Summer is high season for a reason. The school calendar is often the almighty dictator of life when we have children and continues to dominate our choices even when we don’t. We start life learning to associate vacation with summer and teach ourselves this truth over years of counting down the days till summer ends and school begins again. I love summer, and always will, but it is not my favorite time to visit Europe. My favorite time is fall.
Here’s the thing. When you go to Europe in the summer, you may actually be missing out on the very things you picture when you close your eyes and envision the trip! Do you see sweeping Mediterranean vistas? Alpine villages on a clear day? World heritage sights? Wine flowing the way Bacchus intended?
Those images and the emotions you feel when you imagine them are likely to be best captured in the fall shoulder season. There are a host of reasons why, but it boils down to one very important thing: It’s simply less crowded. And because it’s less crowded, your trip will automatically have a more authentic feel, and the experiences you want to have will feel more special when the views are clearer and the road is less traveled.
That is a pretty inspiring reason in and of itself, but if you are looking for specifics, then here are 10 reasons why Europe needs to be on your fall 2021 travel list!
1. Grape harvest.
Rioja, Tuscany, Burgundy, Bordeaux. The hits keep on coming. It’s ALL going on, all in September & October. Champagne a bit later. SO much opportunity to enjoy special tasting events or participate in the harvest. Festivals, wine expos, auctions, it’s a culinary bonanza!
2. Hiking the Alps
September is one of the best months to visit the Alps. The weather is more stable than in the summer, there is less rain, and the familiar Alpine walkways will have barely a handful of other hikers. It can get jamming in the summer, and there’s nothing worse than a crowd of selfie-takers spoiling your view.
3. Olive oil harvest
Depending on the region and whether the region is in France, Italy, or Greece, it runs through September, October, & November. Tons of opportunity for participating in the olive oil harvest and enjoying very authentic moments. Really, depending on how you time things and where you go, you could do the olive oil AND the grape harvest!
4. Oktoberfest
Ok, so this is definitely touristy, but it IS a bucket list opportunity, and one that is well worth braving crowds to do. Oktoberfest runs for weeks in Bavaria during the fall months of September & early October.
5. Hiking the Cinque Terre
It gets REALLY hot on those trails in the summer. Plus, as with the Alps, there are far less crowds on the trails getting in your way. It’s also less hazy so you get a better taste of those famous vistas, and not to mention, the sea is still warm enough to take swim breaks between the towns along the way.
6. Venice
October through late February is the best time to visit Venice. You'll likely feel like the only tourist surrounded by Venetians, foggy mornings, and quiet streets, just as Venice needs to be remembered.
7. Iconic Drives
Some of the most iconic European drives along the Mediterranean are nightmarishly impossible during the summer due to traffic. Plus, the views are much clearer without the summer smog. Nobody wants to come across one of those hairpin turns on the High Corniche of Grace Kelly fame and rear-end a $200,000 Ferrari. Plus, the Route des Grandes Alpes is open all through to October. You can stop in the tiny French Alpine towns and enjoy fresh cider and delicious food on your way to Switzerland….maybe to see the cows!
8. Alpabzug: (Homecoming of the Cows)
Every September in Switzerland, farmers bring their cows down from the Alps where they’ve been grazing all summer long. Shepherds deck them out in flowers and bells and herd them down to their farms for the winter. Yodeling, alpenhorns, and traditional dress accompany the cows down. I mean, how much more "Swiss Alps" can you get than this?
9. Autumn in the Cotswolds
Fall foliage, country walks, and an acute overabundance of coziness. Hot English tea served fireside after an invigorating horseback ride? Yes, please!
10. Autumn in the Dordogne
Fall foliage, country walks, hunting, hearty eating, and half the cost of summer. If you want to see the France that isn't Paris or Provence, this is it. The beautiful Dordogne River in fall is an oft used stock photo, so why not take your own!
This is the best of the best in my book, but there is still SO much more going on! If you're curious to learn about my other European recommendations, email me for more details, tips, and ideas!
Which one of these does YOUR imagination see? Comment below!
