Prague

While traveling to Europe in the summer can be a rewarding experience, I have always preferred the continent's big cities in the middle of winter. The reason is simple and perhaps a bit selfish: You can have the magnificent capitals of Europe all to yourself.

During the peak summer months, the crowds form endlessly long lines to see Europe’s top museums. In the off season, on the other hand, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to arrive at your favorite gallery in Paris, Vienna or Rome to find lines and crowds non-existent. 

Once inside, you’ll have an entire room, filled with Old World European masterpieces, to enjoy practically by yourself. Imagine being able to fix your eyes upon a work by Rubens or a Rafael without being bumped into or otherwise annoyed by the constant stream of large tour groups. This is the real Europe cherished by locals and loved by savvy travelers.

The benefits of winter travel are greater than just beating the crowds. Music lovers can enjoy an abundance of melodic events not generally offered during the summer, without the guilt of missing an evening sunset.  Recently, on a two-week winter trip to Vienna, Budapest and Prague, my wife and I enjoyed, on average, two musical events per day.

Often, we would visit a museum in the morning, have lunch with the locals in a café and then enjoy a concert in a 17^th century baroque church. Our afternoons would be spent strolling the back alleyways. In the evening, we would head out for a performance at the local State Opera House, where we would enjoy La Boheme or Tosca for a mere $30.

Salzburg Street

Traveling from November 30 to January 1 can be even more rewarding in Central Europe when you consider the abundance of festive Christmas markets. Every city, town and village has its own version of the traditional Christmas market.

For example, in Vienna there are no less than five different Christmas markets spread across the face of the city. As you walk through her festively decorated streets, you will see a collection of Christmas stalls, encircled by locals enjoying mugs of hot spiced wine. Instead of beer gardens, the great meeting place in December tends to be the well-lit evening winter market, where kids run free and parents and friends enjoy each other’s company under richly decorated trees. 

Winter markets also tend to be a great place for the traveler to rub elbows with the locals. It’s not uncommon to be invited into a lively conversation or to be offered a cup of hot chocolate by stranger you've just met.

This is another excellent reason to travel off-season. Locals clearly tend to behave differently towards travelers during the winter months. Naturally, without the steady stream of tourists entering their shops and restaurants, citizens tend to be warmer, less rushed and more likely to spend a minute or two having a conversation. 

The mood, ambiance and feel of each city changes in the winter. There is a charming stillness in the air, which provides travelers a glimpse into the soul of a city not often discovered in the hurried summer months. Streets become open-air festivals, where you may leisurely partake and participate in the rhythm of winter life.

Café life is also a big part of off-season travel. One of my favorite past times is to buy the International Herald Tribune and sit for a leisurely hour in a quaint café. There I can enjoy not only the day’s news, but also witness the chatter of a city and its people as they awaken.

Central Europeans take their coffee seriously. It was in Vienna that Europe’s coffeehouses were born, after the defeated Turkish army left sacks of coffee beans on the outskirts of Vienna as they fled the city. In the 19^th century, Viennese cafés were popular meeting places, where politics, philosophy and literature were discussed and debated.

Winter travel can also be rewarding for your pocketbook. Airfare and hotel rates are lowest during the off season. It is not uncommon to hear of airfares to Europe from the Unites States for $500 roundtrip. Hotels also often discount their rates up to 50%.

Great music, cozy cafés, festive Christmas markets and empty museums all add up to a great time when you visit Europe in the cool months of winter. Speaking of cold, be warned: average temperatures in December can be in the 30's, so don’t forget to bring your thermal underwear. And remember, as our Austrian guide quipped, "Zhere is no bad veather… just poorly dressed people.”