I am thinking about a cruise to Europe , When is the best time of year to go.?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on three cruises in Europe, once to the Baltic countries Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, etc) and twice to the Mediterranean (Eastern Med and Then Western Med). Now I am not sure which of these type itineraries you are specifically interested in so I'll tell you want I found on investigation and based on our experiences.

Cruises to the Baltic go North and East from England (we sailed from Dover) so its kinda like cruising in the US to Canada and Alaska. So you want to go in the May through September time frame. Those are pretty much the time periods when the cruises run anyway. Outside that window it can be pretty cool, or downright cold. When we went it was the end of May and the weather was pretty good although it was cool. I used my balcony but with a jacket and/or blanket while the ship was moving along. All of the port stops (in May) required a jacket or sweater, but it was not freezing, not even in Russia or Norway. I wanted to do the mid-summer cruise to the Baltic but it was sold out.

On the other hand, the Spring or fall is a great time to do the Mediterranean. We did the Eastern Med to France, Italy, Greece and Turkey in October and the weather was perfect. I even sat on the balcony at night and didn't get a chill. Then we did the Western Med to Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in November and again the weather was great. Some places and times we needed a sweater or light jacket but the weather was otherwise pleasant.

Another benefit of going fall, in addition to missing the heat, is there are fewer tourists. That is a really important consideration if you are going to Italy and Rome in particular. The lines to get into the Vatican city can be really long, but were not too bad when we went. If you consult any travel brochures or consultants I am sure that they will tell you that the Sept/Oct time frame is great for the Mediterranean.

Johan from Sweden

If its a meditereanean cruise then I would choice summer or late summer (early september) In the summer it could be to hot to handle but if you like temperatures of like 110 deg farenheight or 40 deg celsius then its ok to go any time during the summer. In the. For a northern europe cruise the summer (july and august) is best.

Times I wouldnt recomend is september - may for northern europe since its winter time and that could be both freezing temperature and stormy weather so skip that. Johan

yawm_pride

now now now!!!
book a cruise on costa concordia on may 30 =]

Time travler

We went to Europe on 2 different cruises, once to European capitals and once to the Mediterranean. Both times it was during the summer, in June Or July. We went on princess cruises, but whomever you choose, you will have a great adventure ahead of you.

Sexy me

summer

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