If hosting Thanksgiving dinner seems like more work than fun, you’re not alone. Many Americans are opting to travel abroad during the holiday, and ditching the dishes (not to mention crowded U.S. airports, highways and train stations) for the ease of Europe instead.
In fact, TPG’s Nick Ewen is heading to Switzerland this year with his family, chasing the charm of European Christmas markets and a dash of winter weather he doesn’t experience in his home state of Florida.”I’m excited to enjoy another Thanksgiving in Europe,” he said, as he’s spent 10 of the last 11 Turkey Days on the Continent. “With fewer crowds, plentiful award availability and the ability to escape the domestic travel rush in the U.S., it’s a perfect time to head abroad.”
Those are just a few of the reasons you should consider trading turkey for Wiener schnitzel, stuffing for cacio e pepe or mashed potatoes for fish-and-chips this Thanksgiving season.
Flights to Europe are relatively affordable
While prices for flights within the U.S. are sky-high during this holiday period, flying to Europe can be quite cheap.
Summer is the prime time for tourists to visit Europe, resulting in higher demand and, consequently, higher prices. Although October has become another peak travel season in Europe, November still offers affordable fares. Those savings can add up quickly, especially when traveling with family or friends.
Related: These are the best times to buy an international flight
Hiker watching the northern lights in Finnish Lapland. ROBERTO MOIOLA/SYSAWORLD/GETTY IMAGES
You can book off-peak travel with points
And if you plan to use points, many European carriers mark Thanksgiving (and most of November) as off-peak dates, leading to some excellent deals.
Take advantage of sweet spots, like a business-class ticket from Boston to Madrid for 40,500 Avios through Iberia Club, or an Aer Lingus economy seat from Boston to Dublin for 13,000 Avios one-way.
Even American Airlines AAdvantage marks this November time period as off-peak, meaning you can fly from various U.S. hubs to many European cities for just 22,500 miles each way in economy.
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Ride in style to Madrid on Iberia’s A350 in business class. LORI ZAINO/THE POINTS GUY
Use fewer vacation days
Take advantage of the Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday holidays to maximize your travel time. You could take a nine-day trip, from the Saturday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after Thanksgiving, while only using three of your vacation days.
Flying on Thanksgiving Day is a treat
While prices and crowds tend to surge on the days surrounding Thanksgiving, flying on the holiday itself is actually very quiet — and inexpensive.
If you head to Europe over Thanksgiving and don’t need to arrive in time for a turkey dinner, you can still take advantage of those two free vacation days without spending a fortune or battling the crowds for a spot at the lounge bar.
Related: A normal Thanksgiving? Mass flight cancellations end as holiday rush nears
Fly to Europe on Thanksgiving Day, and the airport may just be empty. KIRKIKIS/GETTY IMAGES
Get great hotel deals
The end of November is considered a low season across most of Europe, meaning hotel rates and availability are generally better than at other times of the year. Since many hotel loyalty programs use peak and off-peak pricing, you can often find rock-bottom award rates, too.
For example, Nick Ewen’s trip includes two nights at the Park Hyatt Zurich booked with World of Hyatt points. This luxurious Category 8 property still has rooms available over the Thanksgiving weekend, starting at $872 or 35,000 points per night. That comes out to a value of 2.5 cents per point, making this a great use of Hyatt points.
See the sights without seeing other tourists
Most Europeans aren’t traveling during this period, so it’s an ideal time to see some of the continent’s most popular attractions — including Rome’s Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia — without throngs of other tourists crowding your photos.
Smaller destinations without all the big attractions, such as Taormina in Italy and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, will likely feel downright empty.
Kick off ski season
Many of Europe’s ski resorts are open by this time of year — plus, they may be cheaper than U.S. resorts.
Here are some areas where you’ll likely be able to enjoy powdery slopes in November:
- Zermatt, Verbier and Grindelwald in Switzerland
- Hintertux, Obergurgl and Solden in Austria
- Val Thorens in France
- Cervinia and Val Senales in Italy
Not a skier? Don’t worry. It’s wine and truffle season too, and you may even catch a harvest festival, especially in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain.
Autumn in Portugal’s Douro Valley. ACHIM THOMAE/GETTY IMAGES
Enjoy the first Christmas markets
If you’re all about experiencing that holiday cheer (read: mulled wine and other tasty treats), many of Europe’s famous Christmas markets open in November. Visiting over Thanksgiving means you can start indulging in the festivities without the freezing temperatures and tourist throngs you’d have to deal with in December.
A house in Zurich decorated for the holidays. IMAGEBROKER/MATS SILVAN/GETTY IMAGES
Soak in the sunshine
Although most of Europe won’t be hot and sunny in November, destinations in southern Portugal, Italy and Spain, as well as some of the Greek islands and Malta, will continue to enjoy scattered sunshine and mild temperatures. For a beachy alternative to the Caribbean or Mexico, Spain’s Canary Islands boast November temperatures in the low 70s. Although the water may be chilly, you can still enjoy some sun and sand.
Related: 13 European beaches perfect for a sunny autumn vacation
You don’t have to miss out on Thanksgiving dinner
If you simply can’t imagine having Thanksgiving without turkey, many restaurants in European cities with a large expat population offer Thanksgiving dinners and lunches. A simple Google search can determine if your destination has restaurants or American clubs serving these special meals. (And for anyone traveling solo, it may be a fun way to meet other travelers or even locals in your destination.)
Related: Which Thanksgiving foods can you bring in your carry-on?
Explore lesser-known destinations
If thinner crowds aren’t enough to tempt you, and you’d rather spend your Thanksgiving wandering off the beaten path, consider visiting less-frequented European destinations like Armenia, Latvia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Lithuania, Georgia and Romania. These are all prime destinations for getting to know a new culture and seeing new sights before they’ve flooded your Instagram.
Lake Bled in Slovenia. ANDRIJTER/GETTY IMAGES
Bottom line
Summer may be the most popular time to visit Europe, but late fall has a lot to offer as well. Thanks to lower prices, fewer tourists, and the fact that many Christmas markets and ski slopes are already open, Europe could be the perfect place to spend your Thanksgiving holiday.
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