Best time to go to Europe (London, Paris, Rome)?

[NYCgrrl]

Never been to Rome(sniffle), rarely spend more time in London than what’s needed but Paris Ive visited quite a bit.
August is just as hot as NYC which is why residents flee for the month when possible. Some places are closed as a result.
It’s hot in July but not as much as August and the fourteenth is Bastille Day, the French equivalent to Independence Day.
Early spring is not as tourist filled as May and June. September and October can be nice and that’s it for the historically warmer times.

I’m perverse and my favorite time to visit Europe is February when my business was slow, end of season sales began and there were barely any tourists around.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Just another reason why we love late November so much. Plus we became obsessed with the built in towel warmers that nearly every single place all throughout Europe

Yessss to towel warmers!
We installed them in our previous apt but the only bthrm in this place is much too small for the style I prefer.

 

[AustinTink]

My kid is there now. London and Paris were both mid-weight coat weather. Thankfully they packed trench coats for the cool, rainy weather in both cities. The crowds were light enough in both cities even with Holy Week.

We have visited London and Paris in both the summer and after Christmas. We absolutely loved London at New Year’s. It was magical.

 

[Magical2017]

Thank you so much for all of the advice. There are so many things I had no idea about that you all have mentioned!

OP, there are many resources out there. We love Rick Steves guidebooks, website, and videos. He also still does a Monday Night Travel show on Zoom. It is great for those who love to plan their own trips.

 

[Smugpugmug]

You couldn't pay me enough to go on vacation to Europe in July + August. Peak tourist season + extreme heat = misery

I'm planning a trip with my friend to Turkey (also considering adding some time in Athens since the flight isn't that far away) and I'm leaning towards April/May.

I saw some other posters mention October is a good time to visit and I agree, though I remember places like Prague still being packed in October. I've been there twice in the fall and it was pretty busy. I can't even imagine what summer looks like.

 

[Kestryl]

I've been to London in July and Paris in June. Paris in June was hotter, but that was mostly bad luck- they had a small cold snap when we were in London and Paris had a heat wave. Summer is hot, no way around it. I think May or September would have more pleasant weather.

We noticed in Paris in June there were a lot more local school field trips going on. I wouldn't schedule a trip around it, but just be mindful that you may have groups of kids around. My assumption is there would be more field trips in May than September.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I can only speak for the UK, but, if it were me, I'd be looking at May/June or September, especially if you want more summery weather and lighter evenings. The last few years October and November seem to have been pretty wet here, but, if you're lucky, a sunny October is hard to beat, IMO.

If you choose May/June, it might be good to visit hotter locations earlier (Italy, Spain, Greece, southern France etc.) and end up further north (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia etc.) afterwards.

For the UK specifically, I would avoid the week beginning the last Monday in May, running into the start of June, because that is the second May Bank Holiday (lots of people have a 3 day weekend) and includes a week's school holiday break, meaning places will be much busier. ETA: And accommodation will be more expensive.

If you like a bit of royal pageantry this link might help: -
https://changing-guard.com/ceremonial-events.htmla

London is great at Christmas (like a lot of big cities), but if you're visiting the UK and venturing out beyond the capital, our countryside is gorgeous in late spring, early summer.