JDF

Hey TPunks!

Great Site! We are going to Europe in December for our Honeymoon. We will be there Dec. 6th to January 6th. We are native Floridians. Are we gonna freeze to death? Will we be able to find hostels open in December, since it is the "off" season? Will hostels even have sufficient heating units?
Does anyone have any recommendations for footwear (walking a lot, in cold, slippery, weather), thermal underwear, and jacket weight? All of these things are very foreign to us, we are used to shorts and sandals year-long so, we would appreciate ANY help you could give us!

Thank you in advance!

SeasiderGB

Depends on where in Europe your going? You should get away with short/sandals anywhere in the mediterranean.

JDF

Sorry about that. We are going to Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, and London.

joanofarc

you need a nice pair of waterproof hikers, preferrably a dark pair that can double as a semi-dress shoe once cleaned up - a very warm down or thinsulate jacket, i'd say rated to 30 degrees minimum - a pair of silk long johns each - and some wool sweaters, the both of you.

it's gonna be damn cold in them thar' countries... but i bet extraordinarily beautiful! i can't wait to go to europe in the winter time, especially during christmas... go warm up in a nice pension and eat lots of hearty goodness and cool desserts for the evenings. i'm jealous!

perhaps your wife-to-be should also bring a pair of black dress boots with a bit of traction if possible, the europeans are damn fashionable: wearing stylish winter coats and fancy boots to match... in case you go for a nice dinner or anything.

bring plenty of money too - especially that you're going in winter. you'll need loads to get you inside of doors (cafes, museums, bars) - that will ensure your warmth... i'd say to the tune of $250 usd per day (total), especially being your honeymoon. you need to splurge. you'll certainly need $200 usd per day as a minimum though.

__________________
bend over to the front and touch your toes
bounce that ass up and down and get low...

JDF

Thanks for the good info!
Does that $250 a day include a place to stay? We were only going to book hotels or hostels for when we arrive, depart, Christmas and New Years. Hopefully we won't be forced into expensive accommodations.
We will let you know just how gorgeous it is!

Also, Could anyone recommend good brands for the above items, we are really in the dark when it comes to cold weather gear. Plus, we dont have the ability to touch things we buy off the internet to tell if they are quality. Stores in Florida don't really carry anything heavy-duty.

Thanks again!

skidrage

The only places you might have trouble finding hostels is if you go to a small town. Some of these hostels are only open during the summer. Check online to see which are open.

As for heating in hostels, most have it, but some of the "shadier" ones have insufficient heating. Check out the site hostelz.com, which has some good in depth reviews.

joanofarc

my $250 figure is for all costs AFTER plane ticket and suitable eurail pass - ie; food, lodging, local transport, sightseeing... and with this budget you will not need to stay in hostels if you don't want to (i wouldn't on my honeymoon).

my favorite travel footwear is made by merrill, for warm weather coats i like marmot or else (this is what i currently use) l.l. bean makes great down jackets every season - various colors/ratings... you can also find good wool sweaters with l.l. bean (though i prefer j.crew - i know, it's terrible) = check out this web site, they will technically carry everything you need, though stylistically you may want more.

also see these sites:
<a href=\'http://www.rei-outlet.com\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>rei outlet</a>
<a href=\'http://www.sierratradingpost.com\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>sierra trading post</a>
<a href=\'http://www.campmor.com\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>campmor</a>

__________________
bend over to the front and touch your toes
bounce that ass up and down and get low...

tumblezweedz

We have lived in northern Japan and now live in north-eastern Europe, so know a little about the cold. LLBean and Lands End are both great sources of clothes for this kind of trip. Don't buy too much, since you'll not use it much, but the stuff really lasts, and you can plan a winter getaway every couple of years to get more use from it. Or sell it on ebay. HAT, SCARF AND GLOVES. Can't say it enough! You will be miserable if you are cold, and lose most heat through your head. Polar fleece is okay for moderate cold, but I'd suggest something water/windproof, maybe lined with fleece, since you're likely to run into wet conditions and polar fleece alone isn't that great if it's pouring down. Also, don't think it'll be warm because it's raining - that damp cold is more bone-chilling than a dry cold day, and you'll have plenty of damp in London and Paris, for sure. Leather gloves lined with wool will look good and keep you warm for most activities, but if you're planning to spend a long time out of doors, you'll need something in the ski-glove category. I like fleece scarves because wool is itchy around my neck, but you could get a nice pashima or something which is not itchy.

If you're mostly going to be in the cities, you won't need serious hiking shoes, better to get a pair of comfortable, lined walking boots (black is ever stylish) but don't even consider anything with a smooth sole, you'll be on your backside in ten seconds. If you're really concerned about ice, you can get plastic grippers that slip on over your regular boots, they have little ice cleats imbedded in them to give you a little more traction.

My husband wore his Dr. Martens all winter, with woolen socks, and was warm and dry. He got an ankle height pair, which were sturdy but looked fine indoors as well. Those would work for you, but your wife might want something a little more polished, since as someone else said, the Europeans have a definite sense of style! I couldn't believe the women tottering around in high heeled boots I saw here, until I realized that the heels double as ice picks!

Hope you didn't get crushed in the hurricanes.

JDF

Wow! Thanks a lot everyone! I can't believe all the people out there willing to help others with their great information! I don't know what I would do without this site!!

And yes, we have survived yet another hurricane.