Feb is still wintry in almost all of Europe and March is not much better.

If you want semi-guaranteed good weather, you'll have to go somewhere else

No guarantees, but Rome was great from my point of view in early January 2005. During the day, it got into the 60s, and it was sunny most of the time. Of course, this cannot be guaranteed, but Rome would be great even if the weather is terrible.

Perhaps you can give an idea of what temperatures and weather would be acceptable to you. Someone from Florida might have a different idea than someone who lives in Canada like me.

I am okay with with 50s/60s weather. Preferably not a ton of rain but i have rain boots that I an take with me. Weather like being in NYC over thanksgiving is not bad to me.

Then you were very lucky. The all time record high in Rome for the month of Jan is 63°F

Avg High Temperature 52 °F
Avg Low Temperature 35 °F
Avg Days w/ rain 14
Avg Days w/ Snow 1
Avg Days w/ temps below freezing 8
Avg Days w/ Fog 27
Record High 63 °F
Record Low 12 °F

Even Rome can be VERY cold. Someplace like Sicily might be better. Or islands like the Azores. Or southern Spain (though it can get cold even there)

Now, me personally, I wouldn't let cold and/or wet weather scare me off. Heck - I go to London and Scotland in winter. But if nice weather is a must, Europe maybe isn't what you are looking for at that time of year.

i have always wanted to go to Scotland and Ireland. What is it like to travel when it is cold. I don't mind the cold since I have cold weather clothing...plus good sturdy rain boots. it is harder for me to travel during the summer since i belong to Outrigger paddling team...which all races are in teh summer Now...as a single person that could be going to Ireland or Scotland...would u recommend getting on a tour or just going by myself and seeing the sites on my own?

my 2nd post was in answer to WillTravel about 60's in Rome.

hckypris98: Take a look at the weather data in my post and see if they look OK to you (especially the rain/fog and low temps) then Rome/Florence (though Florence will most likely be just a bit colder.). I'd avoid Venice (unfortunately) - in the wettest months it can flood and be VERY damp.

hckypris98: A problem you'll have in Europe - but especially in northern places like Scotland - is the short days in winter. In Edinburgh in Feb the sun rises around 8 AM and sets around 5PM.

But the days lengthen significantly into March. By the end of March sunrise is about 6:45AM and sunset nearly 8 PM.

So the later into your time frame, the more daylight you'll have. As long as you have warm clothing, something waterproof, and good shoes, you can pretty much go anywhere.

Have already been to Italy...how about Prague, Spain, or Ireland or Scotland. Is that going to far north where it gets really cold...like in the low 20s? I can handle anything between 30 and 60...as long as I am walking around...i tend to warm up. That how I managed in NYC...if you get cold...just start walking and all of a sudden u are not cold anymore.

While I don't think you will find anywhere with much more than the hope of good weather, I would stick with someplace southern like Spain or Italy. Regardless, I would bring a nice coat and waterproof shoes.

The problem with Scotland is as much the darkness as cold. Sunset at 5 pm can put a crimp in your day. Scandinavia is even worse.

hckypris98,

I live in Italy and used to live in NYC and much of the response you are getting in this thread is really uninformed and wrong, to say the least. (To anybody else reading along, don't choose Sicily over Rome as a winter destination. It's much stormier in Sicily.) Also, Venice does its Carnivale in Feb and March and hundreds of thousands love it year after year. The wet weather in Venice is in November and December. The lagoon moderates the cold of the north --- but one could on and on.

Yes, February and March are in winter in Europe so you face risk of cold, rain and even snow everywhere. That said, if you found a way to have fun in the sharp cold of an NYC Thanksgiving, you're likely to tolerate most of Spain (and certainly most of Italy) quite well although the Atlantic facing sides of Spain get lots and lots of rain.

Where do you want to go in Spain? Madrid is more like NYC, with lots museums and indoor activities if the weather turns quite inclement. Sevilla has a better climate but is a bit more dependent on outdoor touristing. Barcelona offers a real mix of indoor and outdoor, but some of its beach party feel is lost if it gets rainy.

One more thought hcky: Sometimes, the places that are accustomed to very cold weather do better with heating their indoor spaces than places that figure it's rare to really need it.

So if you are traveling on a budget and hoping for bed-and-breakfast type accommodations, you might think about Prague or Berlin and such places. If you are prepared to book into a modern business-type hotel in someplace like Sevilla or Barcelona, it's not a problem.

I have enjoyed February and March visits to London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Venice, and Greece. In northern Europe I like city visits at that time of year. The cultural season is in full swing and city sightseeing is not so dependent upon daylight.

Barcelona in February seemed warm to me but the locals were bundled up in coats and scarves. Same thing in Rome in March. In Greece we hit early spring in March and there was beautiful weather punctuated by wildflowers. No guarantees though.

None of the cities I mentioned in February or March have felt colder than New York in November.

Great post Nikki!

With regarding scarves, coats and bundling up among the locals, along the mediterranean (where I live), it can get quite drafty, and the breeze causes lots of abrupt shifts in temp, not just during the day, but also from one part of town to the next as you change elevation, or get more sea air exposure. The people of the Med are notoriously cold averse, but I've discovered that scarves are a real necessity to prevent constantly catching cold from these temp shifts and damp winds.

It's also true that the boots, scarves and furs are so fashionable, they get dragged out to be worn in winter even on warm sunny days.

I also want to add that Madrid, being on a high, dry plain, can feel as cold as NYC in November, and snow can't be ruled out. I also benefitted from gorgeous sunshine -- even hot sunshine -- early in March in Athens, but my flight back to Italy was simply lousy with stormy turbulence, and Athens can have gloomy winters that deprive tourists of the fun of Athens outdoor cafe culture.

Suggestions: the Carnival of Cadiz (southern Spain) in February.
http://www.andalucia.org/carnaval-de-cadiz/carnaval-en-la-calle/

The Fallas festival in Valencia (eastern Spain) in March.
http://www.fallasfromvalencia.com/en/htm/monumentos.htm

On the same trip, I visited Florence just before, and it wasn't just a bit colder than Rome, it was much colder than Rome. I can't say if that was a fluke or not.

I wasn't recommending Sicily at all -- just mentioning it because it is father south. But the upshot - winter is winter in Europe.

March might be better (the days are certainly longer) - or might not.

FWIW - we've been to Europe a few times in March, dictated by timing for spring breaks and one time for a business conference. Cities included London, Paris, Florence and Rome. We enjoyed every trip and simply did indoor activities if the weather was inclement, which it usually wasn't. Our experience:

London - cool, occasional light rain, some overcast but also quite a few days with sun or partly cloudy.
Paris - cool to cold, with some rain, cloudy skies and some partly cloudy.
Florence - cool (but not cold); very little rain, fair amount of sunshine
Rome - cool, mainly sunny with some clouds.

Medium to light coats were fine (except for that one cold spell in Paris).

And none of these visits were certainly any worse than what you can find in NY at Thanksgiving.

Just our experience.

I was in Europe this year from mid-Feb through mid-April. Was 2 weeks in Paris through early March, Switzerland early March, Prague/Budapest/Vienna through mid/late-March, Austria into late March, Venice in late March. Strictly anecdotal, but weather throughout this whole time would have met your criteria. I was prepared and was quite comfortable the whole time in sweaters, jeans, London Fog-type raincoat with lining and scarves. Even ditched the lining in the coat much of the time (ultimately leaving it in a hotel trashcan in Venice). I will say that I scrapped plans to visit the Berner Oberland in Switzerland as I realized I wasn't equipped shoe-wise.

I think it's a great time to visit Europe for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the crowds are less and hotel availability is good--especially for last minute plans.

I recommend Greece or Spain at that time of year.

We have traveled to Europe for 10 to 14 days in mid-March during spring break each of the past three years, and the weather was usually good, sometimes very good. March 2007, Rhine/Mosel and Amsterdam, rained about every third day, but only one day of cold weather; otherwise the weather was very good. March 2008, Vienna and Florence, occasional showers but no cold weather, warm, beautiful weather in Salzburg. March 2009, Paris, gorgeous weather, like June. That is no guarantee for the future, of course.

Not sure I understand the point of anecdotal evidence about one's past trips. Average temperature and precipitation data is readily available with a quick search of google. That sort of data is infinitely better than tales of random good or bad luck, weather-wise.

hckypris98,
You didn't mention Paris. We were there during a very cold week in February, but we didn't let the weather get us down. All the fountains were frozen solid. But we simply bundled up, taking cabs a little more than usual.

We don't mind the short days...Paris is so beautiful at night!

We had wonderful spring-like weather in Rome late Feb/early March of 2007. It was warmer than usual that year but even in an average year you should have pleasant temperatures, at least by Vermont standards! We find cooler weather much better for sightseeing than hot weather. And as others have noted there is plenty to see indoors if the weather is cool and rainy

I've traveled all over Europe for years in the winter. I've always said I'd rather be cold in Europe than cold in my own town at home. But I'm never cold because I bundle up and there are always things to do, even when it's dark early.

Just be sensible: Wear layers that you can peel off for those warmer days, make sure you have a waterproof outer layer, comfy/waterproof shoes and keep tabs on the forecast -- plot indoor activities for inclement days.

The benefit to February/March travel -- most places are relatively tourist-free or at least uncrowded and pleasant.

Go for it!

We loved the main land in Greece in January. Metsovo (up north) had a little snow but the southern part was excellent. Loved the fact that there were no crowds. Rented a car and drove everywhere. The hotels had fires in the fireplaces- charming. The Greeks are such great folks!

hcktpris98, from my experience, there are not many tours offered in Europe during those months. If you want a chance at better weather, I would choose Sicily or southern Spain. But if you want culture and night life, I believe you would have a great time in Dublin, Edinburgh, Rome or any other big city. From each of these venues, you can take day tours to points of interest. For example, one February (school vacation) a friend and I spent 10 days in Rome. Chilly but walkable. We took a day tour to Sorrento and the Isle of Capri where the weather was delightful, ate al fresco etc.

Zeppole, thanks for your input. Since you live in Italy, you know. I guess most folks like myself tend to base our suggestions on personal experience from one or two visits to the places in question. Again, my experience in Sicily in 2001 for touring was excellent. I guess we were just lucky.

The Norwegians like to say that there is no such thing as poor weather...only poor clothing. If you make your final packing decisions a week or less before departure, you can fine-tune the number of layers you take with you, based on the 10-day forecast.

Madrid sounds like it could be an optimal trip during this time. My problem...is that during the summer months...I have other obligations where it is optimal for me travel in the winter.

For my Feb/Mar trips, if I want summer weather I go to the southern hemisphere. Sydney is wonderful that time of year. How about Cape Town? India, although north of the equator, has 80F weather in February. Anywhere you go in Europe will be a compromise.