Sun-soaked summers have their charm, of course, but there’s something intoxicating about embracing the cold. Frost-tinged forests, powder-soft landscapes, the crunch of fresh snow under boots. This winter (or next), we’re trading swimsuits for snowsuits and plotting getaways where icy adventure is the whole point, not the après afterthought.
And here’s the twist: not one of these trips requires you to ski. Think cinematic train rides through the Alps, sleeping in an ice-carved suite in Transylvania, snowmobile safaris beneath Icelandic skies, journeys where winter is the destination, not just the season.
From Europe’s storybook peaks to the remote wonder of Antarctica, these are the most magical cold-weather escapes to book now and remember forever.
Chase the Northern Lights in Arctic Norway
Few winter moments stop you in your tracks like witnessing the aurora shimmer across a pitch-black sky. Northern Norway, particulary Alta, affectionately crowned The Northern Lights City, is one of the best stages on the planet for nature’s grandest light show.
Set sail on a 12-day expedition cruise along Norway’s fjord-laced coastline with https://www.havilavoyages.com/voyages is from €1583 pp, where tiny villages glow in winter twilight and snow-draped mountains plunge into icy water. With departures in January, you’ll have excellent odds of catching the aurora in action, between snowshoe treks, sledding adventures and even winter kayaking for the truly bold.
Ride the Bernina Express & Winter in St. Moritz
Switzerland does winter better than most, especially from the velvet seats of the Bernina Express, the highest railway in the Alps. Panoramic windows frame frozen lakes and jagged peaks as though the whole world were a snow globe gently shaken.
On an eight-day Italy to Switzerland escape, wind from romantic Lake Como to chic St. Moritz, where winter feels both timeless and glamorous. As the train climbs through Alpine wilderness, January departures promise fresh snow frosting every ridge and valley. Bring a camera and a scarf.
Meet Santa & Explore the Arctic Science of Rovaniemi
Deep within the Finnish Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi is winter distilled into its most magical form. With direct flights from Dublin it makes it surprisingly easy to reach, yet once there you’re in a world of reindeer, husky trails and glittering snowfields.
Little ones will be wide-eyed at Santa Claus Village, but adults aren’t forgotten, nightly aurora hunts, snowmobile safaris and reindeer farm visits provide fairy-tale escapism with a dash of adrenaline. Don’t miss the Arktikum Museum and Science Centre, where Arctic history, Lapland culture and polar research come vividly to life. Stay at the Arctic Tree house with is only 20 minutes from the city .
Check Into a Hotel Made of Ice in Transylvania
For those craving bragging rights, few stays rival a night at Transylvania’s Hotel of Ice, carved fresh each winter from gleaming blocks pulled straight from a glacial lake. Outside, the Fagaras Mountains are a monochrome masterpiece of castles, spruce forests and silent snow.
Warm up with local wine or go full-throttle with snow rafting and ice tunnels. On a six-day itinerary you’ll pair icy adventure with explorations of Bucharest, Bran Castle and the folklore-steeped landscapes of Romania’s Carpathians.
Iceland: A Winter Fantasy of Ice Caves & Hot Drinks
Iceland’s scenery is dramatic year-round, but in winter it becomes transcendent. The north delivers the country’s deepest snow and wildest adventure, think snowmobiling across volcanic plains, riding Icelandic horses through powder, or descending into glittering ice caves.
Reykjavik, milder but still wintry, is perfect for cosy evenings and architectural wanders. Snow only amplifies the city’s charm, making every bar, geothermal pool and steaming cup of chocolate feel like the warmest place on earth. If skies are kind, you may even spot the Northern Lights before bedtime.
Antarctica: The Ultimate White-Continent Adventure
If winter had a throne, it would sit in Antarctica. Endless white horizons, iceberg cathedrals, penguin parades, breaching humpbacks, it’s the last great wilderness and the pinnacle of snowy travel.
On a once-in-a-lifetime 15-day polar voyage, glide through glacial waters aboard a cutting-edge expedition ship, stepping ashore where few humans ever walk. It’s raw, remote, humbling and impossibly beautiful. The kind of trip that changes you.
JWTtravel have a great offer for March 2026, 12 night from €9966 pp on the MS Roald Amundsen
Whether you want ice hotels or aurora hunts, glacier hikes or heated cocktails by candlelight, winter is calling. Pack your warmest layers and your sense of wonder.
