phieaglefan

I'm just beginning to research this trip. My problem is that there are no fares yet posted for October, so I don't know what I'm comparing. In general, how do the fares compare for travel to Europe in March vs. October. I realize I'll have to wait for the actual prices, but just trying to get a handle on this. With gas prices the way they are, who knows what will happen to fares!

Also, are there any other considerations or advantages/disadvantages that I may not have considered. Obviously I can look up the average temps, etc. But is there something else you encountered that you liked or disliked traveling during these times of the year?

Thanks for the help!
H

mr_compass

look at www.ltu.com, a charter service, they fly to germany from NYC. You can get an idea of the fares for now and for March. I would choose Oct over March. The weather would be much warmer then march. I would also think that there would be more festivals etc going on in Oct.

eurovoyages

I have just booked a 13-day trip to Berlin, from 03-14-05 through 03-27-05, for about $1,300.00. A good website is Go-Today.com, which I have used before for trips to Paris. It was almost always the case, though, that the packages to Berlin, Vienna, Rome and Venice, were more expensive those to London and Paris, so I just went to various websites and booked the flight and the hotel separately. The round-trip on BA was about $644.00, but now I find that flights are even cheaper. I just did a global search for Berlin hotels, and kept looking until I found something reasonable. I prefer going in March because the rates are better. As for weather, I detest sightseeing when it's hot. I was in Paris in March of this year, and during my second week there the temperature was an unseasonably 70 degrees F., and I was NOT comfortable. Also, in March there are fewer other tourists. But, as I say, if you go to the various discount websites, i.e., cheaptickets.com, etc. you just type in the travel dates and then just compare rates.

SAnParis

Right now you can book Mid-March flights for about $400-$500 depending on where you are departing from. October deals are much harder to come by. I typically travel to Europe the first 3 months of the year due to the cheaper flights.

phieaglefan

Thanks for your replies. I am glad to see that there are some 'March' fans out there because I just reserved our one FF ticket for March. Will need to purchase two others.

Hubby and I went in summer of '04 and enjoyed ourselves, but hated the heat and humidity (and we live in Oklahoma!) Mainly we'll be visiting family and seeing some sights. Can't wait!

Thanks again!
H

tomboy

March? Guess you like cold and dampness, as opposed to heat and humidity.

L84SKY

The only heat and humidity I want is in a steam room.
My hubby and I are also going to Germany in March. For us, it's a good time to get away but also we like the colder months. In Feb. of this year we went to Paris and it was snowing. We loved it. Since we are from So. Calif it's a treat to see a dusting of snow.

But, it's a trade-off. Attractions open at later hours, days are shorter and some things are just closed for the season.
I'm hoping for a few good days to do some hiking, if that doesn't happen I'll be happy to enjoy the spas and the museums.