Septermber in Europe?

I've been there in July/August, in April/May, and in Sept/Oct; September has been a great time for us. The only things to consider are......opening hours - the 'shoulder seasons' are when the hours change (maybe the venue even closes), so be sure to note that; weather - in July it's hot everywhere (yuck), but when I go to Europe this Sept. I'm anticipating a 20F change in temps overnight b/n Munich and Siena so I'll have to pack accordingly. Depending on exactly where you want to go, only the month of January may give you any respite from the crowds LOL! Rome in Oct is better than Rome in July, but it's still Rome and very popular/crazy/full of tourists! Bruges, on the other hand, is a bit less crazy. And Colmar is even less packed. I have been cooler/colder in April and May than I have been in Sept and Oct, but of course weather can vary so much from year to year and place to place. Also, the days are shorter so don't forget that. Just expect the crowds, and hopefully you can be pleasantly surprised ;-)

These days, travel is affordable and there are lots and lots of tourists much of the year wherever you go. People without school-age children often choose to travel before or after summer vacation. And many European schools (post high-school) don't start before October. If you really want to avoid crowds, you should think of less popular destinations, if there are any.

In September, we have been to the Swiss alps, and to the Dolomites in Italy. We have also been both places in August, and to the Alsps in June and July. Both the Alps and Dolomites were less crowded in September, and in the Dolomites the lodging rates dropped considerably at the end of August, around the 26th or 27th, when kids go back to school. So I would say this is a good time to go either of those two places (although the weather can be fickle as alwasyss in the mountains.) My experience with kids going back to school may well apply to other areas popular for family vacations as well, rduinng the crowding in many places besides the mountains.

We think it's a perfect time of year for Europe. Over a 10-year period, we've been to France, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Greece in September- early October. You'll still find tourists in the big cities but it seems to wind down a bit in the smaller towns. We love the golden light at the end of the day. Croatia and some of the Greek islands will definitely be uncrowded, if they appeal to you. Oktoberfest actually starts on Sept. 17 this year and runs through Oct. 3. We were accidentally there for opening day years ago, and found it interesting ... especially the costume parade in Munich on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest. One of our all-time favorite unexpected surprises in Europe.

September and October are both wonderful times of the year in Europe. We really love France in the Fall. Paris is busy because of the fashion shows, but we love Paris whether it is busy or not. Burgundy is very low key and lovely then because the grapevines are Colorful. We like to travel through the small villages there , see the wineries, relax, It is very easy to drive through Burgundy. backroads are great.Lots of wonderful B and B's. This year we are going to the southwest of. France to the Pyrenees, Basque region, Aveyron region.These areas are good for hiking, and Fall is a nice time to be there.

September and October are both wonderful times of the year in Europe. We really love France in the Fall. Paris is busy because of the fashion shows, but we love Paris whether it is busy or not. Burgundy is very low key and lovely then because the grapevines are Colorful. We like to travel through the small villages there , see the wineries, relax, It is very easy to drive through Burgundy. backroads are great.Lots of wonderful B and B's. This year we are going to the southwest of. France to the Pyrenees, Basque region, Aveyron region.These areas are good for hiking, and Fall is a nice time to be there.

Richard, September / October are considered the "fall shoulder season" in Europe, and even though not as hot and crowded as July / August it can still be "busy". I've found that it can sometimes be difficult either in the spring or fall shoulder seasons to get lodgings, so I tend to always pre-book. Even using that approach, it's sometimes been challenging to find a vacancy. In terms of "places to visit", I'd suggest having a look at some Guidebooks to get some idea on places / sites that might interest you. If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd also recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door, as it provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Good luck with your planning!

September is a great time of year to be in Europe. Given the choice, I would always choose May or September before June/July/August. South of the Alps, I also like Oct. to early Nov. a lot (north of the Alps it starts to get too cold and the days get short).

I've always wanted to go to Europe in the fall. (couldn't in the past as I worked in the schools) I've read about harvest festivals in the UK that I would love to attend. I'm sure there are similar all over Europe. I bet Scotland is beautiful at that time of year and the August rush of festival in Edinburgh is over .... Oh well I can dream.

September means small wine festivals in the Rhine villages. Bingen weinfest - 9/2-12: http://www.bingen.de/en/2/bingerwein_070226.html 9/9-12 and 9/16-17 in Oberwesel; the "night of one thousand fires" fireworks spectacle happens on the 10th. http://oberwesel.de/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=319&Itemid=261&lang=english 9/23-26: Boppard's winefest with Sat. fireworks. Live music on Fr and Sat, schedule here on this flyer in German: http://oberwesel.de/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=319&Itemid=261&lang=english Reserve rooms early to avoid disappointment - these are small towns.

Germany also has "new wine" during September. It tastes like grape juice with some pulp. You have to be careful though, you don't taste any alcohol. As I recall, the bottles have a different type of seal so they aren't good for transporting and it's only available during the harvest season.

Brad, that would be Federweisser and they have fests all over the place serving this. The wine is still "working" so you can't screw the top on the bottles and you have to transport it with the bottles in an upright position obviously. It is traditionally served with onion tart. It does have alcohol in it and you will feel like crap the next day if you drink more than a couple of glasses. Add in the onion tart and your next day will be less than amusing to your travel companions. Usually sold as white wine, red Federweisser is becoming increasingly popular. This would probably come from the Assmanshausen area, as they produce red wine. If you are here the end of August, Richard, then consider coming to the Museumsufer Fest in Frankfurt held on the last weekend in Aug. This is one of the premier events in Germany and a lot of fun.

SEptember is still crowded and busy in Sept, and hotels are very full right thru beginning of Oct.. its not just fashion week,, but trade show season, and many places I go are already full,, I am sure that outside of Paris it is quite nice though,, I personally do not mind crowds so I go in summer anyways.. I have gone in May, June , July, August , September and even early October,, I like long light days of July and August, and frankly didn't notice alot less crowds in either June or September, I consider them still high season.