Europe in April - where have you gone?

Hi Sue -
We've been to Italy (Rome, Florence, the Cinque Terre, Bergamo and Milan) as well as Belgium and parts of Germany (not the alps) in May and all were lovely: great time of the year to go. We had a couple of wet, chilly days but the majority were sunny and comfortably warm. May is an especially good time for Italy as you'd miss the uncomfortable summer heat. The popular tourist meccas will be plenty busy, though.

April in Paris! Need I say more?

We've gone to Europe three times, always in April. Since you don't usually go at this time of year, you should definitely try to go to Keukenhof Garden. It is a huge flower garden near Amsterdam - only open from mid March to mid May. Definitely worth it! We stayed in Haarlem and loved it! We were there at the end of April and the weather was fine. It was rainy and cool one day, but the other days were beautiful, probably in the 60's and sunny.
One year, we spent a few days in southern France in April and the weather was beautiful!
This past April, we were in the UK the first part of May. London was sunny one day and rainy one day but when is it any different? We spent 3 days in Cornwall and the weather was great! If you haven't been to Cornwall, look into it. We loved it

We've done France, Italy and Spain in April. We don't like really warm weather so it's a perfect time for us. Paris was in the 60s most days...we got a little rain but not much. Barcelona was perfect - low 70s. Northern Italy was also in the low 70s and down south it was a little warmer. The crowds are limited in April and we find it a great time to travel.

Ditto the recommendation for Keukenhoff, especially if you love gardens/flowers. I could have spent an entire day there!!
Holland and Belgium are lovely that time of year, just a little chilly in the a.m./p.m.

We visited Barcelona, then flew to Granada, traveled to Ronda, Gibraltar, and Marbella during early March. We enjoyed perfect weather (light jacket) and it was not crowded.

During early April, we enjoyed perfect weather on a trip from Rome to the Amalfi Coast, along with Carpri. It's the perfect time to visit places that would be very hot in the middle of summer. Pompeii, while warm and sunny the day we visited, was not the dusty, dreadfully hot place friends described when they visited in the middle of the summer. The towns along the Amalfi Coast were lovely and, while definitely not vacant of tourists, were not super crowded.

With terrible loss you have experienced, it sounds like you are now practicing one of my favorite quotes torn from a magazine years ago (which became even more underscored to me when my spouse successfully recovered from cancer):

"Begin doing what you want to do now,
We are not living in eternity.
We only have this moment,
sparkling like a star in our hand --
and melting like snowflake."

Have a a safe, wonderful trip in a few months, then another in 2017. Create lots of joy and great memories!! Wishing you many happy moments.

Ireland could also be lovely........a two-night stay at Ashford Castle would be a very special treat! So much to see in Ireland, and the people are so very friendly and kind.

We spent the month of April 2013 in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was sunny, cold and windy for the Keukenhof flower parade. The rest of the month was cool, often rainy and variable.

I spent the month of May this year in England and Scotland. The weather was sunny and warm, rainy and cold, ie. variable.

We spent the month of June 2012 in France. The weather was variable until we got to Aix-en-Provence for our last week. Then it was comfortably warm and dry.

I think there's a pattern here.

I'd vote for Italy and Spain, although there are no guarantees of good weather anywhere. Of course, the definition of "good" is a personal thing.

We've made most of our 20 or so trips to France in April or May. The weather can be unpredictable, but it's usually fine, and sometimes spectacular. Plus, since I live in Maine, it's virtually guaranteed to be nicer in France than it is here in those months.

I've been to Prague, Paris, Budapest and 3 cities in Poland in mid- to late May and found that for the most part I had good weather, though I was prepared for extremes and did encounter them--tank top, sweater, jacket, and umbrella all got good use, with temps that ranged from high 50s to 90s. I do prefer May, not only because that's the best time for me to be away from work but because it's not as crowded and the temps are generally reasonable--I don't love extreme heat.

Thanks to all for your wonderful replies/experiences. Margaret - your quote brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing. I made a mistake in my narrative about timeline. If we stay two months, that would put us in Europe from March 18th until mid May.

Amsterdam is on our itinerary for our trip in September, but will definitely think about going back in Spring to see the beautiful flowers.

I'll hop over to the Spain forum and read about suggestions on where to go. I'm sure I'll be back on here with more questions.

Thanks again.

I've taken 3 one-week Spring Break trips - all in mid-March (2010, 2011, and 2014) - to the Netherlands, Italy (Florence/Tuscany), and Germany (Berlin and NW Germany), respectively, and had decent weather for all three trips. By decent, I mean mostly sunny days and daily high temps in the 50+ degrees F range in Italy and Germany, although it was admittedly colder in the Netherlands. When we were in Germany, everyone told us that the weather was atypically warm, but perhaps with climate change that is the new norm. I was also in Austria and Germany in May 2013 and although not cold (light jacket weather), it rained almost daily. The following year (May 2014) we were in Italy (Florence and Turin) and France (Paris), and it already was hot (no jacket needed). We have another trip planned for March 2017 (Italy). In March, there are no crowds in the museums, no problem getting into restaurants, etc. In May there were more crowds, especially at places like Versailles and Giverny. I greatly prefer traveling to Europe during the off season. In addition to cooler weather, which I prefer (versus sweating), there are less crowds and air ticket prices are lower than the summer.

I have visited Germany in March-April. I found that my fleece jacket and scarf were perfect for the cooler weather, and really enjoyed the smaller crowds and seeing the Easter egg trees!

I spent the month of April in Spain a few years ago. It's a good time to visit but is considered high season (July/August aren't). The best part was experiencing both Semana Santa (Holy Thursday in Zaragosa was amazing) and the April Fair in Seville. Unfortunately, Europe had an extra cold winter that year and hadn't really snapped out of it, so the weather was cool to cold most of the trip. Normally April is an ideal time to see most of the country.

With such a long trip you should be able to enjoy a lot of places. If you want to see Italy and/or Spain, late March into April would be a good time. Then the UK later in April and/or in May. We've been in Paris in late March and found it cold, further south in April and found it pleasant, in northern England and Scotland in May and found it cool and damp. But that was just the weather in those particular places and years. All you can really do is assume that it will be warmer in the south than north, so start south and work north if time allows.

I have enjoyed March/April in both Great Britain and Greece. Greece did have warmer weather and lots of wildflowers but I wouldn't dissuade you from your first choice.

In Britain, many smaller tourist sites open for the year around Easter, but it's late next year (April 16, 2017), so maybe they'll open closer to April 1. Lots of daffodils and baby lambs. According to weather charts, November-to-February are typically the months with more days of rain, not March-April.

How wonderful that your son wants you to vacation with his family! I have taken two trips on a similar schedule and found early Spring to be sunny and warm, mostly. We skied for two weeks then drove around.

One year we visited Keukenhof and it is worth the trip, it is only open a few weeks a year so go while you are there. This year we were in northern Italy and had some rain but not cold except in the mountains. We visited castles and Roman ruins in the Aosta Valley, enjoyed Turino and two days on the Mediterranean pre-season with no crowds. Then we went to Annecy and it rained a bit but we enjoyed it very much.

Have fun!

We've been to Sicily in April. It's very interesting to be there for Easter. It may have been light jacket or sweater weather some days but not too chilly. The wild flowers and blooming trees were beautiful. May would be even warmer.

We lived in Bavaria for four years and loved going south into Italy where it was warm in the early Spring. When you pass through the Alps in April, you go from cold to warm.

If you want warm in April, stick to Italy, Greece and Spain. As far as Italy is concerned the big three cities to visit are Venice, Florence and Rome. Of course, there is a lot more. We loved Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Naples, Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. There is Ravenna and Bologna, the list is long.

As for Spain, Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

Not to say that Germany, Austria, Switzerland north of the Alps aren't great, but the weather is definitely colder there in April.

I have been to Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, UK, Spain (mostly Andalucia), and most recently France in April. The weather was largely like the Midwest in April, but a few days in Spain were uncomfortably warm. It's one of my favorite months to travel, for the mild(ish) weather and smaller crowds.

I have not travelled to Europe in April, but very much want to go:

• The Enchanted April - Portofino and Castello Brown. This is one of my all time favorite movies: "for those who love wisteria..."
• Keukenhof as others have mentioned
• Florence for Easter for their exploding cart tradition; also a tie-in to a Room with a View
• Bluebells in the UK - featured in I Capture the Castle

The three titles I have mentioned are books and movies. I have read and seen them many times. The first morning at San Salvatore (Castello Brown in Enchanted April) what a moment! What a view!

Enjoy the spring! Debbie

We have had two very nice April "spring break" vacations in Portugal. Nice weather, affordable, beautiful, great food, and not crowded with tourists.

Hi,

I was only in Europe once in April literally, the last week or so. That was in 2014 in Germany, mainly in Berlin. It was cool, weather was not a big concern, pretty much like the weather in SF. In May I've spent more time over there...London, Vienna, Austria, Paris, Berlin, Budapest (2010 and 2014), it's cool but with warmer days thrown in. Weather wise I much prefer May to April.

I went to Paris the first week in April a few years back. The weather was cold. It struggled to even get into the 50s most days. One morning there were snow flurries. The next two times I went in May when the weather was much warmer but with some rain. Enjoy your trip.

I would caution you not to think of "April" and "May", but rather week-by-week. During transitional seasons there can be a big difference between the beginning of a month and the end--in addition to the vast year-to-year variation that makes travel planning such a challenge.

I've posted more than once that I hate the cold, so for a trip beginning in mid-March you better believe I'd be in a place like Sicily (utterly fascinating place, good for at least 2 weeks or more) or a string of cities where I expected basically to go from museum to museum rather than wandering through historic neighborhoods (Berlin being the prime example that comes to mind).

Since you mentioned Spain: Barcelona's weather probably wouldn't be terribly cold in early spring, but the rest of the north (Basque Country to Galicia) tends to be damp and colder than spots to the south. I'd head south from Barcelona rather than west. I'm not sure at all about the central plateau (including Madrid) in March or early April; its winters are quite cold.

Sue,

First my condolences for your son.

We've travelled in both April & May. As for April we went to Sorrento & explored the Amalfi coast during the 1st part of the month. The weather was gorgeous but definitely needed a light coat. We have also travelled to London is late April. Rained like the dickens on the day we arrived but ended up with stunning weather while we were there. The friend we were staying with told us it had rained daily on both ends of our trip.

As for May, we were in Paris mid month and again, fantastic weather. Everything was in bloom....very pretty. We left Paris and went on the Brugges. Again, beautiful with the flowers blooming but I definitely had to wear a cardigan during the day and light coat at night.

Regardless of when/where you go, I wish you and your family fabulous trip!

A couple of years ago, I spent 2 weeks in Bavaria (Alpenstrasse, Bayerischer Wald), Austria (Werfen), Czech Republic (Prague), and Saxony (Dresden, Säschsische Schweiz) in the last half of May. I had no problem with the weather. It was a little chilly in Werfen and Berchtesgaden, but the rest of the time warm enough and no rail.

Sicily in late April was sunny and pleasantly warm, an abundance of wildflowers like I have never seen anywhere else. Paris, mid-April to early May, the lilacs and the trees were all in bloom, wonderful. March in Andalusia - the heady scent of orange blossoms everywhere. I spent 3 weeks in Spain (Barcelona, Valencia and Andalusia) this past March, only took a fleece jacket and hardly wore it. I didn't take sandals and there were days when I wished I had them. Sure, it can rain and you can get a cold spell or two, but you are more likely to encounter warm, sunny weather in France, Italy and Spain. I can't imagine a bad time to be in London, in pouring rain or icy cold, the museums are dry and warm, the theatres too. Even the churches are dry, though perhaps not quite as warm.

The only place I would specifically avoid in April and May are the Alps, because it's too warm and wet to ski, but too cold and muddy/slushy to hike. Otherwise, the weather on most of the continent is rather pleasant. Go anywhere and enjoy!

We did France in April 2014, and Spain/Portugal/Gibraltar in April 2015. All were great--sometimes sweater weather, but mostly warm. This past April we went to Budapest/the Austrian Wachau Valley/Prague. Budapest was very warm, and Austria was fine--but we ended up with snow flurries and freezing winds in Prague (but it was wonderful anyway.) I guess April can be an iffy month in some spots, but generally we've found it a lovely time to travel--although we've also enjoyed September trips (we're heading to Italy this September.) By the way, our Spain trip is my absolute favorite of all time (although France ranks pretty high up there, and Budapest is spectacular too.) Feel free to message me if you want any details or recommendations.

We usually depart for Europe the last day or two of March--to get on the tail end of Winter airfares.
The weather in Europe usually breaks about that time--turning from winter to spring. And it's the best time of the year to travel--with tourist headcounts down. Temperatures are also very pleasant for the most part.
European farmers often keep their cows in their basements for the winter, and they shovel manure into long piles (outside) in their farmyards that freezes. When it thaws, the farmers will use manure spreaders to naturally fertilize their hayfields. Your nose will tell you when the weather has broken.
Your son is going to Switzerland on the edge of the skiing season. He might want to check with the ski operators to see what dates they've been operating in recent years. I hope every skier is a strong intermediate skier or above because European ski mountains are steeper, icier and more difficult than U.S. ski resorts. Last time we went to The Alps to ski, it was in February outside Innsbruck.

Our internet has been down for several days so I haven't been able to read all the wonderful replies.

Thanks to everyone for your input. Still working on our itinerary.

Debbie... I know that movie by heart:) and had my own Enchanted April on my first trip to Italy... Long drive, getting dark, could not find a hotel, we finally came upon this little place. A little old Italian woman greeted us (no english) but she knew we needed a room. We walked up a set of rickety stairs outside to our room, and sparse as it was, we were happy for a bed. In the morning I opened the shutters, and there was the view of the amazing Mediterranean Sea... so every time I see the movie I can remember the fragrance of Italy... the flowers and the sea.
That trip was in May and the weather was amazing.

I often travel early or late in the season and have always had the best weather during those times. I am not a fan of the heat, so a little more temperate is great for me.
Spain & Morocco in May was hot! Could not imagine being there in the summer.

Sicily in April is very nice. Lots of flowers in bloom. Sunny days, cooler evenings.