CNN —
Summer may be the most popular season for tourists to Europe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a quiet, cool, and calming experience.
This summer’s protests against overtourism in Barcelona and Mallorca, wildfires raging across Greece in the country’s hottest June and July on record, and crowd controls in the crowded streets of Rome and Florence. Who can forget the protests against people taking selfie traffic lights?
Welcome to Europe’s secret season for travelers looking to avoid all that and literally break a sweat financially.
The best time to travel to Europe, from approximately mid-October to mid-December, is when there are fewer crowds, temperatures are much more comfortable in places that can be scorching hot during the summer, and flight and accommodation prices are lower. will drop significantly.
“The cheapest time to fly to Europe is typically around mid-October to mid-December,” said Haley Berg, chief economist at travel platform Hopper. “Airfare prices during these eight to nine weeks are typically about 40% cheaper on average than prices in June, the peak summer season.”
Airfares from the U.S. to Europe from October 20 to December 8 averaged between $560 and $630 per ticket, compared with the same period last year, according to Hopper data. % decrease, and 5% decrease compared to the same period in 2019.
The data also shows that the average price per night in Europe’s top 10 travel destinations (including the likes of Amsterdam, Paris and Munich) fell 27% in December compared to June, when tourism peaks. It also shows that there are.
Katie Nastro of the travel site Going said even Thanksgiving week could be considered a fallback season for traveling to Europe for Americans who lack family- and turkey-centered holidays in the United States.
“With so many people traveling domestically for the Thanksgiving holiday, domestic prices are skyrocketing,” she said. “But the upside is that international travel, travel to Europe, is now much cheaper because airlines are lowering fares to fill empty seats.”
Nastro said the period between the last week of November and the first two weeks of December is another sweet spot for flights from the U.S. and accommodations in European destinations. He described the period as “the calm before the winter storm.” Open on holidays. ”
She advised trying to travel by the week of December 16, when prices begin to rise across the board.
Travelers and travel advisors are paying attention
Jacques Ezon, founder of travel agency EMBARK Beyond, said customers who traditionally traveled to Europe during the summer months are now instead visiting Europe during the spring and autumn shoulder seasons. He said there was a 22% change.
He attributes this trend to the fact that summers are unbearably hot in many places, prices are around 40% to 50% higher during the summer months in popular European destinations, and overtourism. I think it’s a fact that is plaguing many places.
Among the top spots Ezon recommends its clients for fall travel are Madrid, Barcelona and Ireland. Autumn is neither too hot nor too cold, allowing you to avoid the hordes of summer road trippers. Another great spot in the fall? The Principality of Monaco, adjacent to the Cote d’Azur.
“Although the beach clubs in Saint-Tropez are closed, Monaco is truly a year-round destination, with beautiful and mild weather that continues well into December,” said Ezon, adding that the small country on the northern Mediterranean coast has a lot to offer. added something. Shopping, great dining, and access to amazing nature right on your doorstep.
Madeline Steuber, Virtuoso Advisor and Co-Founder of Steuber Travel Group, says having the flexibility to travel during the off-season not only provides you with the lowest prices on luxury accommodations, but also gives you a more complete travel experience overall. states that it is possible.
“We are encouraging many customers who wish to travel during the so-called festive period in late December to consider moving their dates from the week after Thanksgiving to the first two weeks of December,” she said.
“You can get a high-end guide, a high-class driver, and a good hotel for the same product for less than what you would pay in the summer,” she says.
Stuber points to river cruising in Europe as a good fall option that covers a wide range of expenses, including food and beverage costs. The week after Thanksgiving and the first two weeks of December are the best times to snag river cruise deals.
And you’ll be happy to know that at this time of year, many river cruises along the Danube, Main and Rhine visit the Christmas markets.
“Travellers who wanted to take advantage of Europe’s Christmas markets but were worried about the lack of paid holidays may be in luck this year,” Nastro said. “Thanksgiving is in the last week of November this year, so you can cram your winter vacation trip into Thanksgiving week.”
One of Germany’s famous Christmas markets opens in Nuremberg on November 29th, while France’s popular Strasbourg Christmas market opens on November 27th. That means you can drink mulled wine and nibble on gingerbread while everyone else back home is busy munching on turkey stuffing, she said.
Berg said London, Paris and Rome remain the most searched destinations in Europe, regardless of season, including for year-end trips from mid-October to mid-December.
But off-the-beaten-path destinations in Europe that are seeing an uptick in demand (including searches at this time of year) include Marseille in the south of France, Cyprus, Denmark’s Faroe Islands, Longyearbyen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, and Helsinki. The paper reports that this includes. Hopper data. Additionally, all airlines are offering lower airfares from the US for year-end travel this year compared to last year and the same period in 2019.
Mediterranean cities in southern France, Greece and Cyprus enjoy warm weather from November to December, while Northern European destinations such as the Faroe Islands, Finland and Norway offer the chance to see the Northern Lights.
“There’s definitely a trend among younger travelers toward many of these destinations,” Berg says. “Domestic tourists who went to Jackson Hole a few years ago are now heading to the Arctic Circle.”
Booking.com’s recently released Trend Destinations for 2025 also showed a growing interest in unique European cities such as Trieste, Italy. Tignes, France. and Villajoyosa, Spain. According to Ben Harrell, managing director for the U.S. at Booking.com, the site found that nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans plan to spend next year’s off-season to lower the total cost of travel. It turned out that he was planning to travel.
Nastro said that while the coast of Croatia and Kotor in Montenegro are crowded with sun-seekers during the summer months, the shoulder seasons in these places also offer an attractive coziness.
“You should consider cultural festivals, homemade pumpkin seed oil, and gorgeous scenery with few tourists,” she says. However, she advises travelers to “stay in the big cities, as some small seaside towns may be closed for the season.”
Tuscany is booming during the hot summer months, but November and December bring balmy weather and white truffle season. Hotels like the 18th-century Borgo San Vincenzo in Montepulciano can arrange truffle hunting or a visit to the local truffle market. A Christmas market is also held in the town’s Piazza Grande from mid-November.
Dates and fees to consider
If you decide to break away from the herd and head to Europe instead of a domestic destination, flying on Thanksgiving has the added benefit of being the least crowded day at U.S. airports during the holiday season. It’s also best to avoid Sundays, which are the busiest days after holidays.
In addition to airfares, average room rates across Europe are significantly lower at the end of the year compared to peak summer prices.
Average nightly prices in cities such as Paris and Reykjavik fell more than 30% at the end of the year compared to their summer peak, according to Hopper’s data. In Rome, savings on nightly rates soar to 40% at the end of the year, with average room rates reaching $200 per night.
That means the hotel you’ve always dreamed of experiencing may suddenly appear within your reach.
“It’s nearly impossible to find availability at certain European gems in the summer if you don’t plan early, but some of our favorite places still have availability for Thanksgiving,” says Fora Advisor Kim Hanna said. Among these luxury properties is Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland. JK Place Rome in Italy. Grand Hotel Son Net in Mallorca, Spain.
An online search for rooms at Adare Manor shows a rate of $814 for two people with breakfast on November 28, 2024, while a similar room rate on June 29, 2025 is: That’s nearly double that, at $1,524.
Grand Hotel Son Netto in Mallorca costs 515 euros (approximately $560) for a Thanksgiving night stay this year, but the same room on June 19, 2025 (with a two-night minimum required due to busy season) ) costs 1,075 euros (approximately $1,168). ).
And even if you can’t make a secret season trip to Europe before the winter holidays arrive, Berg said to mark your calendars and set price alerts for Tuesday, the travel deal equivalent of Black Friday. . These deals will end on December 3rd of this year.
“The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is probably the best day of the year to book a trip to Europe or abroad,” she says. “We are seeing huge discounts on flights and hotel stays across the travel industry, and of course the Hopper app is no different.”
If you travel to Europe in January or February, temperatures are likely to be even colder, but you’ll enjoy many of the same benefits of the fall lull, including lower prices and fewer crowds, he said. .
“Tourism gets a lot more attention in the summer,” Berg said. “On the other hand, during this period, many travelers are craving a more local experience.”
Terry Ward, a Florida-based travel writer who lives in Tampa, was on a limb in search of plenty of snow during a ski trip to Montana Lodge & Spa in Italy’s Aosta Valley in early December. are.
