There’s so much to each European country. So much so that you could really plan monthly trips, never see the same country twice and have the best weather possible to enjoy the area to the fullest.
This is as much for you as it is for me because there’s so many places listed down below that I haven’t explored yet but I’ve researched enough about to tell you when is the best time to go. Month by month, here’s my in depth European countries itinerary!
Good thing about Europe is that it’s compact enough that you can see a lot in one trip and also you can really experience 4 seasons throughout the year. So for winter, to kick things off, we have to with Finland and Santa’s hometown in Lapland.
January is a great time for northern lights sightings as the days are so short, you get almost 20 hours of darkness. It’s also going to be a lot less crowded than December, which also means it’ll be a lot cheaper.
Another Europe Bucket List is the Venice Masquerade. So what better time to visit the city than February?
The weather in Venice in February is also less cold than a lot of Europe destinations and while the Masquerade is obviously very crowded, the rest of the region will be a lot less at this time of the year.
Treviso is 20mins away from Venice, a beautiful medieval Italian city that’s not talked about enough.
If you can, you need to see Padua which is another 30mins from Venice. There are two UNESCO sites in Padua, The Scrovegni Chapel and the Botanical Gardens, which are both open in February and a great way to learn about Italian history at a quieter time.
Andalusia is a beautiful part of Spain, but the weather is very often unbearable, just hot and dry. Seville is best enjoyed early spring, when it’s also less crowded and also when the orange trees are in blossoms. What’s not to like? Beautiful architecture, quiet cobbled streets and that delicious blossom smell that follows you around.
The history of Seville goes back to thousand years and you won’t struggle to fill a long weekend. Between the Al-Andalus period and the baroque buildings, Seville is a tapestry of culture and colours. Not to forget the food!
Tulips in bloom in Holland? Need I say more?
Amsterdam is a beautiful city to visit anytime of the year too and unfortunately this time might be the most crowded, but it’s definitely a bucket list item. The flower market is right in the middle of town and you can even visit the Tulip Museum if you’re a botanic-holic, as well as your usual Amsterdam sights.
Madeira, a small island in the Atlantic, a Portuguese oversea territory, is getting very popular on social media because of its incredible hikes and spectacular landscapes. But I barely ever see anyone talk about the Festival of Flowers.
The Festival of Flowers lasts the month of May and is the perfect time to visit the island while the weather warms up. It takes place mainly in the town of Funchal, which is right by the sea and is often skipped over to favour the hikes on the peaks of the island.
June is obviously a great time to visit almost all of Europe, with all the Mediterranean countries getting to an uncomfortable temperature and the Nordic countries warming up, but my personal pick is Croatia, especially Dubrovnik.
Morever, the whole of the Dalmatian coast is worth a visit. The Mediterranean sea is beautiful in June, slightly less crowded if before the school holidays and the history of the region is worth digging into. From beautifully conserved medieval towns and churches to life changing boat trips around the islands, you shouldn’t need too much convincing to visit Croatia in June.
Northern European countries are not just for the winter. There’s nothing like seeing the Fjords when everything is green and lush. And hiking in the summer, isn’t it just the perfect time to enjoy the mountains?
The best itinerary for Norway in July is an obvious choice around the Troll Road. This has to be one of the most iconic roads in the world and it’s right by Alesund, which you also can’t miss if you’re doing a northern Norway trip. It’s one of the most beautiful Norway coastal cities and if you’ve never thought about it before, you can start now.
In the same vein as Norway in July, you have the Alps in August. Sure, there’ll be crowds. Sure, it’ll be expensive. But those views? That air? That water? This is one of those things you have to experience at least once in life.
The Greek Islands are much more enjoyable with less crowd and smaller temperatures.
Especially somewhere as popular as Santorini. Do you really want to spend your holiday queuing? And isn’t it nicer to be sipping a Spritz on the cobblestones streets while everyone else is already back at work?
There isn’t a better time than Autumn to see the Black Forest and all the beautiful castles of Bavaria. Sleeping Beauty’s castle, Neuschawnstein appears like a floating island out of the forest, up on a rock, like a real fairytale. If that’s not on your bucketlist, add it right now. There’s nothing like hiking in a foggy forest and being greeted by a sight like that.
Obviously, you can’t really visit Munich in October and not stop by Oktoberfest. My only advice is to be very aware of the growing excess of the fest and to get out of there early!
Munich itself is an incredible city with great sights that you shouldn’t misss, so you don’t really have to focus on the fest.
Hopefully, you didn’t think the Mediterranean coast was only for the summer. Because the southern European countries are still warm and with enough light even in the end of autumn, or beginning of the winter. You can still tour the famous cliff caves and see some dolphins, like with this tour here for example.
The closest airport gets you landing in Faro, which is a beautiful town too, with classical Portuguese architecture and beautiful views over the sea over the Mediterranean.
The food scene there also is very interesting once you get out of the English tourists influenced areas, with delicious and impressive seafood.
I saved my favourite for last! Nothing like Alsace for Christmas markets and nothing like Strasbourg for Christmas markets.
If you’ve never been to an European Christmas market, first of all, you should make that your next trip. If you’re in the UK, you can get extremely cheap flights and spend the most magical weekend you’ve ever lived. Forget Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, it has nothing on the French and German markets.
The city of Strasbourg in itself is a very drastic contrast with the rest of France with its Germanic influenes and definitely worth a visit outside of Christmas, but it’s best enjoyed with the decorations and the lights on full display.
It will be more expensive though, although still very reasonable compared to the European big cities like Paris or Oslo.
And this wraps up my European countries tour. Hope you found some good tips, and if you want to share some with me down below in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
If I managed to influence enough to book a trip and now you’re stuck figuring out an itinerary, check out my guide here. And if it’s the UK you’re after in the end, check out this in-depth article about the capitals of the United Kingdom here. See you there!
