When to visit Europe
In general, the climate in Europe is temperate - there’s no need to worry about hurricanes or other weather extremes ruining your vacation. Of course, there are differences depending on what part of Europe are you going to visit. Late spring and early fall – the so-called “shoulder seasons” - usually offer the best weather, you can also avoid the main tourist season and save a lot of money.
Europe in summer
Summer’s advantage is long days (longer than in the USA) and generally pleasant weather, as long as you can stand temperatures around 30°C (around 85° F). Of course, Scandinavia and Russia will have milder temperatures in summer, as will the mountains. Southern countries can be much hotter than this - ideal if you plan on spending your day on the beach, but not so good if you’d like to explore the cities.
Europe in winter
Winter usually brings temperatures below freezing in most of Europe. Not even the Mediterranean countries boast temperatures over 15°C (60°F). If visiting Eastern Europe (Russia in particular) or Scandinavian countries in winter, be prepared for constant temperatures well below freezing, especially in January. However, if you’re looking for a skiing holiday in the Alps or would like to visit the magical Christmas markets, winter is definitely the best season to visit Europe.
Average temperatures
Use the maps below to find out about the average summer and winter temperatures across Europe. To see the exact values, move your cursor to the desired location.
Summer average high
Winter average high
If you’d like to check monthly temperatures by country, visit the official European tourist website.
Tripomatic is an online trip planning tool. Create a trip plan from suggested activities and print out a detailed itinerary or sync your trip to your mobile phone. To start planning your trip to Europe, check out our template itineraries or start a new trip plan from scratch.
