Elizabeth Waddington
Image credit: Niklas Sjöblom
Travelling in the summer is something travellers usually prefer, but travelling in the winter months can be better still. True, you won’t be able to go off slinking off in the sun or dipping in the sea, but the opposites of winter are equally charming, wherever in the world you choose to go. Here are some of the many reasons why winter travel is so much fun.
Easier to escape the crowds
For the most part, you will find fewer tourists and fewer crowds when you travel outside the peak season. Travelling to summer destinations outside the summer season allows you to experience it undisturbed by seemingly a million other tourists. Streets will often be quieter, beaches will often be practically deserted, most attractions will have shorter queues. There is still plenty to see and do in winter, and you will often get to do it in peace and tranquillity that would be hard to imagine during the peak tourist season.
Cheaper rates
Since fewer people tend to travel in the winter months, in many locations the travel costs, accommodation costs, food costs and even the cost of activities will often be lower than they would be during the summer. Finding some great deals on your holidays is one of the delights of winter travel. You can make some real discoveries and explore places you might not be able to afford to visit during the rest of the year.
Diverse weather
Whether you are looking for winter sun or a white winter enjoying frost and snowy scenes, you can find a wide range of diverse locations with very different weather. If you live somewhere with a dark and gloomy winter, you can head elsewhere with blue skies, whereas if you live somewhere that is fairly warm all year round, the chill of ice and snow might be a welcome novelty.
Also read: Singaporeans’ Guide to Buying Winter Clothes
Spectacular skies
Image credit: Ronel Reyes
The long winter nights are perfect for spotting some of the most spectacular night skies to be seen anywhere on our planet. Head north to see the amazing phenomenon that is the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. These spectacular skies with their swirling lights of pink, white and green can really take your breath away. Whether it is Iceland, Norway or Alaska, your winter holiday will be an incredible one for sure.
Starry nights
The long nights are also perfect for those who love to gaze at the stars. Stargazers – both scientific and romantic – will get the chance to enjoy some of the best astronomical sights. Visit one of the world’s dark skies areas for the best views of the heavens, or simply gaze upwards with your loved one for a magical winter moment.
Winter sports
Winter holidays are often all about one thing – fun on the pistes. Around the world there are plenty of opportunities to put your skiing or snowboarding prowess to the test. Whether you head for the well-known resorts of, for example, the Alps, or a smaller and lesser known resort in a hidden, backwater location, you can enjoy swishing down the slopes this winter.
Also read: 12 Things You Must Try for Your First Seoul Winter
Outward bound adventure
Skiing and boarding are not the only ways to enjoy the great outdoors in the winter months. From desert treks to ice climbing, winter offers a plethora of exciting outward bound adventures for those who like to push the boundaries and take things to the next level. Cooler winter weather can make possible activities that simply could not be enjoyed the rest of the year. Seize those opportunities to explore the big wide world drenched in white.
Winter wildlife
Image credit: Margrit
While you are outside enjoying yourself on a winter holiday in the great outdoors, getting close to the natural world, you can discover a whole raft of flora, fauna, habitats and behaviours which you would not see during the rest of the year. Winter, like each of the seasons, brings with it a whole host of natural wonders. Winter travel will give you access to a whole new world of wildlife that you may not have previously discovered.
Cosy firesides
After all your time out in the great outdoors on your winter holiday adventure, skiing, snowboarding, adventuring or wildlife watching, you will appreciate all the more the cosy winter feeling that comes from sitting next to a roaring real fire, drinking spiced wine or hot chocolate and enjoying the warm glow that is the special preserve of the winter months. You can gaze into the flickering flames and enjoy being warm after experiencing the refreshing, galvanising chill of winter in colder climes.
Seasonal festivities
Seasonal festivities abound in winter wherever in the world you choose to go. Enjoy, for example, the Christmas markets of Europe, which are a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Bright, twinkling lights, spices in the air, stalls selling seasonal wares, carol music drifting through the frosty air all add to the creation of a very festive occasion, no matter whether you are religious or not.
No matter where you decide to go this winter, whether you head for winter chill or seek to escape the chill with a bit of winter sun. Whether you venture outdoors or enjoy inside attractions, you are sure to have a fun, uncrowded and affordable winter travel experience.
Also read: Winter is Coming: 4 Chilliest Regions Worth Getting Cold For
