Europe in December

If you want to level up your Christmas experience, few things can compare to the holiday experience in Europe. From Christmas markets, to wonderful new cuisine, seasonal drinks, and shopping, it’s unlike anything here at home.

- Ren Alcantara

First things first though. If you intend to spend winter in Europe, you have to prepare for the cold. While it’s not life-threatening, the cold can be formidable depending on where you head. Our recent trip took us from a chilly 8 degrees and sunny in Paris, to an absolutely miserable 0 degrees and snowy in Germany, and a mildly frightening -13 degrees (with 50 kph winds) at the Swiss Alps. Setting aside space in your luggage for actual cold-weather wear will allow you to see the sights and experience the attractions in comfort rather than misery. There’s also no reason to throw fashion out the window when picking your wardrobe. Buying off-season is probably the best way to get what you need, from places you want, and saving yourself more than enough money to spend at Christmas markets. For everything else, such as thermal under-layers, there’s always the nearest Uniqlo that will have clothes rated for different temperature ranges. Just pick the most appropriate, get several, and some layers to put over it, and you should be set.

To cut down on layers and because it’s totally what a tech guy such as myself would do, I had something of a secret weapon. I ordered a USB-powered heating vest online, and after extensive testing, deemed it to be travel-worthy. It saved me a few layers, and even on its own, without power, was significantly warm.