Winter vacation tips
Aurora travel tips
Ali McLean, from our supplier, Activities Abroad, shares his Aurora travel tips:“A couple of years ago I was at a place called Lake Inari, standing on a frozen lake waiting for the Northern Lights it was -27°C and the kids were sitting inside a hut under blankets and next to a fire. About midnight the lights came out and I ran in asking them to come and see the display. My daughter looked at me and said, ‘nah dad, we’ve already seen them.’ Kids have to be a certain age to appreciate them; I’d say anyone below their teenage years doesn’t have enough of a grasp of what they are and gets too tired and too cold for the hunt. It tends to be a trip for the older generation while the kids get stuck in to all the great winter sports.”
Our Winter Vacations
Finland Northern Lights vacation, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1665 to £1925
5 days
inc UK flights
Transylvania winter walking and snowshoeing vacation
Wander through the mountains and forests of wintery Transylvania
From
US $1479
8 days
ex flights
Tailor made vacation in Lapland
Tailor-made week in Finnish Lapland
From
£1395 to £1790
8 days
inc UK flights
Alternative family winter vacation in Chamonix, France
Easter family ski, yoga & circus vacation
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Transylvania winter vacation accommodation
B&B in Transylvania
From
€90 to €174
per accommodation per night (sleeps 2)
Finland winter activity vacation & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
From
US $1949 to US $2399
8 days
inc UK flights
Cross country skiing vacation in the Dolomites, Italy
A famously beautiful range of jagged peaks
From
US $1799 to US $1949
8 days
ex flights
Winter cottage vacation in Finnish Lapland
Winter Cottage vacations, Finnish Lapland.
From
£2080 to £2550
8 days
inc UK flights
Northern lights family vacation, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing Spa hotel
From
£1265 to £1625
4 days
inc UK flights
Lapland vacation, husky safari & log cottage
Luxurious log suite,northern lights & overnight husky safari
From
€1950
5 days
ex flights
Husky safari in Finland
Sled with huskies through spectacular Finnish scenery
From
£2550 to £2630
8 days
inc UK flights
Winter activity vacation in the French Alps
A flexible winter multi activity vacation in the French Alps
From
€546 to €1113
7 days
ex flights
Cross-country skiing vacation in Finland, Russian border
Guided hut-to-hut cross-country skiing vacation in Finland
From
€1040
7 days
ex flights
Family skiing vacation in Pyrenees
Ski in beautiful Benasque in the Spainish Pyrenees
From
£1685
8 days
ex flights
Winter adventure in Finland
A week of winter activities in Finnish Lapland
From
£2315 to £2685
8 days
inc UK flights
Lapland Autumn Northern Lights vacation
Few better ways to witness an autumn Aurora
From
£1495
5 days
inc UK flights
Snowshoeing vacation in Finland
A great snowshoe tour in the new Hossa National Park.
From
€950
7 days
ex flights
Snowshoeing in the French Alps
Snowshoeing in the Alps with a high mountain guide
From
€1295
8 days
ex flights
Family winter adventure in Finland
Great range of activities in Lapland's winter wilderness.
From
£1530 to £1790
4 days
inc UK flights
Sierra Nevada winter walking vacation in Spain
Alpujarra walking vacation: sun, snow, and mountain views
From
€1295
8 days
ex flights
Winter vacation in Finnish Lapland, tailor made
An extensive choice of activities to suit your travel date.
From
£785 to £975
4 days
inc UK flights
Yukon dog sledding vacation, Canada
Husky adventure vacations in Yukon
From
CA $1465 to CA $4098
14 days
ex flights
Winter tailor-made vacation in Finland
Adventure in Finnish Lapland, huskies, northern lights & more
From
£795 to £975
4 days
inc UK flights
Snowshoeing vaction in the Dolomites
Michelin recommended cuisine & inspiring walks
From
US $2049 to US $2179
8 days
ex flights
Scotland winter hiking vacations
Scotland winter snow and sunshine
From
£890 to £1055
7 days
ex flights
Italian Alps self catering accommodation
Mountain hideaway in the Italian Alps
From
£360 to £850
per week (sleeps 6)
Venabu cross country skiing vacation in Norway
Independent cross-country skiing in dramatic landscape
From
£1419 to £1709
8 days
inc UK flights
Northern Lights Family Christmas in Lapland
Winter 'Santa free' Lapland adventure for families
From
£2195
8 days
inc UK flights
Accommodation in the Mercantour, France
Comfortable gite, Mercantour, France, an hour north of Nice.
From
€518
7 days
per accommodation per week
Mongolia winter vacation
Authentic culture, warm hospitality & wild winter landscapes
From
US $1020 to US $1535
8 days
ex flights
Packing tips
Chloe Knott is Mont Blanc and all round alpine expert at Exodus, one of our leading winter activity vacation suppliers: “On all trips, you need to take comfortable shoes for the evening , when you will really want to just put on some jogging bottoms and comfortable shoes. Take a good book. If you have a metal water bottle, at the end of the season when it is getting colder, you can fill it with hot water at night, put it in a sock and use it as a hot water bottle in.”Tom Wilkinson, Exodus: “Pack a drinks bottle/flask. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you don’t get thirsty. Also I’m also a mega snacker, so need things to eat to keep me going.”
Training & preparation
Chloe Knott at Exodus:“Always read the trip notes that accompany your trip, as they will give good guidance on how fit you need to be. We find that women tend to underestimate and men overestimate their abilities”
Cross country skiing advice
Tom Wilkinson, cross country skiing expert from our supplier, Exodus:
“Don’t compare cross country skiing to downhill! It’s smooth, often peaceful, and a wonderful way of experiencing the landscape. Also, if you are a downhiller you often forget your heel is not attached particularly when doing a snowplough. It’s not about going 100 miles an hour. It is however more of a full cardio workout.”
“Don’t compare cross country skiing to downhill! It’s smooth, often peaceful, and a wonderful way of experiencing the landscape. Also, if you are a downhiller you often forget your heel is not attached particularly when doing a snowplough. It’s not about going 100 miles an hour. It is however more of a full cardio workout.”
Snowshoeing
Xania, co-founder of our relaxingly active vacations partner, WearActive:“If you can hike, you can showshoe. Obviously the length of the hike and the ascents involved matter. But do some cardio in the gym before you come, get on a stairclimber or anything that takes you uphill, and you’ll be fine. Because we can tailor our walks to groups’ abilities, we can either take you on four-hour, 1,000m ascent trek, or a flat riverbed trek that would be just a little more strenuous than a short walk at home.”
Highlands walking
Andy Bateman, co-founder of our Scottish Highlands walking vacations partner, Scot Mountain Vacations:“People often ask me what my favourite season is for walking in the Highlands and it would have to be winter, with the snow on the pine trees, and views that on clear days can go on forever. You can see Ben Nevis fifty miles away from the high Cairngorms. I know a lot of the other guides up here feel the same way.”
Sleeping in snowholes
Andy Bateman, co-founder of Scot Mountain Vacations, and expert guide:
“Snowholes are actually safer than a tent, as you’re in naturally sheltered areas. You could have a raging storm outside but the snow would muffle it completely. It’s about zero degrees but because there’s no wind chill factor, you’re actually warmer than you might be in a tent on an exposed hillside in summer.”
“Snowholes are actually safer than a tent, as you’re in naturally sheltered areas. You could have a raging storm outside but the snow would muffle it completely. It’s about zero degrees but because there’s no wind chill factor, you’re actually warmer than you might be in a tent on an exposed hillside in summer.”
Wolf-tracking
Sally Guillaume, founder and director of our activity vacation partner Undiscovered Mountains:“My husband and I run wolf-tracking vacations in the French Alps just two or three times each year. Timing is important in winter, when their enormous territory has been reduced by snowfall so you’re more likely to find them, and tracking becomes easier, but it’s not such heavy snow that you can’t get around easily.”
Our top Winter Vacation
Finland Northern Lights vacation, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1665 to £1925
5 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2021: 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2022: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar
2021: 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2022: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Winter or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Health & safety
HEALTH
SAFETY
Winter vacation tips from our travelers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful winter vacation travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful winter vacation travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
Go if you want to spend time in amazing nature with few distractions and get away from it all. If you want to hang out in cafes, walk out to shops etc, it is probably not for you!![]()
- Adrian Porter on a snowshoeing vacation in the Mercantour National Park, France
"It was easy to put too many layers of clothing on when doing sporting activities such as skiing. Take your own balaclava or two and glove liners. You can rinse out your clothes it you get too sweaty and dry them in electric dryers that each hotel has. So you don't need to go over the top with too many winter clothes. The warm winter clothes they supply are excellent and all you need are some thermals for a couple of days" - Thomas White on a Northern lights short break, Finland
"Get as fit as you can before you go. Take layers of clothes for skiing and lighter clothes to wear indoors - Austrian hotels are very warm!" – Amanda Ariss on a cross country skiing in Austria
"Get as fit as you can before you go. Take layers of clothes for skiing and lighter clothes to wear indoors - Austrian hotels are very warm!" – Amanda Ariss on a cross country skiing in Austria
Stay as long as you can, both on the vacation and in the wilderness cabin - it is amazing. Be interested in what the guides can teach you, if you are willing to ask they know so much about everything it is fascinating![]()
- Kathy Agashi on a Swedish Lapland winter activity & Northern Lights vacation
"I thought that "winter equipment provided" meant snowshoes, skis & boots etc but all clothing (plus thermos, head torch, rucksack) was also available to borrow, no need to pack anything other than a few baselayers & something comfortable for the evening. Having said that, it was nice to wear my own ski gear but don't buy things if you don't already have them....except maybe a balaclava/buff for the minus 30 days!" - Pauline Hawes on a snowshoeing vacation in Finland
"Take a tripod for your camera! An essential item" - Russell Needham on a Northern Lights vacation
"Don't be worried if you are going alone - I made some great friends on the trip that I'll keep in contact with and no doubt plan other trips together" - Sarah Daly on a Scotland winter walking vacation
"Take a tripod for your camera! An essential item" - Russell Needham on a Northern Lights vacation
"Don't be worried if you are going alone - I made some great friends on the trip that I'll keep in contact with and no doubt plan other trips together" - Sarah Daly on a Scotland winter walking vacation
More about Winter
You don't have to go far to find true winter wilderness, where reality matches the fantasy.
When to go on a winter snow vacation depends on where you're going and what you're doing.
Our winter vacation destinations take you to Scandinavia and the Alps, and beyond.
Winter vacations in Austria escape busy ski resorts and lift queues in favour of snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
Winter vacations in Finland take advantage of a long season and a smorgasbord of classic activities.
There’s much more to winter vacations in France than strapping into your bindings before plunging down the piste.
Always look north for winter vacations in Italy, especially toward the Dolomites.
The best Lapland winter vacations give Santa a swerve and head into the wilderness.
There's so much more to winter activity vacations than just downhill skiing.
Find winter fun by escaping to a frozen wonderland of bracing and unusual activities.
The best thing about winter vacations for families is that they can suit kids of any age.
Exploring issues around artificial snow production, and the future for downhill skiing.
Responsible winter vacations benefit local communities, wildlife and the environment.
Find all our Winter guides in one place from Lapland to Austria and everything in between.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Dino Reichmuth] [Cross country skiing: Erik W. Kolstad]
[Sleeping in snowholes: Bex Ross]
[Health & safety: Kezadri Abdelhak]
[Review 1 - Adrian Porter: ADT 04]
[Review 2 - Kathy Agashi: Kenneth Vetter]
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