The big freeze

People ski down the street in usually sunny Marseille as public transport ground to a halt in the city, 7 January 2009 Photograph: Claude Paris/AP

A snowboarder gets air in front of Marseille's Notre-Dame de La Garde Basilica, 7 January 2009.

Lastminute.com has stays at the four-star New Hotel of Marseille from £170 per person based on two sharing, including flights from London Gatwick departing 6 March and returning 8 March Photograph: Jean-Paul Pelissier/Reuters

Curling on the frozen canal in front of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Bavaria, on 5 January 2009.

Expedia (0871 226 0808) is offering two nights room only at the three-star King’s Hotel Centre in Munich from £179pp with flights departing 6 March 2009 Photograph: Joerg Koch/Getty

Snow covers the Orangery garden in the palace and park of Versailles, Paris, on 6 January 2009 Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

The Trocadero Gardens and Eiffel Tower in Paris after snow blanketed the French capital, 5 January 2009.

Cheap deals to Paris can be found on discount-paris.com and discount-london.com. Both websites have breaks including Eurostar travel and a one-night hotel stay including breakfast for £99 Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

Two women walk their dogs near the Bode-Museum in Berlin, 7 January 2009. Forecasters predict continued cold weather for the German capital.

Expedia (0871 2260808) offers three nights room only at the three-star Lindemann Hotel Fjord in Berlin based on two sharing a standard room including BA flights from London Heathrow from £176, departing on 21 February 2009 Photograph: Franka Bruns/AP

Gulls fly over Amstel river after a boat cleared a path through the ice in the centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7 January 2009.

Directline-citybreaks has three nights in the "floating" hotel Amstel Botel for 196pp inc flights departing Jan 26 Photograph: Peter Dejong/AP

Outside the city people skate on frozen lakes and canals around the village of Ankeveen, some 25km south-east of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1 January 2009 Photograph: Peter Dejong/AP

A dusting of snow covers gondolas moored at the Orseolo basin in Venice, Italy, 1 January 2009.

Inghams Short Breaks is offering three nights for the price of two at Al Sole Palace until end of March with prices starting from £146 per person sharing a room for mid-week stays (Sun-Thu). Inghams (+44 (0)20 8780 7710) also offers a low-cost airline booking service Photograph: Luigi Costantini/AP

Bicycles covered in snow in Milan, 7 January 2009 Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

People walking through snow near the Piazza Del Duomo in Milan as sub-zero temperatures hit parts of northern and central Italy, 6 January 2009.

Citalia is offering three nights at the four-star Grand Hotel Verdi in Milan based on two people sharing including breakfast from £389 per person. Price includes British Airways flights departing from London Heathrow on 6 March Photograph: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty

A bold red and white umbrella carried by a man walking through a park in Cologne brings the only touch of colour to an otherwise monochrome scene in the shadow of the famous twin-spired cathedral, 5 January 2009.

Ebookers has three nights at the four-star Mado hotel with flights from Heathrow on 5 March for £214 Photograph: Oliver Berg/EPA

Birds stand on the icy lake in St James's Park in view of the London Eye and Foreign Office, 6 January 2009 Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty

Canada geese fly past the fountain and frozen trees on Duck Island in St James's Park in London, 6 January 2009.

Over the next week, Malmaison London (+44 (0)207 012 3700) is offering rooms for £59 (exc VAT) compared to the normal rate of £159 Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty

A woman walks her dog on a very cold winter's day in Brussels park on 6 January 2009. Ebookers has a three-night stay at the four-star Brussels hotel, departing London Heathrow on 5 March, for £227pp Photograph: Benoit Doppagne/Getty