21 December 2010 Last updated at 16:18

In pictures: Icy Europe weather causes travel chaos

Cars and trucks drive along on the A7 motorway between Kassel and Hanover, central Germany (21 December 2010)

Freezing weather is continuing to disrupt travel across Europe, with new snowfall overnight. Icy and snowy roads caused traffic problems across large parts of western and northern Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Russia.

Queue outside London's Heathrow airport (21 December 2010)

Major disruption is continuing at Europe's airports, with thousands of passengers seeing flights cancelled and some needing to sleep in terminal buildings.

Aircraft at Heathrow airport (21 December 2010)

Despite being one of the worst-hit hubs - running at less than half its full capacity - operators of Heathrow airport in the UK turned down an offer from the British government of military assistance to clear the backlog.

At St Pancras rail station, also in London, the queue for Eurostar trains to Belgium and France quickly grew to 1km on Tuesday morning, as speed restrictions on the lines were curtailing the service.

Salvation Army stall at London St Pancras station, 20 December 2010

UK rail and air operators warned that even if weather conditions improved, it would take until after Christmas for the backlog to be cleared.

Snowploughs work to remove snow at Copenhagen's Kastrup airport in Denmark (21 December 2010)

Several European airports have been disrupted in the run-up to Christmas by heavy snowfalls. Some 25cm (10 inches) of snow fell overnight in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Employees of the Dutch railway clear the rail tracks from snow in The Hague (21 December 2010)

On mainland Europe rail services were also affected, with Dutch and German rail operators warning of delays and cancellations. Airline Lufthansa said passengers flying within Germany should use trains instead, and many services were overcrowded.

Frankfurt airport check-in area (21 December 2010)

Frankfurt airport was closed for three hours early on Tuesday after more snow fell unexpectedly overnight. Later 300 flights were cancelled at Germany's main air hub, where many people had spent the night on camp-beds.

Sister Monica of the Benedictine convent in Dinklage, northern Germany, 21 December 2010

For those not facing the prospect of pre-Christmas travel woes, it was not all doom and gloom. Here German Benedictine nun Sister Monica faces the snow in northern Germany with a smile.

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In pictures: Icy Europe weather causes travel chaos

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