Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
First of all, thanks everyone for their input and help Would Lisbon be included in that chance of heavy rains Oct 15-30th? I'm guessing the very South of Spain might have the best weather? I'm kind of learning towards Portugal and Andalusia. I was in Italy last year (but not Sicily), and really love Italy and am very intrigued by Sicily. I have not been to Greece since 1996 and that was the islands. I have heard good things about the Peloponnese (Monemvasia, etc..). I think I may need a car rental more in Sicily & Greece than Spain and Portugal though.
Mediterranean weather patterns, especially in fall/winter, can be very tricky from one microenvironment to another depending on several factors, so check each one individually for average rainfall in October.
Having said that, a trip across the southern Iberian peninsula should keep you in good stead weather-wise generally speaking and is certainly worth it in terms of history, archeology, and natural beauty. I've done it twice from the Atlantic to Granada, but by car: I believe that the north of both countries is better served by the national rail systems, and that probably goes for buses too.
So much of the answer to your question depends on exactly what you want to see. If weather is a main determinant, then perhaps Greece fits the bill, with the least rainfall. My sources say Lisbon or Athens are drier in Oct.
Or Seville being the warmest might mean a trip there. If it's history then Sicily or Greece for antiquities. Natural beauty might again suggest Sicily.
I have traveled to all four areas and love them all (Athens is ugly but unmissable, though). Even though Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in the world, I think I would tilt towards Sicily. Palermo, Agrigento, Segesta, Selinunte, Syracuse, Cefalu, Taormina, the Aeolian Islands, Mt. Etna. All compelling places. History, Art, culture, great food. Compact and easy to travel around.
But honestly you really can't go too wrong in any of these places. So have a great trip.
So much of the answer to your question depends on exactly what you want to see. If weather is a main determinant, then perhaps Greece fits the bill, with the least rainfall. My sources say Lisbon or Athens are drier in Oct.
Or Seville being the warmest might mean a trip there. If it's history then Sicily or Greece for antiquities. Natural beauty might again suggest Sicily.
I have traveled to all four areas and love them all (Athens is ugly but unmissable, though). Even though Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in the world, I think I would tilt towards Sicily. Palermo, Agrigento, Segesta, Selinunte, Syracuse, Cefalu, Taormina, the Aeolian Islands, Mt. Etna. All compelling places. History, Art, culture, great food. Compact and easy to travel around.
But honestly you really can't go too wrong in any of these places. So have a great trip.
Thanks excellent info. I checked the weather again and it looks like October is one of the rainier months of the year in most of these areas I'm considering. Athens gets the least rain in Oct. Sicily gets considerably more rain in Oct than the other 3 regions. You hate to go all that way and have it rain everyday. April, May, June and Sept look like the best months to go to all these areas in terms of the lowest chance of rain. I might still take a shot and go anyway. I'm not sure what the rain patterns are like there, some places rain all day and are gray for weeks, some areas that get rain get it quickly and then the sun comes out again soon after.
I agree with you about the weather. It's probably not the best month to travel in Europe. Greece will probably have the driest weather overall in Oct. if you decide to go at all. Sicily in spring is delightful. Probably late spring is best for all these areas unless you like the sunshine and heat of summer.
First of all, thanks everyone for their input and help Would Lisbon be included in that chance of heavy rains Oct 15-30th? I'm guessing the very South of Spain might have the best weather? I'm kind of learning towards Portugal and Andalusia. I was in Italy last year (but not Sicily), and really love Italy and am very intrigued by Sicily. I have not been to Greece since 1996 and that was the islands. I have heard good things about the Peloponnese (Monemvasia, etc..). I think I may need a car rental more in Sicily & Greece than Spain and Portugal though.
Have you already been to Naples and its surrounding, you could make a great trip if you combined Naples, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Pompei and the Vesuvius (all really close to each other and could be done easily using Salerno, Naples or Sorrento as a base) in the first week and Sicily in the second (a car is required and i think Palermo, Catania, a hike up Mount Etna, Syracuse and the Baroque cities of Noto, Ragusa, Caltagirone, ecc. are doable in a week)
After looking at this you can see that there isn't much difference, in Italy when it rains it pours as it tends to have the same number of rainy days but much mpore rain on average while Southern Spain is where it rains the least, especially Granada as it's on the edge of a semi desert
I agree with you about the weather. It's probably not the best month to travel in Europe. Greece will probably have the driest weather overall in Oct. if you decide to go at all. Sicily in spring is delightful. Probably late spring is best for all these areas unless you like the sunshine and heat of summer.
Late spring is perfect for a trip to these areas, you have temps in the mid 20s and a weather which is for the most part sunny. Winter isn't bad either, it isn't as rainy as early Spring and Autumn but it's definitely colder. Anyway, October is much rainier in Mediterranean climates than elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88
Thanks excellent info. I checked the weather again and it looks like October is one of the rainier months of the year in most of these areas I'm considering. Athens gets the least rain in Oct. Sicily gets considerably more rain in Oct than the other 3 regions. You hate to go all that way and have it rain everyday. April, May, June and Sept look like the best months to go to all these areas in terms of the lowest chance of rain. I might still take a shot and go anyway. I'm not sure what the rain patterns are like there, some places rain all day and are gray for weeks, some areas that get rain get it quickly and then the sun comes out again soon after.
Living in Italy and in a Mediterranean i can tell you that it is never grey for weeks, the weather goes in patterns, it can rain really heavily for two days, then it's sunny for 5-6 consecutive days. Rinse and repeat.
For example, if you look at the weather in Catania, it rains heavily today (it dropped already 15 mm), it's sunny with temps in the mid-high 20s until Thursday when it rains heavily again and then it's once again sunny and in high 20s again on Friday. This is what weather looks like around here in this period
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88
Considering the time frame of travel Oct 15-Oct 30th, what would you say is the most and least touristy out of the following:
-Andalusia area of Spain
-Lisbon
-Mainland Greece
-Sicily
-South of France
Either Sicily or Mainland Greece outside of Athens
Thanks everyone. I decided to head to Lisbon area and Andausia next week, hopefully I don't get rained out. This May I will try to hit Southern Italy, Sicily, and Greece.
Location: Segovia, central Spain, 1230 m asl, Csb Mediterranean with strong continental influence, 40º43 N
3,094 posts, read 3,574,616 times
Reputation: 1036
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88
Thanks everyone. I decided to head to Lisbon area and Andausia next week, hopefully I don't get rained out. This May I will try to hit Southern Italy, Sicily, and Greece.
Have fun and then share with us how it was.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Would Lisbon be included in that chance of heavy rains Oct 15-30th? I'm guessing the very South of Spain might have the best weather? I'm kind of learning towards Portugal and Andalusia. I was in Italy last year (but not Sicily), and really love Italy and am very intrigued by Sicily. I have not been to Greece since 1996 and that was the islands. I have heard good things about the Peloponnese (Monemvasia, etc..). I think I may need a car rental more in Sicily & Greece than Spain and Portugal though.
