Winter in Europe is very different from winter in Canada and it’s also a very different experience depending on where you live in Europe.
In Southern Europe, places such as Southern France, Spain, and Italy, temperatures stay relatively high, and snow is very rare.
In Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, you may experience a similar winter to Canada, with varying amounts of snow and temperatures that may fall well below zero.
In other parts of Northern Europe, such as the Northern France and the United Kingdom, temperatures are fairly low (between -5 and 5°C) and there may be some snow although it is rare.
Personally, living in the Northern England, I have found that I enjoy winter much less than I did in Canada. It’s cold, wet, and very dark. The days are shorter than they are in Canada and you don’t have the snow to make everything brighter. There are no fun winter activities to enjoy and instead you have to deal with rain and mud most of the time.
The hardest part is January and February. While the days are getting longer, the fun of Christmas is behind us and there is little to look forward to. However, it is possible to survive winter up here. Here are some things that might help.
1. Go seek sun
The easiest way to get rid of the winter blues is to go spend a bit of time in a sunny location. Thankfully, in Europe and beyond, there are a lot of those that aren’t too far away, and flights are much cheaper than in Canada.
Going to spend a weekend in Lisbon or a week in Tunisia might be just what you need to get your fill of vitamin D and survive the rest of winter.
2. Go seek snow
While spending some time in the sun in the winter is helpful, the opposite can be as well: spending some time in snowy weather.
Coming from Canada, winter might not feel like winter without snow. And, just like sunny destinations, Europe does not lack for snowy destinations, from the Alps to Scandinavia.
Spending a week at a ski resort or exploring Santa’s home might be just what you need to remember that winter can be fun.
3. Remember it’ll be over soon
It may not be possible for you to take a holiday during the winter. And, even if you can, you still have to spend the majority of the season at home, where it’s grey and cold.
There is no need to despair though. The best part of winter in Europe is that it doesn’t last very long. Unlike Canada, where you can often expect winter conditions until May, here, spring starts to emerge in February. By March, the spring flowers are out, the days are longer, and your winter woes will be far behind you.
Winter can be a difficult period, especially if you live somewhere like Northern Europe where you get cold and rain instead of warm weather or beautiful snowy landscapes. But it’s only a short period of time and you always have the option to escape to nicer destinations.