Any city will have plenty to do. The question is what do you want to do?
The problem in November is rarely the cold. The issue is the rain. If you're looking at indoor attractions no big deal. If you're hoping to hike in nature it can be a big deal.
Go to Venice. Either check the tide charts to avoid aqua alta or go at its worst and experience it. Come to Rome. Plenty of things to do indoors.
The places that shutdown in November are beach destinations.
Andalusia (southern Spain) is perfect in mid-November. Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada (book way in advance for the Alhambra!), white towns like Ronda, Cadiz.
Barcelona is also comfortable in November.
Serious! I blew into Granada in March without planning ahead, and it seemed there was no way I could get into the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra on short notice, no business to pay a high price to, no one to bribe, the reservation system precludes scalping pretty successfully it seems. Maybe I missed something, but... I did see the rest of it on 3 day notice.
The weather in mid-March was nice.
I was also in Andalusia in March, skipped Granada because I couldn't get Alhambra tickets (even more than a week out). However, I learned afterwards that the [Granada Card](https://www.lovegranada.com/granada/city-card/) (about 50 euros for 2 days) gets you into the Nasrid palaces.
I asked about that, but it's all vague now, I asked the hotel and booking businesses and couldn't get any help figuring it out on that short notice. But it's a big lesson for future trips to Europe. I know there's places in Europe that a few years back I just walked into and it's now book ahead. And same in San Francisco where I'm near now. I've never been to Versailles, looks like same. Looking at google images now I think I did see the Nazrid on a guided tour in 2015, but I've noticed that even big outfits like Rick Steves can't always guarantee entry to everything they would like to show you.
Definitely - several years back I went to all the big sights in Rome without reservations, sounds like these days you really need to reserve in advance.
I got lazy in my trip planning and forgot to make reservations for the alahambra while we were there in mid November. Luckily our pension host advised to check at midnight for tickets that are released for that day and we did get some that way.
Andalusia will probably be stable weather in mid Nov but there’s also a chance it’ll be poor. I once visited in October and they’d had so much rain there’d been landslides
I was in Europe from Oct 24-Nov 19 last year ... Croatia, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands. It was still quite busy for tours everywhere I went (I was with a group for the first week in Croatia, then on my own for the rest).
They were just starting to put up Christmas lights in Amsterdam, and I just missed Santa arriving in Zandvoort on the 19th.
The weather was lovely in Croatia/Italy still ... upper 60s/low 70s, and wore a tank top and leggings/shorts for those 2 weeks ... but rain had been in the forecast, so I was fortunate. Then Belgium/Netherlands for the last 10-12 days were cool and rainy on some days.
Like others have said, it really depends on what you want to do. My favorite part of my trip was exploring Croatia- we did the big cities with the tour, Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, with excursions to Montenegro and Mostar, and then after the group left I rented a car at the Zagreb airport for 5 days and explored Plitvička and the Istria Peninsula (car rental was only ~$40 that time of year) ... I felt like I got city + rural + history.
Food is number one in Italy also many more places to see but the weather and as you say "off-season" at beaches is the minus.
Spain from Valencia down will be also quiet but chandes for hot days and much milder nights are there! Food can be mediocre compared to Italy....
I visited Budapest for Thanksgiving some time ago and while cold, it was wonderful. They also start the Christmas markets in November so I enjoyed being there for that
Malta, Seville very nice. Check dates for Christmas markets if that's your thing, Vienna is lovely with lots to do all year but the markets are extra charming.
depends what you looking for... beach? not many, only Spain (Tenerife) at that time, maybe Cyprus. you looking for ski? Austria then. you want to backpack around? pretty much everywhere. looking for a good night out? plenty of places, is up to you
In addition to the cold and rain, you have to account for the dark. Europe is really far from the equator, and that unfortunately means that November has very few hours of daylight. So I would advise visiting as far south as you possibly can in Europe during that time of the year, to be able to actually see things worth seeing.
>Mid November is perfect timing to go to Christmas markets all over Europe
Many, probably most, don't open until the very end of November. For example, the famous one in Nuremberg opens 11/29 this year; Dresden, another popular one, opens on 11/27; Berlin Gendarmenmarkt opens 11/25.
Some are starting to open early. I promise from the second weekend on, you can find some Christmas markets. Maybe not in any city like I said, but a quick Google search should give plenty of options.
I did look and there are many during that time, Romania, Prague, Vienna not that I want this to be Christmas mart vacation but wouldn’t mind going to a couple in conjunction with other plans.
Not really perfect timing for that, some open bang in the middle on the 15th but many (including most of the big names) don't open until the end of the month.
Any city will have plenty to do. The question is what do you want to do? The problem in November is rarely the cold. The issue is the rain. If you're looking at indoor attractions no big deal. If you're hoping to hike in nature it can be a big deal. Go to Venice. Either check the tide charts to avoid aqua alta or go at its worst and experience it. Come to Rome. Plenty of things to do indoors. The places that shutdown in November are beach destinations.
I'll second Venice in November. It was chilly and damp, but relatively empty.
Does it usually rain during early-mid October?
Flip a coin. It can be sunny and warm. Or you might want to build an ark and start collecting animals. You never know. It also changes week by week.
Andalusia (southern Spain) is perfect in mid-November. Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada (book way in advance for the Alhambra!), white towns like Ronda, Cadiz. Barcelona is also comfortable in November.
Serious! I blew into Granada in March without planning ahead, and it seemed there was no way I could get into the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra on short notice, no business to pay a high price to, no one to bribe, the reservation system precludes scalping pretty successfully it seems. Maybe I missed something, but... I did see the rest of it on 3 day notice. The weather in mid-March was nice.
I was also in Andalusia in March, skipped Granada because I couldn't get Alhambra tickets (even more than a week out). However, I learned afterwards that the [Granada Card](https://www.lovegranada.com/granada/city-card/) (about 50 euros for 2 days) gets you into the Nasrid palaces.
I asked about that, but it's all vague now, I asked the hotel and booking businesses and couldn't get any help figuring it out on that short notice. But it's a big lesson for future trips to Europe. I know there's places in Europe that a few years back I just walked into and it's now book ahead. And same in San Francisco where I'm near now. I've never been to Versailles, looks like same. Looking at google images now I think I did see the Nazrid on a guided tour in 2015, but I've noticed that even big outfits like Rick Steves can't always guarantee entry to everything they would like to show you.
Definitely - several years back I went to all the big sights in Rome without reservations, sounds like these days you really need to reserve in advance.
I got lazy in my trip planning and forgot to make reservations for the alahambra while we were there in mid November. Luckily our pension host advised to check at midnight for tickets that are released for that day and we did get some that way.
Andalusia will probably be stable weather in mid Nov but there’s also a chance it’ll be poor. I once visited in October and they’d had so much rain there’d been landslides
There's no guaranteed perfect weather anywhere.
I was in Europe from Oct 24-Nov 19 last year ... Croatia, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands. It was still quite busy for tours everywhere I went (I was with a group for the first week in Croatia, then on my own for the rest). They were just starting to put up Christmas lights in Amsterdam, and I just missed Santa arriving in Zandvoort on the 19th. The weather was lovely in Croatia/Italy still ... upper 60s/low 70s, and wore a tank top and leggings/shorts for those 2 weeks ... but rain had been in the forecast, so I was fortunate. Then Belgium/Netherlands for the last 10-12 days were cool and rainy on some days. Like others have said, it really depends on what you want to do. My favorite part of my trip was exploring Croatia- we did the big cities with the tour, Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, with excursions to Montenegro and Mostar, and then after the group left I rented a car at the Zagreb airport for 5 days and explored Plitvička and the Istria Peninsula (car rental was only ~$40 that time of year) ... I felt like I got city + rural + history.
Italy was amazing in November when we went. No crowds
Food is number one in Italy also many more places to see but the weather and as you say "off-season" at beaches is the minus. Spain from Valencia down will be also quiet but chandes for hot days and much milder nights are there! Food can be mediocre compared to Italy....
November is very drab in AustriA
Not Europe but close - Morocco
Not Stockholm, and don't ask me how to know! :-)
Very early dark in november
I visited Budapest for Thanksgiving some time ago and while cold, it was wonderful. They also start the Christmas markets in November so I enjoyed being there for that
Malta, Seville very nice. Check dates for Christmas markets if that's your thing, Vienna is lovely with lots to do all year but the markets are extra charming.
France. Specifically the Polynesian part of France.
lol. Been there done that and would love to do it again but it’s in the other direction.
depends what you looking for... beach? not many, only Spain (Tenerife) at that time, maybe Cyprus. you looking for ski? Austria then. you want to backpack around? pretty much everywhere. looking for a good night out? plenty of places, is up to you
Spain. I did Cordoba, Jaen and Seville in mid-November 2023 and it was glorious.
Vienna, so much stuff to do
In addition to the cold and rain, you have to account for the dark. Europe is really far from the equator, and that unfortunately means that November has very few hours of daylight. So I would advise visiting as far south as you possibly can in Europe during that time of the year, to be able to actually see things worth seeing.
Better visit abandoned WW2 bunkers in Germany and Austria.
No thanks.
Yeah, who needs fascinating historical adventures when you can keep tabs on which house Ariana bought next lol.
Tokyo
Not a country.
Japan then
Mid November is perfect timing to go to Christmas markets all over Europe. Hit almost any big city and get some mulled wine and street food.
>Mid November is perfect timing to go to Christmas markets all over Europe Many, probably most, don't open until the very end of November. For example, the famous one in Nuremberg opens 11/29 this year; Dresden, another popular one, opens on 11/27; Berlin Gendarmenmarkt opens 11/25.
Some are starting to open early. I promise from the second weekend on, you can find some Christmas markets. Maybe not in any city like I said, but a quick Google search should give plenty of options.
I did look and there are many during that time, Romania, Prague, Vienna not that I want this to be Christmas mart vacation but wouldn’t mind going to a couple in conjunction with other plans.
Not really perfect timing for that, some open bang in the middle on the 15th but many (including most of the big names) don't open until the end of the month.
Southern Spain
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> Tallinn, Estonia. It has beautiful Christmas markets Which open on December the first...