I’m heading to Europe over Dec/Jan/Feb and was quite keen to visit countries like Spain / Portugal / Greece in my travels.

A couple of friends have warned me though, that coastal towns / cities are quite likely to close down (in terms of accommodation and attractions etc.) during winter, making it a good idea to head to countries that are more orientated towards winter-life (alp areas in France, Switzerland.. Czech, Austria).

I have only been to Europe once before and would appreciate any advice or recommendations. Specifically, do places actually close down like my friends suggest? Is it still worth visiting these countries during winter?