This winter Carter and I were able to go back to Germany and part of Austria for Christmas time! This is one thing we wanted to do before the kids come… knowing that once our hands are full with little munchkins there will be little time or funds for trips like this! So knowing a baby might soon be on the way, we booked our trip and went for it!
Side note- I wasn’t even pregnant yet when we booked our flights, but we hoped I would be by then. What I didn’t realize is how awful morning sickness is for most women… and how this may have complicated our trip. But I was so lucky to feel relatively well the entire time (I was about 11 weeks along when we left on our trip). This entire pregnancy has been a dream one to say the least. But stay tuned on our experience traveling in the first trimester :).
But anyways… combining Christmas from my parents and sweet Grandpa, as well as some savings we had worked hard last semester to pull together (that’s what working full time while being full-time students can do for you. Worth it once, but probably not again ;). We never saw each other last semester!), we were able to book our trip to Germany. Germany has a special place in our hearts, as it’s where Carter served his LDS mission and where we have some really good friends and ancestral ties.
Of course, the moment we planned the trip, I went to town dreaming up our itinerary, cuisine, souvenirs, and must-have travel outfits. I was ready to pack in September. But despite all the research I did, here are some things I wish I would have realized sooner and applied to our planning that can (hopefully!) help the future winter traveler:
It gets dark in the winter. This is obvious, but something I didn’t think about enough when planning for our trip. The other times I’ve visited Europe were in the summer months… when you have 12+ hours of daylight. Visiting in December, however, it started getting dark by 4:00 p.m. On day one we were exhausted after 2 solid days of travel and didn’t get to our first destination until close to noon! It sure made for a short day of sight seeing!
So yes, there is something absolutely beautiful and magical about Europe at Christmas time. But get out the door early at all costs! You will get so much more out of your trip if you do this. We loved grabbing breakfast out and about- some of that nice German bread with jam or cheese. You can’t lose with a German breakfast. This way we could eat while enjoying the places we came to see!
Knowing that it will get dark early, Plan your activities accordingly. One of our favorite things about a German Christmas was all of the Christmas markets. In the bigger cities, they are found in almost every main public square. Anywhere that tourists or locals are likely to go, there is most likely a market. These were wonderful and so exciting! But they can also be distracting. With limited daylight hours, I would save the Christmas markets for the evening. Though they are more crowded at night, the ambiance is totally worth it! There is something about sipping your kinderpunsch (the alcohol-free version of the traditional mulled wine served at every market) while meandering through the quaint shops lit with Christmas lights, snuggled close to your sweetheart. It is truly magical! If you want a romantic experience at the Christmas market, go in the evening. If you are looking to quickly grab some souvenirs, the daytime is probably the easiest route. But again, be careful not to lose those precious daylight hours!
Frequent some of the smaller Christmas Markets. If the crowds worry you, skip the big and flashy markets for the smaller, more traditional ones. They tended to have more traditional German goods (the stuff we personally wanted) and were typically much easier to navigate. Some of those big markets get crazy at night! I also found the smaller markets to be more romantic, as at some of the big ones (especially in Berlin) it was hard to even keep track of each other, let alone have a romantic stroll. We were able to ask some of our friends and airbnb hosts about markets they recommended, which helped to find the best spots to visit :).
Organize your sightseeing to do list in advance. I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to accomplish before we got to Germany, but I hadn’t taken the time to fill Carter in on it yet. Sadly, this took some of our precious daylight time when we had to stop and consult each other about what we wanted to do next/what we would focus on that day. If I could do it again, I’d go over the entire trip with Carter (or whoever we were traveling with) before the trip. We did end up doing a sort of nightly planning much of the time, which did help with getting out the next day. But when we got back late and were tired, this didn’t always happen to its fullest! Planning togetherin advance would have been so helpful.
Carefully plan indoor activities for the evening. I say carefully, because not all indoor sightseeing is suited for the evening. While many museums and other sights may be ideal for those nighttime hours, visiting older sites, such as churches and cathedrals, are not at all suited for evening. Remember that most of the older churches depend on natural lighting! Despite keeping this in mind, we did not get to every church on my list before dark. But those we did see in daylight were much better than those we saw closer to sunset. The earlier you can hit the churches and other naturally-lit buildings, the better your experience will be.
Carry snacks with you. My dear mother is notorious for her crazy starve-herself travel routines. She loves to see things when she is on vacation, but as a result she often forgets that she (and her poor family) need to eat! I swore to Carter before this trip that I would not be my mom, and that we could take the needed time to take care of our bellies. Besides, the food is also an important part of experiencing the culture! Something we loved was carrying some dried sausage, cheese, or other compact food items and buying fresh loaves of bread or rolls when we were hungry. Keeping this in our backpack, we could pull out our authentic German snacks when we were in a crunch and couldn’t get to dinner for a while longer. Definitely helped keep us happy… and my growing baby belly that usually wanted to eat every hour or two!
Don’t waste space packing fancy outfits. If you are traveling in winter, odds are you will be wearing a coat in 99% of your pictures! It’s the sad truth of it. And although you might dream of those darling pictures of you in your stripes or sun dress, winter travel just doesn’t work for that. So rather than planning tons of fancy outfits, I’d stick to the basics when it comes to under clothing. Bring clothes that will keep you warm and happy throughout the day. Bring good (supportive AND warm AND waterproof) shoes, socks, and a good coat. You’ll remember your trip much more fondly if you were warm and happy than if you have a cute picture but all you remember is freezing to death. To add variety to your pictures, I’d say scarfs are the answer. Not only do they add color, but they are so practical! While Germany was relatively warm (compared to Utah), being out all day definitely called for a nice scarf tied up tightly. Warm hats and scarves are definitely the way to go.
Make the most of your European Christmas. It was oh so magical to be in Germany during this magical time… and so nice to spend some much needed time with my Carter. Really, regardless of what you do, make the most of such a magical time! There are so many special events and attractions available because of Christmas time- unique to your interests and budget! With our low-budget trip, we found some Christmas concerts inside of churches and outside at the Christmas markets. We also brought a large piece of Germany back with us… in the form of many German Christmas decorations- mugs, pyramids, smoker men ornaments, and a cuckoo clock (a bit overboard for some ;)) But for Carter, bringing a German Christmas home with him was important. Do what will make it meaningful to you, and you’re sure to have a magical experience 🙂
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