Best places to visit in Europe in September

Europe

Denmark · 17°C (63°F) · 9 rainy days

Copenhagen

Harbour swims, Tivoli lights, Danish design and a city made for bikes. Often mild and settled early in the month, with fewer visitors and leaves starting to turn in the parks.

United Kingdom · 17°C (63°F) · 10 rainy days

Edinburgh

A castle on a volcano, medieval closes, free museums and August festivals. Calmer after the festivals and often mild and settled; a good month for walking and day trips.

Netherlands · 19°C (66°F) · 10 rainy days

Amsterdam

Canal rings, Golden Age art, brown cafés and a city made for bikes. Often settled early in the month, with summer crowds thinning and theatres and concert halls reopening.

Greece · 29°C (84°F) · 2 rainy days

Athens

The Acropolis, late-night tavernas and beaches a tram ride away. Still summer, with the warmest sea of the year and fewer families; excellent for combining the city with the islands.

Spain · 26°C (79°F) · 6 rainy days

Barcelona

Gaudí architecture, Gothic lanes, tapas bars and city beaches. Still warm with a warm sea and fewer crowds after the first week; the city's biggest festival comes late in the month.

Germany · 20°C (68°F) · 7 rainy days

Berlin

Cold War history, world-class museums and nights that never end. Often pleasantly warm and settled, with a packed cultural calendar as the season restarts.

Hungary · 23°C (73°F) · 6 rainy days

Budapest

Thermal baths, Danube views and ruin bars at Central European prices. Warm, settled weather and wine festivals make September one of the best months to visit.

Ireland · 17°C (63°F) · 10 rainy days

Dublin

Georgian squares, free museums, trad-music pubs and a coastline by train. Often settled and mild, with festivals filling the calendar once the summer peak has passed.

Italy · 27°C (81°F) · 6 rainy days

Florence

Renaissance masterpieces, Brunelleschi's dome and Tuscan food on foot. Warm days and the grape harvest in the surrounding hills make September one of the best months, though the city stays busy.

Turkey · 25°C (77°F) · 5 rainy days

Istanbul

Byzantine domes, Ottoman palaces and ferries between Europe and Asia. Warm, settled weather and a warm sea, with fewer crowds after the summer holidays — one of the best months to visit.

Portugal · 27°C (81°F) · 3 rainy days

Lisbon

Hilltop viewpoints, yellow trams and custard tarts on the Tagus. Still hot and sunny with the warmest sea of the year and fewer families — an excellent month for city and beach.

United Kingdom · 20°C (68°F) · 8 rainy days

London

Free national museums, royal landmarks, West End theatre and riverside walks. Often settled and mild, with summer crowds thinning after the first week as schools return.

Spain · 26°C (79°F) · 3 rainy days

Madrid

Velázquez and Goya by day, tapas bars and late nights after dark. Still warm and sunny but more comfortable, with the city back to full life after the summer break.

Italy · 24°C (75°F) · 6 rainy days

Milan

Gothic Duomo, The Last Supper, fashion streets and canal-side aperitivo. Warm, settled weather and the city back at full speed, with Fashion Week and the Monza Grand Prix.

Italy · 27°C (81°F) · 6 rainy days

Naples

Pizza's birthplace, baroque churches, Vesuvius and Pompeii next door. Still warm with the sea at its warmest; crowds ease later in the month.

France · 25°C (77°F) · 5 rainy days

Nice

Pebble beaches, Old Town markets and a rail gateway to the Riviera. Excellent month: the sea is still warm, crowds thin after the first week and restaurants are back to normal rhythm.

France · 21°C (70°F) · 8 rainy days

Paris

World-class museums, café terraces and walkable riverside quarters. Often the best all-round month: warm, settled weather and the city back at full energy after the holidays.

Portugal · 24°C (75°F) · 6 rainy days

Porto

Riverside terraces, azulejo tiles, port-wine lodges and the Douro Valley. Warm and settled, with grape harvest season beginning in the Douro Valley.

Czechia · 19°C (66°F) · 6 rainy days

Prague

Gothic spires, a hilltop castle and Europe's great beer halls. Pleasant and often sunny, with fewer crowds after the summer holidays — an excellent month to visit.

Iceland · 11°C (52°F) · 13 rainy days

Reykjavík

A small, walkable capital and base for geysers, waterfalls and northern lights. Autumn colours, fewer visitors and the return of dark nights and the northern lights.

Austria · 21°C (70°F) · 6 rainy days

Vienna

Imperial palaces, coffee houses, Klimt and world-class music. Pleasant and often sunny, with the grape harvest beginning and the concert season restarting.

Croatia · 25°C (77°F) · 7 rainy days

Dubrovnik

A walled Adriatic city of limestone streets, sea forts and island swims. Warm sea and slightly gentler heat, but still busy with cruise visitors, especially early in the month.

Germany · 19°C (66°F) · 10 rainy days

Munich

Beer gardens, royal palaces, world-class art and the Alps on the horizon. Pleasant early autumn, but Oktoberfest sends hotel prices to their yearly peak from mid-September.

Italy · 27°C (81°F) · 5 rainy days

Rome

Ancient ruins, Vatican art, Baroque piazzas and long trattoria lunches. Still warm but more comfortable, and the city returns to full life; one of the busiest months for visitors.

Greece · 26°C (79°F) · 1 rainy days

Santorini

Cliff-top villages, a flooded caldera and black-sand beaches in the Cyclades. Still hot, with a warm sea and the grape harvest; crowds remain heavy, especially on cruise-ship days.

Italy · 24°C (75°F) · 6 rainy days

Venice

Canals, Byzantine mosaics and lagoon islands with no cars at all. Still warm with softer light and a warm sea; one of the most popular months.

Serbia · 25°C (77°F) · 8 rainy days

Belgrade

A fortress over two rivers, kafana dinners and nights on floating clubs. Warm, settled days and fewer visitors; one of the best months for walking and day trips.

Slovakia · 22°C (72°F) · 7 rainy days

Bratislava

A compact coronation town on the Danube, an hour from Vienna. Warm days and the grape harvest in the Small Carpathians make this one of the best months to visit.

Belgium · 19°C (66°F) · 10 rainy days

Brussels

The Grand-Place, Art Nouveau houses, comic murals and serious beer and chocolate. Often settled and mild; the city returns to full activity and EU business travel pushes up midweek hotel rates.

Romania · 25°C (77°F) · 5 rainy days

Bucharest

Belle Époque avenues, Ceaușescu's colossal palace and a late-night old town. Warm and settled, one of the best months to visit, with the classical music season starting.

Beach, city or budget: September picks by trip type

What's on in September

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Edinburgh: Doors Open Days — free access to normally closed buildings (usually September)
• Amsterdam: Open Monumentendag — historic buildings open free (usually second weekend of September)
• Barcelona: La Diada, Catalonia's national day (11 September)
• Berlin: Berlin Marathon (usually late September)
• Budapest: Budapest Wine Festival in Buda Castle (usually September)
• Dublin: Dublin Fringe Festival (usually September)
• Florence: Festa della Rificolona — paper-lantern procession (evening of 7 September)
• London: Open House Festival — architecture open days across the city (usually September)
• Milan: Women's Fashion Week (usually late September)
• Naples: Feast of San Gennaro (19 September)
• Nice: European Heritage Days — free entry to normally closed buildings (usually third weekend)
• Paris: European Heritage Days — free entry to normally closed buildings (usually third weekend)

Daylight in September

Day length on these trips ranges from about 12.4 hours in Bucharest to 12.9 hours in Reykjavík (sunrise to sunset on 15 September). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

September weather compared

Questions travellers ask