Visit Europe This Winter!

Traveling with winter coats, bulky sweaters, and practical footwear for wet weather can be a chore, or it can be an opportunity. Having recently returned from my first trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as my first time traveling to a cold climate during the winter season, I’ve compiled some of the helpful tips and tricks I learned along the way.

Before you go…

With regulations changing nearly daily, staying on top of the known unknowns can be a challenge, however, being as prepared as possible is of the utmost importance. A few high-level items to be aware of that we encountered while preparing for our travel in late December of 2021 are shown here:

Covid-19 Entry requirements differ by country even within the EU, don’t assume that you can just figure it out when you get there, this needs to be researched well in advance of your departure.
Covid-19 Testing requirements are also changing from one day to the next, I suggest that you stock up with at least two self-administered rapid antigen tests that are recognized by both your country of departure and of arrival, to ensure that you can get a test result that meets with your travel departure and arrival requirements.
Research the weather. I so badly wanted specific “looks” for our romantic, snow-filled, European vacation. As it would turn out, we were about a month too early for snow, but just in time for cold rain. Ditch the cute stuff and opt for what’s practical.
Holidays abroad can be a fun change of pace from what we’re used to at home, but be aware that other countries might observe them (or the days around them) differently. Do your research and ensure that you aren’t planning activities that conflict with holiday observances.

Celebrate the New Year in Salzburg, Austria.

“New Year’s Eve,” or “New Year,” is known as “Silvester” in Austria. We arrived in Salzburg on the afternoon of December 31st, not knowing what to expect in terms of celebration, due to Austria having lifted a countrywide lockdown only days before our arrival. Much to our delight, cannons were being fired, period re-enactors were gathering, and holiday decorations were plentiful, as we made our way from the Salzburg train station to our Airbnb in the Old Town.

We were thrilled with the location of the apartment we had rented for our stay, as it was just a few steps away from everything that Salzburg had to offer, so we quickly checked in, ditched our luggage inside, and then plunged ourselves into the festivities we hoped to find.

Not more than fifty feet from our door, we stumbled upon a delightful outdoor square, hosting a holiday bar and nightclub. Not wanting to take unnecessary risks in terms of potential Covid-19 exposure, we opted for the much quieter, outdoor bar, where we enjoyed hot mugs of gluhwein (hot, spiced wine).

*The mugs required a 2 euro deposit, refundable upon return, or you may keep them when finished as an inexpensive souvenir (we opted to keep ours)!

After a couple of warm drinks, we re-masked and made our way further towards the center square of the Old Town. To my utter amazement (and super-planner shock), we discovered that due to the December Covid19 lock-down, the Christmas Market was still open (normally closed before Christmas)!

Visiting the Christmas markets of Europe has long been a bucket-list item for me, particularly in the Germanic countries due to my heritage.

As we inched nearer to midnight, we decided that shopping was not our top priority, and opted to make a single lap through the market to scope out what we might find the following day. However, in the course of our explorations, we came across a fellow American and his English-speaking partner and quickly struck up a conversation. Turns out that our new friend was a tour guide and gave what I’m going to call “super-premium” Sound of Music tours.

I’m going to admit that at the time of our arrival in Salzburg, I had long been a fan of the Rodger and Hammerstein adaptation of The Sound of Music, but I had zero idea that it was a mostly true story about a real family from Salzburg.

Anyway, we were full of hot wine, and excitement for the holiday, and were equipped with new friends full of local knowledge and looking to kill time until midnight. We proceeded to walk around Salzburg and learn about the history of the city as it related to the Trapp family and see many of the icon spots captured in the film.

Just before midnight, we all four made our way back to the main square below the imposing fortress (which overlooks Salzburg) where many people had gathered, however, it was easy to remain socially distanced.

At midnight, the massive church bells began to ring and a wonderful fireworks display was shot off over the city from the hilltop above. Call it a traveler high or the reaction of someone stuck indoors for too many years, but those fireworks were the most beautiful I had ever seen.

*Worth knowing in advance, if you should ever want to visit Salzburg for New Year’s Eve, is that there are several “galas” held around the city, which the locals kind of make fun of as just being for rich tourists. However, there is a coursed dinner and musical performance held in the fortress, as well as at a restaurant called St. Peters. In hindsight, I might consider the gala at St. Peters, but in general, I was very happy about our outdoor and nearly free experience.