We're thinking to taking 2 wk vacation to Europe mid-march. will spend some time in Paris but want to visit another city (been to Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona but haven't been to eastern europe, or vienna, or geneva, etc). any recommendations on where to visit for 5-7 days. Air France allows for free stopover in Paris so we'll be traveling by air to the other city.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
Um....Italy? In March, I'd be tempted to head for someplace south. Much of Eastern Europe can be quite chilly in March. And Italy is, of course, amazingly great. Seems like a no-brainer.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"Much of Eastern Europe can be quite chilly in March." Yep. For a realistic expectation about the most likely weather in mid-March in Eastern Europe, Vienna, etc, go here: http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp, input the location and dates of your trip.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
524 posts
Like the previous posters, my initial reaction is "head south". But I'm from Seattle, so March escapes are usually (not always) to sunnier climes. Since you are from San Clemente, you might be downright sick of all that warmth and sunshine, in which case the soggy cold hills of eastern (central actually) Europe might be just the change of scenery, culture, and climate you are looking for.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
What about London? Crowds wouldn't be as bad as mid-summer. Lots to see and do.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
With only five days, in iffy weather, I would choose a major City with lots to see and do. This is an opportunity to see someplace on your wish list- Vienna, London, Munich. need someplace with museums, cathedrals etc that you can visit if weather is bad and still not 'waste' a day
Posted by
Dallas
1022 posts
We spent a late March week in the South of France - Nice, Cannes, Cassis and the Luberon. On a couple of sunny, cool days we had the top down on the car. One day was so windy so that we didn't enjoy being outside. But, all in all, it was a really nice week touring a beautiful part of France. You could fly to Nice and pick up a car there after a couple of days, or spend the whole time on the Cote D'Azur
without a car.
Posted by
Vancouver, Canada
10 posts
I think Rome would be a great choice! Tons to do/see and I've had a good experience with weather there in mid-March. I wouldn't want to add any other Italian city in that time frame either. 5-7 days sounds great!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32324 posts
Nadine, I agree with the others. After a few days in Paris, look for somewhere in the southern part of Europe. In addition to Madrid and Barcelona, you could consider Rome, perhaps the Algarve in Portugal or the Cote d'Azur as another reply suggested (Nice is a wonderful city!). While the weather could be reasonably good in northern Europe at that time of year, it will probably be a lot more "comfortable" in the south (evenings may be chilly, so pack accordingly). Happy travels!