Travel Europe in October

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Traveling during the shoulder season can have some tremendous advantages.  We recently went on an extended trip through multiple countries in Europe during October and here is what we discovered.

 

Smaller Crowds

Yes, there are still crowds in October but not as large as during the peak summer months.  We still decided it was worth it to purchase skip the line tours to some of the most popular attractions but over all the crowds were smaller.  They still consider October as part of their summer season and most of the tours are still available.  We ran into a few that stopped running at the end of September, but for the most part, much of what we wanted to see and do was still available.

 

Cooler Temperatures  

True, the weather can be variable during October, but we found that worked to our advantage.  We packed clothes that could be layered for cooler days and worn alone on the warmer days.  We didn’t pack anything heavier than a light jacket and did quite well.  There was one morning on the Rhine River that proved to be colder than we would have liked, but they had hot chocolate and blankets available so we didn’t suffer.  Some places improved with the cooler temperatures, for example, the mosquitoes were gone in some locations due to the temperature.  I can't imagine what Rome would be like in the dead heat of summer.  It was still warm when we were there and I was grateful that it wasn't hotter.

 

Falling Prices

We found availability in most of the hotels and locations that we wanted to stay at reasonable prices.  This can’t always be said during the peak summer season.  Often as the availability becomes scarce, the prices rise.  With the crowds tapering off for the autumn, we found prices to be reasonable and more budget friendly.  In some of the most popular cities, the prices are still high but it could have been much worse.

Ready to start planning your autumn adventure to Europe?  Contact us, your Europe experts and we can help you get the most out of your European adventure!