Eight Great Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks

The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Natural History Museum, Kew Gardens, and a host of other London landmarks boast outdoor ice rinks, but one of my favorites is at Somerset House, arguably the most beautiful location in the UK capital. Set in an 18th century courtyard, with the floodlit mansion as the backdrop, Londoners of all ages flock here to enjoy a winter spin on the ice. The rink opens at 8.45am each day and runs until midnight at weekends; the evening sessions under colored lights are popular. There's a Skate School with qualified instructors, a Penguin Club for younger children, and DJ Nights on Fridays ... a huge fun day or night out. The magical Tiffany Tuck Shop next to the rink offers apres-skating hot cocoas and gorgeous Tiffany Blue iced cupcakes, gingerbread men, candy canes, and traditional fudges and sweets. Delicious!

Open daily from 9am until late; closes end of January 2009.

I love New York in winter, especially when Central Park is covered with a blanket of fresh snow and its two outdoor ice rinks—Wollman and Lasker—become playgrounds for skaters. You don't even have to wait for the snow to fall; both rinks have the longest seasons in the Big Apple, open from November through to the end of March every year. Wollman Rink, located eastside at South Central Park between 62nd and 63rd Streets, is by far the more glamorous of the sister rinks, surrounded by trees and the skyscrapers of Fifth Avenue. Lasker Rink is located mid-Park, between 106th and 108th Streets, and has a more urban feel and neighboring ice hockey rink. Both have skating schools and cafes serving heart-warming food and drinks. If you want to avoid the crowds of the Rockefeller Center, these are the ice rinks to head for.

Open daily from 10am until 11pm at weekends, November to March.

It's a tiny ice rink compared to its international counterparts, but Frog Pond on Boston Common must be one of the prettiest places to go ice skating. A children's wading pool in summer becomes a winter playground from November and March each year. Located in the north-west corner of the Common, a few steps from the gold-domed State House and historic Park Street Church, a spin on Frog Pond is like stepping back in time to the city's Victorian era. You can rent skates or bring your own (the staff will even sharpen them for you) and there's a rink-side café serving steaming hot chocolates and other winter-warmer drinks and snacks. The Skating School offers lessons; rink admission is $4, children under 13 skate for free.

Open daily from 10am to 10pm at weekends, November to March.

It's a far cry from those Cold War Soviet military parades and political rallies—the only sounds you'll hear in Moscow's Red Square these days is laughter from the thousands of hardy Muscovites and visitors enjoying the city's annual winter ice skating rink. Located just across from Lenin's Mausoleum, Moscow's outdoor ice rink holds about 500 skaters who each pay 300 rubles (around $10) for ice time. The Russian Orthodox Church complains about the public use of Red Square, which it considers disrespectful—the ice rink has a terrific view of St. Basil's Cathedral—but skating remains a popular attraction. You can rent skates and there's a café, but you'll have to head back to your hotel for a reviving vodka!

Open daily from 10am to midnight until February 18.

Slip on the skates and glide across the world's most photographed stretch of ice. With the Rockefeller Center and other New York skyscrapers towering overhead, this iconic rink attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each winter to skate or just watch all the action. With its gilded statue of Prometheus, array of colorful flags and vast Christmas tree, the setting is wonderful, but beware—the rink can take only 150 skaters at a time and gets very crowded at weekends and during holidays. You'll also pay a hefty price for the privilege of skating: $10-$14 for adults and $7.50-$8.50 for children. Half-hour private lessons start at $30, but opt for weekday, early morning or evening sessions which tend to be quieter. For an apres-skate treat, stroll to the divine Cafe Teuscher at 620 Fifth Avenue, which serves the best hot chocolate and Swiss truffles in New York.

Open daily from 8.30am to midnight, closes January 9.

This wonderful city park hosts an array of attractions, concerts, exhibitions and events throughout the year, but one of the most fun is the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, which hosts more than 100,000 skaters annually. With the Chicago skyline as the backdrop, and multi-colored lights firing up the evening sessions, this terrific ice rink is a delight for the whole family. Admission is free, and skates can be rented for $10, so this is a cost-effective outing in these economically challenging times. Chicago can be bitterly cold in winter, so make sure you bundle up well on the ice by day or night. For a reviving cocoa and sweet treat, head for the cozy Park Cafe just across the road from the ice rink at 11, North Michigan Avenue.

Open daily from 10am to 10pm, November to March.

As if the gorgeous views from the Eiffel Tower aren't enough, Paris has added another sparkling attraction to its most famous landmark: an outdoor ice rink. Located on the first floor observation deck, 188 feet above ground level and lodged between two of the tower's gigantic steel legs, the rink is the size of a tennis court and holds about 80 skaters at a time. Admission and skate rentals are free once you've paid the tower entry fee and you can skate for as long as you like; there's an ice bar serving snacks, and two giant ice sculptures—a mini-version of the Eiffel Tower and a Christmas tree—to enjoy. Tip: skate after the sun goes down when the ice rink terrace is enchanting under multi-colored lights.

Open daily 9.30am to 9.30pm until February 15, 2009.

An outdoor ice rink in the center of a warm, smog-filled city? Mexico City has pulled off the unthinkable creating what it claims to be the world's biggest ice skating rink in one of the world's most populated cities. Costing $1.5 million, and using advanced ice-freezing technology, Mexico City ice rink is almost as big as a U.S. football field and all but covers the Zocalo, the city's main square. Opened in December 2007, it has attracted more than 300,000 skaters who have turned the rink into a national obsession. Be warned: about 1,200 people queue for about 6 hours each day—entry and skate hire is free—so prepare for a very long wait. But in a city where 40 per cent of the people earn about $2 a day, this is a fabulous public attraction. Tip: the west side of the Zocalo has some pleasant cafes and bars for a post-skate coffee or cocktail.

Open daily in December and January.