A summer holiday is the go-to getaway for many of us, but it might be time for a rethink. The UK has basked in only about ten minutes of sunshine since the start of July, and half of Europe has been subject to horrendous wildfires and unbearable temperatures.
So maybe autumn is the time to go on holiday. Popular cities are less crowded, prices are likely to be lower, and many cities are even more beautiful in autumn. A post-summer break sounds considerably more relaxing – and now DiscoverCars.com has got to work and compiled a list of the best European cities to visit in the autumn months.
Their analysis is pretty comprehensive. These are just some of the factors they assessed: closest airport, number of ‘budget’ hotels, average cost of a week-long car rental, and average rainfall, temperature and daylight hours for September, October and November.
These factors culminated in a score out of 120 for each city, and according to this, Barcelona is the place to be this autumn, having acquired a score of 98. The city has already been rated as the hottest travel destination according to Tiktok recently, so it's not surprising.
With over 500 ‘budget’ hotels and more than 1,700 affordable restaurants, this lively Spanish city promises a great autumnal holiday — who says you can’t enjoy a pitcher of Sangria once the leaves have turned brown? It’s not even the only destination in Spain to make the top ten, as the port city of Bilbao ranks at number eight.
Lisbon closely follows in second place, scoring 94. It’s the warmest city on the list, with a toasty average temperature of 18 degrees. The view from São Jorge Castle will be a spectacle of terracotta rooftops and orange leaves.
Third place goes to Berlin, which scores 89, and has a decent cost of staying for the week at £827, plus an average rainfall of 51 millimetres makes it one of the drier locations on the list. Berlin’s nightlife scene and abundance of museums and galleries make it a great spot for an autumnal break.
Here are the top 10 best autumn getaways in Europe for 2023.
- Barcelona, Spain (98/120)
- Lisbon, Portugal (94/120)
- Berlin, Germany (89/120)
- Budapest, Hungary (85/120)
- Gdansk, Poland (81/120)
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (79/120)
- Copenhagen, Denmark (73/120)
- Bilbao, Spain (68/120)
- Bordeaux, France (63/120) / Bruges, Belgium (63/120)
- Pula, Croatia (62/120)
Did you see that this European island just became home to the world’s first deepwater archaeological park?
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