Snowy Winter Vacation? No Way! I Want Warmth and Sun, Sun, Sun…

Snowy Winter Vacation? No Way! I Want Warmth and Sun, Sun, Sun…

Are you a snow-lover or do you flee the winter? In the first case, most people from Holland go to Austria for one or two weeks. In the second case, they mostly choose Spain. Not only for a couple of weeks, even for three months! 

People are crazy about it, or hate it: going on a winter vacation and skiing. Mostly it is about skiing all day and the so-called ‘after-ski-party’ in the afternoon and evening. Austria, France and Switzerland seem to be the most popular countries. 

Fewer People Go Skiing

In 2016 less Dutch people went on a ski holiday. About 866.000 people went abroad to go to ski-fun. That is 30.000 less than the year before. The reason: it costs a lot Especially when you go there with the whole family, with kids. 

Austria seems to be the most popular country they travel to. Almost sixty percent of the winter sports enthusiasts go there. France and Germany are the other countries they go to. Switzerland is not that popular anymore. More than eighty percent of the travelers go by car, others take the touring bus or go by plane. 

Avoiding the Cold and Rain

If you don’t like snow and cold and are more into sun and warmth you book your vacation South Spain (translated to Dutch: vakantie Zuid Spanje). There are even people that go for three months to avoid rain, cold, snow, and November storm. 

They pack their Cowboysbag in Oktober, November or December and leave the autumn- and winter cold. They stay during wintertime in Spain. No skating or skiing for them. They want beaches, sunny walks, evenings on their balcony with a glass of wine out of their wine cooler (translated to Dutch: klimaatkast). 

It Doesn’t Have to Cost a Lot

Experts say it doesn’t have to cost much money to stay from for example December until the end of February in the southern countries. For in-between two-thousand and three-thousand euro’s you can stay in a comfortable apartment in Spain, the travel costs inclusive. 

The advice is: go by car, check the availability and circumstances of the accommodation (in wintertime there will sometimes some maintenance work to apartments), check the costs for the heating system, cleaning and prices for food and wine. Don’t let these prices negatively surprise you. Also check your travel insurance, especially if you go abroad for more than sixty days. 

Experts say that Spain, the most popular country to stay in wintertime, is the cheapest. Portugal is next and Bali the most expensive place to stay during wintertime.