December 19, 2024 • 26 mins
Ever wondered how to balance thrill and relaxation during the winter months? Get ready to explore some of the most exciting and lesser-known travel destinations for January and February. Discover why Park City, Utah, is a paradise for snow enthusiasts and film lovers alike, and how Galveston, Texas, provides a warm escape filled with history and vibrant festivals. Let me guide you through these remarkable U.S. spots, offering a perfect mix of adventure, culture, and tranquility.
Imagine saving up to 42% on your European getaway this winter. That's exactly what we discuss as we uncover the charm of visiting places like Barcelona and Dublin during the off-peak season. Learn the secrets to experiencing local festivities without the usual crowds and enjoy substantial savings on accommodations. Plus, we reveal hidden gems in Greece and Prague, where cooler temperatures offer a peaceful and authentic travel experience without breaking the bank.
Thinking of escaping to a tropical paradise this winter? Look no further than the Philippines, where you can bask in pleasant weather while exploring stunning islands and vibrant cityscapes. From the bustling streets of Manila and Cebu to the breathtaking landscapes of Palawan, discover why this destination is perfect for both relaxation and adventure. With affordable flights, welcoming locals, and cost-effective stays, the Philippines promises a memorable journey. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more travel insights and updates!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi and welcome back to the Traveling Fool.
I'm your host, bob Bales, andthis week we are talking about
the best places to travel thisJanuary and February.
So stay tuned and I'm going totell you about some great places
.
Be right back, hi, and welcomeback to the Traveling Fool, and
(00:35):
in this episode we are talkingabout 10 of the best places to
travel to in January andFebruary, and I know every time
you get one of these littlelists, it's always somebody's
opinion, and this is my opinion,but there's a little bit of
backing to it.
First of all, I looked atplaces in the United States that
(00:56):
were popular to go to inJanuary and February, that had
something going on thatattracted a lot of people.
And then I looked atdestinations that may have been
in the low season, places to gothat less touristy, and, of
course, I do not like coldweather.
So I looked at places that werenice and warm so you could get
away from that cold winterweather, and I narrowed it down
(01:20):
to 10 places.
So let's get started.
The first ones are going to bein the United States Park City,
utah.
Now why in the world would youwant to go to Park City, utah,
in January and February Becauseit is going to be cold.
But that's the reason it is awinter destination for
everything that you would wantin a snowy destination.
(01:43):
They have great, world-classskiing, but they have a whole
lot more.
And there's all kinds of placesthat you can rent snowmobiles
so that you can get out on thetrails.
You can go paddle boarding on ageothermal crater with water
that's 90 degrees.
You can visit Olympic Park,take your turn on the bobsled
track, they have sleigh ridesand horseback ridings and lots
(02:07):
of live music venues.
But they have something elsethat happens every January the
Sundance Film Festival.
Now it runs between January23rd and February the 2nd and it
draws filmmakers andenthusiasts from all over the
world for screenings for theyear's upcoming indie flicks.
(02:29):
So, who knows, you might beable to snap a photo of some
celebrity or, if you can gettickets, maybe attend the
screening.
Just know that it is a verypopular time to visit, so book a
place early and expect lots ofpeople visiting, but you can
enjoy the winter activities andhave a blast.
Park City, utah, is definitely aplace to go in January and
(02:52):
February.
Now I'll give you another one.
This one is often overlooked,but since I'm from Texas, I know
all about it Galveston, texas.
Now why in the world would youwant to visit Galveston?
Well, first of all, it makesfor a great winter getaway.
The island itself is a littleover 50 miles south of Houston.
(03:13):
Average temperatures in Januaryand February are in the low 50s
to the mid 60s, and it even youknow if it might be a little
too cold to take a swim.
There's still a lot you can doand you can avoid the summer
crowds.
First of all, they have acouple of festivals in January,
including the Art Festival andthe Chili Quest and Beer Fest.
(03:37):
That's my kind of festival Eatchili, drink beer.
Plus, they also have RestaurantWeek and Mardi Gras.
Those are the big events inFebruary.
Restaurant Week is great.
I mean, all the restaurantsopen up their doors or a lot of
them do and you get to go aroundand sample food from all these
high-end restaurants.
It's a great place to go.
And, of course, mardi Gras.
(03:58):
Galveston is a big Mardi Grasdestination, but Galveston also
has several museums, historichomes.
There's an old paddle wheelexcursion in the bay that you
can take.
There's fishing charters.
You can even tour an 1877schooner ship called the Tall
(04:19):
Ship, the Alyssa.
I visited it years ago.
It's fascinating.
It's a museum ship based out ofGalveston Bay and there's a lot
to see and do in Galveston.
I would recommend, if you go,stay at the Grand Galvez Hotel.
This hotel was built in 1911,just after the 1900 hurricane
pretty much wiped out everythingon the island.
(04:40):
The hotel is listed as one ofthe historic hotels of America.
It's located right across thestreet from the beach and it is
said to be haunted.
Now I've stayed at the Galvestand there was nothing that
haunted me, but a lot of peoplehave reported being disturbed by
the spirits there.
So if you want to get toGalveston, just fly into Houston
.
Now Houston has two airports.
(05:01):
The big one is George BushIntercontinental, which is on
the north side of Houston, andthen they have Hobby Airport on
the south side of Houston.
If you can fly into Hobby, justa whole lot easier than driving
an extra hour and a half justto go across Houston.
But if you ever get toGalveston you will have a blast.
There's just a ton of things tosee and do there.
(05:21):
The food is fabulous.
They got some great restaurantsin Galveston and during the
winter the weather's great andyou miss all those summer crowds
so you can actually enjoy thetown.
Now number three on our listNational Parks in the United
States.
Now I'm just putting NationalParks as a whole on there, but
there are several that youreally want to hit in the winter
(05:42):
time.
And why visit national parks inthe winter?
Well, during January andFebruary it is their low season,
so it's a great time to visit.
You'll find that a lot of thehotels, the Airbnbs, everything
else that surround thesenational parks during January
and February they don't have asmany guests as they do June,
july, august, september, may,time frame, things like that, so
(06:06):
they're willing to drop theirrates down so you can find
really nice accommodations athalf the price a lot of times
than what you would normally getduring the summer months.
And, of course, you get tovisit a national park without
the loads and loads of touriststhat you would normally see
during the summer months.
Plus, during the winter you justget dramatic scenery.
(06:26):
Those snowy landscapes cantransform the crowded trails
into nice peaceful pathways.
I mean, there's something aboutseeing a national park in the
summer, when it's spring orspringtime, when it's all
beautiful and the animals arestarting to come out.
But wintertime has itsadvantages too, because it is a
totally different atmosphereatmosphere and you still see a
(06:47):
lot of the animals out there.
Some of the best ones to visitduring the winter are
Yellowstone, because thewildlife is still running around
.
In the wintertime you got thegeysers erupting.
Contrasting with the coolweather makes for this big, huge
, dramatic sights, and there's awhole lot less tourists than in
the summertime.
Rocky Mountain National Park inColorado is another place.
(07:11):
It's just made a lot morebeautiful by the snowy landscape
there.
You can try someone like GlacierNational Park in Montana,
although January and Februarythere may be parts of the park
that are closed.
So check with these nationalparks and find out whether their
roads are closed or what theaccommodations are like, but you
can find a lot of really goodones.
(07:32):
The Everglades in Florida isbeautiful in the wintertime One.
You got a whole lot lesstourists and you have all the
amenities that you wouldnormally have at every other
time of the year, so you get toenjoy it with just a whole lot
less people and you don't haveto worry about the scorching
heat.
And talking about the scorchingheat, death Valley National
(07:53):
Park or Big Bend in Texas thoseare fabulous places to visit in
January and February.
You don't have to worry about110, 120 degree heat.
You don't have to worry aboutthe crowds that visit during the
summer months.
National parks make fantasticvacations and getaways during
January and February time frame.
(08:15):
Now this next one I'm going togive you.
You're going to say oh you'renuts.
Why in the world would you wantto put that on the list?
I'm going to tell you why.
London, that's right.
Go visit London in January andFebruary.
Why?
Well, because it is thecheapest time of year to visit
London.
Hotel prices are the cheapestof the year in January and
(08:36):
February.
Flights to and from London arenot bad during January and
February.
Now, although the days areshorter, there are far fewer
tourists and the lines at allthe major attractions are a lot
less and sometimes non-existentat all.
I actually went to London inFebruary one time.
I spent a week here and I had ablast.
(08:58):
Yeah, it was kind of cold.
It wasn't that bad.
I just threw a coat on and Iwalked around London.
A lot, saw a whole lot of stuff, didn't have to worry about
tons and tons of people beingaround.
Now, january in London is alsoa time where they have their big
sales going on in their stores,so it's a great time for
(09:18):
shopping.
Now here's a tip.
Before you travel to London.
You can do this online Orderyourself an Oyster card.
Now, for those of you who don'tunderstand my Texan accent,
I'll spell it for youO-Y-S-T-E-R.
Oyster, oyster, well, whateverOyster card, which is a prepaid
(09:38):
travel card used for buses, theUnderground or the London Tube,
they call it, and the rail lines.
Now you can also load a travelcard to your Oyster card and
that gets you good for anywherefrom one day to one week.
That's the way you want totravel when you get to London.
It's far more convenient to buythis online and have it shipped
(09:59):
to you, so you have it when youarrive.
You can get one there, but it'sa lot easier to do it before
you go.
I used one when I visited.
It was well worth it.
Now I loaded mine up dailybecause, well, I wasn't that
smart.
I should have done it for thewhole week, but every day I
would just load that sucker up.
I'd go down to the London tubeand I would get on the tube and
it took me wherever I wanted togo.
(10:20):
I'd get off, go see whatever Iwanted to see, jump back on the
tube, go somewhere else, get off, see what I wanted to see, and
that's how I traveled throughoutthe entire town the whole seven
days I was there, and it'sreally not that expensive, and
the London Underground will getyou almost everywhere you want
to travel to, or within a coupleof blocks, and you just walk it
.
It's not that bad, but you canalways take a bus too.
(10:43):
So, and of course, while you'rethere, you got to get one of
the iconic little London taxis.
I did take one one time, justso I could say I rode in a
London taxi and they're kind ofcool.
But London in January andFebruary fantastic time to visit
, even though it is a littlecooler, just because it's a
whole lot cheaper and a wholelot less people.
(11:03):
Here's another one Barcelona.
Now tourism in Spain is justrecord-breaking, which
unfortunately means Barcelona ischoked with tourists.
There's just way too manytourists, getting to the point
that they're getting sick of allthe tourists.
They've started implementingmeasures to curb tourism there.
But that makes January theperfect time to go, because
(11:23):
winters are mild and you'llenjoy the city's popular
attractions without all thepeople.
In January you go to Barcelona,you're going to enjoy about a
42% savings over the mostpopular time of year to visit,
and flights and hotels are a lotmore affordable.
So you always want to visitSpain.
You want to go to Barcelona.
(11:44):
January is the time to do it.
The weather's not that bad.
It's a little chilly, might getdown in the 50s or 60s.
In fact, the temperature inJanuary in Barcelona is around
59 during the day and around 48at nighttime, and it can
occasionally get below freezing,but that's rare.
So you still enjoy milderweather.
Just throw a coat or a jacketon.
(12:06):
I mean, it's not that bad.
It is the low season, so youdon't have to deal with crowds
and all the popular attractionsand you don't need to book ahead
a week or two just to get intoa museum somewhere and they do
have a lot of museums inBarcelona With all less tourists
, there's a whole lot of greatplaces to stop, little bars or
tapas bars for lunch, andthere's some festivals going on
(12:27):
as well.
Three Kings Day is one of themost celebrated festivals in
Barcelona Now.
It occurs on the evening ofJanuary the 5th and on the day
of January the 6th.
Huge parade, lots of floats,lots of people turn out, and
there's also festivals inFebruary and it is the beginning
of Carnival, or Carnival asthey call it.
(12:49):
I don't know, it's Carnival,I'm from Texas, so Carnival is
beginning in February.
There's lots of things to do.
It's just a great time to visit.
Now here's another one, still inEurope Dublin.
Why go to Dublin?
Well, it's Ireland.
Who doesn't want to go toIreland.
The weather in January andFebruary in Dublin ranges from
the mid-30s to the mid-40s.
You're saying, well, it's alittle cold.
(13:11):
You know, I'd rather go down toFlorida or someplace where it's
nice and warm.
But if you ever want to visitIreland and visit Dublin, it's a
great time to go, becauseJanuary in Dublin you'll save
35% on your hotel rooms and theaverage flight price from all US
origins is around $650.
Most of the major attractionsare open and very few visitors.
(13:33):
You can wander around thecastles without the crowds.
It does rain, but not that much.
It's the best time of year tosample that famous Irish comfort
food, like Irish stew.
They've got a dish calledcoddle, which is a dish of
sausages and potatoes.
I mean, that stuff is just goodold country food.
It's a great time to relax inthe pubs, get to know the locals
(13:56):
.
So yeah, it's a little bitcolder, but you're going there
with hardly any tourists there.
They just don't go there inJanuary and February.
It's not the tourist season, soyou save on your accommodations
, you save on your flights, youget to wander around town with a
whole lot less crowds.
You can still visit the JamesonDistillery and get a bottle
(14:17):
personalized with your name onit.
Go to the Guinness Storehouse,which is a big thing.
There, though, lines in thesummertime are terrible, but
they're going to be a whole lotshorter in January.
And they also have a couple offestivals.
They've got one called theTemple Bar Tradfest.
It celebrates traditional Irishmusic, and if you're a big
David Bowie fan, they've got theDublin Bowie Festival
(14:41):
Celebrates all things Bowie,with music, film screenings and
a whole lot more.
Now you might have to bundle up, like I said, for the cold
weather, but January andFebruary great times to visit
Dublin for a whole lot lessmoney and a lot fewer crowds.
Here's another place that youmay want to visit in January and
February Greece.
(15:01):
Now, I've been there.
I went to northern Greece onetime.
I spent three or four daysthere.
I traveled down there fromKosovo, me and a couple other
guys.
We rented a car in Macedoniaand drove down to Greece.
It was fantastic and, if I'mnot mistaken, I believe it was
maybe March time frame.
There still wasn't hardly anytourists there, but January and
February are some of the besttimes to go to Greece, why?
(15:23):
Well, it's the coldest time ofthe year in Greece, but the
temperatures are still between50 and 60 degrees.
The hotels are cheaper andthough some resorts and bars you
know the big ones, theall-inclusives and things like
that they might be closed duringthat time, there's a whole lot
(15:45):
of hotels that are open and theprices are the cheapest.
It is the time of the year whenvery few tourists visit, but
life goes on for the majority ofthe locals and the islands
return to their authentic littleself.
January offers you theopportunity to explore some of
the iconic sites like theAcropolis and Delphi, without
the intense summer heat and allthe large tourist crowds that
(16:07):
congregate there in thesummertime, and places like
Santorini, which is a touristmadhouse well, it's open, has
very few visitors, which givesyou time to actually enjoy the
island and the culture and thepeople I'm telling you, greek
people were fantastic.
We went out and met a whole loton the week I was there, or the
four or five days I was there.
It's just a fantastic place.
And January and February it'snot that cold, I'm telling you
(16:28):
50 to 60 degrees.
Hardly any tourists at allvisit during that time frame and
you really get to enjoy thecountry a lot better.
Now, if you want to go someplacewhere the very best time to go
to this place is in January,february is the second best and
that is Prague.
And, oh Lord, I don't know whatthey call their country now.
It used to be called the CzechRepublic.
(16:49):
I'm not sure what they call itnow Czechia or something but
Prague is a fantastic littleplace to visit and if you enjoy
winter weather, prague makes fora great place to visit in
January and February.
It is the quietest month of theyear is January.
They have the very fewesttourists.
They have extremely cheap hotelrates, easy entry into the
(17:10):
museums and no wait time at allfor the restaurants.
You actually get to feel morelike a local.
This is an ideal time to visit,but it is cold.
Prague in January can be cold,so bundle up, but you get to
experience winter in Prague.
Everything is still open.
You get a great hoteldrastically reduced rates.
(17:32):
Prague is a walkable city.
I know because I walk theentire town.
It has great little bars andrestaurants everywhere you look.
The food is great the soups andthe goulashes and the stuffed
dumplings and roast pork.
You know it's the kind of foodyou want on a cold day and you
can still visit places like thePrague Castle, the Charles
(17:53):
Bridge.
They just have a whole lot lesstourists and in January you'd
be hard-pressed to find a wholebunch of them.
There's just not a lot oftourists in January and a whole
lot less traffic.
The museums and concert hallsare open.
If you always wanted toexperience Prague, but without
the high prices and insaneamount of tourists that go there
, well here's your chance Now.
(18:15):
Another thing about Prague isthey have great train systems
over there.
You can go down to the trainstation.
You're just a very short tripfrom places like Pilsen, and
Pilsen's a great little town.
It's home to the originalbrewery of Pilsner beer.
It's where they inventedPilsner beer.
I mean, when I heard that, Ihad to go.
It's a fantastic little town tovisit and you're not very far
from the German town of Dresden.
(18:36):
You can catch a train and be inDresden and come.
I did it Went down early in themorning, went to Dresden, spent
the day in Dresden and cameback and was back in Prague by
seven o'clock that evening.
And it's just, there's allthese little towns around there
that you're just so close to,but with everything to see and
do in Prague, you'll be justhappy spending your time there.
So there's another place thatyou can visit January and
(18:58):
February the cheapest time ofyear and have a blast.
Okay, now, this one may surpriseyou, because I'm going to tell
you about a place that isprobably the busiest time of
year for her Belize.
Why would you want to go toBelize during the busiest time
of year, with the most touristsavailable?
Well, even though it is thebusiest time of year to visit
(19:19):
Belize, january and February arethe high seasons.
As such, it's also the mostexpensive time to visit.
You can still get really nicehotels and even all-inclusives
for under $200 a night, but witha lot of people visiting, you
need to make reservations fortours and such, you know, maybe
a few days ahead of time or evena week ahead of time.
So why go and visit during thehigh season, when all the
(19:43):
tourists are going to be there?
Well, because it is theabsolute best time to visit.
It is the dry season.
You don't have to worry aboutdaily torrential rain showers
raining in your trip.
You can go during the lowseason.
But when you've got torrentialrain showers two, three to four
hours every single day what areyou going to do?
(20:04):
Just sit in your hotel room.
If you want to see Belize andactually enjoy the country,
january and February are thetimes to go, and it averages
anywhere from the low 70s to themid 80s in January and February
.
So it's a nice way to escapethe cold in the US, see the
country at its absolute peaktime for beauty and the driest
(20:27):
time of the year when you canactually enjoy the country.
So yeah, it might be the highseason, but it's still
relatively affordable to getthere during January and
February.
The hotels are not that bad,they're not that expensive and
you can actually enjoy somethingwhile you're there.
So you might want to check outBelize.
And that brings us to number 10.
(20:48):
Where in the world is he goingto tell us to go now?
My well, I don't know if it's.
Yeah, I would say it's one ofmy one of my favorite, if not my
absolute favorite destinationto travel.
To Been there a bunch of times.
Let's just put it that way thePhilippines.
Why go to the Philippines?
I'm going to give you a wholebunch of reasons here in a
(21:09):
minute.
It is one of my all-timefavorite destinations.
Now, the best time to go to thePhilippines is between December
and February, so January andFebruary are some of the best
times.
Why?
Because it is the coolest timeof year to visit the Philippines
and it's not the rainy season.
Kind of like Belize.
(21:29):
You want to go when you canactually enjoy the country and
when it's not scorchingly hot.
Now the Philippines is abeautiful year around.
I've been there many times andI've been there at different
times of the year, but Januaryand February are great times
because it is a lot morebearable as far as the heat goes
and the humidity.
Now, I can stand humid weather.
(21:50):
I'm from South Texas.
It gets hot and humid here, butif you're out walking around
all day and seeing sights anddoing things, less heat and less
humidity is always better.
January is the absolute coldestmonth of the year.
I'm going to tell you how coldit gets in Manila.
You can get a high around 83degrees and a low around 73
(22:11):
degrees.
That's their cold time of year.
That's perfect weather for me.
And the good news the water iswarm and nice and you can hit
the beach and go swimming, noproblem.
Now there's a bunch of reasonswhy you might want to visit the
Philippines.
I love Asia altogether, butPhilippines is a little unique.
Here's why the weather'sbeautiful, the islands are
(22:33):
beautiful, they have fantasticbeaches, lots of historic sites
in Manila and Cebu and Palawan.
Easy to get from one island toanother.
There's multiple cheap flightsdaily.
You can go from Manila to anyof the other islands.
They'll have four or fiveflights a day and we're talking
extremely cheap.
(22:55):
Most everyone I'm talkingprobably 90% of the people speak
English and all of the signsare in English.
Now, I love Thailand.
I went to Thailand once and Ican't read anything there.
It's just a bunch of squigglylittle lines for me and I don't
understand a word.
They're saying you go to thePhilippines.
You can read the signs.
You can read the bus signs.
(23:15):
You can read everything at theairport.
You can walk down the streetand see pharmacy, grocery stores
, you know doctor's office.
You can see what each sign says.
You can read the street signs.
Everything's in English.
That makes it just a whole loteasier to get around and find
places.
Plus, your dollar goes a longway.
(23:37):
So food and accommodations arevery reasonable and the people,
well, they're just extremelyfriendly and helpful.
Oh, and did I mention thebeaches?
My God, they're gorgeous.
I love the beaches in thePhilippines.
A lot of the islands arefantastic.
Manila, for one of the bigcities.
(23:57):
Cebu for the big city, if youlike the big city life and
seeing a lot of the sites andthings there.
A lot of historic sites inManila and seeing a lot of the
sites and things there.
A lot of historic sites inManila, from Fort Santiago to
Corregidor, right across the bay, you take a trip there.
There's all kinds of stuff.
Cebu has a lot of historicsites.
You can go to the island ofBohol Beautiful beaches there,
(24:20):
see the Chocolate Mountains andthe place where Magellan landed
and did his blood compact.
You can go to Palawan wherewhere the beaches, and go up
north at the island of Palawan,where there's El Nido and
gorgeous, gorgeous beaches, rockformations, everything.
It's just a beautiful country.
In January and February are thebest times to go, for the best
(24:41):
weather.
The prices are fantastic andyou'll enjoy yourself and have a
blast.
So that is the end of my listfor 10 places to visit in
January and February.
Whether you like cold weatherand snow, whether you like sunny
beaches, whether you likeEuropean history and old world
(25:02):
charm something, or whether youlike nature and hit the national
parks, there's something foreveryone, depending on what you
want to do.
They're all great ideas, allgreat destinations and I am sure
that if you look hard enough,you will find a fantastic place
to get away from the winterweather, or just get away and
(25:22):
take off for a week or so and gosomewhere and enjoy yourself.
So before I leave, if I haven'ttold you lately, you get a
chance to sign up for thenewsletter I put one out about
once a month.
This month it'll be coming outprobably next week or the week
after.
Just travel news, travelcontests, things like that, to
keep you up to date on what'shappening in the travel industry
(25:44):
.
And until next time, safetravels, thank you you.
Hi and welcome back to the Traveling Fool.
I'm your host, bob Bales, andthis week we are talking about
the best places to travel thisJanuary and February.
So stay tuned and I'm going totell you about some great places
.
Be right back, hi, and welcomeback to the Traveling Fool, and
(00:35):
in this episode we are talkingabout 10 of the best places to
travel to in January andFebruary, and I know every time
you get one of these littlelists, it's always somebody's
opinion, and this is my opinion,but there's a little bit of
backing to it.
First of all, I looked atplaces in the United States that
(00:56):
were popular to go to inJanuary and February, that had
something going on thatattracted a lot of people.
And then I looked atdestinations that may have been
in the low season, places to gothat less touristy, and, of
course, I do not like coldweather.
So I looked at places that werenice and warm so you could get
away from that cold winterweather, and I narrowed it down
(01:20):
to 10 places.
So let's get started.
The first ones are going to bein the United States Park City,
utah.
Now why in the world would youwant to go to Park City, utah,
in January and February Becauseit is going to be cold.
But that's the reason it is awinter destination for
everything that you would wantin a snowy destination.
(01:43):
They have great, world-classskiing, but they have a whole
lot more.
And there's all kinds of placesthat you can rent snowmobiles
so that you can get out on thetrails.
You can go paddle boarding on ageothermal crater with water
that's 90 degrees.
You can visit Olympic Park,take your turn on the bobsled
track, they have sleigh ridesand horseback ridings and lots
(02:07):
of live music venues.
But they have something elsethat happens every January the
Sundance Film Festival.
Now it runs between January23rd and February the 2nd and it
draws filmmakers andenthusiasts from all over the
world for screenings for theyear's upcoming indie flicks.
(02:29):
So, who knows, you might beable to snap a photo of some
celebrity or, if you can gettickets, maybe attend the
screening.
Just know that it is a verypopular time to visit, so book a
place early and expect lots ofpeople visiting, but you can
enjoy the winter activities andhave a blast.
Park City, utah, is definitely aplace to go in January and
(02:52):
February.
Now I'll give you another one.
This one is often overlooked,but since I'm from Texas, I know
all about it Galveston, texas.
Now why in the world would youwant to visit Galveston?
Well, first of all, it makesfor a great winter getaway.
The island itself is a littleover 50 miles south of Houston.
(03:13):
Average temperatures in Januaryand February are in the low 50s
to the mid 60s, and it even youknow if it might be a little
too cold to take a swim.
There's still a lot you can doand you can avoid the summer
crowds.
First of all, they have acouple of festivals in January,
including the Art Festival andthe Chili Quest and Beer Fest.
(03:37):
That's my kind of festival Eatchili, drink beer.
Plus, they also have RestaurantWeek and Mardi Gras.
Those are the big events inFebruary.
Restaurant Week is great.
I mean, all the restaurantsopen up their doors or a lot of
them do and you get to go aroundand sample food from all these
high-end restaurants.
It's a great place to go.
And, of course, mardi Gras.
(03:58):
Galveston is a big Mardi Grasdestination, but Galveston also
has several museums, historichomes.
There's an old paddle wheelexcursion in the bay that you
can take.
There's fishing charters.
You can even tour an 1877schooner ship called the Tall
(04:19):
Ship, the Alyssa.
I visited it years ago.
It's fascinating.
It's a museum ship based out ofGalveston Bay and there's a lot
to see and do in Galveston.
I would recommend, if you go,stay at the Grand Galvez Hotel.
This hotel was built in 1911,just after the 1900 hurricane
pretty much wiped out everythingon the island.
(04:40):
The hotel is listed as one ofthe historic hotels of America.
It's located right across thestreet from the beach and it is
said to be haunted.
Now I've stayed at the Galvestand there was nothing that
haunted me, but a lot of peoplehave reported being disturbed by
the spirits there.
So if you want to get toGalveston, just fly into Houston
.
Now Houston has two airports.
(05:01):
The big one is George BushIntercontinental, which is on
the north side of Houston, andthen they have Hobby Airport on
the south side of Houston.
If you can fly into Hobby, justa whole lot easier than driving
an extra hour and a half justto go across Houston.
But if you ever get toGalveston you will have a blast.
There's just a ton of things tosee and do there.
(05:21):
The food is fabulous.
They got some great restaurantsin Galveston and during the
winter the weather's great andyou miss all those summer crowds
so you can actually enjoy thetown.
Now number three on our listNational Parks in the United
States.
Now I'm just putting NationalParks as a whole on there, but
there are several that youreally want to hit in the winter
(05:42):
time.
And why visit national parks inthe winter?
Well, during January andFebruary it is their low season,
so it's a great time to visit.
You'll find that a lot of thehotels, the Airbnbs, everything
else that surround thesenational parks during January
and February they don't have asmany guests as they do June,
july, august, september, may,time frame, things like that, so
(06:06):
they're willing to drop theirrates down so you can find
really nice accommodations athalf the price a lot of times
than what you would normally getduring the summer months.
And, of course, you get tovisit a national park without
the loads and loads of touriststhat you would normally see
during the summer months.
Plus, during the winter you justget dramatic scenery.
(06:26):
Those snowy landscapes cantransform the crowded trails
into nice peaceful pathways.
I mean, there's something aboutseeing a national park in the
summer, when it's spring orspringtime, when it's all
beautiful and the animals arestarting to come out.
But wintertime has itsadvantages too, because it is a
totally different atmosphereatmosphere and you still see a
(06:47):
lot of the animals out there.
Some of the best ones to visitduring the winter are
Yellowstone, because thewildlife is still running around
.
In the wintertime you got thegeysers erupting.
Contrasting with the coolweather makes for this big, huge
, dramatic sights, and there's awhole lot less tourists than in
the summertime.
Rocky Mountain National Park inColorado is another place.
(07:11):
It's just made a lot morebeautiful by the snowy landscape
there.
You can try someone like GlacierNational Park in Montana,
although January and Februarythere may be parts of the park
that are closed.
So check with these nationalparks and find out whether their
roads are closed or what theaccommodations are like, but you
can find a lot of really goodones.
(07:32):
The Everglades in Florida isbeautiful in the wintertime One.
You got a whole lot lesstourists and you have all the
amenities that you wouldnormally have at every other
time of the year, so you get toenjoy it with just a whole lot
less people and you don't haveto worry about the scorching
heat.
And talking about the scorchingheat, death Valley National
(07:53):
Park or Big Bend in Texas thoseare fabulous places to visit in
January and February.
You don't have to worry about110, 120 degree heat.
You don't have to worry aboutthe crowds that visit during the
summer months.
National parks make fantasticvacations and getaways during
January and February time frame.
(08:15):
Now this next one I'm going togive you.
You're going to say oh you'renuts.
Why in the world would you wantto put that on the list?
I'm going to tell you why.
London, that's right.
Go visit London in January andFebruary.
Why?
Well, because it is thecheapest time of year to visit
London.
Hotel prices are the cheapestof the year in January and
(08:36):
February.
Flights to and from London arenot bad during January and
February.
Now, although the days areshorter, there are far fewer
tourists and the lines at allthe major attractions are a lot
less and sometimes non-existentat all.
I actually went to London inFebruary one time.
I spent a week here and I had ablast.
(08:58):
Yeah, it was kind of cold.
It wasn't that bad.
I just threw a coat on and Iwalked around London.
A lot, saw a whole lot of stuff, didn't have to worry about
tons and tons of people beingaround.
Now, january in London is alsoa time where they have their big
sales going on in their stores,so it's a great time for
(09:18):
shopping.
Now here's a tip.
Before you travel to London.
You can do this online Orderyourself an Oyster card.
Now, for those of you who don'tunderstand my Texan accent,
I'll spell it for youO-Y-S-T-E-R.
Oyster, oyster, well, whateverOyster card, which is a prepaid
(09:38):
travel card used for buses, theUnderground or the London Tube,
they call it, and the rail lines.
Now you can also load a travelcard to your Oyster card and
that gets you good for anywherefrom one day to one week.
That's the way you want totravel when you get to London.
It's far more convenient to buythis online and have it shipped
(09:59):
to you, so you have it when youarrive.
You can get one there, but it'sa lot easier to do it before
you go.
I used one when I visited.
It was well worth it.
Now I loaded mine up dailybecause, well, I wasn't that
smart.
I should have done it for thewhole week, but every day I
would just load that sucker up.
I'd go down to the London tubeand I would get on the tube and
it took me wherever I wanted togo.
(10:20):
I'd get off, go see whatever Iwanted to see, jump back on the
tube, go somewhere else, get off, see what I wanted to see, and
that's how I traveled throughoutthe entire town the whole seven
days I was there, and it'sreally not that expensive, and
the London Underground will getyou almost everywhere you want
to travel to, or within a coupleof blocks, and you just walk it
.
It's not that bad, but you canalways take a bus too.
(10:43):
So, and of course, while you'rethere, you got to get one of
the iconic little London taxis.
I did take one one time, justso I could say I rode in a
London taxi and they're kind ofcool.
But London in January andFebruary fantastic time to visit
, even though it is a littlecooler, just because it's a
whole lot cheaper and a wholelot less people.
(11:03):
Here's another one Barcelona.
Now tourism in Spain is justrecord-breaking, which
unfortunately means Barcelona ischoked with tourists.
There's just way too manytourists, getting to the point
that they're getting sick of allthe tourists.
They've started implementingmeasures to curb tourism there.
But that makes January theperfect time to go, because
(11:23):
winters are mild and you'llenjoy the city's popular
attractions without all thepeople.
In January you go to Barcelona,you're going to enjoy about a
42% savings over the mostpopular time of year to visit,
and flights and hotels are a lotmore affordable.
So you always want to visitSpain.
You want to go to Barcelona.
(11:44):
January is the time to do it.
The weather's not that bad.
It's a little chilly, might getdown in the 50s or 60s.
In fact, the temperature inJanuary in Barcelona is around
59 during the day and around 48at nighttime, and it can
occasionally get below freezing,but that's rare.
So you still enjoy milderweather.
Just throw a coat or a jacketon.
(12:06):
I mean, it's not that bad.
It is the low season, so youdon't have to deal with crowds
and all the popular attractionsand you don't need to book ahead
a week or two just to get intoa museum somewhere and they do
have a lot of museums inBarcelona With all less tourists
, there's a whole lot of greatplaces to stop, little bars or
tapas bars for lunch, andthere's some festivals going on
(12:27):
as well.
Three Kings Day is one of themost celebrated festivals in
Barcelona Now.
It occurs on the evening ofJanuary the 5th and on the day
of January the 6th.
Huge parade, lots of floats,lots of people turn out, and
there's also festivals inFebruary and it is the beginning
of Carnival, or Carnival asthey call it.
(12:49):
I don't know, it's Carnival,I'm from Texas, so Carnival is
beginning in February.
There's lots of things to do.
It's just a great time to visit.
Now here's another one, still inEurope Dublin.
Why go to Dublin?
Well, it's Ireland.
Who doesn't want to go toIreland.
The weather in January andFebruary in Dublin ranges from
the mid-30s to the mid-40s.
You're saying, well, it's alittle cold.
(13:11):
You know, I'd rather go down toFlorida or someplace where it's
nice and warm.
But if you ever want to visitIreland and visit Dublin, it's a
great time to go, becauseJanuary in Dublin you'll save
35% on your hotel rooms and theaverage flight price from all US
origins is around $650.
Most of the major attractionsare open and very few visitors.
(13:33):
You can wander around thecastles without the crowds.
It does rain, but not that much.
It's the best time of year tosample that famous Irish comfort
food, like Irish stew.
They've got a dish calledcoddle, which is a dish of
sausages and potatoes.
I mean, that stuff is just goodold country food.
It's a great time to relax inthe pubs, get to know the locals
(13:56):
.
So yeah, it's a little bitcolder, but you're going there
with hardly any tourists there.
They just don't go there inJanuary and February.
It's not the tourist season, soyou save on your accommodations
, you save on your flights, youget to wander around town with a
whole lot less crowds.
You can still visit the JamesonDistillery and get a bottle
(14:17):
personalized with your name onit.
Go to the Guinness Storehouse,which is a big thing.
There, though, lines in thesummertime are terrible, but
they're going to be a whole lotshorter in January.
And they also have a couple offestivals.
They've got one called theTemple Bar Tradfest.
It celebrates traditional Irishmusic, and if you're a big
David Bowie fan, they've got theDublin Bowie Festival
(14:41):
Celebrates all things Bowie,with music, film screenings and
a whole lot more.
Now you might have to bundle up, like I said, for the cold
weather, but January andFebruary great times to visit
Dublin for a whole lot lessmoney and a lot fewer crowds.
Here's another place that youmay want to visit in January and
February Greece.
(15:01):
Now, I've been there.
I went to northern Greece onetime.
I spent three or four daysthere.
I traveled down there fromKosovo, me and a couple other
guys.
We rented a car in Macedoniaand drove down to Greece.
It was fantastic and, if I'mnot mistaken, I believe it was
maybe March time frame.
There still wasn't hardly anytourists there, but January and
February are some of the besttimes to go to Greece, why?
(15:23):
Well, it's the coldest time ofthe year in Greece, but the
temperatures are still between50 and 60 degrees.
The hotels are cheaper andthough some resorts and bars you
know the big ones, theall-inclusives and things like
that they might be closed duringthat time, there's a whole lot
(15:45):
of hotels that are open and theprices are the cheapest.
It is the time of the year whenvery few tourists visit, but
life goes on for the majority ofthe locals and the islands
return to their authentic littleself.
January offers you theopportunity to explore some of
the iconic sites like theAcropolis and Delphi, without
the intense summer heat and allthe large tourist crowds that
(16:07):
congregate there in thesummertime, and places like
Santorini, which is a touristmadhouse well, it's open, has
very few visitors, which givesyou time to actually enjoy the
island and the culture and thepeople I'm telling you, greek
people were fantastic.
We went out and met a whole loton the week I was there, or the
four or five days I was there.
It's just a fantastic place.
And January and February it'snot that cold, I'm telling you
(16:28):
50 to 60 degrees.
Hardly any tourists at allvisit during that time frame and
you really get to enjoy thecountry a lot better.
Now, if you want to go someplacewhere the very best time to go
to this place is in January,february is the second best and
that is Prague.
And, oh Lord, I don't know whatthey call their country now.
It used to be called the CzechRepublic.
(16:49):
I'm not sure what they call itnow Czechia or something but
Prague is a fantastic littleplace to visit and if you enjoy
winter weather, prague makes fora great place to visit in
January and February.
It is the quietest month of theyear is January.
They have the very fewesttourists.
They have extremely cheap hotelrates, easy entry into the
(17:10):
museums and no wait time at allfor the restaurants.
You actually get to feel morelike a local.
This is an ideal time to visit,but it is cold.
Prague in January can be cold,so bundle up, but you get to
experience winter in Prague.
Everything is still open.
You get a great hoteldrastically reduced rates.
(17:32):
Prague is a walkable city.
I know because I walk theentire town.
It has great little bars andrestaurants everywhere you look.
The food is great the soups andthe goulashes and the stuffed
dumplings and roast pork.
You know it's the kind of foodyou want on a cold day and you
can still visit places like thePrague Castle, the Charles
(17:53):
Bridge.
They just have a whole lot lesstourists and in January you'd
be hard-pressed to find a wholebunch of them.
There's just not a lot oftourists in January and a whole
lot less traffic.
The museums and concert hallsare open.
If you always wanted toexperience Prague, but without
the high prices and insaneamount of tourists that go there
, well here's your chance Now.
(18:15):
Another thing about Prague isthey have great train systems
over there.
You can go down to the trainstation.
You're just a very short tripfrom places like Pilsen, and
Pilsen's a great little town.
It's home to the originalbrewery of Pilsner beer.
It's where they inventedPilsner beer.
I mean, when I heard that, Ihad to go.
It's a fantastic little town tovisit and you're not very far
from the German town of Dresden.
(18:36):
You can catch a train and be inDresden and come.
I did it Went down early in themorning, went to Dresden, spent
the day in Dresden and cameback and was back in Prague by
seven o'clock that evening.
And it's just, there's allthese little towns around there
that you're just so close to,but with everything to see and
do in Prague, you'll be justhappy spending your time there.
So there's another place thatyou can visit January and
(18:58):
February the cheapest time ofyear and have a blast.
Okay, now, this one may surpriseyou, because I'm going to tell
you about a place that isprobably the busiest time of
year for her Belize.
Why would you want to go toBelize during the busiest time
of year, with the most touristsavailable?
Well, even though it is thebusiest time of year to visit
(19:19):
Belize, january and February arethe high seasons.
As such, it's also the mostexpensive time to visit.
You can still get really nicehotels and even all-inclusives
for under $200 a night, but witha lot of people visiting, you
need to make reservations fortours and such, you know, maybe
a few days ahead of time or evena week ahead of time.
So why go and visit during thehigh season, when all the
(19:43):
tourists are going to be there?
Well, because it is theabsolute best time to visit.
It is the dry season.
You don't have to worry aboutdaily torrential rain showers
raining in your trip.
You can go during the lowseason.
But when you've got torrentialrain showers two, three to four
hours every single day what areyou going to do?
(20:04):
Just sit in your hotel room.
If you want to see Belize andactually enjoy the country,
january and February are thetimes to go, and it averages
anywhere from the low 70s to themid 80s in January and February
.
So it's a nice way to escapethe cold in the US, see the
country at its absolute peaktime for beauty and the driest
(20:27):
time of the year when you canactually enjoy the country.
So yeah, it might be the highseason, but it's still
relatively affordable to getthere during January and
February.
The hotels are not that bad,they're not that expensive and
you can actually enjoy somethingwhile you're there.
So you might want to check outBelize.
And that brings us to number 10.
(20:48):
Where in the world is he goingto tell us to go now?
My well, I don't know if it's.
Yeah, I would say it's one ofmy one of my favorite, if not my
absolute favorite destinationto travel.
To Been there a bunch of times.
Let's just put it that way thePhilippines.
Why go to the Philippines?
I'm going to give you a wholebunch of reasons here in a
(21:09):
minute.
It is one of my all-timefavorite destinations.
Now, the best time to go to thePhilippines is between December
and February, so January andFebruary are some of the best
times.
Why?
Because it is the coolest timeof year to visit the Philippines
and it's not the rainy season.
Kind of like Belize.
(21:29):
You want to go when you canactually enjoy the country and
when it's not scorchingly hot.
Now the Philippines is abeautiful year around.
I've been there many times andI've been there at different
times of the year, but Januaryand February are great times
because it is a lot morebearable as far as the heat goes
and the humidity.
Now, I can stand humid weather.
(21:50):
I'm from South Texas.
It gets hot and humid here, butif you're out walking around
all day and seeing sights anddoing things, less heat and less
humidity is always better.
January is the absolute coldestmonth of the year.
I'm going to tell you how coldit gets in Manila.
You can get a high around 83degrees and a low around 73
(22:11):
degrees.
That's their cold time of year.
That's perfect weather for me.
And the good news the water iswarm and nice and you can hit
the beach and go swimming, noproblem.
Now there's a bunch of reasonswhy you might want to visit the
Philippines.
I love Asia altogether, butPhilippines is a little unique.
Here's why the weather'sbeautiful, the islands are
(22:33):
beautiful, they have fantasticbeaches, lots of historic sites
in Manila and Cebu and Palawan.
Easy to get from one island toanother.
There's multiple cheap flightsdaily.
You can go from Manila to anyof the other islands.
They'll have four or fiveflights a day and we're talking
extremely cheap.
(22:55):
Most everyone I'm talkingprobably 90% of the people speak
English and all of the signsare in English.
Now, I love Thailand.
I went to Thailand once and Ican't read anything there.
It's just a bunch of squigglylittle lines for me and I don't
understand a word.
They're saying you go to thePhilippines.
You can read the signs.
You can read the bus signs.
(23:15):
You can read everything at theairport.
You can walk down the streetand see pharmacy, grocery stores
, you know doctor's office.
You can see what each sign says.
You can read the street signs.
Everything's in English.
That makes it just a whole loteasier to get around and find
places.
Plus, your dollar goes a longway.
(23:37):
So food and accommodations arevery reasonable and the people,
well, they're just extremelyfriendly and helpful.
Oh, and did I mention thebeaches?
My God, they're gorgeous.
I love the beaches in thePhilippines.
A lot of the islands arefantastic.
Manila, for one of the bigcities.
(23:57):
Cebu for the big city, if youlike the big city life and
seeing a lot of the sites andthings there.
A lot of historic sites inManila and seeing a lot of the
sites and things there.
A lot of historic sites inManila, from Fort Santiago to
Corregidor, right across the bay, you take a trip there.
There's all kinds of stuff.
Cebu has a lot of historicsites.
You can go to the island ofBohol Beautiful beaches there,
(24:20):
see the Chocolate Mountains andthe place where Magellan landed
and did his blood compact.
You can go to Palawan wherewhere the beaches, and go up
north at the island of Palawan,where there's El Nido and
gorgeous, gorgeous beaches, rockformations, everything.
It's just a beautiful country.
In January and February are thebest times to go, for the best
(24:41):
weather.
The prices are fantastic andyou'll enjoy yourself and have a
blast.
So that is the end of my listfor 10 places to visit in
January and February.
Whether you like cold weatherand snow, whether you like sunny
beaches, whether you likeEuropean history and old world
(25:02):
charm something, or whether youlike nature and hit the national
parks, there's something foreveryone, depending on what you
want to do.
They're all great ideas, allgreat destinations and I am sure
that if you look hard enough,you will find a fantastic place
to get away from the winterweather, or just get away and
(25:22):
take off for a week or so and gosomewhere and enjoy yourself.
So before I leave, if I haven'ttold you lately, you get a
chance to sign up for thenewsletter I put one out about
once a month.
This month it'll be coming outprobably next week or the week
after.
Just travel news, travelcontests, things like that, to
keep you up to date on what'shappening in the travel industry
(25:44):
.
And until next time, safetravels, thank you you.
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