Europe is a year-round travel destination, where any time is a good time to visit some corner of the continent. Since this isn’t an option for most, visitors have to narrow down travel dates based on their own preferences and interests. Generally, ideal times to visit Europe are May, June and September, when prices are reasonable. Crowds are then smaller; the weather is typically agreeable during those months as well.


Europe’s highly varied geography spans spanning over 45 countries with climates ranging from the sunny Greek isles to arctic Norwegian fjords. While each region of Europe has different weather, there are a few common trends. In northern European countries – such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK – December through March is quite a cold time period, with significant snowfall.

Meanwhile, southern European areas – including the south of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece – tend to boast sunny days almost year-round, though rainfall is common in winter. These southern areas also have the hottest summers; inland regions such as central Spain can become uncomfortably hot in July and August. Spring and fall are generally milder, though northern countries see plenty of rainfall and chilly temperatures.


July and August are the most popular months to visit Europe when many Americans and Europeans take advantage of their vacation days and fine weather. August is especially crowded, as both French and Italians pour into Europe’s seaside areas and major cities during their annual month off from work. Lines to popular tourist sites are long. Hotels are often fully booked; eateries may be packed. Visitors can find respite from summer crowds in Eastern European countries, such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Winter is another high season for Europe’s ski resorts, major cities, and the Christmas markets of Germany and Austria.


Summer crowds drive up costs throughout Europe. Tourist destinations continent-wide are typically more expensive up until October or November, when the droves of visitors have dispersed. Booking ahead is essential for summer travel, especially for seaside destinations. This makes spring and autumn ideal times to visit, since reasonably priced rooms and airfares are much easier to come by, while the weather remains mild. In most European destinations, winter is the cheapest time to visit, especially during the months of January and February.

Cultural Events

Europe boasts numerous annual festivals and parades. February is Carnival central in cities throughout Europe, although the standouts are in Venice, Viareggio and the town of Sitges near Barcelona. Easter week is another festive time when many countries are jam-packed with activity. Italy boasts colorful festivals and parades during Easter week (or Holy Week), as do Seville and Granada, Spain. Summer is the season of seemingly endless music festivals throughout Europe, including France’s countrywide Fete de la Musique every June 21, plus Somerset, England’s Woodstock-like Glastonbury Festival and Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, both in July. Autumn’s famed European celebrations include Munich’s Oktoberfest and a massive Halloween celebration in Transylvania, Romania.


In search of savings, visitors traveling to parts of Europe in winter may find that public transportation and other services are much less frequent. This is especially true in typically summer tourist destinations, such as Greece and Italy’s Adriatic coast; it may also apply to northern countries, such as those in Scandinavia, where freezing weather prevents transportation from running at all. On the other hand, August can be particularly dull in smaller cities and towns throughout Italy and France, when most locals and many businesses go on vacation.


Photo Credits

Slider Credits

  2. Attribution: User:Olahus; License: public domain
  4. Attribution: Dario Alvarez; License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license