For those of us who aren’t making the trip for a festival or a white Christmas, these dates will give you great weather for a fraction of the cost.
Holidaymakers with a penchant for warm, sunny days and streets that aren’t packed to the hilt with tourists, take note: these months will give you all that and more when you travel to Europe.
The best time to travel to Europe
March to June and September to October.
Why?
Spring and autumn offer warm to hot days and are just outside of the peak holiday periods, ie, the European summer and Christmas break. Being shoulder months, they offer less crowds and less expensive flights and accommodation.
Overview
Europe experiences four seasons. Summers are warm to hot with countries such as Spain, Greece and Italy enjoying some of the highest temperatures of 30℃+. Winters are cold and can be harsh in some of the northernmost countries such as Russia, Belarus and the Baltics.Europe is a popular destination for holidaymakers worldwide, especially during the summer, so unless you’re attending a summer festival, it’s best to steer clear during July and August.
Weather and prices
The best time to visit, weatherwise: July and August provide the best weather, however, to avoid the summer breakers, travel during the shoulder months of May and June and September and October.
The cheapest time to visit: Search for flight deals during the low-season months of March to June and September to October.
The best time to visit Europe for…
- To avoid crowds: Summer and winter are the busiest months of the year for Europe so you'll find travelling in spring or autumn less crowded.
- On a budget: Search for flights and hotel deals at the end of season, from August to September or during winter (excluding the Christmas and New Year's holiday week).
- Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe can be visited all year round as it has warm to hot summers and snow-filled winters. As winters can be harsh, you might like to travel in shoulder months when outdoor activities such as hiking are open.
- Central Europe: Central Europe can be visited all year round and, similar to Eastern Europe, it has hot summers and snow-filled winters. Spring and autumn are ideal months to visit as they offer pleasant weather.
- Mediterranean: Peak season is when the resorts in the Mediterranean open their doors to visitors. To avoid paying peak prices, travel during the beginning or end of season.
- Northern Europe: The best time to visit Europe's north depends on your travel intent. During summer, you'll enjoy long days and the midnight sun in certain destinations. During winter, you'll have a few short hours of daylight each day but you'll also likely have a white Christmas and may even see the Northern Lights in certain locations. For general sightseeing, spring and autumn feature mild to warm temperatures and are best for outdoor activities.
Hot Europe travel deals
STA Travel
Europe flights from $699 return
Valid for travel from 26 April -15 June 2019 with Air China. Destinations include Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Warsaw. Sample fare is Melbourne-Warsaw.
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Qatar Airways
Europe flights from $1,019 return in summer
Valid for travel from 13 January - 31 August 2019. Destinations include Milan, London, Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Paris, Rome, Dublin and more. Sample fare is Perth-Istanbul.
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Gate1 Travel
Up to $1,100 off European river cruises
Valid on select dates from March 2019 - November 2019. Destinations include Budapest, Munich, Prague, Berlin, Krakow and more. Note: Deposit must be paid by 7 November 2018 to receive discount.
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Qatar Airways
Extra 10% off flights: Europe from $981 return
Valid for travel from 2 July 2018 - 31 June 2019. Destinations include London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, New York, Washington DC, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Casablanca, Marrakech, Algiers, Tunis, Khartoum, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Beirut and more.
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G Adventures
Up to 25% off tours and sailing trips worldwide
Valid on select tours in Europe, South America, Asia, the Caribbean, North America and more.
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Qatar Airways
Last minute Europe flights from $1,179 return
Valid for travel until 14 January 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Barcelona. Destinations include Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Athens, Amsterdam and more.
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Etihad Airways Australia
Europe flights from $1,086 return
Valid for travel from 15 January - 11 September 2019. Destinations include Paris, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Athens and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Amsterdam.
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Insight Vacations
Europe flights from $899 with Cathay Pacific or Qatar Airways
Valid from 1 April - 30 November 2019 with bookings on select Europe and Britain tours. T&Cs apply.
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G Adventures
Up to 15% off trekking adventures
Valid for travel from 1 January - 31 December 2019 at select destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia and South America. T&Cs apply.
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Qatar Airways
15% off flights
Valid on select Europe destinations. Discount is for members only. T&Cs apply.
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Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
10% off stays + free breakfast
Valid for stays on select dates across all participating Millennium Hotels and Resorts in Asia, Europe, Middle East and United States. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to $970 off Europe tour
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include England, Netherlands, Vatican, Belgium, Switzerland and more. T&Cs apply.
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Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Up to 20% off hotels + free breakfast
Valid for stays until 30 April 2018 on select Europe hotels. Minimum of 3 nights stay. T&Cs apply.
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Emirates
Europe flights from $1,259 return
Valid for travel from 1 February - 6 June 2019. Destinations include London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and more. Sample fare Melbourne-London.
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Skyscanner
Europe flights from $1,058 return with Emirates
Valid for travel between June 2019. Sample fare is Perth-London. Destinations include London, Amsterdam, Manchester and more.
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Skyscanner
Europe flights from $1,011 return with Qatar
Valid for travel between June 2019. Sample fare is Perth-Amsterdam. Destinations include Dublin, Manchester, Amsterdam, Rome, Athens and more.
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Skyscanner
Europe flights from $1,297 return with Etihad
Valid for travel between June 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Barcelona. Destinations include Dublin, London, Milan, Manchester, Paris, Rome and more.
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Nexus Holidays
Up to $1,000 off 20-day Europe tour and cruise
Valid for travel from 30 April - 29 October 2019. Includes return international airfares, accommodation, 7 nights cruising aboard MSC Sinfonia, meals, transfers and more. Destinations are Athens, Naples, Croatia, Greece and Italy. T&Cs apply.
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TourRadar
Up to 50% off Europe tours
Valid for travel from September - December 2018 depending on the destination. Destinations include London, Athens, Rome, Berlin, Budapest, Croatia and more. T&Cs apply.
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Tick Travel Insurance
Get 10% off all Tick travel insurance policies
Want to save more on your Tick travel insurance policy? Just enter this code to receive a 10% discount on your cover to destinations like Bali, New Zealand, USA, Europe, Thailand, Fiji, Vietnam and more.
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Travel Insurance Saver
Get up to 30% discount on travel insurance
Save on policies to Bali, New Zealand, USA, Europe, Thailand, Fiji, Vietnam and more when you purchase cover online. Terms and conditions apply.
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G Adventures
Up to $740 off Europe tours
Valid for travel from 13 December 2108 - 21 January 2019. Destinations include Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Austria and more. T&Cs apply.
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Book FHR
Up to 20% off airport hotels, parking and lounges
Valid on all dates at select Europe destinations. T&Cs apply.
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KLM
Europe flights from $1,414 return
Valid for travel until 6 June 2019. Destinations include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Paris, Venice and more. Sample fare is Adelaide-Barcelona.
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Cathay Pacific
Europe flights from $1,165 return
Valid for travel from 1 March - 31 August 2019. Destinations include Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Dublin.
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Best Western
Save up to 30% on Europe stays
Valid on stays book a minimum of 21 days in advance. Choose the Early Web Special rate to save 15-30%, depending on the property.
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Lufthansa
Europe flights from $1,510 return
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include London, Rome, Paris, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid and more. Sample fare is Perth-Barcelona.
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Hertz
10% off Europe car hire
Valid on select dates. Minimum of 5 days rental. T&C's apply.
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Contiki
Up to 30% off last-minute Europe summer tours
Book a range of last-minute Contiki tours, from week long jaunts to month long journeys, to destinations like Italy, France, Germany, Greece and more for up to 30% off.
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GoEuro
Europe train tickets from €15
Valid on select trains in Europe. Sample price is for trains from Brussels to Bruges or Rome to Florence.
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Eurail
20% off passes for students
Enjoy 15% off on your rail travel in Europe. Must be 27 and below to redeem offer. T&Cs apply.
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Go Airport Shuttle
5% off airport transfers and car hire
Valid on select dates and locations worldwide. Destinations include USA, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Sydney, and the Czech Republic. T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 10% off car rentals in Europe
Valid for travel on select dates. Includes free rebooking and cancellation. T&C's apply.
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Hostelworld
Europe stay from $15 per night
Valid on select dates and hostels across Europe. Destinations include London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris and more. T&C's apply.
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Radisson Blu
Up to 20% off stays
Valid on advance bookings at participating hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas only and is subject to availability. Most hotels define advanced bookings as one month in advance. Subject to change. See site for details.
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Etihad Airways Australia
Europe Christmas flights from $1,878 return
Valid for travel until 31 December 2018. Destinations include Rome, Paris, Dublin, London and more. Sample fare is Perth-Amsterdam.
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