What would you prefer to do on you ideal winter getaway? Does an escape to the sun with beautiful beaches and BBQ call your name, or are will you be found zooming down the slopes this Christmas? There’s plenty to be said for both options, and we all know someone who could go on arguing about this for days. To make it even more interesting, we asked some of our favorite travel bloggers to chip in on our Snow vs Sun debate. for example a solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon, in which the sun is obscured by the moon. Total eclipses, in which darkness falls and the sun’s normally invisible atmosphere is seen around a blackened sun, attract many travelers. To learn more about it, check this article about what is a total solar eclipse?
Have a look to see where they’d like to be heading to this festive season – you might start to feel pretty inspired…
“This year I’d like to go to Lapland and see the Northern Lights. I had a quick glimpse of them in Iceland in January this year before they disappeared, but it wasn’t enough. This year I’d love to see them bright in the sky for longer than a few minutes. And then I’d like to drink mulled wine and eat some meatballs to celebrate, and have a go at snowboarding the next day to work them off”.
“Winter holidays for me are all about escaping to the sun. I don’t ski and can’t stand the cold so that type of holiday is not for me. Instead, I’d like to be transported to a beach resort somewhere in South East Asia – where the ocean is warm and the food is cheap and tasty. I’m currently planning a trip to Sri Lanka in January for exactly that reason!”
“There’s something about winter holidays that I can’t seem to get enough of. Snow, of course, is magical, but there’s a slower pace in the cold and it’s completely acceptable to spend cosy hours sipping mulled wine or indulgent hot chocolate by an open fire. Christmas markets tend to be my favourite winter holiday activity, so I often look for city breaks but snowshoeing in the middle of nowhere or earnestly seeking the Aurora Borealis were two memorable winter trips too… Who needs beaches when there is so much fun to be had in winter?”
“Winter travel means one thing for me: snowboarding. Come November, I can almost hear the snow-capped mountains whisper my name from afar and it doesn’t take me much to shout back ‘I’m on my way!’ Ski and snowboarding holidays are a perfect mix of exercise, adventure, good views and (too much) good food and drink. After snowboarding in the European Alps for nearly ten years, in January this I tried something a bit different by boarding in Finnish Lapland. It was incredible; a maximum of two hours sunlight in the middle of the day proceeded by a magical sunrise and then followed by a dramatic sunset. The views weren’t quite the typical Alpine scenes; instead, I snowboarded against an otherworldly landscape of rolling fells, blanketed in pure white snow. I’m already thinking about going back this winter”
“Winter immediately makes me think of perfect snow, wrapping up warm in cute winter clothes and drinking hot chocolate next to a roaring fire. Then I remember that winter in England is long and ridiculously cold and it’s for this reason that, given the choice, I would definitely escape the chilly season. Give me sun-worshipping and snorkelling over snow any day!”
“For me, I like variety during winter. I spent last Christmas in New Zealand and last New Years in Sydney watching the fireworks – which was a stark contrast to the usual snowy, frosty UK wintertime. We spent Christmas day on the beach! This year I’ll be doing a winter break to Paris, and then I’ll be watching the new year come in from a hotel rooftop in London. A cold winter has always felt more traditional – but a bit of sunshine is sometimes just the escape you need”
“When it comes to winter travel, want to escape the miserable British weather for endless sunshine. For this, I’d go to Marrakech. In a moment of madness, I decided to go to the city in August and it was sweltering. It was such a fascinating city, but I’d love to revisit it in a more humane climate. October – December are the perfect months to visit and temperatures still reach about 35 degrees. Marrakech offers the perfect combination of culture, exploration and guaranteed sun.”
“Having lived in Grenoble, a town in the French Alps, for a year during university, my top destination for a winter holiday would be the mountains. I much prefer active holidays to sitting on the beach for two weeks, and a skiing holiday suits that side of me perfectly! I love the fresh and chilly mountain air and the crisp blue skies. There’s something special about speeding down the mountains in powdery snow and being the first to leave tracks or even taking the time to snake between evergreen trees. It’s not just the skiing side that attracts me to the mountains; it’s about stopping in wooden huts to warm up my hands on mugs of steaming hot chocolate, the fireplaces that dry out wet gloves and the mulled wine that smells so delicious. On a winter holiday in the mountains, it feels like Christmas every day, and everyone loves Christmas, right?
“Every winter I travel to Buenos Aires with my husband to visit my in-laws. Thankfully, Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere, so I always have lots of sunshine to look forward to at the height of the cold season. Nicknamed “The Paris of the South,” Buenos Aires has a soul that is lost somewhere between Europe and South America, as well as between the past and present. From this bewitching mix emerged the passionate dance of the tango, which has become an important part of Argentinean culture. Love is in the air there, thus do not be surprised if you feel suddenly inspired to kiss your travel companion every chance you get. The true city that never sleeps, you will find a delicious restaurant or a sultry nightclub on just about every street corner.”
“Winter is for wrapping up warm, drinking hot chocolate by a log fire and making footprints in the snow. Sadly winter in the UK often brings the cold without the fun of snow filling your boots, so for me, it is a must to get out to the slopes in Austria or France. Wrapped up warm in salopettes and crazy hats, but with the sun beating down as you sit on the top of the slopes sipping a glass of wine or warm Gluhwein. Next, its time to race down to the bottom on your skis for some home cooked chalet food and a spot of après-ski. Winter as it should be!”
“I used to dread winter, the cold, wind and rain, but lately, I have developed a new found appreciation for the season that brings snow. You see snow is my new best friend, having recently learned to snowboard. Last winter I went boarding in Bulgaria and Scotland, this winter I am looking at Slovenia and Andorra as possible destinations to carve my way down some long twisty blues. I like the sun and beach destinations, but I’ll save those for a time when there is no snow around. Whilst the white stuff falls, I’ll be on a mountain range somewhere making the most of it. That means boarding (obviously), filming with my GoPro, falling over lots and then indulging in a spot of apres ski. Love it!”
We hope you enjoyed getting some top tips and opinions from these amazing travel bloggers. If you’d like to read more posts like this, check out out 8 Useful Travel Tips for Bali and 25 Proven Apps for Travelles!
While Istria’s world-class gastronomy and enchanting landscape make it the ultimate destination for just sitting… Read More
Christmas and New Year's Eve are over, it’s cold outside and winter blues have officially… Read More
Guest post by Dakota Murphey With Christmas celebrations and New Year holidays to look forward to,… Read More
November officially welcomes the cold, dark season in Europe. It’s getting frosty outside, and temperatures… Read More
Golden sand, turquoise sea and the sun beating down on you...is there anything better than… Read More
Welcoming a new addition to your family is a thrilling time—but before the sleepless nights… Read More