If you are coming to Europe in March you are obviously not looking for sunbathing destinations. Still, many of Europe's best and most popular cities have surprisingly decent weather in March, so it can be an excellent time for a city visit. More good news is that most of southern Europe is mostly dry in March, so a light jacket or sweater is probably all you'll need most of the time.

If you are looking for a warm-weather destination in March you should probably think about Asia or perhaps the Caribbean. As long as you don't need it to be actually hot, the Canary Islands are warm and pleasant enough that some people do sunbathe in March, so it's the first place on the list below. Click to read more

When it comes to city passes and travel cards, it's usually fairly easy to figure out whether they would be worth it for you or not. For things like the Paris Pass or London Pass, they have a list of the most popular attractions and how much they cost, right there for you to see. The Swiss Travel Pass, however, is shrouded in mystery, or at least it was until I spent several days tracking down all of the prices and benefits.

A great many of the visitors and commenters on my popular page about where to go in Switzerland on a short visit are wondering whether the Swiss Travel Pass is a good deal. Embarrassingly, I've always had to answer that I found the pass too confusing to confidently advise people on. Now that has all changed, after literally days of research. Click to read more

The month of March is one of the better ones on the calendar for budget travelers since it's well before the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter crowds in the tropical areas are starting to thin out at the same time. The best places to visit in March are where you might expect, and in Latin America and Asia you can find perfect weather with off-peak hotel prices and reasonable crowds.

For those starting in North America or Europe you'll find that most of these places will require a fairly long flight to reach, but that's the price you pay for warm weather this time of year, and those staying for at least two weeks can easily justify the airfare by the cheap prices they pay once they have arrived. Click to read more

February is obviously one of the colder months in Europe so it's not among the best months for a visit. That said, if your choices are coming to Europe in February or not coming at all, you'll still have a great time if you choose among the cities below. It's better to focus on cities with mostly indoor attractions this time of year, and the cities below are all fantastic for that.

If you are looking for a warm-weather February destination you should probably look somewhere other than Europe. There is only one place where you might get any use out of that bathing suit, which is the Canary Islands and listed just below. The other cities on the list are those that combine decent February weather and plenty of worthwhile things to do in winter. Click to read more

If you are planning a Europe trip in January then you are obviously expecting cooler temperatures. Fortunately, most of the best and most famous tourist cities such as Paris, Rome, and London don't get much rain (or snow) in winter, so as long as you are dressed properly you can still see just about everything.

Below is our list of the 12 best European destinations to consider for a visit in January, including one actual beach. The days in Europe are pretty short this time of year, but at least hotel prices will be at or near their annual lows. This is also the only time of year when you can visit cities like Venice or Barcelona without being surrounded by thousands of other tourists at all times.

If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more

While December may not be the ideal month to visit Europe, it can actually be a lot of fun and you won't have much competition at the famous sights. Unless you have a special reason to do so, it's best to avoid northern Europe and even most of central Europe in winter. But that still leaves most of the most famous cities, which will be filled with shopping and working locals until just before Christmas.

Below you'll find our list of the best cities to consider for a Europe trip in December. With a bit of advance planning you should be able to get cheap flights between most of these as well, so you can visit several of them as long as you allow about 3 days in each. There is even one reasonable beach destination, although it may not be warm enough this month unless you are from one of the Nordic countries. Click to read more

No one will be surprised to learn that Europe is getting fairly chilly in November, but there is still plenty to see and do. There is actually one place where you can still work on your tan, but most people will be better off focusing on the larger and most famous cities, and especially those in the southern countries.

Below you'll find our 14 best picks for places to go in Europe in November. The crowds will be smaller than in summer and hotels are usually quite a bit cheaper, so you can actually see more of Europe on the same money if you come this time of year. If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more

October is one of the best months of the year to visit the cultural capitals in Europe, and there are still a few beach destinations that are warm enough in the first half of the month. This is the first month since March when you will start getting some really good hotel rates, even in the most famous cities.

Airfares to Europe are less expensive in October than they are in summer as well, so those who can wait until mid Autumn like this will be rewarded with smaller crowds and noticeably lower prices on flights and accommodation. If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more

It shouldn't be too surprising that October is quite a transitional month in much of the world for weather, with some cities changing quite a bit as the month goes on. There are many fine choices in all regions of the world in October though, so it's just a matter of zeroing in on the places that should be nice for the whole month. Needless to say, the Tropics are full of hot places in October, and the list below will show which are the ones that are also dry.

The south of Europe has ideal conditions for anyone with some time off, and there are still several places with beach weather for resort types. Asia is a bit spotty, however, since October is very rainy through most of the popular and cheap cities in Southeast Asia. That said, the best places to visit in October are spread around the world. Click to read more

In many ways, September is the single best month for a visit to Europe. Only the northernmost cities are getting cool this time of year, and nearly every other city has arguably their best weather of the year. Better still, the crowds of July and August are home again, so you can enjoy the mild weather with smaller crowds.

Hotels in most cities are also cheaper starting in September, so you can stay longer or get a nicer place than you would have in summer. Below are our best recommendations for places to visit in September. If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more