5 Reasons Why Right Now Is the Best Time To Visit Europe

This past summer in Europe was intense. Whether you traveled to the continent or not, you probably heard about the raging wildfires, record-breaking heatwaves, and droughts that brought water levels of rivers like the Danube and Rhine to all-time lows.

With temperatures in my home city of Madrid reaching 109 degrees Fahrenheit, all I wanted to do this summer was escape. Even the Mediterranean Sea’s warm waters were no longer a respite (which also hit an all-time high this summer of 91.44 degrees Fahrenheit) — and they were full of jellyfish along many coastal areas.

This makes me wonder: Is the glamour of a summer European trip over? Will I no longer see summery Instagram photos of travelers traversing the hills of the Amalfi Coast, boating in Ibiza, or sunning themselves in the South of France?

If you don’t want to brave Europe’s intense summers any longer, there’s an easy solution: Come to Europe during the fall instead.

5 Reasons To Visit Europe in the Fall

While temperatures in Spain certainly aren’t cold at the moment, they are bearable, and much of Europe is transitioning into autumn. This means better award availability for flights, fewer crowds, lower award rates, fun fall-themed activities and festivals, and better hotel rates when using points.

Here’s why your European summer vacation should actually shift to a European fall vacation.

1. It’s Cooler and Less Crowded

Autumn has always represented the shoulder season in Europe, especially in October and November, when temperatures cool and summer’s peak-season tourism wave subsides.

Fall in Europe offers plenty of variety for travelers. For example, in southern Spain or Italy, you might still have beach weather for a sun-and-sand style vacation. With Europeans back in school and at work, beaches are often pretty empty during the fall.

Meanwhile, in larger cities like Paris, Lisbon, or Vienna, temperatures are breezier, making them more suitable for spending the day out and about touring the city. Autumn visits can also put less pressure on European destinations grappling with overtourism, helping ease seasonal strain on local resources such as water and electricity.

And remember, just as in much of the United States, autumn is the season when leaves change color in Europe, and depending on where you go, you can enjoy fall foliage from early September through late November.

2. More (and Cheaper) Flight Award Availability

Airlines that use dynamic pricing, where prices fluctuate with demand (read: most U.S. airlines), often see lower award prices and greater availability in autumn.

Because demand is lower in the fall, you can often find economy awards on Air France for as low as 25,000 Flying Blue points one-way in economy or 60,000 points in business (remember that American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Rove Miles, and Wells Fargo Rewards all transfer to Air France, which makes it easy to get lots of Flying Blue points).

Check Flying Blue’s award calculator to find the lowest available fall pricing.

For airlines with fixed award charts, much of the autumn season is considered off-peak. Better yet, if it’s a European airline, holidays like Thanksgiving aren’t peak travel times, so you can usually fly to Europe very affordably if you want to trade turkey and stuffing for a European getaway.

For example, Iberia has excellent award availability around Thanksgiving dates.

And you can transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy. Using Avios.com, you can move Avios among Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Club, Finnair Plus, Club Iberia Plus, Loganair Loyalty, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Vueling Club. Plus, Iberia’s taxes and fees are lower than those of airlines such as British Airways.

3. Coveted Special Events

From Shakira and Celine Dion European fall residencies to capital city fashion weeks, Formula 1 racing, NFL football (yes, in Europe), and Champions League soccer, there’s lots to do in Europe in autumn, no matter what your interests are.

While many European cities feel low-key in summer due to extreme heat, they come alive again in fall, when it’s the perfect time to stroll cobblestone streets alongside locals.

Whether it’s wine-tasting or mushroom foraging, you can see fall foliage while tasting traditional food, too. And many food-themed festivals make that easy, which brings me to my next point.

4. Festival Fun

Fall is festival season in Europe, which means you can enjoy local cultural events during your trip. The most famous is probably Oktoberfest, which runs through October 4, 2026. Then there’s Halloween in Dublin, officially known as the Bram Stoker Festival (October 30 to November 2, 2026), celebrated with costumes, parades, and parties, and the London Jazz Festival (November 13 to 22, 2026).

When it comes to food, autumn is harvest season, which means you can also explore smaller villages and rural areas, many of which offer harvest and wine festivals. A majority of these festivals occur in countries such as Italy, France, and Spain, but you can find them all throughout Europe.

Experience truffle tastings and organic produce celebrations, even events entirely centered around a single delicacy, such as Sicily’s Sagra del Pistacchio Verde di Bronte (October 10 to 12, 2026, and October 17 to 20, 2026), which celebrates the beloved green nut, Normandy’s Apple and Cider Festival (September 26 to November 15), the Baltic Herring Market in Helsinki (October 4 to 10, 2026), or Frantoi Aperti (weekends from October 17 to November 15, 2026) in Umbria, Italy, dedicated to the olive harvest.

Plan your autumn European trip around a festival that connects with your interests, or just make it a stop along a longer itinerary of activities.

5. More Affordable Hotel Rates Using Points

Because shoulder-season travel is growing in popularity, cash rates for accommodation may be only slightly cheaper in the fall, or not even lower.

This is why using your points for hotels in Europe this fall can make your European getaway more affordable, especially given the poor exchange rate that U.S. travelers are facing right now (at the time of writing, you have to pay $1.15 for every €1 you spend).

For example, the Category 6 Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid had summer rates of up to 45,000 points per night, while nightly rates this October are as low as 25,000 points (cash rates start at $430).

Meanwhile, in Italy, fall rates at the Hotel Indigo Rome – St. George start at $559 in cash, but can cost as low as 59,000 IHG Rewards points per night. At the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik in Croatia, cash rates are still high in October at $654 per night, but the points rate is only 80,000 Hilton points.

Over in Paris, you’d spend 73,000 points per night in October at the Hôtel Rochechouart, a Member of Design Hotels, instead of €405 ($468).

Final Thoughts

Autumn remains an excellent time to explore Europe’s top (and lesser-known) attractions without insufferable weather conditions and hordes of tourists. It’s beautiful in the fall and features local gastronomy, cultural festivals, and special events to help you enjoy new flavors, experiences, and more.

Because the exchange rate isn’t great right now, using points for hotels is your best bet for accommodation, along with shoulder-season deals. The same goes for flights — demand is down, so award rates are generally better.