Where to travel in October!

hi, i hope from your previous RUSHED trip, you will/have learned something for the next. imo, rushing thru a trip (VACATION) is not my idea of fun esp if youre more burned out after then before you left. happy trails.

October is a great month to travel (particularly the first half). I would suggest going south for better weather (Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Greece, etc)

We spent nearly six weeks in France, Italy and back to France in September and October, 2011. We had flown into Paris but didn't fly open jaw so we needed to go back there. We also were committed to meeting two different couples from our town in Italy so that made a difference. Something to consider is that some of the smaller hotels close and the sites have shorter hours. We had reserved a week at an apartment in a hotel in the Luberon in Provence. When we got there, the owners told us they were closing the hotel to other guests because they were going to Morocco. I was concerned but since we had stayed at the hotel two other times, they let us still stay in the apartment. Their son and some cleaners were doing end of the season repair work so there was no problem. It was also really quiet during the evening! We also planned to go to southwestern France on the same trip and found that some of the smaller hotels there were also closed. If you were going to be in the larger cities, there would not be a problem. If you will be in less populated towns, you ask about closing dates if you make reservations. Overall, the weather was hot in September in Italy and cooling off in October as we went north to Paris. Going farther south to Spain, southern Italy, etc. would help in terms of temperatures. Regardless, have fun!

I began traveling Europe at age 20 when I went to the University of Innsbruck. I immediately fell in love with Austria and Bavaria, and am drawn back to the area for the sheer beauty of the Alps. I also love Italy, as we visited Venice/Florence/Tuscany/Rome last Easter. For a young couple, I would suggest Munich, Tirol, Salzburg and Vienna. Or, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. If you have time and the funds, take a budget air carrier flight to Barcelona, and fly home open jaw after a few days there.

Hello Monica. Of the countries that you mentioned, the one country that you might not want to go to in October or November is Switzerland. At its Berner Oberland region (Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen) the hotels are closed in October and November. The winter season, for snow skiing, begins December 1. The islands of Greece, in the Cycladic islands group, are likely to have pleasant weather in October. I think going to Greek islands and Istanbul is a good choice.

Thank you so much everyone for your advice! With our frequent flyer miles we must fly into Barcelona and out of Milan! Here's an idea of the itinerary for our three week trip, with the help of this forum! Barcelona 10/17-10/21 Santorini 10/21-10/25 Naxos 10/25-10/28 Athens 10/28-10/31
Istanbul 10/31-11/5 Fly into Milan on the 5th, leaving home to Seattle on the 6th. We don't have much interest in exploring Milan at all. I don't know if this is a mistake on our part- we just spent so much time in Italy in 2011 and would love to focus on Greece for most of the time.. but our miles only let us fly out of Milan :) Does this itinerary sound crazy and too busy? Should I eliminate a city?

I think you'll love Naxos but keep in mind that it's a relatively big island and if you are taking buses, allow plenty of time and don't count on taking the last bus back to Naxos town - I did and ended up stranded at the last scheduled stop but got back thanks to the bus driver turning around and having a taxi meet us halfway - the hospitality of the people is wonderful.