Cool-cations: 10 Fun Winter Travel Destinations

TMP Coolcations
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Jenn: Hey everyone. And welcome back to the travel mug podcast. I am Jenn and I'm joined by my partner in podcasting, meggan. How is 2025 treating you so far, Meggan?

Meggan: I mean, I've walked in super quiet. I'm not trying to make a lot of. bring attention to myself. I'm trying to let it all happen very gently. And uh, so far so good, but we're, we're barely in it. So who knows what's to come, you know?

Jenn: That's true. I mean, that's all we can really hope for.

Meggan: All we can

Jenn: And it's no secret here on the podcast, if you've been listening, that we are not winter lovers. We like to just get through it. But this week we are diving into some cold weather destination spots or cool cations. If you will.

Meggan: I won't, but if you will, I mean, go ahead.

Jenn: So this episode was inspired by a recent Flight Centre Canada poll, which revealed that Canadians are worried about weather related travel disruptions and severe weather when choosing a destination. So these 10 destinations that we're going to talk about combine natural beauty, cooler climates, and climate reslience and plus many of them are like a little more offbeat. They're not experiencing over tourism like so many places are here in 2025. So Meggan, let's dive into our list. What do you have up first as our first coolcation idea?

Meggan: Yes. So number one, we're starting with a doozy right off the bat. , and we're going to start with Churchill, Manitoba, and I'm going to say that Churchill is likely not for the faint of heart. It is hardcore and in like some of the best ways, of course, but wow, let's dive in. So first and foremost, you cannot drive to Churchill.

So right off the bat, let's make it hard for you. You know, um, it is located on the shores of the Hudson Bay and to arrive, there's a few options, limited, but a few. So you can take a 45 hour train journey.

Jenn: What?

Meggan: Yes, 45 hours from beautiful Winnipeg, Manitoba, or you can drive to Thompson, Manitoba, and then it's a just a 16 hour train ride. Okay. No, um, other options. And really, if I go the way I would choose, you can fly from Winnipeg or Thompson. So this will really depend on really what type of journey are you up for?

If The train part is part of your experience and go for it. And I mean, I'm sure people do so it really is depending on what you're up for. A second important fact I feel I want to mention like right away is this is a paradise for polar bears. And it is a well known fact that most car doors, office doors, and homes are left unlocked in case you encounter a polar bear and you need to escape.

It is that serious of a threat mm hmm,

Yeah.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: thought it was a law, so I did Google it, and it's not legal that you have to leave those things open, but it is known that most are. So, not only polar bears, but like, people must really trust one another as humans.

Jenn: Yeah, I guess so.

Mm

Meggan: we're more dangerous than polar bears, so hopefully there's just a lot of trust in general there in Churchill.

Jenn: hmm.

Meggan: Now, why do people go? It's a question we're probably all asking right now. However, the Northern Lights are a huge draw, with the ability to see them around 300 nights a year. A year. That's pretty remarkable. Um, of course, as well as the population of polar bears and beluga whales would love to see a beluga whale.

So nature is the main draw of Churchill and there it is in all of its glory. You know, you are able to go snowshoeing and dogs sledding. Plus, this is so cool. You can visit a polar bear holding facility known as polar bear jail So

Jenn: Oh. I'm

Meggan: cannot make this up. So polar bears that are known for being particularly bothersome or dangerous are held in polar bear, I can't, it's really hard to say, polar bear jail.

Jenn: jail.

Meggan: Um, they're held there until they can be transported, ported further from town. Yeah,

Jenn: wow.

Meggan: a drunk, like a drunk tag for bears.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: Um, and fall is apparently migration time for polar bears, and it's a wonderful time to visit as well. Plus, if you do go, don't miss visiting the Itsanitaq Museum to see Inuit artifacts, carvings, and ancient arts and crafts.

So yeah, all of that to me is really wild, like literally, if you've Ever been to Churchill and you're listening to this episode, or you're from Churchill, none of this of course is said with any disrespect, it just sounds like slightly terrifying, so we would literally love to hear from you. It is really fascinating to me, everything that I learned.

What are your thoughts on the first one? I mean,

Jenn: I mean, it sounds, uh, very, uh, Like an experience and I'm, you're describing it and I'm just sitting here thinking like if anybody is out there who does TV shows and they want Meggan and I to go to Churchill Manitoba on a TV show, I'm down. Like,

Meggan: it would be a comedy for the ages. And I would just literally hope to make it out alive in all honesty.

Jenn: uh, yeah, I mean, I would be surprised if we survived the train trip. Literally.

Meggan: Indeed. All right, so where are you going to take us to next?

Jenn: Okay, I'm gonna zoom us all the way around to like the other part of the world, and we're gonna talk about Queenstown, New Zealand. New Zealand has been high on my list for a while. I haven't considered what time of year I might visit, but Maybe it'll be winter. Who knows? So because Queenstown is located in the Southern Hemisphere, winter is June to August.

So for us in the Northern Hemisphere, we kind of have to switch our brains as to what winter is, quote unquote, or what time of year winter is.

Meggan: exactly.

Jenn: So, um, June to August, it becomes a winter wonderland, perfect for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter adventure sports. Again, like, just not our thing. I wish, I wish this was my thing, but it's just not. I tried to go skiing once. It went terribly.

Meggan: me too.

Jenn: Temperatures this time of year range from 5 to 8 degrees Celsius during the daytime, which is about 41 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Apparently, it occasionally snows in town, but most of the time the snow stays up on the mountains. Which is fine with me.

Meggan: Yes. It's

Jenn: There are four ski areas all within a 20 to 90 minute drive of Queenstown and ranges of difficulty for all levels depending on how much skiing you've done on your life, I suppose. Um, Coronet Peak is the only ski area in New Zealand, though like the whole country, that offers night skiing. Don't worry. There are lights. You don't literally have to go down in the dark

Meggan: really nice of them.

Jenn: So nice. So winter in Queenstown is equally about apres ski. Which sounds much more my speed. So when the sun goes down hit up one of the local wine bars or pubs. Now if snow sports aren't exactly your thing, that's okay too. Queenstown has plenty of hot pools and day spas. Sign me up. Plus, you'll find plenty of nearby small towns to explore, and during the winter, you'll find lots of local events like open mic nights, concerts, art openings, and festivals like the Winter Pride, the Winter Games, and more. So, there are things to do.

Meggan: Yeah, I would definitely be all about apres ski, anything not ski. The rest of it honestly sounds great.

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. All right. Where are you taking us next?

Meggan: All right, sort of like a broader area, I suppose. And that is Scandinavia. So winter in this area, or colder weather at least, is October through April. So you have a pretty big swath of time to visit. And when we say Scandinavia, of course we're referring to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Each country will have its different sites and landmarks to visit, but in general you can usually find, even though these countries are fairly expensive, you can usually find cheaper accommodation including unique stays such as ice hotels.

We'll find amazing food choices and the ability, of course, to see the Northern Lights, just to name a few things. Ensure you bring, and I suppose this could go for all of them, but I read it specifically about Scandinavia, is ensure you bring clothing truly built for cold weather. Like, don't go to Walmart and grab a few sweaters and some, like, you know, light winter boots.

Like, really, you have to maybe invest a little bit, do your research, and know that it's going to be cold. Also, be comfortable knowing your plans might not work out due to bad weather. I mean, that part can't be predicted and is kind of, in my opinion, the downside of traveling in the wintertime, whether that be Southern Hemisphere or Northern.

A few opportunities for activities, of course, though, will include dog sledding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, even a cruise. So if you weren't necessarily looking to do land travel there, you could do a cruise of the fjords rather than flying in and staying at hotels as well. Um, the capital cities, of course, are Oslo, Norway, Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen.

And they're going to be great spots to stay to get a feel for winter, but maybe in a more metropolitan setting. I think that's what we would prefer. if you enjoy winter, but not necessarily the true winter activities out in the nature, that's probably what I would go for. , so I think, of course, seeing the northern lights is also, I think, going to be a trend, but a real draw to these kind of places this time of year.

Jenn: Yeah, definitely. Uh, I don't know if you out there in the world or Meggan have seen on Instagram, but a friend of the podcast who was on way back, I think in our first or second year, um, Lia from Practical Wanderlust went to Lapland for over kind of the holidays and oh my gosh, and she's been there before and I've seen her posts before and I'm like, I. Want to do that so badly and it looks so, so beautiful and so fun and yes, I'm not a winter cold weather lover, but I think I can suck it up, pack the right clothes and be nice and toasty warm and enjoy all of that beautifulness because it looks incredible.

Meggan: Yeah, like, I'm sure there's things we're missing by not getting out there this time of year, and yeah, maybe someday we can sort of break from the mold.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: right, where to? I think another Canadian destination if

Jenn: Yeah. We're back in Canada and we are going to talk about, uh, Yellowknife, the Northwest Territories. So I have a feeling that the reason a lot of people head to Yellowknife is the Northern Lights. And they are beautiful, so I can't blame them. Even for us living in Canada, like many Canadians, never venture to any of the territories, which is Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon. But they really do have so much to offer. So Yellowknife is the capital city of the Northwest territories, and the Aurora is visible up to 240 nights of the year. So slightly less than Churchill, but still a lot of nights. Uh, winter ish weather runs from November to April, so like we said, you're gonna want to make sure that you pack the right clothes. The daytime, average daytime high temperatures in December, January, and February. are minus 20 to minus 28 celsius

Meggan: Did you say the highs?

Jenn: yeah

Meggan: wow.

Jenn: Yeah, and uh, yeah, that is negative four to negative 18 Fahrenheit, so, um, it is very cold. However, the cold weather does not stop Yellowknifers from getting out and exploring. There are many hiking and cross country skiing trails in and around the city. And of course, if you're hunting for the Northern Lights, There are many tour operators that can take you to the best viewing locations. I did see that in March, Yellowknife builds its annual snow castle, where you will find ice bars, craft sales, live music, and more. And finally, dog sledding is a must do northern Canadian experience. So it was once, of course, the winter transportation option of choice. Today, you can kind of go back in time and experience sled dogs taking you through scenic winter trails. There are many, many tour operators, many different types of tours from like a couple hours to like three or four days.

So it depends on really what you want to

Meggan: no, for sure. And I think, like, dog sledding is one of those things that's such a conflict in my mind. Not because I think the animals are being hurt. It's just, in my brain, they must be. But I know that they're not. Because actually, when you see them, like, they live for it. It's a very, it's, it's, it's something that I would probably do, but my mind would be wrestling for it for no reason.

It's just who I am as a person. I worry about stuff and sometimes there's nothing to worry about.

Jenn: Yeah. And I do want to say, like, this list, um, the destinations on this list are the ones that Flight Center has, suggested as cool cations. And I do want to throw out, like, Yellowknife is, of course, a destination, but also Whitehorse in the Yukon. And uh, spoiler alert, I am hopefully heading up there very soon ish. So very exciting. I know. And you can do many of the same things. Um, in Whitehorse. So we'll see. We'll see what I get up to. But I hope I make it there in 2025. That is the plan.

Meggan: Wow. All right. We'll dig into more than into that at another time.

Jenn: Yes. All right, Meggan, where are you taking us next? Yeah,

Meggan: We're going to go to Switzerland,and beautiful, beautiful Switzerland, um, December through February are the months where you will truly experience winter and also the coldest temperatures in Switzerland. We, of course, as everyone knows, were in Switzerland in June of 2022. There were still snow capped mountain peaks, as well as flurry slash snow some days up there on the mountains.

I cannot imagine it, you know, like what it would actually be in true winter, because that was June. Um, Switzerland, I'm simply going to say, and I've said it before, it will be expensive, it is breathtaking and worth the visit, but ensure that your pocketbook is up for, you know, a true all Switzerland vacation.

We were only there for four or five days and then we escaped to less expensive destinations. But it can really particularly expensive in winter around Christmas and New Year's. As you can imagine, it is the height of the winter sports season. If you do visit in more off peak times, such as end of January and February, you could find a few more deals on accommodations.

I mean, food prices are going to remain the same. Really, no matter the season. Um, the big things to do, of course, in colder temperatures in Switzerland are Christmas markets. If you were there that time of year, uh, skiing and many other snow activities, ski hills can be very crowded. So midweek could be good and ensure that there aren't any Swiss school breaks happening because apparently.

At that time of year, it's also very, very busy. So just make sure you're doing your research on the appropriate time for you and so you can have the best vacation. Uh, Swiss Carnival happens in February, which takes place in several cities across the country, including Basel and Lucerne. So that's something you could plan as part of your trip as well.

And February seems like less of a busy time. So all of that together could be, uh, could make for a really great visit.

Jenn: that sounds really fun. And you know, I love the Christmas markets.

Meggan: I know, I know, I know. All right, where are you taking us?

Jenn: Okay, so, talk about off the kind of path. But we're going to talk about Ladakh, India. So, let's go. Ladakh is a sparsely populated and remote region in India, and it doesn't see much tourism, but from what I look at, it is stunning. So, Ladakh is close to the Tibetan border, so it offers stunning Himalayan landscapes. So why visit in the winter? There's a few reasons. One, snow leopards make their way down from the mountains in search of food, so it's really great time to spot these beautiful animals in the wild. That sounds like a great reason to go.

Um,

Meggan: me all ready, the snow leopards

Jenn: Yeah,

Meggan: I do.

Jenn: Number two. Traditional monastery festivals like the Thiksey Festival take place which can give you a glimpse into the lives and culture of this unique region. Uh, number three, winter is an ideal time for many of the popular treks, like the Frozen River Trek and the Zanskar Valley Trek. Frozen River Trek sounds like it needs to happen in the winter.

Meggan: I would recommend.

Jenn: Um, the winter season runs from October to February. And the entire region will get snow, so keep that in mind as it does cause frequent roadblocks.

And temperatures can drop as low as negative 30 Celsius, which is minus 22 Fahrenheit for those at home keeping track. Um, but pack the right gear, make a plan to acclimatize to the high altitude, and it looks It's quite stunning. Mm

Meggan: Yeah, I don't know if I've mentioned this on the podcast before, but we follow Gabriel Traveler. He's a U. S. Canadian, um, travel vlogger on YouTube, and he's been to this region before, and it is breathtaking from his videos. So you could go to his YouTube channel and check some of those out as well.

Jenn: hmm. Has he gone in the winter that you've seen, or? Yeah. Okay. Interesting. I'll have to go watch that. Because I don't know if I'll do it. So.

Meggan: Yeah, no, for

Jenn: Vicariously.

Meggan: Excellent. So we're going to go next to somewhere, again, I have been in warmer months. Um, but it is going to be Portland, Maine, in the United States. It is a scenic seaside town on the east coast. It is somewhere, like I said, summertime for me, and really, Maine is fairly similar to Nova Scotia in terms of coastline, weather, friendly people, the food, so you likely won't find me there in winter because I'm already there, because I'm here, you know?

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: However, if you aren't from somewhere that's similar and you are looking for a beautiful small city to visit with a great, Metropolitan feel and fun outdoor winter activities. This could be a really great spot to go. We've always found Portland expensive in the peak season, so booking to stay in winter likely will afford you a few more deals.

So book early and compare, because there are hotels, inns, airbnbs, in the area, both right in the city, but also nearby. So kind of figure out how close you want to be and check around for that. Portland has a great food and coffee shop scene, plus some nice bars, great shopping and museums, and there's a Trader Joe's in case there's not one near you.

Um, did we go to Portland mostly for that? Yes. Peter's very accommodating on my Trader Joe's problems. , I say all of this because you really can't, I say, but like the coffee shops and the bars and stuff, cause you can't be outside every moment of the day. So these things do give you a variety of stuff to do.

But outside, you can snowmobile, cross country ski, go skating, sledding, and of course, really great for photography that time of year with those amazing seaside wintery views. We likely take them for granted here, but for people that aren't used to them, it is, winter is beautiful. Unless it's slushy but otherwise it's beautiful.

And if you are from a warmer place, um, and North America is your destination or even just a warmer place on the west coast of Canada or the U. S. I think Portland is a really great option as well because it is fairly close to bigger cities as well like Boston and New York. So you could make a bigger trip of it.

Jenn: Yeah, for sure. And you were just reminding me that we have an entire episode about winter things to do in Nova Scotia. So if people are coming to Nova Scotia in the winter, I'm going to link that in the show notes because that was a while ago that we recorded that.

Meggan: hasn't changed here so those are probably mostly still applicable.

Jenn: I would say yeah

Meggan: All right, where to next? I think we're staying in the U. S.

Jenn: We are still in the u. s, but we're headed west to Salt Lake City. It's a great family friendly destination, especially if you are a winter sports loving family. So, November, December, January, and February, the average high temperatures range from 10 degrees Celsius to 4 or 4 to 10 degrees Celsius, if you will, which is 39 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the nights get colder. 10 degrees Celsius during the winter, Doesn't sound too bad to me. I can handle that.

Meggan: That would be better than what's going on here today, so yeah. Oh,

Jenn: very cold here today. Uh, of course the reason many people head to Salt Lake City in the winter is skiing. There are four world class ski resorts in Salt Lake City, plus many more in nearby towns. Each ski resort kind of has their own like features and specialties. For example, I read that Brighton Ski Resort attracts like a younger crowd, and many of them are snowboarders, and the Snowbird, Ski Resort is more like technologically advanced, and they offer high speed chairs and aerial trams, so just like check them all out and see what's best for you. Outside of skiing and snowboarding, Salt Lake City offers ice skating on outdoor rinks, winter hiking, snow tubing, and snowshoeing. And of course, if you want to do some inside things,

Meggan: please.

Jenn: please let me inside. You can visit one of the many local breweries and restaurants, visit a museum, see a Utah Jazz NBA basketball game, and more. And of course, don't miss seeing the actual Great Salt Lake, which is the largest natural lake, west of the Mississippi River and the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere. So, there you go.

Meggan: Now I think I would enjoy, like, if it's the perfect winter day. I don't mind winter hiking. I just don't like the wind. Um, I think I would also enjoy snow tubing, if I'm going to be really honest.

Jenn: Yeah, I feel like that would be pretty fun.

Meggan: Yeah, I would definitely be, so we're not total scrooges about winter, we're just picky.

Jenn: Exactly.

I just want a perfect winter day where it's sunny and not too windy.

Meggan: yeah, thank you so, so much. Yes. Now our next and second to last spot, um, is very interesting. Didn't know, of course, a lot about it, but it is going to be Sarajevo, Bosnia. So Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's somewhere you might not have considered and probably didn't, no matter what time of year it is.

However, it does provide a great base for winter activities. for your coolcation. So a theme during our discussion today is definitely skiing and Sarajevo is no exception. There are two main ski resorts within 29 kilometers of the city center to choose from. I would list them here, but I simply cannot say them.

I really did, like, try to walk myself slowly through it and I couldn't. So some quick research online will really help you understand what those are. Um, I didn't want to butcher them to be honest. Now. Sarajevo doesn't have the longest or the steepest runs or the best skiing in the world. The terrain is fairly tame, however, that would be good for if you're not like a serious, serious skier.

Plus, it's also rife with history. , as many of us remember, there was a Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, and it was a terrible time in the history of the area, and you can still see remnants of that bloody period today. However, Out of the Ashes has arisen a city that truly wants you to come and enjoy what it has to offer.

I've also read how incredibly welcoming and friendly the people are, which makes a huge difference no matter where you go. The area hosted the 1984 Olympics, and you can still visit landmarks, including a museum from that time. A lot of people don't consider this area as a ski mecca, like I mentioned, because they think of other spots in Europe, North America, lots that we've mentioned here.

So through my research, I have learned that you can enjoy some great skiing. but without fighting for ski runs. It sounds like a skiing hidden gem to me, so if you are looking for some fairly decent skiing and not having to elbow your way onto the runs, I think this could be a great alternative. I'm sure they could use the support as well.

Other things you can do in the area during the winter are snowshoeing and taking a nice winter walk along the Miljacka River. You can also visit the Sarajevo War Tunnel built during the Bosnian War. You can visit the White Fortress. So it is a 16th century fortress which has amazing views of the city center.

And if you want to duck back inside for a bit, I read that there's recommendations for taking local cooking classes as well. So it could be a very interesting dichotomy of a vacation. And I'm so glad Sarajevo was included in this because really it sounds very Fascinating and probably should be on more people's lists.

Might be somewhere I would go in summer, but it does sound, it does sound very interesting and somewhere, you know, I hadn't really thought of.

Jenn: Yeah, like that wasn't on my radar at all, but it sounds like really amazing.

Meggan: I know. I know

Jenn: And actually it kind of lends into our last one a little bit because it is somewhere else that wasn't on my radar at all and now I want to go very badly.

Meggan: what we're doing to ourselves. Where's that?

Jenn: Okay, we are going to talk about Riga, Latvia. So, if you're looking for some magical winter wonderland vibes, this might be the place for you. Uh, Riga is the capital of Latvia, and by the looks of the photos, it is a stunning place to visit, no matter what the time of year. In the winter, you can expect cold weather and snow.

Daytime temperatures around zero to one degrees Celsius of 32 to 34 Fahrenheit could be as low as negative 15 Celsius, five Fahrenheit. Uh, but as long as you dress properly, like we said, and that's not, I mean, zero to one Celsius is not that cold. That is manageable. I can do that. There are lots of, lots of fun things to do.

So Christmas markets start in early December and run into January. So wander through, make sure you get some authentic Latvian food. Apparently the Christmas markets are less busy than others in Europe. So if you're looking to escape the crowds of the very popular, some of the Christmas markets in, in popular places are. wall to wall people. And they, they look fun, they look beautiful, but they also look very crowded. So Riga might be a great option to kind of escape those, uh, crowds. Even outside of the Christmas market season, the Riga Central Market is a massive indoor and outdoor market with, uh, food, clothing, antiques, and more. All right, indoor things to do. Riga has several museums worth checking out. Obviously, they have a very interesting European history. So, there's the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, The Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum, plus many, many, many, many more. Um, and the Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been well preserved and restored as a living illustration of European history. These stunning, stunning, stunning Art Nouveau buildings are a must see, and I only saw them in photos, so I can only imagine what they look like in real life. For music and performance enthusiasts, make sure to go to the Latvian National Opera, which stages more than 200 performances from September to May, including opera and ballet.

It sounds like a lovely night out and definitely something I would do. And yeah, now I want to go, I want to go to their Christmas market. So

Meggan: Riga Lookout.

Jenn: yes,

Meggan: Excellent. Well, that is it for this week's episode. Thank you to Flight Centre for this great list of spots for people to consider a winter vacation. We will link to the Flight Centre website if you want to check them out.

Um, again, Happy New Year, and we wish you all an amazing 2025 full of travel and fun, and hopefully you'll stay tuned as we continue to talk about all that good stuff throughout the year. Thank you for your continued support. If you wish to show the support to the show, you can leave us a review on Apple or Spotify, help support the show and what we are doing here.

We'd really appreciate it by buying us a coffee. The link is in the show notes for that as well. And to follow us on social media, you can find us at Travel Mug Podcast. And until next time, bye.