Europe in February

Every February or January we go to the Cote d'Azur and stay in Monaco.

Lovely and warm (by British standards), nice stuff to see, not crowded, and if it rains loads of tunnels in Monaco to hide from the rain in.

Monaco can be lots less expensive than you might have preconceived.

If you choose Spain or Portugal, stick with the south coasts. That's where you have the best opportunity to find sun and warm temperatures...although in February they won't be blisteringly hot.

South of Europe will likely be quite nice in February - and much less busy than the summer.

You won't be sunbathing, but it will be good if you're sight-seeing.

Have you considered the Canary Islands?

Hi Jess, Europe is terrific in the winter. Sure it's going to be cold and rainy. So just smile, buy a coat and learn to dance in the rain. It's wonderful. See you in Rome in January 2011.

i got back from spain in late march, it was great. warm, sunny, great food, great sites. but winter should be winter. a few years ago in february i spent 21 nights through amsterdam to poland in the snow. it was incredible. prague, vienna, budapest, krakow would be great in the cold and possible snow. as you know dachau is emotional. in the snow both dachau and auschwitz really come alive for me. prague is great under dark cloudy skies, i think even better then in the spring. in february, spain or greece it will only be so warm. make it a great winter vacation. have fun, be safe.

wow, thanks for all the feedback everyone! I think we're pretty sure now about Barcelona/Lisbon. I have a friend who was in Barcelona last February and she loved it. Does anyone have any experience with Lisbon (or any other areas in Portugal) at that time of year? In particular (and this may sound weird) I'm wondering- will it be green? I've only been in Southern Europe during the summer, so am unsure of what to expect in February. I know in Paris, the trees had no leaves in the winter, but am unsure if the same thing happens in Spain/Portugal, since they have different trees and different climates. Any feedback in regards to this (admittedly strange) question would be much appreciated!

I hope to do Barcelona in February this coming year, but have spent a week in Rome in February (for business) a couple of times. Certainly do not expect lots of beach time, but it is a great time to do an Urban vacation, and cities in Southern Europe at that time have some nice weather, manageable crowds, and plenty of time for eating and wandering.

We were in Barcelona for a week last February - admittedly late February - but the weather was fine. Light jackets only. We ate outside most days, had coffee outside etc and we were never cold. We had deliberately chosen an apartment with good heating etc but never used it. Of course not every February will be the same but I think Barcelona would be a relatively safe bet.

We have had two great February trips - to Paris once and the the Netherlands once. Both trips we had trips where we saw hardly any other tourists, we met locals and the weather was good enough that I recall a beautiful night drinking outside at a cafe in Delft and many outdoor cages in Paris. We spent a glorious day in Normandy - perfect blue sky.