
In this episode we explore some of the most exciting and lesser-known travel destinations for January and February. Discover a paradise for snow enthusiasts and film lovers alike, beach destinations, vibrant festivals, nature destinations and more remarkable U.S. spots, offering a perfect mix of adventure, culture, and tranquility. Also places in Europe, Asia and the Carribbean perfect for January and February travel.
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!
Transcript
00:00
Hi and welcome back to the Traveling Fool. I’m your host, Bob Bales, and this week we are talking about the best places to travel this January and February. So stay tuned and I’m going to tell you about some great places. Be right back, hi, and welcome back to the Traveling Fool, and in this episode we are talking about 10 of the best places to travel to in January and February, and I know every time you get one of these little lists, 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 at places in the United States that were popular to go to in January and February, that had something going on that attracted a lot of people. And then I looked at destinations that may have been in the low season, places to go that less touristy, and, of course, I do not like cold weather. So I looked at places that were nice and warm so you could get away from that cold winter weather, and I narrowed it down to 10 places. So let’s get started. The first ones are going to be in the United States Park City, Utah. Now why in the world would you want to go to Park City, Utah, in January and February, because it is going to be cold. But that’s the reason it is a winter destination for everything that you would want in a snowy destination. They have great, world-class skiing, but they have a whole lot more. And, there’s all kinds of places that you can rent snowmobiles so that you can get out on the trails. You can go paddle boarding on a geothermal crater with water that’s 90 degrees. You can visit Olympic Park, take your turn on the bobsled track, they have sleigh rides and horseback ridings and lots of live music venues. But they have something else that happens every January the Sundance Film Festival. Now it runs between January 23rd and February the 2nd and it draws filmmakers and enthusiasts from all over the world for screenings for the year’s upcoming indie flicks. So, who knows, you might be able to snap a photo of some celebrity or, if you can get tickets, maybe attend the screening. Just know that it is a very popular time to visit, so book a place early and expect lots of people visiting, but you can enjoy the winter activities and have a blast.
02:48
Park City, Utah, is definitely a place to go in January and 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 you want to visit Galveston? Well, first of all, it makes for a great winter getaway. The island itself is a little over 50 miles south of Houston. Average temperatures in January and February are in the low 50s to the mid 60s, and it even you know if it might be a little too cold to take a swim.
There’s still a lot you can do and you can avoid the summer crowds. First of all, they have a couple of festivals in January, including the Art Festival and the Chili Quest and Beer Fest. That’s my kind of festival Eat chili, drink beer. Plus, they also have Restaurant Week and Mardi Gras. Those are the big events in February. Restaurant Week is great, I mean all the restaurants open up their doors or a lot of them do and you get to go around and sample food from all these high-end restaurants. It’s a great place to go. And, of course, Mardi Gras.
Galveston is a big Mardi Gras destination, but Galveston also has several museums, historic homes. There’s an old paddle wheel excursion in the bay that you can take. There’s fishing charters. You can even tour an 1877 schooner ship called the Tall Ship, the Elissa. I visited it years ago. It’s fascinating. It’s a museum ship based out of Galveston 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 everything on the island. The hotel is listed as one of the historic hotels of America. It’s located right across the street from the beach and it is said to be haunted. Now I’ve stayed at the Galvest and there was nothing that haunted me, but a lot of people have reported being disturbed by the spirits there. So if you want to get to Galveston, just fly into Houston. Now Houston has two airports. The big one is George Bush Intercontinental, which is on the north side of Houston, and then they have Hobby Airport on the south side of Houston. If you can fly into Hobby, just a whole lot easier than driving an extra hour and a half just to go across Houston. But if you ever get to Galveston you will have a blast. There’s just a ton of things to see and do there. The food is fabulous. They got some great restaurants in Galveston and during the winter the weather’s great and you miss all those summer crowds so you can actually enjoy the town.
05:30
Now number three on our list National Parks in the United States. Now I’m just putting National Parks as a whole on there, but there are several that you really want to hit in the winter time. And why visit national parks in the winter? Well, during January and February it is their low season, so it’s a great time to visit. You’ll find that a lot of the hotels, the Airbnbs, everything else that surround these national parks during January and February they don’t have as many guests as they do June, July, August, September, May, time frame, things like that, so they’re willing to drop their rates down so you can find really nice accommodations at half the price a lot of times than what you would normally get during the summer months. And, of course, you get to visit a national park without the loads and loads of tourists that you would normally see during the summer months.
Plus, during the winter you just get dramatic scenery. Those snowy landscapes can transform the crowded trails into nice peaceful pathways. I mean, there’s something about seeing a national park in the summer, when it’s spring or springtime, when it’s all beautiful and the animals are starting to come out. But wintertime has its advantages too, because it is a totally different atmosphere atmosphere and you still see a lot of the animals out there. Some of the best ones to visit during the winter are Yellowstone, because the wildlife is still running around. In the wintertime you got the geysers erupting. Contrasting with the cool weather makes for this big, huge, dramatic sights, and there’s a whole lot less tourists than in the summertime. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is another place. It’s just made a lot more beautiful by the snowy landscape there.
You can try someone like Glacier National Park in Montana, although January and February there may be parts of the park that are closed. So check with these national parks and find out whether their roads are closed or what the accommodations are like, but you can find a lot of really good ones. The Everglades in Florida is beautiful in the wintertime One. You got a whole lot less tourists and you have all the amenities that you would normally have at every other time of the year, so you get to enjoy it with just a whole lot less people and you don’t have to worry about the scorching heat. And talking about the scorching heat, Death Valley National Park or Big Bend in Texas those are fabulous places to visit in January and February. You don’t have to worry about 110, 120 degree heat. You don’t have to worry about the crowds that visit during the summer months. National parks make fantastic vacations and getaways during January and February time frame.
08:15
Now this next one I’m going to give you. You’re going to say oh you’re nuts. Why in the world would you want to put that on the list? I’m going to tell you why. London, that’s right. Go visit London in January and February. Why? Well, because it is the cheapest time of year to visit London. Hotel prices are the cheapest of the year in January and February. Flights to and from London are not bad during January and February. Now, although the days are shorter, there are far fewer tourists and the lines at all the major attractions are a lot less and sometimes non-existent at all.
I actually went to London in February one time. I spent a week here and I had a blast. Yeah, it was kind of cold. It wasn’t that bad. I just threw a coat on and I walked around London a lot, saw a whole lot of stuff, didn’t have to worry about tons and tons of people being around. Now, january in London is also a time where they have their big sales going on in their stores, so it’s a great time for shopping.
Now here’s a tip. Before you travel to London. You can do this online. Order yourself an Oyster card. Now, for those of you who don’t understand my Texan accent, I’ll spell it for you O-Y-S-T-E-R. Oyster, oyster, well, whatever Oyster card, which is a prepaid travel card used for buses, the Underground or the London Tube, they call it, and the rail lines. Now you can also load a travel card to your Oyster card and that gets you good for anywhere from one day to one week. That’s the way you want to travel when you get to London. It’s far more convenient to buy this online and have it shipped to you, so you have it when you arrive. You can get one there, but it’s a lot easier to do it before you go.
I used one when I visited. It was well worth it. Now I loaded mine up daily because, well, I wasn’t that smart. I should have done it for the whole week, but every day I would just load that sucker up. I’d go down to the London tube and I would get on the tube and it took me wherever I wanted to go. I’d get off, go see whatever I wanted to see, jump back on the tube, go somewhere else, get off, see what I wanted to see, and that’s how I traveled throughout the entire town the whole seven days I was there, and it’s really not that expensive, and the London Underground will get you almost everywhere you want to travel to, or within a couple of blocks, and you just walk it. It’s not that bad, but you can always take a bus too. So, and of course, while you’re there, you got to get one of the iconic little London taxis. I did take one one time, just so I could say I rode in a London taxi and they’re kind of cool. But London in January and February fantastic time to visit, even though it is a little cooler, just because it’s a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot less people.
11:03
Here’s another one Barcelona. Now tourism in Spain is just record-breaking, which unfortunately means Barcelona is choked with tourists. There’s just way too many tourists, getting to the point that they’re getting sick of all the tourists. They’ve started implementing measures to curb tourism there. But that makes January the perfect time to go, because winters are mild and you’ll enjoy the city’s popular attractions without all the people.
In January you go to Barcelona, you’re going to enjoy about a 42% savings over the most popular time of year to visit, and flights and hotels are a lot more affordable. So you always want to visit Spain. You want to go to Barcelona. January is the time to do it. The weather’s not that bad. It’s a little chilly, might get down in the 50s or 60s. In fact, the temperature in January in Barcelona is around 59 during the day and around 48 at nighttime, and it can occasionally get below freezing, but that’s rare. So you still enjoy milder weather. Just throw a coat or a jacket on. I mean, it’s not that bad. It is the low season, so you don’t have to deal with crowds and all the popular attractions and you don’t need to book ahead a week or two just to get into a museum somewhere and they do have a lot of museums in Barcelona With all less tourists, there’s a whole lot of great places to stop, little bars or tapas bars for lunch, and there’s some festivals going on as well.
12:28
Three Kings Day is one of the most celebrated festivals in Barcelona Now. It occurs on the evening of January 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 in February and it is the beginning of Carnival, or Carnival as they call it. 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.
12:57
Now here’s another one, still in Europe Dublin. Why go to Dublin? Well, it’s Ireland. Who doesn’t want to go to Ireland. The weather in January and February in Dublin ranges from the mid-30s to the mid-40s. You’re saying, well, it’s a little cold. You know, I’d rather go down to Florida or someplace where it’s nice and warm. But if you ever want to visit Ireland and visit Dublin, it’s a great time to go, because January in Dublin you’ll save 35% on your hotel rooms and the average flight price from all US origins is around $650.
13:29
Most of the major attractions are open and very few visitors. You can wander around the castles without the crowds. It does rain, but not that much. It’s the best time of year to sample that famous Irish comfort food, like Irish stew. They’ve got a dish called coddle, which is a dish of sausages and potatoes. I mean, that stuff is just good old country food. It’s a great time to relax in the pubs, get to know the locals. So yeah, it’s a little bit colder, but you’re going there with hardly any tourists there. They just don’t go there in January and February. It’s not the tourist season, so you save on your accommodations, you save on your flights, you get to wander around town with a whole lot less crowds. You can still visit the Jameson Distillery and get a bottle personalized with your name on it. Go to the Guinness Storehouse, which is a big thing. There, though, lines in the summertime are terrible, but they’re going to be a whole lot shorter in January. And they also have a couple of festivals. They’ve got one called the Temple Bar Tradfest. It celebrates traditional Irish music, and if you’re a big David Bowie fan, they’ve got the Dublin Bowie Festival 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 and February great times to visit Dublin for a whole lot less money and a lot fewer crowds.
14:56
Here’s another place that you may want to visit in January and February Greece. Now, I’ve been there. I went to northern Greece one time. I spent three or four days there. I traveled down there from Kosovo, me and a couple other guys. We rented a car in Macedonia and drove down to Greece. It was fantastic and, if I’m not mistaken, I believe it was maybe March time frame.
15:17
There still wasn’t hardly any tourists there, but January and February are some of the best times to go to Greece, why? Well, it’s the coldest time of the year in Greece, but the temperatures are still between 50 and 60 degrees. The hotels are cheaper and though some resorts and bars you know the big ones, the all-inclusives and things like that they might be closed during that time, there’s a whole lot of hotels that are open and the prices are the cheapest. It is the time of the year when very few tourists visit, but life goes on for the majority of the locals and the islands return to their authentic little self. January offers you the opportunity to explore some of the iconic sites like the Acropolis and Delphi, without the intense summer heat and all the large tourist crowds that congregate there in the summertime, and places like Santorini, which is a tourist madhouse well, it’s open, has very few visitors, which gives you time to actually enjoy the island and the culture and the people I’m telling you, greek people were fantastic. We went out and met a whole lot on 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’s not that cold, I’m telling you 50 to 60 degrees. Hardly any tourists at all visit during that time frame and you really get to enjoy the country a lot better.
16:35
Now, if you want to go someplace where 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 what they call their country now. It used to be called the Czech Republic. I’m not sure what they call it now Czechia or something but Prague is a fantastic little place to visit and if you enjoy winter weather, prague makes for a great place to visit in January and February. It is the quietest month of the year is January. They have the very fewest tourists. They have extremely cheap hotel rates, easy entry into the museums and no wait time at all for the restaurants. You actually get to feel more like 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 hotel drastically reduced rates.
17:32
Prague is a walkable city. I know because I walk the entire town. It has great little bars and restaurants everywhere you look. The food is great the soups and the goulashes and the stuffed dumplings and roast pork. You know it’s the kind of food you want on a cold day and you can still visit places like the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge. They just have a whole lot less tourists and in January you’d be hard-pressed to find a whole bunch of them. There’s just not a lot of tourists in January and a whole lot less traffic. The museums and concert halls are open. If you always wanted to experience Prague, but without the high prices and insane amount of tourists that go there, well here’s your chance.
18:15
Another thing about Prague is they have great train systems over there. You can go down to the train station. You’re just a very short trip from places like Pilsen, and Pilsen’s a great little town. It’s home to the original brewery of Pilsner beer. It’s where they invented Pilsner beer. I mean, when I heard that, I had to go. It’s a fantastic little town to visit and you’re not very far from the German town of Dresden. You can catch a train and be in Dresden and come. I did it Went down early in the morning, went to Dresden, spent the day in Dresden and came back and was back in Prague by seven o’clock that evening. And it’s just, there’s all these little towns around there that you’re just so close to, but with everything to see and do in Prague, you’ll be just happy spending your time there. So there’s another place that you can visit January and February the cheapest time of year and have a blast.
19:03
Okay, now, this one may surprise you, because I’m going to tell you about a place that is probably the busiest time of year for her Belize. Why would you want to go to Belize during the busiest time of year, with the most tourists available? Well, even though it is the busiest time of year to visit Belize, january and February are the high seasons. As such, it’s also the most expensive time to visit. You can still get really nice hotels and even all-inclusives for under $200 a night, but with a lot of people visiting, you need to make reservations for tours and such, you know, maybe a few days ahead of time or even a week ahead of time. So why go and visit during the high season, when all the tourists are going to be there? Well, because it is the absolute best time to visit. It is the dry season. You don’t have to worry about daily torrential rain showers raining in your trip. You can go during the low season. But when you’ve got torrential rain showers two, three to four hours every single day what are you going to do? Just sit in your hotel room. If you want to see Belize and actually enjoy the country, january and February are the times to go, and it averages anywhere from the low 70s to the mid 80s in January and February. So it’s a nice way to escape the cold in the US, see the country at its absolute peak time for beauty and the driest time of the year when you can actually enjoy the country. So yeah, it might be the high season, but it’s still relatively affordable to get there during January and February. The hotels are not that bad, they’re not that expensive and you can actually enjoy something while you’re there. So you might want to check out Belize. And that brings us to number 10.
20:48
Where in the world is he going to tell us to go now? My well, I don’t know if it’s. Yeah, I would say it’s one of my one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite destination to travel. To Been there a bunch of times. Let’s just put it that way the Philippines. Why go to the Philippines? I’m going to give you a whole bunch of reasons here in a minute. It is one of my all-time favorite destinations.
21:13
Now, the best time to go to the Philippines is between December and February, so January and February are some of the best times. Why? Because it is the coolest time of year to visit the Philippines and it’s not the rainy season. Kind of like Belize. You want to go when you can actually enjoy the country and when it’s not scorchingly hot. Now the Philippines is a beautiful year around.
21:36
I’ve been there many times and I’ve been there at different times of the year, but January and February are great times because it is a lot more bearable as far as the heat goes and the humidity. Now, I can stand humid weather. I’m from South Texas. It gets hot and humid here, but if you’re out walking around all day and seeing sights and doing things, less heat and less humidity is always better. January is the absolute coldest month of the year. I’m going to tell you how cold it gets in Manila. You can get a high around 83 degrees and a low around 73 degrees. That’s their cold time of year. That’s perfect weather for me. And the good news the water is warm and nice and you can hit the beach and go swimming, no problem. Now there’s a bunch of reasons why you might want to visit the Philippines. I love Asia altogether, but Philippines is a little unique. Here’s why the weather’s beautiful, the islands are beautiful, they have fantastic beaches, lots of historic sites in Manila and Cebu and Palawan.
22:42
Easy to get from one island to another. There’s multiple cheap flights daily. You can go from Manila to any of the other islands. They’ll have four or five flights a day and we’re talking extremely cheap. Most everyone I’m talking probably 90% of the people speak English and all of the signs are in English. Now, I love Thailand. I went to Thailand once and I can’t read anything there. It’s just a bunch of squiggly little lines for me and I don’t understand a word. They’re saying you go to the Philippines. You can read the signs. You can read the bus signs. You can read everything at the airport. You can walk down the street and 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 lot easier to get around and find places. Plus, your dollar goes a long way. So food and accommodations are very reasonable and the people, well, they’re just extremely friendly and helpful.
23:47
Oh, and did I mention the beaches? My God, they’re gorgeous. I love the beaches in the Philippines. A lot of the islands are fantastic. Manila, for one of the big cities. Cebu for the big city, if you like the big city life and seeing a lot of the sites and things there. A lot of historic sites in Manila and seeing a lot of the sites and things there. A lot of historic sites in Manila, 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 historic sites. You can go to the island of Bohol Beautiful beaches there, see the Chocolate Mountains and the place where Magellan landed and did his blood compact. You can go to Palawan where where the beaches, and go up north at the island of Palawan, where there’s El Nido and gorgeous, gorgeous beaches, rock formations, everything. It’s just a beautiful country. January and February are the best times to go, for the best weather. The prices are fantastic and you’ll enjoy yourself and have a blast.
24:42
So that is the end of my list for 10 places to visit in January and February. Whether you like cold weather and snow, whether you like sunny beaches, whether you like European history and old world charm something, or whether you like nature and hit the national parks, there’s something for everyone, depending on what you want to do. They’re all great ideas, all great destinations and I am sure that if you look hard enough, you will find a fantastic place to get away from the winter weather, or just get away and take off for a week or so and go somewhere and enjoy yourself.
So before I leave, if I haven’t told you lately, you get a chance to sign up for the newsletter I put one out about once a month. This month it’ll be coming out probably next week or the week after. Just travel news, travel contests, things like that, to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the travel industry. And until next time, safe travels.
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