Spring is in the air. If you have a yen for traveling, this is one of the best times to hit the road — especially if you’re headed to Europe.
In the spring, the fields of France are ablaze with daisies and poppies. Holland is filled with the color of tulips and crocuses. Italy’s hillsides are covered with pastel blossoms of pears, cherries and oranges. And Alpine snows melt to reveal lush green pastures.
The weather shifts from blustery to balmy. Window boxes along city streets fill with geraniums and petunias and bustling outdoor markets spread their wares in the sun again.
Spring also brings with it bargains in airfare, accommodations and rental cars.
Here are five reasons why I visit Europe during the spring.
1. Airfares are cheaper and aircraft are far less crowded. Flying from the United States to Europe is far less expensive during the off-season than during the middle of summer. The average airfare this spring is around $500 for flights to virtually every European capital. Airfares are even more economical when traveling mid-week or when booking through consolidators. During the height of the summer, airfares will soar about 100 percent. And when flying in high season, the chances of having an empty seat next to you is almost zero.
2. Hotels are discounted and normally have plenty of space. Top hotels that command $200 to $300 and more a night during the summer will often have the same luxury rooms for between $100 and $125 during the spring. Small pensions in the mountains and countryside have space for impromptu overnights. Rooms with a view of the riverside, mountain peaks, city parks or cathedrals facades can be found.
3. Rental cars are easier to reserve at bargain prices. Travelers on a voyage of discovery across Europe who choose to travel by automobile will find their options improved. The weekly and long-term rental bargains that are seen in advertisements are far easier to encounter in the real world of spring.
4. Museums are not as crowded. Anyone who has waited patiently in the kilometer-long line to visit the Vatican Museum in Rome in the summer would not want to repeat the experience. Those who have endured the wait during prime time for entrance into the Louvre all agree they would like to avoid a repeat episode.
Springtime in Europe (outside of major holidays such as Easter or the school holidays) is the time to visit top museums. There is rarely a wait. Plus, shorter lines in spring combined with museum passes make visiting as easy as walking in the door, often without any pause other than showing your pass.
The pleasure of having less-crowded museums extends beyond simply the entrance. Tourists will be able enjoy Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, Botticelli’s Primavera, Bosch’s Garden of Early Delights, Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Rodin’s The Thinker without being jostled by fellow visitors.
5. The Europeans are home. This is perhaps the best reason to visit Europe in the spring. The streets, bars and restaurants are filled with, well, locals. The French enjoy their neighborhood bistros. The British pack traditional pubs for lunch. The Dutch linger over strong coffee. The Italians gesture over tiny espressos. The Spanish fill the evening streets for their paseo and tapas.
Concert series are in full swing. Special art collections are on display at museums, in local castles and sections of palaces normally closed during the summer months. And everywhere, the table beside you will most likely be filled with a local enjoying a regional specialty and wine from a nearby vineyard.
This is the time of year that residents cherish, when they have time and space to enjoy their own cities and towns without a crush of tourists. It is also the time that seasoned travelers want to enjoy the same places.
Charles Leocha is nationally-recognized expert on saving money and the publisher of Tripso. He is also the Boston-based author of "SkiSnowboard America & Canada." or . Want to sound off about one of his columns? Try visiting .
