So, there’s tonnes of trips and travels to be had all around the world this time of year. It’s quite mild at the minute where I live in the North of England which is a bit rubbish as I love winter and the cold and the possibility of some snow is something that I always get a little bit excited about too. Alas, it’s likely not to be this year but that got me thinking about some possible trips to head out on in the New Year.
So, I’ve got a list of what I consider to be some of the best winter trips in the world. All of these are trips that I aim to go on one day so, while they’re fresh in my mind again, I figured I’d get them into this list and I’m going to kick start it with the one trip I’d love to do more than any other…
Road Tripping Germany’s Alpine Road
This is my dream. I consider this to be my pass straight to a Bavarian Odyssey. The Alpine Road is just, well, it looks incredible. This is a safe route through Germany’s unforgettable views and on your way, you’ll pass a lot of the high-altitude meadows, mountains, local villages and crystal-clear lakes. I think I would start from Lindau and head out to Oberstaufen and get a little therapeutic in Germany’s capital of wellness. One thing that I’ve seen happen far too often with friends when they’ve gone on road trips is people not go prepared. Things like tyres bursting or punctures being picked up and one of the big ones is (this happened to my dad on a business trip and my friend while he was travelling) was the car running out of oil and just conking out. Check your gear first, people! Be prepared for the adventure you’re about to undertake!
Anyway, the next stop on my trip would be to the Schloss Neuschwanstein. Perhaps one of, it not the most famous of ‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s fairy tale castles. King Ludwig was somewhat obsessed with living in a fantasy world and this is what brought about his building of the extravagant castles. This was intended to be the ultimate cliff-top refuge as well as a huge theatre for Wagner but this is a project that was unfinished at the time of Ludwig’s death in 1886. The castle was completely finished in 1892 and is also the castle that inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom.
Banff National Park, Canada
This is a place that looks simply breath-taking and is somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a long, long time. In fact, Canada is somewhere I’d love to go to but Banff National Park is the ultimate dream. The absolute main attraction of Banff National Park, without doubt is Moraine Lake. It’s located over 15km from Lake Louise but the crystal-clear waters of Moraine Lake are worth the visit, especially when you’ve got the reflections of the snow-capped Valley of the Ten Peaks.
This has to be up there as one of my dream winter getaways and there’s even places to stay in Banff National Park which is ideal because there’s so much that I’d want to do while I was there. Things like the Cave & Basin National Historic Site which was built around the natural thermal mineral springs in the late 1800s. The tour through the narrow tunnels and dimly lit caves is something that is right up my street.
New York City, New York
What more needs to be said other than this place is the ultimate winter destination (in my opinion). You have everything you could want from somewhere for winter in New York City, I’d go as far as saying that it does winter very well; the temperature plummets, the sky goes bright blue and if you’re looking for a snow fix then, New York City is the place to be as when it snows, it properly snows.
If you’re after somewhere with romance, you can head to Central Park for a quiet little wander around or even go for a skate on the rink but if that’s not your scene and you prefer the hustle and bustle then the other delight that New York has is that you’re not short of shopping options.