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Thread: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

  1. #11
    Les
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Ex-Seattlelite living in PNW
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    1,235

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    My v. first thought was Scotland. Zermatt will be in ski season, so lodging will be at premium....though Matterhorn has its visual splendor. How about Denmark with an option of going over to Sweden for a day or two ? You might be able to secure an apt for that amount of time (say, outside of Copenhagen) and do some exploration + photos. I'd consider car rental too....at least for the days of uber travel/mobility. Plan B/C: switch return flight and stop in Iceland for 5 days :>).

    Les

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    San Joaquin Valley, California
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    9,599

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    The food is always better in Italy. Always.
    Just sayin'
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    New Zealand
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    141

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    How about something slightly different?

    Maybe consider going down to somewhere like Madeira or Malta? There will be plenty of cheap deals available.

    If you want someplace closer to the UK, and where the public transport and walking options are plentiful, look at heading over to the Netherlands. Stay outside of Amsterdam, and accommodation is much more reasonable.

    And one more option to consider - head down to the Basque area. Again, cheap deals should be available from London. Great towns and cities, fantastic landscapes and the added bonus of fantastic food!

    Do keep in mind that your daylight hours will be limited in northern Europe at that time of the year.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    Besançon, France
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    1,617

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    Hello from France!

    I'll glad to answer all questions if the original poster eventually decides for France.
    Since Europe covers quite a wide variety of climates and landscapes, its is not easy to give general advice!
    Between Oulu, Finland and Heraklion, Crete, Greece, in both cases you'll be along the sea within the European Union, with the same Euro currency ;-) but temperatures will be ... ahem quite different, the same difference between Michigan and Florida in winter!

    Regarding France, in winter by clear weather, distant landscapes can be less hazy that in other seasons. This is a definite 'plus' for somebody accustomed to the absolute transparency of the air in the American Wild West in winter .. by sunny weather of course.
    Beware however if you go to the Alps, that valleys are very deep, with very sleep slopes, very different from what you get in the Colorado rockies for example, and shade comes very quicky during the afternoon, limiting available light, according to the location, to a few hours. Some villages in the Alps never see the sun for one month around New Year !
    Regarding central Europe, in the Czech and Slovakian Republic the weather can be very cold in winter. But as far as culture and architecture are concerned, central Europe is a jewel. In Slovakia the Tatras mountain range along the Polish border is very rich in superb mountain landscapes, but although the elevations are not as high as in the Alps, be prepared for harsh road conditions in winter.
    Again there is a very strong difference with respect to the Western part of France where it hardly ever freezes along the Atlantic ocean.
    Except this year where Mont Saint Michel in Normandy experienced a heavy snowstorm in February !

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    Plymouth, UK
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    677

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    I would probably go for Prague, great city, lots to see and do, not too expensive but watch out for pickpockets in the more touristy areas, I got caught on my second visit there.

  6. #16

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Bray View Post
    I would probably go for Prague, great city, lots to see and do, not too expensive but watch out for pickpockets in the more touristy areas, I got caught on my second visit there.
    I got dipped on my first day there. Still, a beautiful city.

    Better yet, spend 5 days in Cesky Krumlov, south of Prague, just North of the Austrian border. A walking town, medieval, and inexpensive. I wish I had brought my LF gear when I was there.

  7. #17
    Thomas
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Bielefeld and Hamburg, Germany
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    203

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    If you start your trip in London, the old towns in Belgium and the Netherlands (plenty of them) might be another good option for architecture. Easy to get there by train from London, and public transportation is excellent.

    I wouldn't really recommend Norway in January for a photography trip. 6 hours daylight max isn't really what you want. Though I love the country.

    Switzerland also has an excellent public transportation network (trains, buses, boats etc.) with connections running every hour to pretty much everywhere. It is quite expensive, but if you go for a five day trip there are some affordable holiday transportation passes which you might want to look into. And you can combine architecture shooting with landscape nicely here, because everything is very close (it is a very small country). Landscape in the morning, architecture in the afternoon.

    In general, Europe is very safe to travel. There is an off chance of pickpocketing in large cities which attract many tourists, but I never have experienced this myself. And photographers normally will not get any hassle from property owners or security guards in Europe. Taking photographs is fine pretty much everywhere. Only expect the curious questions about LF Equipment by fellow tourists.

    Greetings, Thomas

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Chichester, UK
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    464

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    I went to Prague in February a couple of years ago, it was below zero the whole time I was there, and that definitely impacted on my enjoyment. Lovely place but preferred it the first time when I went in summer.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Denmark
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    6,246

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    With only 5 days, you are unlikely to be lucky with the weather anywhere north of the Alps.
    Large format does need a hired car, in my experience.
    In terms of getting value for money, a low cost return to say Malaga from London and a hired car and 5 day rent of a flat AND plenty of varied locations (from Fincas/orchards to Alhambra - permit required, though) would give most photo opportunies per hour and per dollar.
    Its what I (we) do every January/February. From the UK, I think you can also get flights to Mallorca. The system with budget airlines in Europe is that the current price depends on how many seats are already booked.

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Jul 1998
    Location
    Lund, Sweden
    Posts
    2,214

    Re: Where to go in Europe in the Winter?

    Go to Venice.

    Take gumboots.

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