Q&a
Sun Herald
Sunday September 21, 2008
Q I am interested in having a white Christmas in Europe this year, preferably staying at one place for about four nights which is easy to get to and has interesting areas to visit close by. There are likely to be four adults (no partners) in the party. We are not skiers. Any suggestions? K Thomas.
A The chances of snow falling on Christmas Day are slim across many parts of Great Britain and much of Europe but the likeliest places will be northern Italy, Switzerland, parts of Germany or Austria or you could head further north to Norway or Finland where you can spend a night in an ice hotel and relive childhood dreams meeting the real Santa and his reindeer. A European Christmas is one you'll remember forever. Think church bells ringing, roasting chestnuts, forests of real snow-dusted fir trees, mulled wine, fairy lights, sleigh rides under blankets and (really good) carol singers. Germany's Christmas markets, which operate throughout Advent until Christmas Eve, attract millions of visitors each year. The best is in the 16thcentury city of Nuremburg. For convenience there is an international airport close by. Vienna in Austria with its baroque architecture is another fairytale destination for non-skiers and easy to get to. Colourful markets abound (head to the World Heritage-listed Schonbrunn Palace) and Rathausplatz Square becomes a giant ice-skating rink. See travel agents for flight and accommodation. If you have any travel questions, we'd love to hear from you. Write to us at travelshd@fairfaxmedia.com.au. Personal correspondence cannot be entered into. Only questions appearing in print will be answered. If your question is published, you'll win a Lonely Planet guidebook.
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