a white christmas in europe

agreed, it's all a matter of luck on actually being snow covered at christmas time, else you'd have to go "up".
but to be sure, a place in the alps doesn't have to be a ski resort. there's lots of towns up there where there's more than just ski lifts.

FYI, over the past few years I've spent christmas at:
* Bad Mitterndorf in Austria (lots of snow above a certain altitude but it's a ski town)
* Kaprun in Austria (not lots of snow, not strictly a ski town, but nearby Zell Am See isn't). Spent the week before in a very snowy Bavaria, but this was after weird snow storms.
* Wells in England (after the freak snow storms, so lucked into LOTS of snow)

rented a house (happily sleeping 4-6) each time for about E1000 for the xmas-NY week.

what kind of budget do you have? particularly, what price, per night, are you willing to pay to sleep everyone?
you could go all out and go to Zermatt, for example, or go budget/adventuresome in somewhere like Slovenia.

oh, and i don't think you're leaving it late... but take too much longer to book something.

Hi!

Maybe you're looking for something like the Salzkammergut, Austria
For example: St.Wolfgang, Bad Ischl or Bad Goisern... Around the region are a lot of nice, traditional events:
- Krampus & Nikolaus at beginning of December (http://www.dachstein-salzkammergut.at/en/5-04-1-2182916/detail/salzkammergut-krampuslauf.html),
- christmas markets are all around December (http://www.dachstein-salzkammergut.at/en/5-04-1-1358408/detail/christkindlmarkt-weihnachtsmarkt-hallstatt.html or http://www.handwerkhaus.at/veranstaltungen/meisterandvent.php) - these are not those big, touristy christmas markets you'd find in the big austrian or german cities, the markets here are more traditional, quiet and mostly visited by locals.
the "Glöckler" on January 5th (http://www.dachstein-salzkammergut.at/en/5-04-2-235904/detail/gloecklerlauf.html), .... and so on
There's also ski tourism at the area (Gosau), but this sort of tourism doesn't influence the "christmas atmosphere" at all.

Greets, Sigi

One of my favorite Christmases was two years ago in the small German town my sister-in-law lives in. Atypical snow (last year it was warm and snowless), and lots of it, with 30 cm of fresh snow and plowed snow heaped to over a meter high. Then a lovely small town Christmas celebration in front of the Rathaus Christmas tree with the snow gently falling and a small band and Glühwein. Just something that could never be beaten, and then also being with family, but then the downside, being stuck in an at-that-time-of-year boring small town with nothing to do and most things closed. Pick a larger town, city, an active tourist area, or ski resort where you can do something rather than be bored to death! And don't necessarily rely on TV to be entertained as it may often all be in a foreign language.

Edited by: marcopolko

Mariazell is the best destination.

#13: Why?

You can come to Vienna, no problem. In Vienna there are lovely christmas fairs and one driving hour away you find already up to 2000m high mountains, with lots of snow for sure. And you can access them with cable car or chairlift.
And nice alpine mountain huts where you can have hot drinks. Fell free to contact me for more informations.