European Travel in November

Where in Europe? Which country? November is quite different in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy than it is in Germany, Norway, or Austria.

Anywhere in Europe. Thanks.

Jo is right. Mid November will be completely different depending on where you want to go. And it's a big continent. Obviously is will be warmer and drier to the south, like parts of Spain, Italy and Greece. Rainy and cool in other parts and even downright cold up in Scandinavia or eastern Europe.

Help us help you with more specifics or in getting feedback on your own ideas.

Hi,

If it is anywhere in November, then my first choices and suggestions are London, Paris and Vienna. Choose one or two of these places.

In the winter months my personal preference would be to go to big cities like the previous poster recommended with not too much moving around - how many cities depends on how long your trip is. But I like the things that the big cities offer - music, theater, museums, etc. If you prefer outdoors or more active trips then you may not agree.

To get any really good advice from this forum you need to be a little more specific about your needs and desires. How long is your trip, what do you like to do on trips, any health/mobility issues, etc.

Looking for a country where the weather will be favorable in early winter making travel easy whether by foot, public transportation or rental car; where attractions are open off season; easy travel between cities or areas of interest. Don't mind cold weather, although warmer temps will be better for exploring comfortably.

I posted this for another thread. Seems to apply with a few modifications.

Where to go

There are good books and websites that list Festivals and Special Occasions around the world. Events always add to a trip. Example, Mohacs is worth the effort, but only on one day each year.

Go where the weather works for you. Look at more than north or south. Example: Average Temperature in Crete in February is 54F and it rains 11 days out of the month. Not my idea of a Mediterranean experience. On the other hand Orthodox Christmas in Moscow is amazing, even if it is -10F, the river is frozen solid and there is 3 feet of snow around the Kremlin. Less extreme than Moscow the Central European (Czech, Austria, Hungary) theater season is in full swing October through May. Then there are the Christmas markets, many of which open in mid to late November. Do you ski? Try the High Tatras of Slovakia. And since these regions have long winters they have learned how to make the best of everything while it is cold.

Clothing

Layer and you can get through most seasons. A good pair of long johns goes a long way and you can put lighter clothes over them. When it warms up toss the long johns if you want and replace them in your bag with gifts.

For an outer coat look for Goose Down. Extremely light weight and extremely warm and you can put it in one of the roll up compression bags and it will pack down to a tiny fraction of its expanded size. If you stay in an apartment with a washer and dryer you don't have to bring as much.

If looking for warmer weather, Andalucía (Spain), southern Italy or mainland Greece are your best bets. The Greek Islands are a possibility, but most close up to tourists by mid-November.

Sites anywhere will almost all be open. Some may reduce hours. Days are shorter so outdoor site seeing is restricted. At that time of year, you most likely will have sites almost to yourself except major destinations.

Wow…thanks for so many great ideas. Much appreciated!

We were in northern Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Girona, Figueres, Port Llegat, Barcelona) this past November, and everything was open. We took a jacket and/or sweater for some cool days, and encountered rain some days, too. It got colder as we headed north and when a storm front came through. As the days get shorter heading into winter, it got dark much earlier that it would in summer, but, again, sights were open (well, we didn't spend time at the beach, but it was technically open).

The year before, in Italy, sights were open as well, and weather was sometimes cool and rainy, but was mostly pleasant (highs in the 50's F, low-to mid-teens C). By going in November to southern European destinations, you'd avoid the high heat many visitors get during the summer. Sicily, in particular, was great that time of year, with no crowds and lots to do. We easily found places to stay each night, although our Lonely Planet guidebook indicated that a lot of places for lodging in Sicily, especially along the eastern coast, are closed in the off-season.