February in Europe is obviously going to be on the cooler side, but most of the larger cities in the south actually have mild winters and rarely get snowfall. Probably the best reason to head to Europe in February is that it’s going to be much cheaper than just about any other time of year, and the crowds will be nearly all gone. If you are looking for someplace for nicer weather you might look at our list of best cheap places to go in February with warm weather, but if you’ve locked in Europe then you’ll have some good choices to consider below.
Room rates in February of 2024 are looking at least a bit higher than rates in 2023, but they are a bit lower in a few places mentioned below as well. The bottom line is this is a great time of year to visit if you can as nice hotels are relatively cheap and the main attractions will have small crowds or no crowds at all. Booking hotels as far in advance as possible is usually a wise idea since you can usually cancel for free close to the reservation itself.
Note: This article was updated last in November, 2023.
Important Europe holidays in 2024
Carnival celebrations happen in many countries in Europe in February, but not always on the same days.
- February 3 to 13 – Venice Carnival
- February 14 – Valentine’s Day (observed all over, but no closures)
Europe's only February beach destination
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- February avg high: 70F/21C
- February avg low: 59F/15C
- February avg precip: 1.4″/3.5cm
If you are looking for a warm destination for February that is technically in Europe, look no further than the Canary Islands. These Spanish islands are off the coast of Morocco and they have “Europe’s” only beach weather in winter. Tenerife is the largest of the islands and the most popular among English speakers, so it’s the natural choice for many.
There isn’t much culture in Tenerife, but there is a volcano to visit near the south of the island. Most of all, people flock to Tenerife to sit on the beach or at least in the sun during the day, and relax over dinner and drinks at night. Prices are quite low compared to mainland Europe as well, and flights from large European cities are reasonably priced. It’s worth noting that Tenerife is just one of the Canary Islands and you might find even better deals on some of the others. Some online travel agencies bundle all of the islands together, while others list them separately. Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and La Palma are some others to look into. Room rates in 2024 are looking about the same as in 2023, which means that there are still some bargains for those who book early.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €65 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €90 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €24 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Tenerife
>>>Tenerife prices and travel tips
The 11 Best February Destinations in Europe in 2024
The destinations below at least have decent February weather, and plenty to see this month
Rome, Italy
- February avg high: 57F/14C
- February avg low: 40F/4C
- February avg precip: 2.9″/7.3cm
As one of the world’s greatest tourist cities, it’s a good thing that February temperatures aren’t any lower than they really are. You can expect cool weather and it might rain on you a bit if you get unlucky, but it should still be fairly pleasant. Perhaps the best reason to visit Rome in February is that crowds are nowhere to be found, so you can roam the city as you please and not waste a lot of time in queues.
When crowds are low it also means that hotel prices are as well, which really helps in a city like Rome where hotels feel overpriced most of the year. You’ll be able to afford a nice hotel in a neighborhood that might feel out of your grasp if you came in summer and had to pay double. Flights should also be quite cheap as well, so this is a good city to start and/or end a tour of Europe. That said, hotel rates in February 2024 are higher than they were in 2023 so this will not be the cheapest stop if you are touring around Europe.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €71 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €99 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €19 per person
Florence, Italy
- February avg high: 54F/12C
- February avg low: 37F/3C
- February avg precip: 3.7″/9.3cm
Pretty much everything we wrote about Rome above also applies to Florence this time of year. You’ll want to bring warm clothes and dress in layers, but you won’t need snow shoes. Florence is quite a compact city so most of your sightseeing will be within a small area in the center of town. With this in mind, you won’t have to deal with cooler temperatures for more than a few minutes at a time.
And again, hotel prices in Florence will be far cheaper than in summer. Unlike Rome, which can still feel a bit manic with the crush of locals even in winter, Florence is more relaxed and easier to deal with. This is a city where you can linger a bit and mix in a day trip to nearby Pisa or one of the hill towns. With lower hotel prices, Florence is a city to take a breather on a longer trip, although room rates in 2024 are at least as expensive as in Rome so you might also consider staying somewhere else in the area if you want to slow your trip down a bit.
By the way, Venice is usually a bit colder and sometimes wetter in February, but the crowds are also much smaller than normal so you might think about including a night or two there.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €88 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €125 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €23 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Florence
>>>Florence prices and travel tips
Paris, France
- February avg high: 47F/8C
- February avg low: 40F/4C
- February avg precip: 1.8″/4.5cm
The best news about Paris in February is that it actually doesn’t get much rain in most years. As you can see above, it’ll be chilly, but it rarely spends much time below freezing. This also means that you’ll be able to show off some of your better stylish outfits complete with scarves and gloves in the evenings.
Paris is also a business city so business-oriented hotels won’t be fantastic bargains in February, but hotels in the more touristy districts will have excellent off-season rates. Try to book a hotel in the wonderful Rue Cler neighborhood next to the Eiffel Tower. It’s friendly, convenient, and far more tourist oriented than businessy. Hotel rates in 2024 are up a bit from 2023 so it might be wise to book early, although it’s also possible that rates will go down early in the year.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €94 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €105 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €17 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Paris
>>>Paris prices and travel tips
Nice, France
- February avg high: 56F/16C
- February avg low: 43F/6C
- February avg precip: 2.4″/6.0cm
Even though it’s on the Mediterranean coast, Nice isn’t a slam-dunk recommendation for a February visit. It’s mainly a beach and sunshine destination so most things are oriented towards summer and some things are closed for the winter. Still, the weather is mild enough that it’s enjoyable, and since it’s a fairly large city it is still very full of life even when most other tourists are gone.
Nice is an ideal city to visit after Paris and on your way to Italy. Not only is the city itself really lovely, but it’s also a 20-minute train ride to Cannes in one direction and to Monaco in the other. Both are very worthwhile, but both also have extremely high hotel rates so doing them by day trip from Nice is ideal. The food in this part of France is also worth a trip because it’s excellent and also different from what you’ll find up north.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €65 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €93 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €18 per person
London, England
- February avg high: 46F/8C
- February avg low: 37F/3C
- February avg precip: 1.4″/3.5cm
London is one of a few European cities that often feels like a victim of its own popularity. During the warmer months it can feel so crowded with tourists that you expect to see Mickey Mouse walking around greeting guests. In February, it’s chilly and so there are very few tourists to compete with at the top attractions.
As you can see, London gets surprisingly little rain in February, and usually no snow. So as long as you dress properly you can move around quickly and visit all the free museums and other famous attractions with almost no wait. The cozy pubs are even cozier in winter, and it’ll be mostly you and some colorful locals lining up at the taps. You’ll be able to afford a much nicer hotel with a better location for the same money this time of year, and it’s always nice inside the stores. Room rates in 2024 are a bit higher than in 2023, but still far cheaper than what you’d pay in June.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from £74 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from £89 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from £25 per person
>>Check hotel deals for London
>>>London prices and travel tips
Barcelona, Spain
- February avg high: 58F/14C
- February avg low: 42F/6C
- February avg precip: 1.1″/2.8cm
Being on the Mediterranean coast, Barcelona has fairly mild winters, with almost no rain most years. And of course, few other tourists will be there, so you can actually see the inside of the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell without fighting or waiting for hours like you have to most of the year.
Barcelona has fantastic nightlife and a noted food scene, so this is a good destination for culture vultures even in winter. Flights into Barcelona are cheap this time of year, of course, and so are short flights from Barcelona to other European destinations. The city has become so crowded with tourists in the summer months that February will actually be very pleasant by comparison.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €67 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €73 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €19 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Barcelona
>>>Barcelona prices and travel tips
Madrid, Spain
- February avg high: 54F/12C
- February avg low: 39F/4C
- February avg precip: 1.4″/3.5cm
Even though it’s more south, Madrid is in the center of Spain so it’s a bit cooler in winter than coastal Barcelona. Still, February is usually fairly mild (compared to other European capitals), and the city doesn’t get much rain. Madrid is mostly an indoor city in terms of its top attractions, and there are many great town squares in the center area, which will shield you from chilly winds.
If you are considering a trip to Barcelona you should also include at least 3 nights in Madrid as well. The cities are very different from each other, and both excellent for tourists. They are connected by a 3-hour high-speed train ride that is cheap if booked weeks in advance. Room rates in Madrid in 2024 are a bit higher than in 2023 but bargains are still available if you look carefully.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €62 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €73 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €21 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Madrid
>>>Madrid prices and travel tips
Malaga, Spain
- February avg high: 64F/18C
- February avg low: 46F/8C
- February avg precip: 2.1″/5.3cm
Malaga, a bit like Nice mentioned above, is not an obvious winter destination even though the temperatures are quite reasonable. The city itself is really charming and generally underrated, as most tourists land at the airport and then head straight for one of the smaller towns along the Costa del Sol. Those towns can be ghost-town-like in winter, so staying in Malaga proper is probably the better idea.
The key attraction of Malaga is that it has probably the best winter weather on continental Europe, so those not willing or able to take the extra two hours flying down to the Canary Islands will enjoy it here. And again, the city of Malaga itself has a lot to offer, so spending a few days here in the off season will be worthwhile. Unlike so many other cities on this list, the room rates in 2024 are the same or maybe a bit lower than in 2023.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €48 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €65 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €18 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Malaga
>>>Malaga prices and travel tips
Lisbon, Portugal
- February avg high: 61F/16C
- February avg low: 49F/9C
- February avg precip: 3.6″/9.0cm
Lisbon easily has the best winter weather of any European capital city, and the year-round weather tends to be excellent compared to the rest of Europe as well. This is a wonderful city that too often gets overlooked by those touring the continent because it’s remote and not easy to reach. From Madrid you have to take a night train, or fly.
Fortunately the flights are usually reasonably priced, and especially so in months like February. While Lisbon is on the waterfront, it’s mainly an indoor city in terms of attractions. You’ll be seeing castles and museums during the day, and enjoying excellent food and listening to fado singers in the evenings. It’s worth going out of your way to reach Lisbon, especially in February. Room rates in 2024 are about the same as the previous year, which means they are still really good value in a city like this.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €52 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €59 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €18 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Lisbon
>>>Lisbon prices and travel tips
Athens, Greece
- February avg high: 56F/13C
- February avg low: 42F/6C
- February avg precip: 1.8″/4.5cm
Athens has a fairly mild winter climate and it doesn’t get much rain in a typical February. If you can get a cheap flight from another nearby city you are visiting, Athens is worth 3 days. The famous archeological sights are outdoors, of course, but with little rain you should have no problem. And the museums and nightlife are all indoors, so you won’t need too many clear days to enjoy it.
During the warm months, most people who visit Athens are on their way to or from one of the famous islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, or Rhodes. But in February those islands are mostly closed down except for their larger towns, so it’s better to skip them this time of year. As a result, hotel rates in Athens in February are very affordable, and getting to and from the airport is easy. Rates in 2024 are even a bit lower than last year making this an amazing bargain for off-season travelers.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €38 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €53 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €12 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Athens
>>>Athens prices and travel tips
Interlaken, Switzerland
- February avg high: 41F/5C
- February avg low: 27F/-3C
- February avg precip: 2.8″/7.0cm
The rest of the destinations above are all top cities with decent February weather, but Interlaken is different. Many people who decide they want to “visit Switzerland” really don’t know where they should go. If you want to see the most dramatic views of the Alps with the most charming towns and best winter infrastructure, you should head to the Interlaken area.
The top sights here are the Schilthorn observation deck and the Jungfraujoch railway. Both of those are amazing when the weather at high elevations is clear, and almost pointless when it’s foggy or raining. The weather can be unpredictable in February so you have to time your visits carefully and only after you arrive. Still, they are worth doing and the crowds are much smaller, of course. This is also a winter ski resort so some areas near slopes do have high hotel prices, though bargains can be found not far away. Room rates in 2024 have gone even higher making this by far the most expensive destination on the list. It’s an absolutely stunning place, but those on tighter budgets definitely should plan on staying no more than two nights.
- Good 3-star hotels in February from €161 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in February from €190 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in February from €38 per person
>>Check hotel deals for Interlaken
>>>Interlaken prices and travel tips
Additional photo credits: Rome photo by Sam Ross at thehammockhombre.com.
Hello to All,
Where would you suggest going in February and March in Europe that are friendly and easy going to meet people and enjoy your stay. I have no weather issues and quite frankly enjoy cold climates for short intervals but I want 3 things if possible, from my destinations:
1. friendly and fun atmosphere
2. affordable accommodations
3. great food and cultural choices.
Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance,
Tom Patton
Tom,
Sorry for the slow response over the holidays. My top choices for fun, interesting, and relatively cheap European cities are Krakow, Budapest, and Prague. Each of them is really a gem with a lot to see and they are quite different from one another. The great food part of course is debatable but even if you aren’t crazy about the somewhat heavy local cuisines in those places, you’ll always be able to find Italian and Chinese restaurants and sandwich shops and plenty more. And the food in those is all quite affordable as well. I hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Prague, Vienna and Budapest are all very vegetarian friendly; their traditional food is fairly meat centric but you can find a wide variety of cuisines there. Budapest is probably the least vegetarian friendly of the three but that’s only really because Prague is actually in the top five cities for vegan restaurants per capita in the world. Vienna is similarly vegetarian friendly. I’ve been to and/or lived in all 3 cities recently and with an assortment of vegetarians and vegans. Would really recommend A-Pecsenyés in Budapest, it’s not strictly vegetarian but you get to pick from a variety of Hungarian dishes so you can choose the vegetarian choices, the staff are great, speak English and the food is delicious. It is also very close to St Peter’s Basilica so is fairly easily locatable. In Vienna, there’s a lot of places around Naschmarkt: a favourite of my friends was Schillinger’s Swing Kitchen. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where we went in Prague but there’s definitely a lot to choose from! As Roger said, there’s lots of things to do in those cities during the winter, particularly in Vienna and they’re all still beautiful at this time of year. You can still see all the sights and there are things like thermal baths (Budapest), classical music, balls, opera, (Vienna) open-air ice-skating (Vienna and Prague), and various museums/ galleries. (All of the above) So it really depends if these things align with your interested. I will admit however, that it will be EXTREMELY COLD and to be honest, the river cruise will probably be a little bleak unless it’s snowed!
(To Deepak, hope I managed to reply to your comment and congratulations on your wedding!)
Roger,
My husband will be speaking in Copenhagen in February, so we must end our trip in Copenhagen. We have been to Europe several times, visited London, Paris, Amsterdam, some of Switzerland, Southern Germany, Rome, Venice, and Greece. I would like to see something different and unique. Where would you advise for 4-5 days of travel that is not too cold, and involves less travel time in Europe? We speak only English (sadly)
thank you for your information
Jolynn,
This is a challenging query, as you probably know. The main problem is that literally every place that is less than two hours from Copenhagen by air is going to be pretty cold in February. I’d say that the most interesting places that are CLOSE to Copenhagen that you’ve yet to visit are Berlin and Prague. Both are fantastic and even though it will be chilly they are easy to get around in because they have great transport systems and plenty to see and do. You could fly into one and then take a 4-hour train ride to the other. Almost everyone you encounter in Berlin will speak English and it’s almost the same for Prague.
If you would prefer to fly farther to a place with nicer weather I’d recommend Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. They have the nicest winter weather on the continent and they are both really interesting cities where English is all you need to get around. Aside from a bit of German, I only really speak English myself and I’ve been pretty much everywhere in Europe. It’s actually pretty easy these days and I’d say Spain is one of the few places where English is less common than you might expect. I’ve yet to make it to Russia, but I’ve heard English isn’t widely spoken there either. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
My wife and I are looking at a 6-7 day trip in Mid-February. We will be 6 months pregnant during the trip. I have been to Europe twice before and have seen London, Paros, Munich before, but would have no problem going again. My wife has never visited so she is just excited to go! Would you still recommend London-Paris? Or any other suggestions?
Christopher,
Congratulations. This one is a bit tricky. In my opinion, London and Paris are the best two cities for a first trip to Europe, especially if you want to hook someone on going back. As you know, they are both pretty amazing and Paris in particular is gorgeous. That said, February is not an ideal month for that part of Europe, weather-wise. Neither city goes below freezing for very long and neither city gets any snow on a regular basis, so I’m sure you’d have a wonderful time.
In February, however, it’s not like any of the other good alternatives are warm and sunny. I’d say the only other trip to consider would be Rome for 3 days, Florence for 3 days, and Venice for 1 or 2 days. Italy will be a bit warmer and more sunny in February, though you’ll still need to wear a jacket all day, so it’s not THAT much of a difference.
Slightly warmer than Italy you could do Barcelona for 3 days and Madrid for 3 days, though I’d save that for a future trip because I really think the other two options are more dramatic, and the food is much better in the others as well.
So long story short, if you are going in February and this is your wife’s first time to Europe, and you enjoyed London and Paris enough to go back, I think that is your best option. Going between them on the Eurostar train is also so convenient that it adds to the charm. Have a great trip and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
We are headed to Tennerife in February (16-23) , as my husband is doing an organized bicycle tour of day trips centered from Los Cristanos. I will not be cycling . Will we need to rent a car for some day trips for myself? Or will there be enough in the area for walking ? Also I am reading some negative reviews regarding cockroaches and snakes. The roaches I can handle but I hate to admit I am terrified of snakes. Is this really an issue? Also we are looking to spend 5-7 days before Tennerife in Spain. Would you recommend Barcelona or Madrid? Thank you
Laura,
Los Cristianos is a really busy area with great beaches, and a longer beach is right next door in Playa de Las Americas. There are loads of boat trips and that sort of thing you can book there, and not many interesting places to drive to. There are buses that go from Los Cristianos to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is an interesting place to visit. And you can book bus tours to the volcano from Los Cristianos as well.
I spent almost a month there just a couple years ago and I never saw a snake, or a cockroach for that matter. It’s a pretty dense beach town and there are very few places a snake could live, so I think that won’t be an issue.
Barcelona and Madrid are both fantastic and interesting cities that are very different from each other. Barcelona has become more popular in recent years, and also more crowded. You’d be happy in either or both. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger