@GMTPlus7, we traveled to London on the first week of June the last time we were in Europe. It was great with minimal crowds. But that was when our kids were younger and their school were on a year round schedule (how I miss being able to travel in the off season!) Now our youngest wont be out of school til mid June so that’s when we’re going. the good thing is we have a month.
This trip, we won’t be spending too much time in crowded areas. We’re visiting friends in Munich, Barcelona and Lake Como/Milan and will have places to stay for the most part.
That’s an EXCELLENT price. And from LA - in summer!
However, if you decide not to jump on this just yet - I also recommend seeing what the fares are like this coming Tuesday, after 3 pm, through Thursday morning.
I would not wait much longer, though. Flight prices have been going down for a while now, and what goes down will eventually bounce back up… Get those summer tickets while they’re still cheap.
Also, OP, don’t know if your family can travel in the fall, but prices go down a bit for Europe in September. September and October are supposed to be very nice, low crowds, cheaper fares… We have friends who try to always travel there in the fall.
@GMTplus7 , my husband and I went to Florence and Tuscany for our anniversary in August a few years ago. I loved Florence, and will go back someday - but never in August. Heat, crowds, too much of both. Not to mention we paid too much for our flight and hotel, because it was August, and that’s when many Europeans also take their vacations. We went to a couple of places on that trip, Pisa included, that were so thick with tourists, it was almost surreal.
@BeeDAre, we have to travel in the summer because our youngest will be out of school mid June. This trip is a “college grad/middle school promo/wedding anniversary” celebration for our family. I can’t wait til DH and I can take advantage of the low fall fares and the small crowds in the fall and winter!
@lilmom, yeah I know all about having to work around the kids’ schedules!
We have been traveling during spring break in late March - fares are cheaper then too, but the weather is not as ideal. We went to Paris two years ago, and it rained and was cold the whole week - but it was still Paris, so… all was good.
Last March, we went to Madrid and Spain; now, that was ideal in late March and I’d do that again.
I am also anxiously awaiting traveling in the fall with my husband - and staying as long as we like!
If there is one place I’d like to go in mid-June, that is southern France. I hear it’s perfect in May/June.
I have a friend who has traveled to Barcelona and Catalonia in June, and she says the weather was good - hot, but not too much…
Summer can be a very busy time. BUT it does have the advantage of extra daylight. So maybe you can spread some of the sightseeing in cooler, less crowded evening hours.
Consider SKIING in Europe during Spring Break. Even with the airfare factored in, it’ll still be cheaper than skiing in the States. Skiing in the US is ridiculously expensive, and Americans don’t understand the concept of apres ski.
@oregon101, I’m interested in knowing where you stayed in Lake Como and what you enjoyed. This is where we may be spending 5-7 days meeting up with friends.
We stayed at Hoetel Du Lac for 3 nights. Had a lovely room overlooking the patio and a wonderful lake view.
We ate at Varenna Mon Amour, it was my favorite meal.
We hike up to the “castle” and then back the steep way down.
Took a ferry to Bellagio for the afternoon and had lunch and window shopped. Walked along the shore for some distance --few did this–through a garden and it was spectacular.
We were there just before high season and it was not crowded at all.
This was our stop to get over our jet lag. I would lve to go again and take the ferry the entire length of Lake Como.
We flew into Milan and took a regional train to Varenna.
I’ve had good luck calling the airlines when schedules change for the worse. I’ve always been able to get a free flight change if the layover has narrowed too much or if they’ve added a stop. You’ve paid for a certain flight and do have some rights to expect it not to be more inconvenient than necessary. I just ask politely, explain why and they find me a new flight. It helps to research your options first to know what is available.
When we lived in Europe, we used to ski in Austria-- in the Tirol region. Many, many, many resorts. A full day lift pass at a top resort is only 50 EUR. But more importantly, a halfday pass is only 35 EUR-- apres ski, sleep late and have leisurely afternoon skiing. I’m not of the “I must ski every second of the day” camp.
We would rent 2 bedroom apts for about 100-200 EUR/night.
That time of the year, flights to Europe are cheap!
