Ladies Who Travel: Cold Weather Adventures, Packing Tips, and Winter Destinations Worth the Chill

From Christmas markets and snowy city breaks to planning for icy adventures like Antarctica, this Ladies Who Travel episode is all about embracing the magic of cold-weather travel.

Join Tracy and guest co-host Melissa as they share personal stories from winter trips across Europe, the UK, and Australia, including cosy fireside escapes, a daughter’s first experience of snow, and the surprising joys of travelling when the crowds have gone.

You’ll learn how to pack and layer for cold destinations, why mindset matters when temperatures drop, and how to plan realistic itineraries when daylight hours are short. The hosts also reveal their favourite winter getaways and bucket-list dreams, from New York at Christmas to Lapland’s snowy wonderland.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to travel in winter or are preparing for your own frosty adventure, this episode will inspire you to see the beauty in the chill, make the most of seasonal experiences, and enjoy the comfort and connection that only cold-weather travel can bring.

⭐️ Guest Co-host - Melissa (QueenslandTravelGuide.com.au)
📝  Show Notes - Episode 82

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode #76 – Europe in December: Route, Highlights and Winter Travel Tips
• Episode #57 – 15 Essential Europe Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors
• Episode #61 – Discover Lucerne, Switzerland: Top Five Things to Do [+ Hidden Gems and Insider Tips]

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Frosty Theme
• 1:19 Antarctica Plans Set The Scene
• 2:32 First Impressions Of Real Cold
• 5:40 Favourite Winter Destinations
• 8:20 Christmas Markets & River Cruise Dreams
• 11:05 Bucket Lists: NYC, Lapland, Polar Bears
• 14:20 Most Magical Snow Memories
• 17:00 Packing Truths: Layers, Puffers, Hand Warmers
• 20:05 Mental Prep And Embracing Short Days
• 22:40 Itinerary Smarts: Europe And Australia
• 25:30 Safety, Footwear, And Slippery Streets
• 27:35 Why Winter Travel Still Wins
• 29:00 Antarctica Hopes: Wildlife And Icebergs
• 31:00 Cruise Life And Slowing Down

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Cold weather travel. Are we into it or over it? In this episode of Ladiesho Travel, Melissa and I share our frosty travel stories, tips for staying warm, and whether winter wonderlands are worth the chill.

SPEAKER_00: 0:11

Welcome to the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is founder of the Global Travel Planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy is joined by expert guests as she takes you on a journey to destinations around the world, sharing travel inspiration, itinerary ideas, and practical tips to help you plan your next adventure. Join us as we explore everywhere from bustling cities to remote landscapes, uncover cultural treasures and discover the best ways to make your travel dreams a reality.

SPEAKER_02: 0:44

Hi and welcome back to Ladies Who Travel, the monthly segment on the Global Travel Planner Podcast with myself and Melissa. Now this month Melissa and I are sharing our experiences with cold weather travel. From snowy city breaks to upcoming adventures, hello Antarctica, we're talking about the good, the bad, and the freezing. We'll cover where we've loved traveling in winter, the times it didn't go to plan, what we packed to stay warm, and how to know if winter travel is right for you. Hello, Melissa. It's great to have you here again for a Ladies Who Travel episode on the Global Travel Planning Podcast. This episode, we're kind of focusing on um, we're talking about cold weather travel, which is really pertinent because by the time this episode actually airs in November, both you and I will be in Antarctica. How exciting! I can't believe it still. Antarctica. I know it's gonna be absolutely fantastic. So I thought, well, this will be a great episode to do to talk about cold weather travel since we're going somewhere pretty cold. Um, so we're gonna talk about kind of the good and the bad and our packing tips and all sorts of things that we've experienced when it comes to cold weather travel. Um, and we'd love to hear from you guys. So don't forget you can contact us via SpeakPipe if you've got something you'd like to comment on in this episode, and we can give you a shout out in a future episode. Um, and we've been getting some great messages, so keep those going. It's great to hear from you. So um let's have a little chat about kind of, I guess, our own experiences of cold weather. Now, I grew up in a in a slightly colder climate than you, Melissa, because you you grew up in Queensland, and I grew up in the UK until my teenage years anyway, which is in the northeast of the UK as well, which is pretty chilly. So we both had a kind of a different, different experience of cold. Um, but do you have any um places that you just love to visit in winter, Melissa?

SPEAKER_01: 2:36

Um, yeah, like you like you said, I I don't have a lot of experience with cold weather travel, but I have been to Europe during Christmas, and I also have been um to the UK in January. Um so they were on two separate trips, and I know a lot of people um at the time thought I was a little bit mad by taking the family over at that time. Um, but we had a great time. We had a great time um on both of those trips. Um It was cold, but you you prepare and you um you know, and and you make sure that you're well dressed. Um I think yeah, it's like what are the what do they say? Isn't there a thing saying there's no such thing as bad weather, only what I don't know.

SPEAKER_02: 3:22

Oh, it's something like there's no such thing as bad weather, just uh poor packing or poor whatever you're dressed in. I don't know the actual phrase. Something like that. It's like if the better you prepared you are, the better you are to deal with it. And we know that getting prepared for Antarctica in terms of we know what we have in a packing list. Yeah, I must admit, I suppose I've spent a lot of time in my life in those winter northern hemisphere. Um, I lived in a a French ski resort, I lived in Canada for a bit, um, which was colder than ever anything I experienced in France. Uh and then in the UK, the winters are kind of different, they're a bit greyer and a bit damper, and a bit not not my favourite, I have to say, though I do really love London at Christmas, which I think everybody in my UK travel planner uh podcasting group would know because I constantly go on about how much I love the Christmas decorations. Um, so how did you find? I guess that that first trip to Europe in winter, did that surprise you? Was it what you expected?

SPEAKER_01: 4:15

Um, it it did actually. I um I remember us um getting off the plane, and of course, um that means leaving Brisbane in the middle of summer where it's really hot. And I remember getting off the plane, and and we were prepared, like we had in our backpacks warm clothes to change in, but I just remember us all just being, oh my gosh, it's so cold. Like, and the so we flew into Berlin and the first day out and about traveling in Berlin, my daughter, who must have been about seven or something at the time, she just was like, Mom, we have to go home. It's too cold.

SPEAKER_02: 4:55

That's so funny. And I guess that would have been her first time that she didn't experience anything as cold as that.

SPEAKER_01: 5:00

Like, I've you know, I've been cold, like, oh yeah, I have to need I have to put a jumper or a sweater on, depending on where you're from. But like my face was cold. I've never experienced having a cold face, you know, like yeah, that was just crazy. It was really crazy. And and and I and so I was surprised, and the first day was a lot, but it it it it really felt like our bodies kind of adjusted. Um, because I don't remember ever feeling that cold um any other days it just that first day. So I think we just got a shock, and yeah, we kind of then just leant into it and yeah, it was okay.

SPEAKER_02: 5:40

I think I think it's a honestly it's a bigger shock when you're coming from the the southern hemisphere where it's hot and then all of a sudden and I used to do that as a child, I used to get well not as a child as a teenager, get off the plane where I'd been in Southern Africa where it was summer and I'd get off. And I'd always I used to spend a lot of the the kind of December, January when I was off university in the UK, and then the plane door would open, you'd come to the you'd come to the to go down the steps at that point, because we're talking the the 80s, and it would be just that cold would hit you, and you'd be like, oh my goodness, you know, it was like completely different, and a little bit greyer as well, and and just uh completely, completely different. Um so is there uh because I I guess for in the winter travel, I've been I've been mainly kind of Europe. Um I've been actually went to Japan, what would be classed, I guess, as the winter, and it was warmer than I expected. So that was quite quite interesting. And obviously in Australia, we do get winters, so but and I I guess Tasmania would be the place that we'd go if it if we wanted that kind of cold weather here. And obviously, we've got New Zealand where people go skiing, don't they? In uh in the winter period, but it's just the opposite time of year. So I guess if you're living in the northern hemisphere, that would not be um over the December-January period, that's going to be kind of the June-July period, because obviously we're the opposite way round. But where would is anywhere in particular you'd recommend people would should go for their first winter trip if they're kind of not used to the living in a country with with such cold weather?

SPEAKER_01: 7:00

Well, I really love going to Europe um for Christmas. So we went in December and it was amazing. And I guess especially having my young daughter with us just for seeing, you know, going to Christmas markets and seeing the snow. Um, you know, we spent the we spent Christmas Day, we were in Austria at that stage, and we spent it um going down um skiing and you know, going down on a sled, um, and it was just so much fun. So that was really and just seeing all the beautiful lights, um, probably similar to a separate trip. We went to the UK in January, and there was probably not anything so fun about that trip. I mean, we had a great time, don't get me wrong, but the weather, there was nothing that the weather brought that I recommended.

SPEAKER_02: 7:44

So um uh January, January, Melissa. That's I guess January, February, always kind of that kind of lower, lower, low season uh for the UK where it's it's the long days and and and the weather can't be and isn't as good, and you haven't got the Christmas kind of decorations and stuff, which kind of kind of impact it. But I guess that was part of our motivation when we've been talking about tears for ladies, uh ladies who travel was the Christmas market, kind of that Christmas uh river cruise, because it just I it just think it would be absolutely magical. We've had so many people ask us about doing something like that. Um and I can't honestly, I can't think of anything more magical than a river cruise in Europe in December.

SPEAKER_01: 8:25

Yeah, it's gonna be so fun, and like you know, you just like get up in a different place each day, different day, different Christmas market.

SPEAKER_02: 8:32

Oh, fantastic! And I oh I just love the Christmas markets. That's what Doug and I spent December last year um traveling around Europe to the Christmas market. So I I'm up for that at any time because they're just amazing. They're just the jer, especially the German Christmas markets are on a different level.

SPEAKER_01: 8:47

Yeah, they are they are the best. But part of that trip as well, when we went to Europe, we also spent a long lot of time in Switzerland, and and that was lovely. That was just such a lovely time seeing the snow. Um, you know, especially um a family from Australia um seeing that kind of landscape. It was just beautiful, and I'd highly recommend it for people. You just gotta, yes, it's cold, but you just come prepared, and you mean yes, people are saying, oh, but the days will be shorter and all that, and yes, it's all of that. But yeah, we we still had a wonderful time.

SPEAKER_02: 9:17

It's so beautiful, and it's such an experience. I can't think of anything better than being rubbed up, they all use an Australian term, being kind of snuggled up and round a roaring fire and Christmas decorations up. It really is, it's kind of one like one of those Christmas movies. It really is that amazing uh and that fantastic. So obviously, we're going to Antarctica soon. Um, when this podcast comes out, we will be in Antarctica. So we will be sharing, we will be sharing pictures and videos on our Instagram uh channel. So do take a check out. I'll put a link to that as well in the show notes. Um, but have you got any any destinations on your bucket list that are kind of we know winter travel?

SPEAKER_01: 9:58

Um yeah, I do. One of the big ones that as a family we've always had on our bucket list, which we haven't done yet, is to go um to New York City for Christmas, like so experience that kind of Christmas over there. We think that would be really lovely. Um, you know, we're we're in we're love musicals, so to see like the roquettes and you know, the Rockefeller Christmas tree and um ice skating, that that kind of thing is something we'd really like to do. Um, I'd also say this is a fairly new one to me, but I've been booking a few clients in recently, um, you know, like Christmas in like Lapland and seeing Santa and stuff, and I was like, oh, that sounds fun. So yeah, that's something else I wouldn't mind doing now.

SPEAKER_02: 10:41

Yeah, that's incredibly popular. Actually, we we were in Finland in uh in December. We didn't go up to the Arctic Circle, but we saw at the airport so many families heading up there, and I was like, I really want to do that. I'm kind of gonna wait for grandkids, and then that's a big treat that I'm gonna do for sure. Um, for me, I've wanted I've always wanted to go to um Churchill in Canada to see the polar bears. Um yes. So that is really, really high on my winter bucket list because I just can't. I I really want to do it, and I know obviously with global warming and uh the impact that that things are changing there, and it's so I I just think it's one of those places if you want to go and see it, we've got to go and do it fairly soon, unfortunately. Um, but yeah, that's somewhere that I'd really want to go to. Now, in terms of um the the the winter experiences that you have had, do you have a particular day that you kind of always sticks in your memory as a as a a really magical experience?

SPEAKER_01: 11:39

I really do, and I I've talked about this on a pot on the podcast before. So um, I think on my stamped episode with you, and that was when we were in Prague, and it was um Christmas time in Prague, and um we were having breakfast um in our hotel, and it just started slightly um s snowing, just very, very small amount. And my daughter, I'd never seen it like snowfall from the sky at this point, and but my daughter had never seen snow at all, and she just raced out in the clothes that she had on and just started putting her hands out and opening up her mouth, and she was just beside, you know, it was like a you know, a a weekday. So it's people walking past going to work, and I just thought, what are these people thinking about this little Aussie girl out there? But I ran out too, and yeah, and the whole day the snow just kept going and going and going, and my daughter just kept, you know, picking up the snow and had this big snowball that she was carrying around, and she just wouldn't let go of it because uh it was a f yeah, I guess she'd never seen snow, and she was holding on to that snowball with dear life. Um, so it was just wonderful. Um, like I loved it. I felt like a little girl see seeing all that as well, but seeing it through my daughter's eyes was just really magical. And when those memories come up on Facebook, they just make me smile ear to ear still. I just yeah. So that was probably one of my favourite winter travel days.

SPEAKER_02: 13:03

That is lovely. It's funny when you kind of think back on your memories what what things stand out. I actually um in my twenties I was I worked as a nanny and I worked for a uh uh actually a Swiss family, but um the lady lived in London, and we went over to Switzerland for Christmas, and we all went out as a family with our parents as well, um, to this restaurant somewhere in the obviously Swiss Alps, and it it was amazing. It was like a barn, and on the other side of the barn there were there were donkeys and sheep, obviously with like a glass panel between us, and it it was just the most magical place. It was just before Christmas, and it I and there was snow, obviously snow everywhere, Christmas decorations up, and then this amazing food. I love Swiss food, but this fantastic restaurant, and it was just it was something out of like a fairy tale. It was just and I always sticks in my memory, and and I just thought it was it was fantastic, really good. It was really, really good. Now we took we did talk a little bit, I guess, about um the cold and like I guess planning for it as well. Is there any time where you've kind of underestimated it or or it's an impacted your plans?

SPEAKER_01: 14:14

Only like so when I was talking about that first day in Berlin and my daughter said how cold she kept saying she was really cold. And um, you know, we bought some clothing here in Australia, but I think when we got over there, I just kind of realised that maybe we hadn't bought the right kind of clothing. I don't know if it's even that accessible sometimes here in Australia. So we did buy her a diff a different jacket while we're over there. And the thing that I noticed, and this is probably a good tip for any Aussies going over there, is that the the good cloth the clothing is so much cheaper um over there. I think maybe because there's more of it, whereas, you know, um I think we picked up a a jacket for my daughter for I don't know, like$20,$30 Australian, where we're probably looking at a hundred or two hundred dollars here. Um so I just yeah, I I guess just be trying to be prepared, but we were obviously underestimated a bit then. So um, yeah, being prepared, uh like even so going to Antarctica. Um, I was in New Zealand a couple of months ago, and I thought, oh, this is probably a good place to buy some clothing for and the Antarctica trip because it's just not that common here where I live, you know. Well, we don't have snow here or anything. So um, and it was just so luckily there was some sails on. So I picked up some really good gear while I was over there. So just maybe thinking ahead. We have to think ahead, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 15:38

Yeah, that's that that's that's absolutely true. I must admit, because we were in uh Doug and I were in Sweden and Finland and Poland and Hungary last December. So um I do find the UniClo stuff really good that we can get in Australia, so that is really good and and and like really like thin as well, but really warm. Um, but I must admit, I've I've I have stopped up on a lot of um thermal gear from Marks and Spencer's, which I had, which I'd bought when I was in the UK. Um is there is there something you know about winter travel that you kind of love? I know I'm kind of pivoting back, I suppose, to to the things we've done, but but is there something like for me I it's that coziness and the magicalness of it, particularly I guess, and I uh when a minute I think about it, I just imagine London at Christmas because I just think it's it's such a magical place, or the German Christmas markets, and you know, um eating so much of the delicious food that was there that I just really like. And I guess that you know, you you the yes the days are shorter, but it's just cosier and it's more indoors, so it's a different kind of experience of a trip, so you know you're gonna be spending more time indoors, so where you stay is probably more important, like have you know where where you're going to go and eat is is is is kind of important because you can have you know some really fabulous food and some lovely fantastic restaurants where you're not kind of on the go wanting to be outside all the time. Um but is there something that you particularly loved about traveling in the film?

SPEAKER_01: 17:07

Um yeah, when well when I saw that you asked this question because you said secret, I was thinking, oh, it was something I can't be open about. So I actually noted down that I like not having to wash my clothes so much.

unknown: 17:18

It's such a good one.

SPEAKER_01: 17:20

Because, you know, like you're not sweating, and you and you know what, like no one's really seeing a lot of the clothes because they're if they're the bottom layers, they're kind of hidden away anyway. So it's the one thing I do like about winter travel is that you gotta you have to take kind of more warm clothes, but also in in some aspect you're taking less outfits because you can wear a lot of it just over and over again.

SPEAKER_02: 17:43

Oh, but and that's absolutely true. That is spawn. I didn't even think about that, but now you've mentioned absolutely in terms of well, I took last year I took a very small pull-along uh around Europe because I just needed, I think I had like a one pair of jeans and a and a pair of tracksuit bottoms, and that was about it, and then lots of different tops. But yeah, you can wear the same things um quite a few days without having to worry about it. Whereas when you're going somewhere hot after, you know, uh you go like Vietnam and after three hours you're you're completely drenched, and you're gonna get, you know, you have to go and change your clothes. So that that is absolutely true, which I guess kind of works really well, kind of pivoting into that that packing thing about you know, what do you pack um to keep you warm? Um, and any gear or things that you kind of swear by. I mean, I have I've got a few things that I definitely always take now. Um, but is there anything that you kind of think, well, I'm gonna make sure that I have those with me?

SPEAKER_01: 18:37

Well, I'm not gonna lie, I do struggle for cold weather packing, probably because I don't come from a cold weather place. So I do struggle a lot and I probably think about it a lot more. But one of the my favourite bits of clothing for cold weather packing is my like my puffer jacket because it's like you sort of saying, like um it it it it folds down really small, so um you know it and it keeps you really warm. So um that's probably like my one of my favourite, and you know, I invested a couple of hundred dollars in that, um, and I think that that was well well worth it. So yeah, definitely my my puffer jacket is my favorite thing um to take. And I've just really learned the importance of good quality layering. I still struggle, and I know I'm gonna struggle packing for the Antarctica, um, but I just try really hard to think about yeah, lay the layers, like yeah, three kind of layers.

SPEAKER_02: 19:32

Absolutely. It's that it's the layering. And um, I mean, uh when you go to countries like you could be in London, for example, where you you've layered, um, which you need to do to keep yourself warm, but it but also then you go into a shop where it's like six million degrees and you start sweating. So you need to be able to so I always say if somebody's like somewhere uh one of the um the countries where you're gonna be maybe going into department stores or you're gonna be shopping to have a bag with you so you can strip off those layers and put me. Because I I I remember shopping with Dominique on Oxford Street this one time and absolutely dripping with sweat because I was I was really well dressed, but then just got overheated, which can also be kind of a problem. But layers, absolutely make sure you've got your layers. I I swear by um I've got thermal tights, I love my thermal tights and they go under everything because I hate it when my feet and my hands get cold. But my my favorite investment over the last few years have been hand warmers. Oh my goodness, they are absolutely a game changer. Uh again, you know, when I even when I was in Puya last November um and it was cold, I would just have the hand warmers in the bed and keep me warm because they stay warm for like 24 hours and and they're not they're not big. So they're I'll be taking some of those to Antarctica, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01: 20:44

Someone just gave me a whole bunch that they didn't need anymore. So I'm like, yeah, I'm like, oh great, great, thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 20:50

Oh, quids in, I've had to go and buy some. Yeah, but but they are honestly, they're worth the weight in gold. And and honestly, I think those uh the other thing I would say is protect your extremity. So make sure your hands are warm, make sure your head's warm. Um, because if you can keep your head warm and your hands and your feet warm, then the rest of you tends to be not too bad. Um, so that would always, I guess, be my tip as well. And I know we've got to have like waterproof layers as well for Antarctica, so that's where I guess jeans can be a problem because I did travel around Europe last year in jeans. Um, so you know, if it they do get wet, and I know people used to go skiing in jeans, which was always kind of frowned upon. I used to live in a ski resort because once they get wet, they stay wet for days. Um so yeah, it's making sure that if you do like for I had took jeans last year when I was travelling around Europe, is that you just have another, you have a spare pair or something spare um as well, so that you can keep yourself keep yourself nice and warm for sure. So, how about preparing mentally for a cold trip? Because, you know, if you're used to warm weather, which I'm hoping to get used to warm weather, I'm in Perth at the moment and it doesn't seem to be ever getting warm. So sorry, people in WA or Perth and down. I really want to have some warm weather. I know it's hot in the minute in Queensland. Um so I'm kind of I I think I've got used to the cold now, so I don't think I'm gonna have to do any mental preparation for Antarctica. And I guess I used to do it as a kid because I used to flip between the southern and northern hemispheres all the time. I just and I used to I used to embrace the difference. I used to love that, you know, you yeah, the plane door would open and be like, Whoo, that's cold, or that's hot when I used to get back home. But how like how you kind of how do you mentally prepare for that to think?

SPEAKER_01: 22:33

I don't know. I mean, I I guess the the main thing about you, like we keep saying, is to be able to keep warm. So as long as you've got the right gear, um, I think that you should be okay. And also, um, and and focusing on like we keep talking about the fun stuff that comes with going to cold weather climates that if it was warm, you wouldn't get to do that. I mean, so in Antarctica, if it was warm, there would be no amazing you know, um, icebergs or penguins or anything like that. So just you know, thinking about all the really cool stuff that comes with that cold weather.

SPEAKER_02: 23:07

I do too. And then that also the way they also think about it, because nobody's forcing us to go to these cold climates. But I always think, ah, but when I come back, it'll be hot. Yes. And I used to think that when I used to go back to to the UK over the December, January period, you used to think, but I'll be going back to university at the end of January and I'll be hot. So I don't have to have it forever. Though I guess if you're going from one cold climate to another, it's just, you know, it's just gonna be different. So embrace all of the fun things that you're gonna do, whether that's skiing, whether that's Christmas markets, whether that's a river cruise, um, whether that's going to see particular wildlife or like go to Antarctica like that like we are doing. I guess that's a thing. Um, now I often get asked about itineries for cold weather. Um, and I guess this will be an interesting one for both of us to answer, actually, because obviously I do a lot of itineraries with Doug for the UK and Europe, and so that we have to look at people's itineraries if they're looking at December, January, February, particularly if they're going up to Far North of Scotland, for example, where the weather will impact and can have an impact on public transport, impact on driving, you know, shorter days, things are shut because it's low season. Um, but just thinking about actually anybody planning to come to Australia in the in the winter months, which for us are kind of the June, July, August. Do you think that has an impact on on itineries here? I guess it depends where they go in Australia.

SPEAKER_01: 24:25

It does depend on where you where you're going. And I mean, a bit opposite to kind of what we're talking about, but the good thing in Australia is you know, we have so so many super hot destinations that you can really only visit them in the winter, particularly like you know, in the outback, um, you know, outback Queensland, for example, only really operates in the cooler months. So you would have to plan to come in winter for those times. Like you wouldn't go in December, which is our peak, you know, in the middle of summer. Um, so they're not cold destinations, but they are good winter destinations.

SPEAKER_02: 24:57

Yeah, well, I mean, they're exactly. I guess they're cooler than they would be in the summer, but far more accessible. And um, as I always say when people ask me about the travels that I've done in Australia, my my favorite, my three favorite destinations actually. One is Uluru, the second is uh Queens Queensland Outback uh road trip, and the third is Tasmania, and they're all fantastic in the winter, so all accessible. So um, and I think that's what we often get asked when people come to Australia that they're gonna come for a few weeks, and and and often uh people say, Oh, I'm gonna visit January, February, I'm gonna go up to to Cairns. I'm like, probably not the time really you want to be going up there because you've got the it's too hot, it's too humid. Um, but but go in June, July, August, and you're gonna have a completely different experience. That's for sure. So thinking about if anybody listening to the podcast has not travelled in the winter, as in I guess we're talking that kind of Europeany, kind of snowy winter weather. Is there any advice that you would give anybody who might be considering that but they kind of haven't experienced that kind of cold weather before?

SPEAKER_01: 26:02

I think like you know, it comes again to being prepared, doing your research, so good quality clothing. And so think about the clothing you're gonna wear, not just the week before you go, but you know, you know, if you're planning the trip a year in advance, start thinking about it straight away. So when some deals come up or you might have to order something online, just so you've got time to prepare. And also just like for me, where I come from, that the daylight is not really much of a difference between the summer and the winter, but you know, it does make a huge difference, you know, in Europe and the UK, for example, and so you have to factor in that um you're not probably going to get as much sightseeing done as you would normally do. So you might it might you might not get everything done. Plus, a lot of things close. I know when we were traveling around the UK in January, a lot of things that I had on my list, they actually weren't even open in January. I guess it's not a peak season, so um, yeah, so planning, research, prepare, doing your research.

SPEAKER_02: 27:08

Yeah, yeah, I agree. And I'm gonna start throw one in there as well. Be think very much ahead about your footwear because it can get very, very slippery. Um, so that's something I I've got a very comfortable pair of kind of uh walking boots, uh fur-lined walking boots, which are got a good grip because honestly, you sometimes you don't realise just how slippery it can be on those pavements when it's when it's got you've got that black eyeshadow, you can't see it. Um so yeah, so I think ex uh embrace the difference, prepare for the difference, and come on, come on a uh a river cruise with us.

SPEAKER_01: 27:42

Oh how amazing it's gonna be when we like you said, you know, snuggly, cozy inside with a nice warm copper or a glass of wine. Glue vine, oh yes, some mold wine, some glue vine.

SPEAKER_02: 27:55

Oh yes, yes, yes. I just love it, absolutely love it. Um, well, I guess, as I say, when this episode comes out, we'll be in Antarctica. And when we come back from Antarctica, we will be doing an episode all about that because I know for many people um that is a huge bucket list uh destination, and I I feel very privileged and very lucky to be going. Um what are you most excited about, Melissa?

SPEAKER_01: 28:17

I'm most excited about wildlife. Yeah, you know, when we we attended that like an information night about about the trip, and the lady was sort of telling us about the whales outside her her her cabin and that she was having a cupper watching whales and the penguins. And I've heard people tell saying stories like you know that the penguins are like in your there's so many penguins, like they're in your way almost. And I'm like, Oh, I want penguins in my way.

SPEAKER_02: 28:45

That is gonna be so cool. I have to say, what I'm looking forward to is just the size of those icebergs. Yes, you know, because you've just feel so small, yeah, and how many of them are there are, and just I just think I've I've been told it's a life-changing experience to go there. So I guess we can answer that question in December uh how it is impacted us. And I'm also, you know what, I've never been on a cruise at all. Um, so I'm actually kind of looking forward to the experience of being on the boat. We're on the boat for two weeks.

SPEAKER_01: 29:16

Um you know, like I've never been on a cruise that long. Um I'm actually looking forward to being stuck on a boat and not being able to do anything because you know, like Tracy, you and I, like we we fit a lot into our schedules. So it'll be nice to actually make use of some of the relaxing facilities on the boat as well.

SPEAKER_02: 29:36

Yeah, so we'll be reporting back on that so you can find out all about the the cruise that we're doing um and and what it's like, and we'll be taking pictures, we'll do videos, as I say, we'll be doing a podcast all about it. So if Antarctica is on your bucket list of destinations, um, we can share exactly uh and you can follow along and see what our experience is like. I'm I'm very excited about it. It's gonna be something. Much fun.

SPEAKER_01: 30:01

If anyone's interested, we can even help them book their own trip. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 30:08

Right. So I guess that that kind of wraps up a bit of a pun. Cold weather. Very funny. I know. Oh dear, I'm full of it, honestly. I will put links in the show notes. So some of the products we've talked about, actually, and I I've got, I have just published a London in winter packing list. I actually could do with doing one for Europe, a European packing list, to be honest. Because I know when when we've talked that if you're not used to it, it can actually be quite difficult to think about what you need to take. And I must admit, it's been quite useful looking at the Antarctica packing list and going through and saying, right, okay, I need to make sure I've got those things. I do find packing lists really helpful.

SPEAKER_01: 30:46

Yes. Definitely.

SPEAKER_02: 30:48

Yeah, so maybe that's uh maybe that's something we need to put together. Now, um, that's gonna be it for ladies who travel for November. In December, we'll both be back to talk about the Antarctica trip. And we will be back at the very end, the very last episode of uh 2025. Melissa and I'll be sharing our top three uh destinations and experiences for 2025 as well, and also be kind of sharing what is be happening with ladies who travel, the Facebook group and tours for 2026 as well. So do tune in for that. Uh but as always, Melissa, it's always great to chat. So thanks again for coming on this episode.

SPEAKER_01: 31:26

Thanks for having me again, Tracy.

SPEAKER_02: 31:28

Well, I'm looking forward to spending a few weeks in Antarctica with you.

SPEAKER_01: 31:31

That's right, there'll be lots of talking, lots of talking for two weeks, Tracy. Yeah. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02: 31:36

Oh, thanks again, Melissa.

SPEAKER_01: 31:38

Bye.

SPEAKER_02: 31:40

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. For more details and links to everything we discussed today, check out the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com. Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. Anyway, that leaves me to say, as always, happy global travel planning!