Europe in October. Where to go?

Travel Interests?

I've been to Paris twice in October. Loved it! What are your interests?

We’ve been to Europe several times in October; in fact it’s my favorite time to travel. Depending on this year’s weather patterns it could still be very warm in much of Europe. What are your dates? What are your interests?

You didn't say whether you enjoyed Italy and Spain! But assuming you did, how about Portugal? Obviously it will be cooling down, more so depending on where you go, but it shouldn't be co!d. You could see Lisbon, Porto, for example. Great destination.

October is a good month to visit parts of Europe which I avoid in summer like devil cross because of heat. You already saw Italy and Spain so I would suggest Greece and Portugal. They also happen to be the cheapest countries of Europe along with former communist countries.

We LOVED Italy and Spain, especially Italy! We are very big into food and wine (which is why we loved Italy so much). Interests include historical areas to sight-see as I love exploring churches, castles, other monuments. But overall would love to see some beautiful scenery and be able to get out and walk about and just explore.

I loved Italy for the art, history, and food! Same with Spain so I think I am looking for something similar! Hope that helps clarify!

Why not select another area of either of those countries that you loved? Alternatively, France would be a good choice. Specifically Provence and the French Riviera.

Greece and Portugal would be great destinations for October. If you want to get a little more exotic, Turkey would also be wonderful.

I don't know where in Spain you visited, but I was in Andalusia last October -- it was absolutely lovely.

Warm (but not too warm) temperatures, mostly dry weather and cheap prices.

There were still a lot of tourists, so I wouldn't really call it "off-season," but it was a fantastic time to visit.

I am going to hazard a bet there is a whole lot of Spain and Italy you didn't see on your past visits. Don't cross them off your list. But as stated, Portugal or Greece would be warmer weather options. Paris is always a good choice and you might want to check dates for sites, there is a lot of foodie heaven in the Loire region, or one of the 'wine' regions of France. If wine making might be of interest, check which regions are still harvesting in October.

In October 2015, we did a trip to Alsace (Strasbourg), Munich and Vienna that matches up with the things that you love. The weather was "jackety", but not all that cold.

Paris is always a good idea.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/travel/affordable-dining-in-paris.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/travel/paris-walking-tips.html

Both Italy and Spain are large, diverse countries. Did you really get to every last, worthwhile corner of them? How about Sicily? Galecia? I'd also second the suggestions for Portugal, or France.

Hopefully your anniversary is in early October rather than at the end...the difference in weather would make a difference.

These all sound perfect. I am going to look into Greece and Portugal. In Spain I think we covered mostly all the cities/regions we wanted to see but agree that I could spend another 3 weeks in Italy seeing the rest of the country.

I'm thinking now that France might be a good option as well. I have been to Paris, although my husband has not, so I am more interested in the Provence, French Riviera, Burgundy areas. Is 8 days enough time? I'm assuming everything is pretty accessible by train?

I vote for Greece. I'm not a fan of Portugal.

If you have had your fill of Spain, Greece would be a good alternative, weather will be nice in early October (especially in the islands). You could also consider the Languedoc region of southern France, the less touristy western cousin of Provence.

Greece gets my vote

We have visited France a several times in October. We enjoyed and had great weather in Paris area, Alsace, Burgundy and Loire. We also enjoyed Brittney and Normandy though it tended toward the cooler side tho it didn't impact us at all. Be prepared for the earlier sunset so that you are not anticipating sight seeing in the early evening and instead look at food and cultural activities.

We're always in either Estepona or Mallorca in October however I've also been to Warsaw (starting to cool down and requiring a light jacket), Sofia (reasonably warm during the day but cool in the evening), Prague (variable but warm enough in short sleeves during the day and a jacket at night), the Black Forest (very warm some days, rainy and cool others).

For guaranteed warmth and sun the further south you go the better your odds.

As for the sights, I can't imagine any being closed in October.

We spent a week in the Rhine area in late September. There were a lot of harvest/wine festivals going on. There are fantastic castles all along the Rhine. The Moselle river area has lots of vineyards, and Trier has some great Roman ruins.

Maybe spend a couple days on the Rhine, do the river cruise, see Burg Rheinfels and the charming towns along the Rhine. Then spend a few days along the Moselle. Stop and see Burg Eltz along the way.

We did a wonderful 28 day self driving tour of Wales and England in October 2017 then took a transatlantic cruise home to the USA>

South of France? Would work for me!

Debbie- South of France is what I am now thinking! Have you been? And if so, what are the must sees? We are excited for the food, wine, and scenery!

Travel4Fun how was the weather in the Rhine area? We would be there in mid October. This is definitely on my list though!

I have not been to the south of france other than a brief stay in Vaison-la-Romaine as part of the Eastern France Rick Steves tour. I believe there are lots of posters on this forum who have expertise.

You could start in Alsace for a different feel and travel south - look at the map for the Eastern France tour - though I am sure there is info in the RS books, as well.

Now you have me thinking. It must be all those Peter Mayle books. I'll have to go watch A Good Year to get my fix. But Alsace has always been a magnet for me, too. Oh, to win the lottery!!

Have fun. It sounds like you have some good recommendations.

Unless we have family event, the offseason is THE ONLY TIME we travel over to Europe. No mobs from the US and Canada. School is in session hence no mobs. The weather is COOL & COMFORTABLE. Best reason? The cost savings.

Where do you want to go? This is too broad of a question. For our 10th anniversary, we went to Germany & Switzerland as we too were married in the autumn.

If you're concerned about "extremely cold" temps, look at the temperature averages of the locales that interest you. What you think is extremely cold could be quite enjoyable for someone else. So you need hard numbers to determine what will be comfortable for the two of you.

I was in France the last week of sept first week and a half of Oct in 16.
We went stayed in Nice and Avignon and visited Monaco, St Tropez, Nimes and other locations along the coast. The weather was generally nice. A bit cool for swimming but we did wade into the Mediterranean.

We also did the Chateau farther north staying in a nice surprisingly affordable Chateau outside tours. The weather was mostly short sleeve weather in the south and long sleeve or thin jacket weather in Tours.
We had some great places. Loved the views in a Nice as we had a hotel with a view from our balcony out over the sea. And we stayed in Avignon and that was really nice. And or course the coliseum at Nimes and the Pont de Gard was amazing.
So I highly recommend those areas.

I recommend Paris and Fontainebleau.

My vote is the Loire Valley and Burgundy. Both are amazing.

If you're still thinking South of France, we spent a week in Villefranche sur mer mid October 2017 and the weather was beautiful. While I didn't go swimming, others did and it was warm on the beach. It's a great location. Fly into Nice and it's a quick trip to VF. Trains are quite cheap and busses also easy to get around. We walked to Beaulieu and Cap Ferrat almost daily. Beautiful walks along the sea. The Rothschild Villa in Cap Ferrat is gorgeous. We travelled to Monaco, Monte Carlo, Nice, Menton and Eze the village.
Another trip we trained to Antibes. It's also close to Italian border. Only used public transportation. Good food, of course!

Considering 9 nights-early October? My vote would be Loire Valley to the south of France. We took the RS Loire to the South of France September 2013. This region would check the boxes for cuisine, art, culture and history. Take a look at the itinerary of this amazing tour for ideas? Also refer to RS France Guidebook. Great resource if you chose this area.

While all of the above would work well, I'm in the "see more of Italy or Spain" camp. Particularly since you say you have more places Italy on your to-see list. For instance, have you been to Taormina, or Palermo, or Ravenna, or Ferrara, or Torino - just to pick five places, off the top of my head, that I really enjoyed and that aren't usually on first or second visit Italy itineraries.

The weather in mid-late Sept was very comfortable. I wore a light jacket, but never was really cold. Looking at average temps in October in that area, it looks like 50-60F. We may have been lucky, but we only had one day of light rain. We had fog and mist, but that just made for the perfect ambiance for exploring castles!

If you want a place similar to Italy, but with no Italians, consider the Tyrol, Slovenia, and Croatia. Wonderful climate. Nice cities. You can do a good tour in 8 days.

Southern France or Piedmont region of Italy.