March 2015 Travel Input

From all I've read, the trails on the Cinque Terre close in bad weather, and mid-March is a likely candidate for bad weather. There's not much to do besides hiking there.

Sicily has enough to keep you busy for 10-12 days (or twice that), sightseeing and hiking. Are you planning to rent a car? You won't want to take it to Malta, though, even if the rental company allows it. Driving is on the left (like UK) and traffic is horrible. 3 days is enough to see the highlights. Having been to both, I'd spend more time in Sicily.

Another destination that comes to mind that you haven't mentioned is southern Spain - the warmest driest climate in Europe is in Andalusia - great scenery (I was there in February) and easy to do mostly by train.

Both Spain and Sicily/Malta are low-cost compared to mainland Italy, France, etc.

Thanks for your input. I did forget to mention Andalusia! Any recommendations on which specific part to visit as a first timer in the area? We won't be renting a car so any place is easily accessible through public transport and/or walking is a key consideration too.

We most often go the last week of March, and the weather can be 50/50. Going south would give you better chances of good weather, however.
Have you considered flying EasyJet.com from Gatwick to Budapest. From there, you could easily take a train up to Vienna and over to Munich. Or you could cut corners by train and go to Salzburg and Munich from Budapest.
We too like Prague, but we found everything there much more expensive (except beer) than Budapest. Many think that the Grunge Bars of Budapest are about as good as it gets for nightlife.

And needless to say what fun Munich can be. You can also fly back to London from Munich to Gatwick on EasyJet inexpensively.

I suggest you reconsider February in Scotland. Your winter break is a much better time. I've been to Scotland twice at the end of March and it is cold but beautiful and the sun came out every day. Good time to go to Orkney, too.

I've been in Vienna late March, too. Good time as there are far fewer tourists than late in Spring.

Hello PNWtoLON. If you decide to travel in Europe, I like David's suggestion of flying to Budapest, and riding in a train from there to Vienna. If you do not insist on travelling in Europe, I think Sicily is a good destination. I guess Sicily has pleasant weather in the month March.

In her mid-twenties, my daughter's favorite spot was Prague. Very unique city with great night life. She and her friends also loved a spring break in Barcelona.

Most of Andalusia is well-connected by train. Granada is a little remote, since there are no fast trains that go there, but it has the Alhambra. Ronda is on the train line and being in the hills, has some hiking. Seville, Cordoba, Jerez are all good destinations and all about an hour apart by train.

I also suggest southern Spain in March. Vienna and this area will be in the last throes of winter in mid March. Not very conducive for hiking and outdoor activities.

Thanks so much for your input. I really appreciate it. After taking in your comments and doing more research, here is our preliminary itinerary:

Prague: March 16 (arriving early afternoon) - 19
Budapest: March 19 - 21 (arrive by train from Prague)
Ljubljana (and day trip to Lake Bled) : March 21 - 24 (arrive by train from Budapest)
Salzburg : March 24 - 26 (arrive by train from Ljubljana)
Fly back to London

We might add a night each in the itinerary for Budapest and Salzburg and fly out on the 28th from Salzburg. Initially, we had wanted to chase the sun and find a warm place but after watching some videos on the above locations, we feel like the cities have a lot to offer and fit our budget...also while it may be cold atleast the cities won't be as busy/crazy as London and can offer some piece of mind. Thoughts and suggestions on the itinerary are welcome and much appreciated!

IMHO Prague and Budapest need 3 full days and are enjoyable in all seasons. As everything obviously more when warm and sunny. Ljubljana is lovely and charming. Its biggest charm is its coffee culture and strolling around. Sitting outside at the coffee house on the river bank, looking at the castle, watching people strolling by, magic moments. In March this probably won't happen. I don't know about Lake Bled in March. I assume most establishments will be still closed. Boats to the island likely won't go. Ljubljana and Salzburg are quite smaller than Prague and Budapest and one day for them would probably be enough in March.

I feel like I just have to say once again that if I had all of Europe on a plate to choose from at this time of year, I would go much further south. The weather will likely diminish your experiences in all of these places as they are all best enjoyed in May or later. Don't get me wrong - these are lovely cities, but I think you are going at the wrong time of year. Also - where will you fit in the hiking? It will probably be cold and grey where you will have hiking opportunities.

We have spent a lot of time in Central Europe in March and it's always been good, but rather than rely on subjective reality it's best to look up the weather stats. Personally, in the cold months I avoid the places known for summer or warm weather activities and concentrate on location with great winter culture.

Vienna has gotten a sad review for the winter thru March with comments like Dank and "I stay inside"

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/vienna-winter-walking

But I've been in the region in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb and March and never had a bad moment. A Lot Depends On Your interests.

I am in the region this week and having an excellent time.

I don't know how the British Airways Avios work, but to find relatively cheap flights from London to the rest of Europe, I'd try a search at www.skyscanner.com. For a random sample date of March 4, one-way flights to Malta cost about $50 on Ryan Air, $90 on EasyJet, $105 on British, and more on Air Malta.