21 Days in Europe beginning April 14,2020

What precisely is your concern about the spring that would give you pause?

I went to see the tulips at Keukenhof, Amsterdam and between Leiden & Haarlem on my own in mid April a few years ago as it was very easy to plan via public transport & bicycle.

So whether you wish to be with a tour group or independent, it couldn’t be easier.

We are concerned that the weather is really cold in April for this trip

severhart_51, we took this tour in mid-April last year, and the weather was fine. The free day in Lauterbrunnen was chilly and rainy, and the folks who went up on the mountain top said it was snowing there. Other than than, it was light jacket or sweater weather pretty much everywhere. In fact, I think we were in shirtsleeves most places during the day, needing a bit more cover in the evenings.

I packed more long sleeved tops than usual - I usually take up to 5 tops, with one or two of them being long sleeved. This time I took 3 long and 2 short sleeved tops. I also took one pair of slightly heavier pants, swapping out a pair of corduroys for my usual linen blend travel pants.

Layers work well.

Edit to add: Here's my trip report. Feel free to PM me or ask more questions here.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/april-15-2018-21-day-best-of-europe

Another edit: I just reread my trip report, and there were at least several days in Italy when it was actually hot. I had forgotten about people complaining about the lack of a/c in our Venice hotel, and all of Italy seemed to be experiencing above average temps.

We are concerned that the weather is really cold in April for this trip

It might depend on what you're used to. If you live in Minnesota, I doubt you would feel terribly cold in April (except up high in the mountains). OTOH, if you're from Miami, you might perceive things differently.

Nobody can predict weather with certainty. All you can do is look at what the weather has been in previous years during that time, and even that isn't always a good predictor - extremes happen. Best advice is to pack clothes that work across a broad range of weather conditions...bring layers, be ready for anything, and roll with the punches.

Exactly what we plan to do, layer layers layers and jump right in an enjoy it. Just looking for some folks who may have experience in this April trip and we can get a good idea what we should plan for. Thanks for all your help, we are so excited to go on this trip.

Jane, thanks for the link to your trip review. Lots of great information. You mentioned going to Munich, I don't see that on our itinerary but since it's near Dachua I wondered how much time you spent there?
Sounds like we need to prepared for lots of different weather. Your information has been helpful. We were in Ireland on a RS tour and were told it would be cool, well needed to buy warm weather clothes there because they were having an unusually warm Spring.

Severhart, Munich was not a scheduled stop. It was a favorite of our guide Dmitri, so he ordered a detour. We were there probably no more than about 2 or 3 hours. Most of the folks spent the entire tine at the market, a few headed off to explore the neighborhood, and as i posted, Stan and I visited the cathedral, found an ATM Dmitri had recommended, then still had enough time to get a good lunch and explore the market.

We did this trip May 1-22 a couple years ago. We got to Haarlem a few days early. They were having colder than usual weather along with rain off and on. Most people commented on how unusually cold it was. We had gorgeous weather for 3 weeks, then unusually warm weather in Scotland (post tour). I guess I’m saying it can be unpredictable. Layers help. And if it’s unseasonably warm or cold, pick up a T-shirt or a scarf—they can be great souvenirs It’s a great tour.

If you want to see tulips, it’s never going to be tropical. Just dress accordingly. As it starts a couple of days after Easter, places will be busy.

The weather is so unpredictable these days that even looking at websites to see what the weather was like this year won’t help much. This year, we had half our average rainfall in April and May and double the average this month!

We are going to be right behind your tour going 5/10-5/30. I hope you can post a quick clothes report to help us out after your tour. We live in Florida now after spending years up North. Cold is a relative term. Have fun!