Best time to go to Europe (London, Paris, Rome)?

[disneyfanforever]

My husband and I (early 50s) are taking my dad (74) to Europe next year, and we are so excited. We surprised him this weekend, and he is thrilled and ready to go. None of us have ever been and this is our dream trip, and we will be coming from Arkansas. Does anyone have any advice on when we should go? We would like to go when the weather is nice and hopefully not the most expensive time either. Is there a time when it is so crowded that it is miserable? Are all the sites (museums, historic sites, etc) open year-round? We were thinking either May or September. Would either of those months be good? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JackosinDIS]

I live in the UK so can give you the following tips:

1. It rains often in England. There is no guaranteed time when you will get nice weather, but May is probably a good bet. Temperatures will be warm and the ‘April showers’ should have finished. Rome is extremely hot from June to August.

2. London is always crowded. All the tourist attractions are open year round. I wouldn’t say so crowded that it is miserable though!

3. There is a train directly from London to Paris which is very fast and a nice way to travel (Eurostar). Only takes around 2 hours and you can get tickets for around $60 if you book in advance.

I’m sure it will be a wonderful trip whenever you go. Be sure to visit the west-end theatres in London if you get chance.

 

[Mommb]

I would definitely avoid Rome in the summer. May or September might be OK. We were there in early June a few years ago, and it was uncomfortably hot.

My family was in Paris 2 weeks ago, and it rained a lot but was warmer than it was in the midwestern US.

I would say April/May or September/October would be decent weather and lower crowds than the summer.

 

[ronandannette]

We did a similar trip a few years ago (just pre-Covid). We went the second week of May and the weather everywhere was sublime. We got in-and-out just before peak tourism season so that made visiting all the iconic sites nicer than it would have been if they were mob-scenes.

 

[kymom99]

I went to London in September. It was a great time to go

 

[starry_solo]

April/May or October

 

[bdrex28]

We have gotten to where we go to Europe every other year around Thanksgiving. We go every other year because we build up mileage and it seems it takes about that time to earn the mileage for our family to go in Business Class.

We've pretty much gone everywhere.

We absolutely love this time frame for a few reasons:

Weather is great (nice and cool, sometimes cold but not terrible)
Plus depending on when Advent is, the Christmas Markets open up around much of Europe and are amazing. We especially enjoyed Germany, France and Hungary for the markets. Just really a lot of fun and kind of magical.

Way less crowds at this time of year all over most of Europe. Especially since obviously Thanksgiving isn't a holiday they celebrate . However, we've seen Thanksgiving dinners offered in many of the major cities. I have always skipped these, because we'll Thanksgiving Dinner wouldn't be right if not done in 'Merica!

So for us, Late November is perfect. Prices are also better. You will run into some things not being open depending on where you are. We ran into this a few times when we were in the Czech Republic.

And the snow falling in the UK or German or Austria or Czech Republic or Hungary is pretty amazingly pretty.

One more thing I'll add in reference to May or September. In September in France, for example, much of the local stores will close for "holiday", it seems like it used to be August this happened, but lately it's creeping much more into September and much of Europe can still be quite warm depending on where you go. I've been to Paris in September when it was pretty hot and not everything has A/C like the USA.

frankly, it's just easier to pack for a longer trip when the weather is colder in my opinion. You can layer much easier and not worry about getting into crazy heat. Light Wool clothing is great to layer and is also very hygienic

 

[jeneric997]

I agree with the PP about A/C- if you are going at any time when it will be hot, make sure where you stay has A/C. We had friends who went to London and rented an Airbnb and didn't think about A/C. It didn't have it and there was a heat wave of over 100 degrees. They were so miserable and one of their phones overheated and died, so that just added to their troubles.

 

[bdrex28]

I agree with the PP about A/C- if you are going at any time when it will be hot, make sure where you stay has A/C. We had friends who went to London and rented an Airbnb and didn't think about A/C. It didn't have it and there was a heat wave of over 100 degrees. They were so miserable and one of their phones overheated and died, so that just added to their troubles.

Just another reason why we love late November so much. Plus we became obsessed with the built in towel warmers that nearly every single place all throughout Europe has. In fact, so much so, that when we built our home we had them put in It's funny how the little things like that stick out.

 

[SLACG]

I agree with everyone that you should avoid July and August. We started our first ever Europe trip last June and it was very pleasant and not too crowded yet. France had perfect weather during mid-late June. But by the time we made it to Italy at the beginning of July it was so hot that we didn't have a good experience. Even when our Airbnb had A/C, apparently, because of energy efficiency, you are not allowed to bring your thermostat to whatever temp you want. I can't remember the exact temp it stopped at, but I can tell you that even our apartment was pretty hot.
So yes, between high temps, high crowds, and Italians not wearing deodorant, it was pretty miserable being there in July!
If I went back, I would definitely shoot for mid-May to early June.
So sweet of you to take your Dad! Hope you guys have a wonderful time and are able to make many cool memories!

 

[tony67]

One other thing about Italy in August - that is when everyone goes on vacation to get away from the heat - so many restaurants etc.. are closed.

You want to check when the museums open for the places you want to visit - sometimes they have reduced hours in the off season. They are often closed one day a week as well - seems like its usually Monday - but again depends on the city.

I've always been somewhat forced to go in July\August as that is when much of my family is on vacation and I can meet them. No matter where you go it can be crazy hot - I remember going to Budapest and I think it was 114.

Another year in Poland and it was over 100 degrees.

(BTW - it was not as bad as you would think - its a dry heat....)

Most places were able to handle it - unlike Ireland - when its very hot there its just not set up for it. The hotels AC could not handle it and even getting a fan was tough - they were sold out everywhere.

So yeah - like everyone said - avoid July and August IMO.

 

[Moliphino]

Shoulder seasons are best for moderate weather and lower crowds, so April/May and September/October. In warmer places you can stretch it a little farther into the colder months and still get nice weather.

I would avoid being in Paris on May 1st. There are often protests that can get a bit dicey.

 

[easyas123]

We've been to Europe in early October and late November, and we found it to be a great time to visit in terms of weather and tourism crowds.

 

[jump00]

We are off to Italy and Greece for 2 weeks in August……Hope we survive.

 

[mousefan73]

My husband and I (early 50s) are taking my dad (74) to Europe next year, and we are so excited. We surprised him this weekend, and he is thrilled and ready to go. None of us have ever been and this is our dream trip, and we will be coming from Arkansas. Does anyone have any advice on when we should go? We would like to go when the weather is nice and hopefully not the most expensive time either. Is there a time when it is so crowded that it is miserable? Are all the sites (museums, historic sites, etc) open year-round? We were thinking either May or September. Would either of those months be good? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Avoid June-Aug as that is peak and also highest airfare. I would also avoid first 2 weeks of September as that is still some school holidays- but not bad. May and beginning of June can also be tricky as Pentecost long weekends ( like Easter changes each year) and First of May holidays.

I would go for April or May and mid September to Mid October. Outside cafes will still be open.. site are open all year..Weather is a fluck, can be anything..... dont plan around weather... 100% November suck weather wise. Airfare is best beginning of October. if you want a summer feel best weather check out May.
beginning of June is also not that bad.. as most of Europe is not yet on school break ( but check pentecost) though airfare from the US starts to peak then as American head over to Europe starting then...

 

[mousefan73]

I dont know if I should feel sorry or laugh at tourists who do Rome in August.

 

[Magical2017]

We enjoyed going in the spring. The summer is very busy, but of course ideal when bringing kids on school breaks. I would go any time and just make the most of my time.

 

[Wayland10]

I agree with all above that April/May are fantastic months to go. Just a couple of notes- I plan student trips annually and early in April some things may not be open. We’re staying at a resort in Greece next month that opens for the season on April 15. Pay attention to when Easter is, because that can impact what’s open, and there are often big parades. May 1 is International Labor Day and many places in Europe will have everything closed other than some restaurants and bars.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We’ve only been once, but we went in October to save a bit. Time was still quite warm while London and Paris were comfortable without feeling overly chilly. We had very little precipitation on the trip as a whole.

 

[disneyfanforever]

Thank you so much for all of the advice. There are so many things I had no idea about that you all have mentioned!