Île-de-France
Paris
Markets at dawn, museums after the crowds, and the best rail links on the continent.
See journeysEurope, season by season
Twenty-eight countries, four climate zones and one rail network — when you go decides where you go.
Four seasons, one continent
The great cities — Paris, Rome, Vienna and Prague — are at their best from April to June and again in September and October. The Greek and Croatian islands run May to early October, with ferry timetables thinning sharply from November.
Iberia runs on its own clock: Seville and Córdoba are gentle from October to May and fierce in August. The Alps stay cool all summer and hold reliable snow from December to March, with resorts opening in early December.
Apr–Jun: best for the great cities
May–Oct: best for the islands
Nov–Mar: island ferries much reduced
Alps snow-sure December to March
Easter and August shift crowds sharply
School holidays fill hotels quickly
Where to be, month by month
| Month | Cities | Mediterranean | Islands | Alps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Excellent | Closed | Wet | Good |
| February | Excellent | Closed | Wet | Good |
| March | Excellent | Opening | Excellent | Good |
| April–May | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| June–August | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Busy |
| September–October | Good | Closing | Excellent | Good |
| November–December | Excellent | Closed | Wet | Good |
Before you fly
Non-EU visitors receive 90 days visa-free across the Schengen area on a single entry stamp. Check your passport has three months’ validity beyond departure. Twenty countries use the euro, and cards are accepted almost everywhere except small markets and rural taxis.
The UK and Ireland sit outside Schengen — you clear passport control again flying from Paris, even on a short hop.
90 days Schengen visa-free for most passports
Currency: euro in 20 countries
Type C/E plugs, 230V
Tap water safe everywhere
Separate passport checks for the UK
Rail is easiest between cities
Eating your way through
Every region keeps its own kitchen, and the results are best eaten where they were invented. In Bologna that means tortellini in brodo; in San Sebastián, pintxos standing at the bar before nine at night.
Our guides book one or two proper meals per journey and leave the rest to you — with a shortlist of stalls worth the queue.
Lyon: bouchons and quenelles
Rome: cacio e pepe, carbonara
Seville: tapas crawls after ten
Lisbon: grilled fish and pastéis
Vegetarian: easy in every city
Menus in English where touristed
Six that earn their place on a first trip
Best in
Showing all six in our own order.
Tuscany
Florence
A UNESCO Renaissance grid you can walk in a morning, and eat in for a week.
See journeysAndalusia
Seville
Orange trees, tiled courtyards and flamenco in a room that seats forty.
See journeysDalmatia
Hvar & Korčula
Two islands, few cars, and swimming straight off the old town walls.
See journeysNot sure which month suits your plans?
Send us your dates and we will tell you honestly which region to choose — or when to wait.