Spring holidays

Where should you go in Europe in spring?

Tulips, Easter processions and the first warm days by the sea. Six destinations compared with 30 years of weather data, official crowd and price statistics, and 2027 dates.

By the Time to Travel teamUpdated 15 October 20264 min read

The short version

Spring is when southern Europe is warm but not yet hot. Seville is the warmest of our six picks, averaging 22.6 °C in April and 27 °C in May, and its Holy Week runs from 21 to 28 March 2027. Malta is the driest, with fewer than 4 rainy days in April. For flowers, Keukenhof near Amsterdam is open from 18 March to 9 May 2027, though Amsterdam itself averages only 13 °C in April. Croatia is the quietest choice: April and May together account for under 10% of its tourist nights, against 54.5% in July and August.

Who is this guide for?

Travellers planning a trip between March and May, including Easter and May bank holidays, who want warmth without the summer crowds. We compare six destinations on their average April and May weather over 1996 to 2025, how busy each country is in spring compared with summer, and restaurant and hotel prices.

How warm is it in April?

Seville, Spain22.6 °C
Palermo, Sicily18.9 °C
Valletta, Malta18.0 °C
Porto, Portugal17.7 °C
Dubrovnik, Croatia17.4 °C
Amsterdam, Netherlands13.0 °C

Average daily high in April; the orange bar is above 20 °C. Source: our calculation from ERA5 reanalysis data via the Open-Meteo historical weather API, 1996 to 2025, retrieved 15 October 2026. Grid values can differ from a city weather station by a few degrees, most in mountains and fjords.

April is a transition month almost everywhere. Seville is the exception, already warm by day with lows near 12 °C. By May it averages 27 °C, which is perfect for some and too hot for others; in June it climbs past 32 °C.

The coastal cities warm more slowly because the sea is still cool. Palermo, Malta, Porto and Dubrovnik all sit between 17 and 19 °C in April and between 20 and 23 °C in May. Rain is the bigger difference between them: Malta averages 3.6 rainy days in April and fewer than 2 in May, while Porto and Dubrovnik each average about 12 in April.

What are the key spring dates for 2027?

Keukenhof, near Amsterdam: open daily from 18 March to 9 May 2027, 08:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:15, according to Keukenhof. Tickets are sold online, so buy before you go.
Easter: Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, so Seville's Semana Santa processions run from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday. Book early if you want to be in Seville that week.
Seville's April Fair: event listings give 13 to 18 April 2027. The city had not confirmed the dates as of October 2026, so check before booking.

How do the six compare on crowds and prices?

We compared each country's share of annual tourist nights in April and May with its share in July and August, using Eurostat's 2025 monthly data. Price levels compare restaurant and hotel prices with the EU average of 100.

Six spring destinations compared: weather 1996 to 2025, crowds 2025, prices 2024
Destination	April / May high	April rain days	Share of nights: Apr + May vs Jul + Aug	Prices (EU = 100)	Best for	Downsides
Seville, Spain	22.6 / 27.0 °C	6.6	16.9% vs 27.7%	84	Easter processions, the April Fair, warm days	Festival weeks are busy and costly; hot by late May
Palermo, Sicily	18.9 / 22.7 °C	8.8	14.5% vs 34.3%	107	Markets, Baroque towns, day trips	Sea still cool for swimming in April
Malta	18.0 / 21.3 °C	3.6	17.5% vs 21.9%	89	Dry weather, history, short breaks	Busy all year: the smallest seasonal swing here
Porto, Portugal	17.7 / 20.0 °C	12.4	17.7% vs 26.0%	76	Port cellars, the Douro, low prices	One of the wettest picks in April
Dubrovnik, Croatia	17.4 / 21.7 °C	12.4	9.7% vs 54.5%	95	The old town before the summer crowds	Rainy April; check ferry timetables and opening dates
Amsterdam and Keukenhof	13.0 / 16.5 °C	11.2	18.4% vs 27.1%	125	Tulips, museums, cycling	Coolest and most expensive of the six

Croatia again has the biggest seasonal gap: April and May bring under a tenth of its tourist nights, while July and August bring more than half. Malta is the opposite, with tourism spread fairly evenly across the year, so spring there is pleasant but not noticeably quieter.

Who should pick which destination?

The warmest spring break: Seville in April, ideally outside Holy Week and the April Fair unless you are going for them.
The driest: Malta, especially in May.
Flowers: Amsterdam for Keukenhof; what is in bloom depends on the weather, so check the garden's updates before you pick a date.
Quiet coast: Dubrovnik in May, warmer than April and still far from peak season.
Value: Porto, the cheapest of the six for eating out, with a rain jacket.

Several of these combine well by train, such as Amsterdam with Brussels or Paris. Our guides to seat reservations and rail passes versus tickets explain the costs.

Frequently asked questions

Where is it warm in Europe in April?

Of the destinations compared here, Seville is the warmest in April, with an average high of 22.6 °C over 1996 to 2025. Palermo, Malta, Porto and Dubrovnik average between 17 and 19 °C.

When is Keukenhof open in 2027?

Keukenhof is open from 18 March to 9 May 2027, daily from 08:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:15. Buy tickets online before you go.

When is Semana Santa in Seville in 2027?

Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027, so Holy Week in Seville runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027.

Is spring a good time to visit Croatia?

For sightseeing, yes. April and May accounted for 9.7% of Croatia's tourist nights in 2025, compared with 54.5% in July and August. Dubrovnik averages highs of 17.4 °C in April and 21.7 °C in May, with about 12 rainy days in April.

Where the figures come from

Checked on 15 October 2026. Weather averages are our own calculation from the data sources below.