Five up-and-coming European winter holiday spots from traditional ski resorts to snowy towns with huge toboggan tracks
WINTER is coming – and it’s bringing a whole host of scenic travel destinations with it.
France’s Strasbourg is top of holidaymakers’ hotlists, according to the latest Tripadvisor Travel Index, while Tromsø in Norway is creeping up the popularity scale.
The travel report revealed the most up-and-coming holiday spots for this season, based on search data for breaks between November 1 this year and February 28, 2027.
Here Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of the most popular holiday packages this winter.
STRASBOURG, FRANCE
SO much for Paris — the Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg is just as glorious.
It was named among the top experiences in France in the 2026 Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards.
The city’s Christmas market is one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1570, and is home to more than 300 traditional wooden stalls.
Strasbourg’s Franco-German cuisine is just what you would fancy during the colder months — hearty and comforting.
Think casseroles and lots of potatoes.
GO: Five nights’ room-only at the 4* Okko Hotels Strasbourg Centre is from £559pp including flights from Luton on December 27.
Save £100 now with code BLKFRIDAY. See easyjet.com/en/holidays.
TROMSØ, NORWAY
THIS area, AKA the Gateway to the Arctic, was crowned second most popular spot for this winter.
While its location means that during winter, the sun never rises above the horizon, that doesn’t mean you need to hunker down inside — far from it.
Among popular activities to try are dog or reindeer sledding, whale watching, snowmobiling, ski touring and fishing in the icy fjords.
It’s also one of the best spots in the world to catch the Northern Lights in all their colourful glory.
GO: Five nights’ room-only at the 4* Moxy Tromsø is from £909pp including flights from Gatwick on January 17.
See loveholidays.com.
GHENT, BELGIUM
THE nearby hotspots of Bruges and Brussels typically steal the limelight when it comes to winter getaways.
And that’s just why Ghent should be top of your list.
The fact it is less crowded means you can explore its Gothic and medieval architecture at leisure, although it’s best to do so at night when the intricate alleyways and twisted spires are illuminated by spotlights, giving the spires an even more dramatic appearance against the night sky.
Ghent’s winter festival, which operates throughout December and into early January, is magical, with a mini ice rink, ferris wheel and rows of stalls that lead from the canal to the central square.
GO: Seven nights’ room-only at the 3* Hotel Gravensteen is from £489pp including flights from Heathrow on November 26.
See loveholidays.com.
SAARISELKA, FINLAND
IF Tromsø’s coastal location doesn’t tickle your fancy, then Saariselka, where earthy pine woodlands are buried in deep powdery snow, just might.
Make sure to stay in a glass igloo — after all, this is the place where they were popularised. And what a spot for them.
From your bed, you have high chances of spotting the aurora borealis painted across the night sky.
Make sure to test out the longest toboggan track in Europe, which stretches 1.8km from the summit of Kaunispaa mountain.
Then warm up those chilled bones in a traditional Finnish sauna.
GO: Three nights’ B&B at the 3* Holiday Club Saariselka is from £914pp including flights from Gatwick on November 29.
See tui.co.uk.
CHAMONIX, FRANCE
A COSY and typically French resort town, Chamonix has maintained its traditional charm, despite having sparked the big ski boom.
And unlike the purpose-built ski resorts, this town is vast and sprawling, with lots of wooden chalets dotted around.
While it is a destination that is known for its skiing, there is still plenty else to do in winter.
Le Pas Dans Le Vide is an awesome glass skywalk, suspended at an altitude of metres, at the summit of Aiguille du Midi.
It gives visitors the thrilling sensation of floating above the spectacular Bossons Glacier.
There are also ice caves and ice sculptures and you can dig in to some of the best cheesy raclette in the country.
GO: Seven nights’ self-catering at the 3* Residence Pierre & Vacances La Riviere is from £551pp, including flights from Gatwick on January 2, plus 20kg luggage per person.
See crystalski.co.uk.