Tubulus

Deciding on a mid-march vacation. Food and wine extremely important. The places we are looking all seem like they will be warm enough to enjoy the outdoors (60s or so), but want to be sure that
1) it wont' be too rainy
and
2) restaurants and cultural sites will be open.

3 main options:
1 - Provence (and possibly Roussillon & Catalunia). Could start in Barcelona and drive over, or just do Provence and southern Rhone.
2 - San Sebastian/Bilbao/Rioja. Only caveat is our last Europe trip was Barcelona, so maybe Spain overkill? Though very different cultures.
3 - Somewhere in southern Italy - maybe Puglia or Sicily.

No interest in Southern spain or Portugal.

Any thoughts?


Thanks

CathyM

It would help to know how much time you have for this vacation.

Personally I could (and have) easily spent 2 weeks in La Rioja and the Basque Country and not been bored for a minute.

You can never be guaranteed it will not rain. I spent 2 weeks in Andalucia in April where it rained every day (at the same time it was nice and sunny in Northern Spain where it normally rains). Then last month I was in the Basque Country for 2 weeks and it was 85 degrees farenheit and sunny every day - go figure.

bobthenavigator

I would pick Sicily in March. Here are some reasons why:

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828

dfourh

For the last 27 years my folks have gone to the Algarve (southern Portugal, on the Atlantic) mid-March. The weather tends to be optimal (low 60's and sunshine) the 2nd and 3rd week of March; everything is in bloom; it is florid - - and not desolate as in winter or dried out as in summer. They like to get out of there before Easter Week, when it starts getting busy. The place they stay in Albufeira has rates about 30e a night, with balcony and kitchen, and ocean views mid-March; the prices go up substantially Easter Week, and inn summer the same property is well over 100e.

It CAN rain or be cloudy at times, but that is the exception. Mostly it is all sun, that time of year. It is about three hours from Seville.

Elyse_Dorm

Another vote for Sicily, since spring is the best time to visit there. Good food, warm weather, beautiful countryside and no crowds.

MyriamC

If "no rain" is one of your main criteria, then avoid the Basque Country. It's the wettest area of France/Spain.

From the ones you mention I think Sicily would be your best bet although it might rain there (and be cold) as well. Puglia too, weatherwise, but it will be completely dead. It was dead in June, I presume it will be even 'deader' in March.

ribeirasacra

No rain?
Maybe you should read this thread...
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-a-desert.cfm

zeppole

I went to Sicily in April and it snowed! And when it wasn't snowing, it was raining. People who go to Sicily in May (like bob did) are amazed with how green it is. Guess how it got that green?

However, the Basque coast of Spain is far, far rainier.

The strip of French coast between Nice and Menton boasts of having "316 cloudless days per year."

http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/-Mento...e-d-Azur-.html

What I might do is fly in and out of Nice and position myself around Menton with a car, and keep my plans very loose. Food and olive oil is excellent on the Italian side of the border, a wealth of cultural sights is close by in Nice, and if you follow the weather forecasts and see predictions of dry weather in Piemonte, you can easily relocate there for your food and wine, for however long the sun shines. If it is lousy in Piemonte but pretty in Provence, you could easily go to Provence. You wouldn't need to book either place in advance.

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a...5/m/4901013764

http://langhe.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

http://en.allexperts.com/q/France-14...-end-March.htm

http://europe.toptravelcontent.com/2...oute-provence/

Just about anyplace that has dry weather in March will not have great wine, but if you stick in the vicinity of Piemonte and the Cote d'Azur, you up your chances of being able to include important wine venues in your trip.

But if you are willing to drink nice Sicilian table wines and eat the delicious food there, plus take the same risks of rain you'd face on the Riviera, Sicily is a more interesting destination overall than southern France, the Italian Riviera or Piemonte.

zeppole

http://www.bestofsicily.com/weather.htm