With UAE National Day approaching, The Visa Services, a leading visa assistance company in the UAE, is sharing European Winter travel ideas and encouraging residents to prepare their visa applications in advance.
Residents taking 4 December off alongside the 2–3 December public holidays and the weekend could enjoy a five-day break. Vienna, Prague and Colmar offer Winter markets, historic sights and a festive atmosphere for a short European getaway.
Vienna, Austria
A direct Emirates flight from Dubai takes just five and a half to six hours. Before long, you could be browsing handmade Christmas decorations at the market in front of Schönbrunn Palace, enjoying traditional Viennese apple strudel or gliding across the ice as snowflakes melt on your cheeks.
Daytime strolls can be combined with visits to Vienna’s renowned museums.
Visa Requirements: An Austrian Schengen visa, with a processing time of up to 14 days, or any valid multiple-entry Schengen visa.
Prague, Czechia
With its intimate, romantic atmosphere, Prague welcomes visitors with a Winter market in the Old Town Square, the scent of freshly baked trdelník and views of medieval towers.
A direct flydubai flight from Dubai takes just over seven hours.
Visa Requirements: A Czech Schengen visa or a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa. Processing takes up to 14 days, with an approval rate above 80%.
Colmar, France
Colmar is often called “Little Venice” thanks to its canals and colourful half-timbered houses. Beautifully preserved since medieval times, these buildings look as though they belong in a picture book.
In winter, the town becomes one of Europe’s standout Winter destinations. Six separate markets feature around 200 chalets selling fragrant Alsatian gingerbread, bredele biscuits and warming mulled wine.
As evening falls, soft lighting outlines the houses, churches and bridges, making them appear to glow from within as their reflections shimmer on the water. It is this postcard-perfect atmosphere that draws visitors to Colmar.
Visa Requirements: A French Schengen visa, with a processing time of up to 14 days.
Getting there from Dubai
A flight from Dubai to Zurich takes around seven hours, followed by a journey of approximately two to two and a half hours by car or train—a trip that can become a magical experience in its own right.
Travel That Rekindles a Sense of Wonder
Anastasia Yanchenko, CEO of The Visa Services, notes that travellers from the UAE are increasingly choosing destinations for the way the“People are planning trips that allow them to feel like children again, even for a moment, and rediscover that joyful anticipation of the festive season. Vienna, Prague and Colmar offer the opportunity not simply to celebrate Christmas, but to truly immerse yourself in its atmosphere. For those who want to experience Christmas in a real winter setting, surrounded by historic architecture, these trips can become a treasured family tradition.”sured family tradition.”
Yanchenko also recommends allowing sufficient time to prepare the necessary travel documents. For travel during the National Day holidays, she advises submitting visa applications by mid-November.
