A festive frame of mind while Europe freezes

Four friends and I are going to Europe at the end of the year, flying into Paris in mid-November and leaving in early February. We've decided to pick up Eurail passes and visit some of the bigger cities, moving to the next city when we feel like it. Are there any specific places we should visit at that time of year that would, otherwise, not be as worthwhile? And vice versa — are there places we should avoid due to it being winter? We are all students, so we are working on a budget of about $100 a day each.

- J. Menzies, Sydney.

Tough call. Europe is not at its best in winter. A lot of the really great things in that part of the world, such as dribbling ice-cream down your fingers while sitting at Paris's Pont Neuf, will be in the deep freeze.

The places that really come into their own are the ski resorts but, on a budget of $100 a day, you're going to be stretched for accommodation, food, gear hire and lift tickets. Tackling the cities is a great idea, though. You'll find empty hotels eager to drop their prices and you can probably march straight into the big attractions without having to queue. What Europe does have in winter is a primo festival calendar. From the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam to Viking fire festivals in the Shetland Islands, Europe throws some great parties to get it through the long nights.

Search the internet for something just right. You might also want to research before locking yourselves in with Eurail passes. They work well if you're using trains intensively but since you have time on your hands, you might travel slowly and hang out when you find somewhere you like - in which case you might not get your money's worth from a Eurail pass.

Check the web for feedback on this point from other travellers.

After you've seen Paris, Rome, Berlin and Amsterdam, you might also want to spend some time in comparative warmth; southern Spain, between Malaga and Cartagena; Sicily; and the southern Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes have relatively mild winters.