There are 3 Snowy Moods: Which Winter Traveller are You?

Publication on January 15, 2026

There are two kinds of people in winter: those who pull their scarf tighter and dream of hibernation, and those who quietly open a new browser tab and type “get me out of here.”

If you’re reading this, we’re guessing you belong to the second group.

Winter is one of our favourite times of year to travel. The atmosphere changes, and the same old places suddenly feel new again. Over the years, we’ve noticed that most winter trips tend to fall into three “moods”: snowy city magic, mountain adventures, and golden “did winter even happen?” escapes.

Let’s talk about each of those, and what kind of traveller they may suit best.

Snowed In

If you like the idea of winter, but also like the idea of central heating, a winter city break is your sweet spot.

Think of places like Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Copenhagen, New York. Once the cold sets in, these cities lean all the way into charm. Fairy lights loop over the streets, windows fog with the warmth of crowded cafés, and there’s always somewhere nearby selling something hot in a paper cup.

In Vienna, you can spend the morning wandering through Schönbrunn Palace gardens with a dusting of snow on the hedges, then duck into one of the famous coffeehouses for thick hot chocolate and a slice of Sachertorte. Prague looks like a storybook in winter, with Charles Bridge rising from a misty Vltava River and church spires peeking through low clouds. Budapest offers a perfect blend of cold air and hot water, with outdoor thermal baths where steam curls up into the icy air while you soak.

On the practical side, winters often offer comparatively quieter destinations. Museum queues shrink. Popular restaurants are easier to book. If you’ve ever wanted to see New York’s big sights without weaving through peak-season crowds, January and February are a dream.

We still remember one late-January trip to Copenhagen where the sunset turned the harbour cotton-candy pink. We spent the early evening hopping between wine bars and tiny restaurants. It felt less like sightseeing and more like slipping into someone else’s neighbourhood for a few days.

Tip for this type of trip: focus on cities with good “indoor culture.” That means satisfying museums, cozy cafés, atmospheric bars, galleries, bookstores, and perhaps a local spa or bathhouse. Winter isn’t a problem when you’re happily exploring from one warm doorway to the next.

Snowed On

Then there’s the winter traveller who hears the word “snow” and thinks “perfect.” If that’s you, the mountains are calling.

Classic choices are the Alps in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Chamonix, Zermatt, St. Anton, Val Gardena, Three Valleys, Verbier, Kitzbühel, La Plagne, and many, many more. Outside Europe, you’ve got the Rockies in Canada and the USA, from Banff and Lake Louise to Aspen and Jackson Hole, plus the powder havens of Niseko and Furano in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture.

Of course, skiing and snowboarding are the main highlights of such trips. Long runs, tree-lined slopes, and that satisfying crunch of freshly groomed runs in the morning. But you don’t need to be an athlete to love a winter mountain break. Many resorts are slowly becoming all-round winter playgrounds.

You can go snowshoeing through quiet forests, try dog sledding, ride a snowmobile over frozen lakes, or even test out an igloo bar. In Lapland, around Rovaniemi or Levi, you can add reindeer sleigh rides and a hunt for the northern lights to your list. That moment when green and pink lights ripple across a dark sky stays with you for a long time.

The other half of a mountain trip is the “après” side of things. Après the slopes, there’s fondue in Swiss chalets, schnitzel in Austrian huts, polenta in the Italian Dolomites, and most important of all: drinks, music and dancing till the sun goes down! And finally, when you’ve fully exhausted yourself, the beautiful wellness centres come beckoning with saunas, steam rooms, heated pools and spa treatments.

We once stayed in a small Austrian village where the daily rhythm became our favourite part of winter: first ski lift around 9, long lunch on a sunny terrace, last run down just before the light faded, and then an hour in the hotel spa watching snowflakes fall through the glass roof. You sleep incredibly well after that routine.

If you’re thinking of this kind of trip, it’s worth considering what matters most to you: challenging runs, family-friendly slopes, nightlife, or peace and quiet. Chamonix and St. Anton, for example, buzz after dark, while smaller spots in the Dolomites or Swiss Alps might give you more peace and starry skies.

Snow away

Of course, some of us are firmly in the “absolutely no snow, thanks” camp. For you, winter is the perfect time to fly toward the sun and come home smugly tanned.

There are different flavours of winter sun, depending on how far you’re willing to go.

For many Europeans, the Canary Islands are the closest reliable option. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura. In December and January, you can sit on a terrace in a T-shirt while the weather back home does its worst. Days are often bright and mild, with volcanic landscapes and coastal walks waiting if you feel like moving between long, lazy meals.

If you’re open to a longer flight, Southeast Asia comes into its own during the northern winter. Southern Thailand, for example, with places like Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi, gives you turquoise water, longtail boats, palm trees and fresh seafood. Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island or Malaysia’s Langkawi have similar “yes, it really looks like the photos” vibes.

Across the Atlantic, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with Caribbean beaches and easy day trips to cenotes and Mayan ruins around Tulum and Chichén Itzá. The Caribbean, from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica to Barbados and Saint Lucia, enters it’s peak season, with perfect temperature options when Europe and North America are shivering.

Arriving in Mauritius one January, we left behind grey skies and frozen pavements. Stepping out of the airport into warm, fragrant air felt almost surreal. Two weeks of lagoon swims and grilled fish later, winter back home had lost a lot of its power.

Winter sun trips aren’t only about beaches either. You could spend sunny days exploring Marrakech’s souks with the Atlas Mountains in the distance, or wandering around Cape Town with Table Mountain rising above beaches and vineyards. The key is that you’re swapping short days and thick coats for long afternoons and light clothes.

When you plan this type of winter travel, think about what balance you want between total relaxation and cultural exploring. It’s easy to spend an entire week horizontal on a sun lounger, but a cooking class in Chiang Mai or a day learning to surf in Fuerteventura can give the trip an extra layer.

So, which winter traveller are you?

Snowy cities, mountain adventures, or winter sun. The fun part is that you don’t have to commit to just one “type” forever. One year you can chase Christmas markets in Vienna and Munich, the next you can ski above the clouds in the Dolomites, and the year after that, you might decide that January is best spent on a beach in Thailand.

What matters is matching your winter mood to your destination. If you’re craving candles in windows and hot drinks, get snowed in. If your legs are itching for movement and you secretly love the sharp bite of cold air, go feel the snowfall of the mountains. And if you want to forget winter exists for a while, there is always a warm shore somewhere away from the snow.

Whichever path you’re leaning toward, we’re here as fellow winter-escape dreamers, ready to help you turn that open browser tab into an actual trip.