It seems that everyone is on the way to somewhere this month. The Autobahns and roadside Rasthofs brim over with both energetic and weary travelers. Indeed, to call December a "busy" travel time would be a mild understatement.
Me, I love to travel in the month of December. Having visited England earlier this month, and having just returned from Munich and Vienna, I spent most of the month wandering Europe. Sure the weather threatened to complicate my travel plans, and packing bulky cold weather clothes tested the strength of my duffle bag zippers, but the fun far outweighed the minor annoyances. I view my December travels as easier and more relaxed. The sun may begin setting at 4:00pm, but my days are still filled with wandering and sightseeing. What I notice most is the absence of large tourist crowds. So many of my summer travel experiences include the memories of long, hot sticky lines, or making my way around some astounding historic site swarming with hundreds and hundreds of people. When your goal in a museum is to figure out how quickly you can get out of the building, clearly the joy I am seeking in my travels has been lost. This is why I have come to prefer December adventures.
December is an odd month in the travel calendar. Though technically considered part of the "off-season"-the on-season being April through October-the month of December is a special time in Germany. Skiing most certainly draws many to the mountains, where December is as "in-season" as it gets. Also special to this month are the many holiday festivals, Christmas markets, and New Year's concerts and performances. But, special celebrations are not considered enough to entice a non-skiing traveler to Germany, particularly with winter's gray and cloudy skies. December therefore offers unique travel experiences, but with the added incentives of fewer tourist crowds, special off-season rates, and an opportunity to kick back and enjoy the everyday. Below I have listed a few factors that may prompt you to consider a future December visit to Germany.
Get With The Times
Tourism as a business does not end with the dog days of summer. Though some places and attractions may reduce their hours of operations in winter, very few sites close down completely. A good guidebook can inform you of winter operating hours. As always you can arrange for reservations in advance of your visit, but a spur of the moment side-trip in winter will not necessarily mean several hours standing in a ticket line. Nevertheless, I recommend that you check out the web site of your intended destinations just in cased. I neglected to do this on a Christmas Eve trip to Munich, where I swiftly learned that many of the city's museums were closed for the holiday. Oops! At least I only traveled a few hours to Munich, not across half the globe.
Me, I love to travel in the month of December. Having visited England earlier this month, and having just returned from Munich and Vienna, I spent most of the month wandering Europe. Sure the weather threatened to complicate my travel plans, and packing bulky cold weather clothes tested the strength of my duffle bag zippers, but the fun far outweighed the minor annoyances. I view my December travels as easier and more relaxed. The sun may begin setting at 4:00pm, but my days are still filled with wandering and sightseeing. What I notice most is the absence of large tourist crowds. So many of my summer travel experiences include the memories of long, hot sticky lines, or making my way around some astounding historic site swarming with hundreds and hundreds of people. When your goal in a museum is to figure out how quickly you can get out of the building, clearly the joy I am seeking in my travels has been lost. This is why I have come to prefer December adventures.
December is an odd month in the travel calendar. Though technically considered part of the "off-season"-the on-season being April through October-the month of December is a special time in Germany. Skiing most certainly draws many to the mountains, where December is as "in-season" as it gets. Also special to this month are the many holiday festivals, Christmas markets, and New Year's concerts and performances. But, special celebrations are not considered enough to entice a non-skiing traveler to Germany, particularly with winter's gray and cloudy skies. December therefore offers unique travel experiences, but with the added incentives of fewer tourist crowds, special off-season rates, and an opportunity to kick back and enjoy the everyday. Below I have listed a few factors that may prompt you to consider a future December visit to Germany.
Get With The Times
Tourism as a business does not end with the dog days of summer. Though some places and attractions may reduce their hours of operations in winter, very few sites close down completely. A good guidebook can inform you of winter operating hours. As always you can arrange for reservations in advance of your visit, but a spur of the moment side-trip in winter will not necessarily mean several hours standing in a ticket line. Nevertheless, I recommend that you check out the web site of your intended destinations just in cased. I neglected to do this on a Christmas Eve trip to Munich, where I swiftly learned that many of the city's museums were closed for the holiday. Oops! At least I only traveled a few hours to Munich, not across half the globe.
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