BY MATTHIAS KETTEMANN
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True, after a long and dreary December some sun-worshipping law students might prefer to opt for a warm and ‘beachy’ location for their winter holidays. But selecting on the basis of the quality of sun, sand and sangria is a much too easy way out of the difficult question how to best spend your winter holidays (apart from preparing for winter term, that is).
If the financial crisis has taught us one thing, it is that we should sometimes consider more conservative investment options. Applying this approach to holiday choices, what better to look for that the choices of retirees. Forbes magazine has just published a list of the 10 best retirement havens, including Thailand, Italy, Panama, Ireland, Australia, France, Malaysia, Spain and Canada. Not all the standards applied will help students make their choice, as they include decent and affordable medical care. But the number one retirement haven on Forbes‘ list, Austria, does offer some additional benefits for law students looking for a relaxing winter. Here are five reasons why should you consider choosing mountains over beaches, Europe over the Caribbean, and – once you’ve decided to hit the slopes – the Alps over the Rockies:
1. Europeans love you (again): Now that Barack Obama is US president, go make the most of it and enjoy the love of the world. Just tell your holiday hosts that you went to the same law school as he did and they might throw in a free night (or a free Zirberl, a famed pine schnapps).
2. Global warming is a reality: Enjoy the Alps with their glaciers and snow as long as you can. Boston will offer some Caribbean feeling soon enough.
3. It’s good for your wallet: There are a number of very affordable European skiing packages The Austrian tourism portal, Austria.info, writes that “for someone on or close to the East Coast, a trip to an Austrian ski resort could be between US$ 100 and US$ 300 less than a trip in a Western ski resort. With lift tickets, transfers, food, taxes and tips factored in, a skier who lives on the West Coast will find that a one-week ski vacation in Austria costs about the same as an equivalent ski trip to a resort in the Rockies.”
4. The Alps are neither too hot nor too cold: Daytime temps in the Alps in winter are around 20 degrees F and make for excellent outdoor conditions. The Alps offer snow for every kind of endeavor, from packed powder snow on the groomed runs to fluffy powder snow off-piste.
5. Harvard on the Alps: For those of you who just can’t get enough of learning, Austrian skiing schools are renowned for their quality of instruction and, as I’m reliably informed by female friends, the attractiveness of the instructors.
For more information on skiing in Austria, visit www.austria.info.