April suggestions

England, Scotland or Ireland you have pretty good chance of rain year round. Luck of the draw really. I was in Ireland in April 2 years ago for 4 days and had beautiful sunny blue skies. The same weather was predicted for the rest of the week. I was told the days before my arrival it had rained cats and dogs. Prepare for rain and hope you won’t need your rain gear. Good luck.

Use a website like TimeandDate to look at historical weather for your options. Here's an example for weather in Dublin in April this year https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/ireland/dublin/historic?month=4&year=2018 It wasn't particularly rainy (in my opinion, I live in the northwest) but it was not terribly warm (even by my standards, highs in the upper 40s). There is no way to tell if it will be like this next year though.

If Ireland and Scotland draw you then I’d go. I’m not big on letting weather determine my plans. You could get rain anywhere, even in the “dry season”.

That said April might be a good time to experience southern destinations, saving the Scotland/Ireland for summer? Consider Sicily, southern Spain, Greece - places that are quite hot in summer. Just be aware that beach destinations aren’t often up and running in April, but cities and towns would be lovely. Do be aware of Easter and possible holiday closures.

We were in Scotland in April and it wasn't that cold although we did have some snow flurries it didn't stick. Just dress in layers: wool or tech fleece, maybe a 32 degree underwear if hiking, light weight boots, or better water resistant walking shoes, knit hats or wool head scarf (your tartan!), warm slacks, not jeans. Light weight water resistant jacket with liner. We enjoyed visiting castles and estates, distilleries and pubs; I don't remember that much hard rain. Weather changes fast. I have to admit I enjoyed going to the English Midlands more which has Spring just a little earlier. Remember Easter or Spring Break will close some places or be crowded by School Kids on tour; some groups were from the continent.

If warmer drier weather for April trip is a factor then consider going south - Portugal, Spain, Italy (especially Sicily), maybe Greece/Turkey.

Wherever you go in Europe, mid April next year means Easter school holidays, so places will be busier and more expensive. Late April/early May will be warmer, drier and quieter.

Obviously the further south in Europe, the warmer it will be. The further west in Scotland and Ireland you are, the wetter it will be. London gets a tenth of the rain of the Scottish highlands.

Sicily is lovely in April. Lots to see, including processions if you happen to be there in Holy Week. Friendly people, great scenery, good food and wine. What’s not to like?

I am very much influenced by weather for the timing/location of my trips. As much as I love Southern/Mediterranean Europe, those places are no fun at all to me in the hot (and overcrowded) summer months. OTOH, norther Europe is generally lovely (and not quite as crowded) during those months.

Since you're planning to go in April, you should take advantage of both the cooler weather, and (perhaps more importantly) lack of crushing crowds, to visit Southern/Mediterranean Europe. Italy or Spain would be ideal at this time. You can get back to Ireland or Scotland another time, in the sumer months, when half the world is in Barcelona and Cinque Terre taking selfies.

Here is another vote for Southern Europe. We were on the RS Sicily tour in April 2016,and the weather was great.

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions! Much appreciated.

I agree with Sicily! It’s stunning and is best visited off season because it’s so warm during summer months.

That being said, we were in Paris this past April and it was mid 80’s almost the entire 10 days we were there!

April will be quite rainy in Ireland and Scotland. If you go, bring water proof rain shell, warm layers, at least water resistant shoes as well as socks and pants that dry quickly.

My pick for April is Spain. During April (depends on the calendar for the year) there is the Fire Festival in Valencia (usually late March), Easter week, Semana Santa, all over the country and the April Faire in Seville.

April Faire is like stepping into a different era. Crowds didn't seem to be made up of tourists. The men wear traditional riding outfits or suits and women are in traditional Flamenco dresses. People are riding horseback or on carriages and break into traditional dance (Sevilliana) every chance they get.

I spent Holy Thursday in Zaragosa and it was one of the most amazing experiences anywhere. There were 26 processions going from afternoon through the night. Some were bigger than others. The biggest may have had a thousand people marching, most playing different size drums. I should mention they wear colorful robes based on the costume of a penitent during the Spanish Inquisition (unfortunately KKK seems to have copied the same style). The energy was incredible and there were very few tourists. Valladolid is another Holy week choice that is famous in Spain but not filled with tourists. Seville is also famous but gets a lot of tourists. Barcelona has almost nothing for Holy Week because they're the least religious city in Spain, plan to be elsewhere to enjoy the festivities.

Just a warning that Seville's April Fair seems to be occurring in May next year. I've seen the dates May 5-11.

I've started researching weather for next year's trip to southern Spain and western France, and the data supports the views of posters here that April is likely to be a good time to be there. You do need to be aware of all the festivities during Holy Week, which will obviously affect access to some traditional sights. If you begin the trip between April 15 and April 22, you'll find yourself smack dab in the midst of Holy Week/Easter Monday on your arrival day, so it will be important to plan your first stop carefully. Do you want full immersion or a quieter intro?

A broad suggestion? Consider visiting Turkey. We went to Istanbul, Cappadocia and then Kuşadası/Ephesus. We went in April several years ago and enjoyed ideal weather. Not hot at all -- It was in the upper 50s/60s.

The famous line by R Browning..."O to be in England, now that April is there." It is still a bit chilly in April, at least it was this past April when I was the last two days of the month.