But I'm right.

[stringvest]

Vienna, Munich or Stockholm.  I love the afternoon light in Sweden in winter. Stay on one of the islands just to the east of the city.  

[Stickman]

Dusseldorf is fantastically good especially in the summer,great beer, great food, not full of dickheads, brilliant old town, gorgeous German women , plus it has the world's longest bar...what more do you need?

Oh and you can go from Liverpool.