I just enjoyed a blessedly uncrowded and relatively inexpensive Oct/Nov trip to Sicily and Italy. Locals seemed relaxed and prices were soft. The minor sacrifice of having shorter attraction hours and some closures was well worth the other positives.
Where are some of your suggestions for destinations as well as suggested timeframes to go?
eg. Winter in Venice, avoiding Christmas and Carnevale.
For me, winter is great in any city in which indoor activities, such as museums can be a primary focus of the trip. London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Rome and Madrid have all be great off-season trips for me.
Edge seasons in spring or fall can also be great in the next size smaller cities in Europe. They don't have as much to do indoors, so you need to go when there is a bit more still going on outside. Dusseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, Munich and Salzburg come to mind. Crowds will be smaller and the weather may be fantastic. But please look at the local events calendar to ensure you aren't bumping into the crowds for Oktoberfest or Carnival..
I love traveling in southern Europe in February and March. The weather's mild, often sunny, the prices are lower and crowds are few. Andalucia, Barcelona, French Riviera, and Italy have not disappointed. I was in Venice twice during the early weekend of Carnivale and enjoyed it immensely - worth the high season prices and the crowds around San Marco - not nearly so crowded as high season in other parts of the city. And even in Venice there were sunny days I enjoying sitting at an outdoor table with a cold drink. Acqua alta was an experience I'll never forget, nor the brief snow in Padua the day before.
Southeast Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong are excellent destinations in Jan/Feb - the dry season.
Chris,
I am confused. You say you just enjoyed an Oct/Nov trip to Italy and Sicily. This is September. Are you talking about Oct/Nov 2025, or an upcoming trip for Oct/Nov.? I don't dispute advantages with off-season trips, but your posting about having "just completed" your trip doesn't make sense. Can you clarify please?
Judy, there is that and October isn't really off season for southern Italy. Of course, I'm not sure of the definition of off season. Ferbuary in Montenegro ... but thats ski season or November / December most any place is Christmas Market season while January in many Orthodox countries is Christmas
@Judy Sorry for not being more precise with my language. My trip was the end of October and November 2025. Our hotel price in Sorrento, for example, was about 40% the cost of August or September dates at the same property. Our hotel in Agrigento was similarly 40% the cost of late September dates.
Chris,
Thank you for the clarification.
@Chani. What was early Carnevale like from a spectacle standpoint? Were there boat parades and things that were accessible to the general public that early?
I mostly travel in March, April and October not because of crowds or prices but because I like lows temps in the 40s / 50s and highs in the 50s / 60s. If the average lows are in the 30s and average highs in the 70s I won’t go because it’s not comfortable to walk around all day.
March has been a wonderful time for me in Andalucia. As in all of Spain you need to check the dates of Holy Week and go just before that, if possible.
Chris, the schedule changes from year to year. The first time, there was an opening ceremony in San Marco on the first Sunday which included a costume competition. The second time, no grand opening, but a couple of water parades, one on the Grand Canal, one in Cannaregio. There are serious people who work all year on their costumes (all foreigners) and love to show them off and willingly pose for pictures. The costumes are very intricate. The best time to see them is early morning around the Doge's Palace. There are balls that the public can attend - not cheap - and shops that will rent out costumes - also not cheap - but necessary for a ball. You can also rent a costume just to get into the swing of things. Or buy a cape and a feathered cap at one of the many stalls.
There are also some odd little times when there are fewer tourists because the kids are back in school between holidays - End April along the Rhein in Germany - Heidelberg was almost deserted ahead of the May 1 holiday.
My BIL & SIL took a week before the week of Good Friday to travel by train across Germany, via Strasbourg, via Paris & ended in Barcelona. They walked into the Gaudi's Sagrada Familia without tickets, no lines.
I know from a Forum friend that Florence and Rome were so quiet in mid January they didn't book any advance tickets. And had lovely room upgrades!!
A visit to Athens in mid-December was quiet tourist wise. Almost nobody was at the Acropolis. I have a photo of the temple with 6 people around it. What a great surprise, since you see pictures of thousands of people walking elbow to elbow up the many stairs. The temperatures were mild and sunny.
These are all really good. Uncrowded Greece is something I had never thought of.
