People stroll among the stalls at the Christmas market in Place de la Cathédrale in Strasbourg, France. (Orietta Gaspari/iStock Unreleased/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
And it’s a bonus that many river cruises along the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers visit Christmas markets at this time of year, too.
“Any traveller who has wanted to take advantage of European Christmas markets but suffers from a lack of PTO may be in luck this year,” said Nastro. “Because Thanksgiving is the last week of November this year, you can squeeze in a winter holiday trip over the Thanksgiving week.”
One of Germany’s famous Christmas markets opens on Nov. 29 in Nuremberg, and France’s beloved Strasbourg Christmas market opens Nov. 27, which means you could be sipping mulled wine and snacking on gingerbread while everyone back home is busy gobbling turkey and stuffing, she said.
Think beyond the usual destinations
London, Paris and Rome remain the most searched European destinations for travel regardless of the time of year — including those end-of-year trips between mid-October and mid-December, said Berg.
But more off-the-beaten path destinations in Europe that are showing an uptick in demand (including for searches at this time of year) include Marseille in Southern France, Cyprus, Denmark’s Faroe Islands, Longyearbyen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago and Helsinki, according to Hopper data. All also offer lower prices on airfare from the U.S. for end-of-year travel this year compared to the same periods last year and in 2019.
Mediterranean cities in the south of France, Greece and Cyprus stay temperate into November and December and Northern European destinations including the Faroe Islands, Finland and Norway offer the chance to see the Northern Lights.
“There’s definitely a trend among younger travellers toward many of these destinations,” said Berg. “Those domestic travellers from a few years ago who went to Jackson Hole are now headed to the Arctic Circle.”
Nastro said that while the Croatian coast and Kotor in Montenegro get packed with sun-seekers during the summertime, the shoulder season in these places offers a coziness that’s appealing, too.
“Cultural festivals, homemade pumpkin seed oil, and gorgeous and almost tourist-free views should be considered,” she said. But she advises travellers to “stick to the bigger cities as some smaller seaside towns may be closed for the season.”
And while Tuscany booms during the toasty summer months, November and December usher in crisp weather and white truffle season. Hotels like the 18th century Borgo San Vincenzo in Montepulciano can arrange truffle hunts and visits to local truffle markets, and a Chrstimas market even takes over the town’s Piazza Grande starting in mid-November.
Dates and rates to consider
If you decide to break from the pack and head to Europe instead of a domestic destination, flying on Thanksgiving Day offers the added benefit of being the least crowded day at U.S. airports during the holiday crush. And it’s best to avoid the jampacked Sunday after the holiday.
Along with airfare, average nightly accommodation rates drop dramatically across Europe at the end of the year compared to during the peak summer months.
Hopper’s data shows average nightly rates in cities like Paris and Reykjavik down 30 per cent and more at the end of the year compared to peak summer. In Rome, the savings on nightly rates soars to 40 per cent at the end of the year, with average room rates clocking in at US$200 per night.
That means a hotel you might have always dreamed of experiencing might suddenly be within reach.
“Finding availability at certain European gems can be nearly impossible in the summer without early planning, but some of our favorite places still have availability for Thanksgiving,” said Fora adviser Kim Hannum. Among those luxury properties are Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland; J.K. Place Roma in Italy; and Grand Hotel Son Net in Mallorca, Spain.
An online search for rooms at Adare Manor shows rates of US$814 for two people with breakfast on November 28, 2024, while a similar room on June 29, 2025, costs nearly double that at US$1,524.
At Mallorca’s Grand Hotel Son Net, a room on Thanksgiving night this year is 515 euros (around US$560) while the same room on June 19, 2025 (when a two-night minimum is required due to peak season) costs 1,075 euros (around US$1,168).
Another opportunity for savings
And even if you can’t make a secret-season trip to Europe happen before the winter holidays are upon us, Berg said to mark your calendar and set price alerts for Travel Deal Tuesday — the travel equivalent of Black Friday. Those deals drop on December 3 this year.
“The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is probably the single best day of the year to book a trip to Europe or anywhere international,” she said. “We see deep discounts on airfare deals and on hotel stays across the travel industry, and then obviously on the Hopper app as well.”
Even though traveling to Europe in January or February is likely to bring even cooler temperatures, you can reap many of the same benefits of the fall lull, including lower prices and fewer crowds, she said.
“There’s much more of a focus on tourism in summer,” Berg said. “Whereas during this period you’re having a much more local experience, which is what a lot of travellers are craving.”
Florida-based travel writer Terry Ward lives in Tampa and is crossing fingers and toes for enough snow during an early-December ski trip to the Montana Lodge & Spa in Italy’s Aosta Valley.
Source link : https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/europe-s-secret-season-for-travel-starts-now-1.7081885
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Publish date : 2024-10-22 00:45:00
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