Planning for spring break 2025

I'd definitely do Paris. We arrived on April 12 this year and it was 80 degrees F. And delicious spring weather the rest of the week. But, even if it's cold and rainy, there's so much to see and do indoors and out in Paris.

Super easy. Don't even try to meet up at the airport. Everyone arrives at CDG at their varied time, and goes to the official Paris taxi stand. Get in the quick, fast moving line. Take the taxi (it's a fixed rate depending on left or right bank.) directly to the hotel; where you meet up!

I've been to Dublin and London. I love, love, love London as well. I wouldn't want to do Dublin (though I enjoyed it) that early in the year.

Well Sciencegril, nice to see your name again.

Paris, London, Barcelona or Dublin?

All the recent negativity with tourism and crime pretty much took its toll on me, so I would scratch Barcelona off the list. Shame too because it looks beautiful and interesting. But for the wather, not half bad: https://world-weather.info/forecast/spain/barcelona/april-2024/ - but do look at several years for a recent average.

For Dublin I would need to do a lot of research and be convinced. I am not too worried about the weather in March or
April. It will be what it will be and I can always adapt. Here are the actuals temps in April this year .... not bad actually. https://world-weather.info/forecast/ireland/dublin/april-2024/

London, I enjoy London enough to put up with the language problems. You would think that you could find as many people in London that speak good Engish as you can in Budpaest, but noooooooo..... Okay, Ireland is worse, but it is supposed to be so I forgive it.

Paris? Always enjoyable. Any time of the year. A favorite place for me. https://world-weather.info/forecast/france/paris/april-2024/ Paris or London would be my first choice.

But since you are totally open minded about where, one final consideration might be cost. Not that one costs too much, but one might allow you to spend more on the nices stuff than the others do.

A lot of sites like this one have suffered inaccuracies if for no other reason the recent inflationary trends and generally from a lack of data. BUT, for rank order and a sort of starting place or maybe add 15% to each. https://www.budgetyourtrip.com/europe

Dublin: On average, budget travelers spend $75 (€69) per day, mid-range travelers spend $196 (€179) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $535 (€490) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to Dublin.

Spain: On average, budget travelers spend $76 (€70) per day, mid-range travelers spend $199 (€183) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $538 (€493) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to Barcelona. (but Barcelona has begun cracking down on short term rentals and intitiating other measures to drive up prices to limit tourism, these number are probably somewhat low because of all of that)

London: On average, budget travelers spend $106 (£81) per day, mid-range travelers spend $283 (£217) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $805 (£617) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to London.

Paris: On average, budget travelers spend $107 (€98) per day, mid-range travelers spend $287 (€262) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $817 (€748) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to Paris.

And as a benchmark, since you were just here:

Budapest: On average, budget travelers spend $35 (Ft12,501) per day, mid-range travelers spend $93 (Ft32,957) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $256 (Ft90,920) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to Budapest.

So Dublin and Barcelona will be closer to the cost of a holiday as you had here.

Paris is the city most like Budapest in atmosphere and beauty.

Barcelona's likely to be enough warmer to make a significant difference to me. Take a look at the monthly averages shown in the climate chart included in the cities' Wikipedia entries. Keep in mind that those average high temperatures do not mean that's what you'll have every day, nor do they mean it will be that warm when you walk out of your hotel in the morning. However, check the actual temperatures recorded in Budapest while you were there this year and see how they compare to Wikipedia's averages for the four cities you're considering for 2025; maybe you'll be perfectly happy with anything reasonably expectable in Dublin, London or Paris. (I wouldn't be if I had Barcelona as an alternative.)

Actual Budapest weather -- April 2024

Someone keeps pointing out to me tha tthe averages have been twisted by recent global warning. So, those links I put above are the actual temps you can look at by day and year. Nice interface too. Paris was actually warmer than Barcelona the first week in April this year.