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Winter City Breaks: Top Tips

As we all know, the city break has surged in popularity over the last few years. Once upon a time, holidaymakers only turned to beach breaks but now, the tide is changing.

3 days in New York – empire state building
NEW YORK CITY, NY – NOV 19: Empire State Building closeup on November 19, 2011 in New York City. Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark and was world’s tallest building for more than 40 years.

One of the great things about these breaks is that you’re not restricted by the weather. In other words, you can venture away in both July or December, and the experience will be just as charming.

At the same time, while it’s completely possible and done all of the time, there are a few more considerations in the colder periods. Today’s post is all about addressing these considerations, and prepping you for your winter city break properly.

Domestic travel is considerably slower

It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling to a hotel in Basingstoke or Lisbon, travel during these winter months is going to be much slower.

Granted, if we turn to our Lisbon example, the temperatures aren’t going to be quite as low and you most probably won’t have the snow to contend with. For most countries in Europe, the roads do start to slow down though, with drivers being more cautious and accidents being more common unfortunately.

As such, make sure you plan ahead. You will need to budget for more time on the road, both at home as you travel to the airport, and once you land.

Wear what you can

If you’re traveling by plane, we all know the score when it comes to baggage. The limitations are going just one way and in the winter months, where you will naturally be wearing more clothes, this means that you need to pack more.

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Well, due to the cabin baggage restrictions and the extortionate fees around checked luggage, your options are limited. You’ll be tight for space and as such, when you do embark on the plane, try and layer up and wear as many clothes as possible. You might have to strip off later on the flight, but it will save you money in the short-term.

Plan to dine out more

It’s a biological fact, when it’s colder your body burns more calories. The result? You’ll need to eat more.

This is something that will naturally affect your city break plans. While we’re not going to generalize, these breaks often involve a lot of walking. As such, you will need to include more pitstops along your way, in a bid to fuel up. This doesn’t just mean that you’ll need to plan your itinerary around this, but it also means that your budget might be a touch higher so you can afford this additional dining.

Plan your attractions wisely

Finally, while city breaks are completely possible during the winter months, there can be some attractions that aren’t open during this time.

Some will shut their doors during the colder months, particularly around Christmas, so it’s worth taking this into account as you plan your itinerary. It’s not going to be a deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but you might need to tweak your plans somewhat.