In a way, autumn as a season for travel is perhaps almost my favourite. It’s a time when it’s often colder and rainy in the north, but still beautiful in the south of Europe. Unlike winter, when one is already looking for an exotic holiday, autumn is a great opportunity for short (even weekend) trips around Europe. With autumn coming to an end, it’s not swimming everywhere, but it certainly offers plenty of wonderful experiences in summer destinations with much smaller crowds of tourists.
In a nutshell:
- the most beautiful autumn colours: the Dolomites, Tuscany or Hungarian vineyards,
- cheap autumn destinations: albania, Montenegro,
- European capitals like Rome, Madrid, Paris are better in autumn, they are not so hot and crowded with tourists.
Why it’s great to travel in autumn
Autumn is for me the best travel season for travelling in Europe, especially the southern one. Why?
- It’s not hot anymore, but in Italy, Spain, Portugal the sun is still mostly shining, no harsh autumn like here. This is ideal especially for visiting European capitals like Rome or Paris. Valencia in Spain will be the sunniest, and Málaga is said to have the warmest sea in October.
- In autumn, especially in November and early December, there are often cheap flight deals. It’s common to find destinations like Rome, Palermo or Venice for under a thousand.
- It’s after high season, so there aren’t as many people everywhere. This applies mainly to seaside resorts where people go to the sea, but they can also offer beautiful nature or gastronomy, of course. Here I would single out Catania in Sicily (with a trip to Etna, for example), Mallorca (the natural beauty here is much underrated, it’s really not a destination for just a roll by the sea) or Montenegro, where you can still swim just fine in October.
- The smaller influx of people is also related to lower demand for accommodation and therefore lower prices than in the high season.
- Autumn has beautiful colours and some destinations can offer it in a completely different form. In this respect, my beloved Tuscany, the Val d’Orcia region, will delight you.
Where to go to the sea in autumn
I must admit that my main travel goal is not swimming in the sea. I like to go to the sea and I like to sail boats on the sea, but I don’t necessarily need to be in the sea or even to roll on the beach. At the same time, I’m pretty hardy, so on the contrary, if I feel like it, I’ll take a dip in the colder sea. I mean, I may have a slightly skewed barometer of when it’s still OK to swim.
- Canary Islands – the temperature here is favourable all year round and although it doesn’t go much above 30, it doesn’t go much below 25 and you can swim here in November and December. If you like the heat, skip the windier island of Fuerteventura and head south to Gran Canaria or Lanzarote.
- Valencia – has 300+ days of sunshine a year, so it’s almost impossible to miss the good weather here. In November, it’s more for the hardier.
- Mallorca – the Spanish island has a lot of beautiful beaches and if you skip the windy ones, where it’s more for windsurfing, then in September and October you can still swim.
- The Balkans – Croatia, Albania and Montenegro have beautiful summer weather in September, but in October it is more in the south of Croatia and Albania and Montenegro.
European cities in autumn
In European capitals, the season does not end with summer, but autumn and spring are more popular with many travellers – precisely because they are by the sea in summer, but in autumn they travel to places where there is no sea. At the same time, who wants to spend the summer in a hot city when you can postpone it to a more temperature-acceptable time of the year.
Rome
Rome is enchanting in autumn as the city dresses up in warmer autumnal tones and frankly in summer Rome is a scorcher, autumn is much better. I’ve also been here in April and February and even then the weather was pleasantly warm.
Rome is home to famous historical monuments such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Trevi Fountain. And of course the Vatican.
Madrid
The Spanish capital is perfect for slowing down with a glass of sangria and a plate of tapas at the mercado or churros and chocolate at a renowned churreria. There’s no shortage of things to do for park and monument lovers either, especially the Royal Palace, the Museo del Prado and the Reina Sofía.
Paris
There’s a lot to see in Paris, and you’ll appreciate not walking those miles around the city in the summer heat. Paris can have worse weather in autumn (cloudy or rainy), but that doesn’t really detract from its beauty. Not to mention it gives you the opportunity to go to the famous boulangeries for a croissant or patisseries for a macaroon, or just sit down for a coffee and watch the hustle and bustle of the Parisian streets.
Places to see I don’t even need to mention, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and if that wasn’t enough, a trip to Versailles. The Champs-Élysées and the Jardin du Luxembourg are full of colorful foliage that makes for pretty scenery.
Seville
Seville is my great love. Being here in the summer is practically impossible, temperatures often exceed 40 degrees and it’s still sunny. In autumn and spring the climate is more favourable and you can enjoy the city better. You’ll see, in my opinion, the most beautiful square (not only) in Spain, the Plaza de España, the world-famous cathedral and the royal palace, but most importantly you’ll taste the great Andalusian cuisine.
If Seville isn’t enough for you, you can take a roadtrip through Andalusia from here, or at least to Córdoba, an hour away by train.
Budapest
Budapest is a beautiful city and from the Czech Republic you don’t need to keep an eye on your flight tickets, you can come here any weekend practically unplanned, especially if you live closer to Brno than to Prague. And if it happens to be colder, you’ll appreciate the thermal baths.
Istanbul
A slightly more distant trip to a different culture. Istanbul has two parts, European and Asian, which you can travel between by boat, so for me ideal. I wasn’t here until December and it was already a bit chilly, but perfect for autumn and if anything, you can get your favourite Turkish tea on every corner.
Bologna
Bologna is a beautiful Italian city, but mainly it’s a paradise for lovers of Italian cuisine and those who want to enjoy their trip in a relaxed atmosphere (and with a cup of coffee) rather than in a big city, where you “need” to see a lot of sights.
Autumn roadtrip destinations
If you’re looking to take a longer trip, at least for 5 days, these are my favorite destinations that are perfect for either a roadtrip or an out of town trip.
Albania
In beautiful Albania, you can still swim in autumn, at least in the south until the end of October. Ideal areas for this are Sarande, Ksamil (but this is a very touristy summer area and it tends to be a bit dead after the season in terms of, for example, open restaurants), Himare or Vlore. If you’re heading more for mountain hiking, then there’s the Albanian Alps, specifically the town of Theth.
Montenegro
Montenegro also offers mountains and beautiful nature, as well as beaches and historic towns. The most popular ones are probably Budva and Kotor, where you can find more activities and activities, but as far as the sea is concerned, there are beach destinations all along the coast, especially Sutomore, Bar, Ulcinj. But for actual beach lounging it’s more like only in September, early October.
Tuscany
My heart is Tuscany. First of all, they don’t have mediocre restaurants and everything is top Tuscan cuisine and secondly, the nature. I love the Val d’Orcia area, which is a small valley that has perhaps all the iconic photos of Tuscany. There are beautiful little towns that are best to drive between and then walk through each one and admire the little houses and shops, have a bite to eat and then drive through the beautiful countryside between towns like San Quirico d’Orcia, Pienza, Montepulciano or Bagno Vignoni.
If you want to visit Tuscany but don’t want to drive that far, fly to Florence or Pisa.
Sardinia and Sicily
Italy’s two largest islands have beautiful nature and super gastronomy. Sicily often has cheap flights to both Catania (east coast) and Palermo (west coast). In Sardinia, tickets tend to be a bit more expensive, but you can follow 3 airports: Cagliari (south), Alghero (northwest) and Olbia (northeast).
Both islands are ideal for a roadtrip and both have a functioning rail network. I don’t even dare to choose which area is the best, because each has something to offer. I haven’t been to Palermo yet, but I have no doubt that it’s fine there too.
Algarve
Lisbon and Porto are beautiful from Portugal, although they can be a bit cooler in autumn. However, the Algarve offers beautiful countryside and coastline, an area you can either fly into from Faro airport or drive to from Lisbon. Here you can visit Portuguese towns such as Olhao, Albufeiro, Lagos or Portimão.
Andalusia
Andalusia is practically the whole south of Spain. You can get here by air to Málaga (it’s usually cheaper) or to Seville. Once you’re here, you have about a thousand options for where to go. But the sort of classics are Málaga, Granada, Ronda and a trip (with passport!) to Gibraltar and possibly the southernmost point of mainland Europe to the town of Tarifa.
Greek islands
In summer, the Greek islands are literally under siege by tourists, but in autumn it’s quieter, the locals take over the country, the tourist taverns may be closed, but the local ones, where Greeks drink their ouzo in peace, are still there.
With all the islands, it’s best to rent a car and drive around a bit, but you won’t be dissatisfied even if you stay in one place. Whether it’s Kerkyra in Corfu, Oia in Santorini or Heraklion in Crete.
