Hi, I have some vacation time that I need to use at the end of March / beginning of April and I was thinking of taking a 2-3 week trip to Europe. I was wondering which regions would have nice enough weather by the end of March for walking around and sightseeing. I've recently been to Paris, Prague, Munich, and Berlin so I'd like to tour a different area of Europe. I don't mind some cold and some rain but I would prefer not to go somewhere where I'd be completely freezing and miserable. Thanks!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17397 posts
Either Spain or Italy should be nice that time of year. Just remember that the first week of April is Easter Week, so there may be lots of other travelers (spring break for many schools) and some places may be crowded with Holy Week visiters (Sevilla has a huge festival and Rome attracts many people as well.) We have also been in southern England at that time of year (late March/early April) and the weather was surprisingly nice.
Posted by
winston salem, nc, usa
1078 posts
2 years' ago we did Sicily and the Amalfi coast during the last week of March and first week of April and are targeting doing it again in 2012 during the first 2 weeks of March. Both areas were beautiful, full of flowers and as green as CA at that time of year, plus rates were low and the crowds pretty sparse for the most part in both areas. Also did Pompei. We stayed at he Hilton in Sorrento on points and in Palermo for 90E a night with free breakfast and parking.
Posted by
maplewood, new jersey, usa
818 posts
Portugal. Was there that time of year in 2010 and it was wonderful and cheap too. Next year we are doing Germany. This year was Peru. That is our school vacation time.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32349 posts
Leah, With that time frame, you'll probably want to visit more than one country or city. As the others have suggested, the southern regions of Italy, Spain and Portugal (especially the Algarve) would be good to consider. Which location to choose may partially depend on the price and availability of inexpensive flights. You could (for example) go from Portugal to Spain to Italy (this would of course require open-jaw flights). I've been southern Italy in April and on that occasion the weather was great, but of course there are never any guarantees from year-to-year. Happy travels!
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
Southern half of Spain or Italy would probably be your best bets. Northern Spain and Italy will still be chilly, if not freezing, in March. At that time of year I'd start at the southern end of your itinerary and work north to give yourself the best chance of catching good weather.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
While I've never been there in the early spring, I LOVE the UK and don't think there could be a bad time of year to visit. We've gone in the winter and had a wonderful time being out and about. Also did parts of Austria in winter and loved it, too. I think it is more about dressing properly for the weather and having flexible plans so you can take advantage of 'good' days and have alternative in case of really intollerable weather for outside activities (downpours of rain, etc.).