Gray skies, it gets dark earlier and colder every day. At the same time, heating and electricity costs are high. One would like to escape from all of this. And suddenly an offer flutters into the house: travel agencies advertise long-term vacations in winter. “Winter under palm trees” or “Desk with a sea view” are the enticing headlines, which are not only aimed at pensioners and temporary dropouts, but also at people in the home office.
One or the other is already playing with the idea: Couldn’t you just spend the winter in the warm south? Save on heating costs at home or simply sublet the apartment? Would you rather work on the beach instead of in the bedroom? But as tempting as it may seem at first glance – it doesn’t work without planning.
First of all, there are the costs: Of course, the comparatively low prices in the off-season are attractive. Tour operators advertise long-term vacations in holiday destinations where it is mild even in winter, and at the same time lure with discounts.
The Canary Islands, Mallorca, Portugal, Turkey, but also Tunisia and Egypt, for example, have the organizer DER Touristik with the brands Dertour, ITS, Jahn Reisen and Meiers Weltreisen as “long-stay” destinations in the program. Discounts are often offered from a certain minimum length of stay, sometimes from 25 to 30 percent.
Travel agency FTI offers Turkey vacations at monthly prices, with free extras such as laundry service or room upgrades. In addition, a wide range of sports and entertainment offers are advertised.
Germany’s largest tour operator, TUI, sees growing demand for long-term vacations. On average, vacationers stayed 24.7 nights with this form of travel and paid 2,558 euros per person. With own brands like Robinson and TUI Blue there are “special workation possibilities with specially furnished rooms with a desk, office chair and printer”. “With the new possibilities of working from home and flexible working time models, the Workation trend has created a whole new clientele,” says TUI Germany boss Stefan Baumert.
These package tours are without a doubt comfortable. But even with a discount, the extended holiday still has its price: depending on the offer, you have to reckon with 600 to 1500 euros for three weeks in a hotel complex in the south – per person, of course.
Alternatively, vacationers can go looking for an apartment or holiday home. This is particularly useful for families or several people. Of course, you have to consider that the costs for travel and meals for weeks must be added to the rent.
One advantage is that private landlords are also happy to give discounts for long-term rentals. On the other hand, the fact that domiciles are often geared towards summer holidaymakers can prove to be a disadvantage. One should therefore check whether they have heating in case the weather at the destination becomes more uncomfortable.
“Life here is still shaped by the crisis,” says Greece correspondent Carolina Drueten. You can have a good standard of living here with a German pension. She explains why she would still not recommend spending the winter in Greece.
Source: WORLD
Speaking of weather: Most holiday destinations popular in winter offer a mild climate, while in Germany it is cold, wet and gray. But the temperatures that one is usually used to from summer holidays cannot be expected in many of these places.
In the low season, there is usually much less activity at popular holiday locations. It is therefore quite possible that not all gastronomy and leisure activities will be available during this time. If in doubt, you should find out more directly from the tour operator or landlord before booking. Or you can ask the regional tourism association.
Anyone who thinks they can save on all their energy costs at home with a long holiday in the south may be mistaken. On the one hand, part of the heating costs for rented apartments are usually billed per living area and not according to consumption. On the other hand: If you turn off the heating completely, there is a risk of mold in the apartment in the worst case, warns the Federal Environment Agency.
However, the heating can be significantly reduced if you are away for several weeks: a basic temperature of around ten degrees, but at least five degrees, should be maintained in the rooms.
Ventilation is also important, especially if you have a lot of plants in the living room. Otherwise mold can form. This should be said to the person who will be watering the plants when you are away. The General Association of Insurers also warns of frost damage to water pipes in unheated houses. Even the frost protection setting on the radiator only helps to a limited extent.
With a view to energy costs, there is savings potential in the case of longer absences, especially in hot water and electricity consumption.
So that burglars do not choose the house as a target, experts advise regularly switching on the light with a timer in the evening to make the house look occupied. The burglary protection initiative “Not with me”, for example, has compiled a list of tips (nicht-bei-mir.de/tipps/correct-behaviour).
The best protection against burglars is when the apartment is actually inhabited. So why not sublet it straight away? However, you need the consent of the landlord for this – regardless of the period for which you sublet the apartment. According to the Berlin Tenants’ Association, paying guests are not considered visitors.
As a result of the corona pandemic, many people are still working within their own four walls. So why not move the office to where others vacation? And that without sacrificing vacation days. Workation (composed of the English words “work” and “vacation”) is enjoying increasing popularity. According to a YouGov survey, twelve percent of Germans have already worked from home at a holiday destination. Among the 25 to 34 year olds it was 21 percent, among those surveyed aged 55 and over the proportion was six percent.
As tempting as Workation sounds, there are a few aspects to consider. According to the Bremen Chamber of Employees, the following questions need to be clarified: Does the employer allow you to work from abroad? Is a work or residence permit required, for example outside the EU? Am I socially insured and liable for tax abroad (from 183 days)?
A quiet and air-conditioned environment and a comfortable workplace should definitely be provided. Coworking spaces for people on workation can now be found at many dream destinations abroad. Or you just have a suitably equipped hotel room.
Conclusion: whether you work far away or not – you really can’t really save money with long-term stays abroad. But if you keep that in mind with the tempting offers and plan realistically, you can with a clear conscience consider a break from the German winter under the sun and palm trees.
