Ten great winter holiday ideas in Europe

With their centuries-old Alpine towns surrounded by farmland and their cosy chalet hotels offering open fires and comfort food, Austrian ski regions are the postcard perfect counterpoint to the big, purpose-built resorts in neighbouring France. And yet the skiing is as good as it gets, with some of the world’s most advanced lifts and huge, linked areas. 

The Skift Travel Health Index: October 2023 Highlights report shows a slowing trend in global travel momentum as the index dipped 2 percentage points and stands at 103.

One of the most delightful holiday traditions is counting down the days to Christmas with an advent calendar, especially with one filled with chocolate. The tradition of advent calendars dates back to 19th-century Germany, where people marked the days leading up to Christmas with daily small treats. The first printed advent calendar appeared around 1903, with religious images behind small numbered doors. Over time, the concept evolved to include a variety of themes, from chocolates to toys and was adopted outside of Germany too. Here are ten of the finest luxury chocolate advent calendars, created by the world’s top chocolatiers.

In 2023, Wego observed an impressive influx of travel interest from the MENA region to Germany, with approximately 1.5 million searches registered. The surge in travel searches is a testament to the popularity of Germany as a travel destination among individuals from the Middle East and North Africa.

Napoleon was born in Ajaccio on 15 August 1769, the year the French took back Corsica from the Genoese and just a few months after the birth of Arthur Wellesley – later the 1st Duke of Wellington – in Dublin.

If you're looking for a hotel during the holidays, you'll pay anywhere from 7% to 9% more than you did a year ago. So, which cities are the most expensive — and how can you get a deal? I asked Johannes Thomas, CEO of the German hotel metasearch site trivago for the answer.

The holiday season is almost upon us. Soon, the TV screen will be swamped with festive ads, the radio will be jingling with holiday tunes and presents will be wrapped.

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.

Despite conventional wisdom, Europe is still a dream come true come wintertime. From the merriment of myriad Christmas markets to joyous carnival celebrations, the continent shines bright during the season of darkness. But nothing dazzles quite like the Northern Lights. At their best during the winter months, the Northern Lights are a thrill to those lucky enough to gaze upon them and happen to be entering a period of increased activity. While finding them is always an inexact science due to the famously fickle nature of the lights, many locations across the northern tier of the continent offer travelers increased odds all winter long. And since seeing Europe by rail is always a thrill and you can reach almost any corner of the continent on a train, why not combine the two things for a winter trip you will remember forever? Think days spent gazing out the window at winter wonderlands and nights chasing the magical lights outdoors and having fun staying cozy indoors. You will probably want to bookend your adventure with a stop in a city like Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Bergen, Helsinki, or even London or Edinburgh to make it a well-rounded rail adventure.

It’s a big world out there. It’s surely snowing somewhere.

Following the incredible success of the YouTube channel Great Art Explained in 15 minutes, arts writer James Payne has launched a brilliant new series offering a fresh look at world literature.

The Alps tend to tower to mind when you picture skiing in Europe, cutting across France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.