Hate to break it to you, but if you reside in the northern hemisphere, winter is well and truly on the way. Sure, that doesn’t mean all of us are bracing for the cold (there are plenty of destinations that remain hot well into the supposedly cooler months), but sadly, lots of us are mentally preparing for chilly days and dark evenings.
But, think about it – is that really such a bad thing? All you need to do is don a few extra layers, and the best way to get over your longing for summer is to truly embrace the changing seasons. And we’ll have you know winter is actually a great time to travel, too.
Wanna know where everyone’s headed this winter? By analysing the changes in Google search data for 229 different European towns and cities from July last year compared to this year, ferry operator DFDS has uncovered the top trending destinations for the coming season.
Topping the list is Salzburg, and with the snow-capped Alps, ‘gram-worthy UNESCO-listed old town, hearty, warming cuisine, and knockout Christmas market, you can see why. Searches for the Austrian town were up a staggering 135 percent this year – could it be the winter season’s Marseille?
Vienna also made the top three, with a search increase of 71 percent, but the most prolific contender on the list is Spain, as four destinations (Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Barcelona and Tenerife) were included. Some of us will always be chasing the sun, eh?
You might be thinking ‘hey – where are the ski resorts?’ but DFDS opted to exclude those from the study, and focus on city break destinations instead. If you’re after info on the best places to hit the slopes, take a look at our guide to Europe’s best affordable ski resorts here.
These are the top 10 trending destinations to visit this winter
- Salzburg
- Tromsø
- Vienna
- Lanzarote
- Krakow
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Barcelona
- Nice
- Copenhagen
- Madeira
More on seasonal travel
If you’re looking to get away before the chaos of the holiday season, here’s our guide to the best places to travel in Europe this autumn. And if a properly wintry escape is needed, we asked travel writers to tell us their favourite winter travel destinations. While you’re there, check out out guides on the best places to travel in December, January and February – sun and snow inclusive.
Did you see that New Zealand is tripling its tourist tax?
Plus: You’ll soon be able to explore Norway on this dazzling new train.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.