KIWIFAN3

We will be in London in November for a Wedding and afterwards, would like to go somewhere in Europe,for about four to five days.We are looking for warmer weather and in close proximity to London. I thought of Sorrento, but in November many places are closed. Any suggestions?

mjs

Consider Andalucia, Majorca, Canary islands.

cmt

Sicily is always fascinating, and when I was there in November a few years ago, the weather was mostly pleasant and mostly fairly warm. It's not close to London, though.

janisj

No place in Europe will be reliable warm - or even warm-ish - in November. Even southern Italy, Spain and Greece probably won't be warm in November.

If you insist on warm you need to travel somewhere else. But that doesn't mean you can't have a great short break in Europe in November. You just need to take appropriate clothing.

So, what sorts of things do you enjoy - then we can make useful suggestions.

KIWIFAN3

Thanks everyone. We just want to do some general sightseeing or just go somewhere to relax. We are open to everything. We love beautiful scenery, history etc.Greece would most probably be too far.

cmt

When I was in Sicily in November 2002, it was pretty warm most days (low to mid 70s F, I think). I would've been comfortable in Palermo without my very light unlined jacket, but I wore it just so I wouldn't feel too bare in the city. (Local people, however, were more warmly drressed.) It felt like early September in New Jersey. In the countryside and at archeological sites in western Sicily, I was comfortable in a short sleeved cotton top, but carried a long sleeved shirt to wear as a sweater in the shade. It rained heavily one day when I was in Cefalù, so I wore a rain jacket, but I was hot wearing it. The only place it was quite chilly was in the Nebrodi Mountains, but you're probably not going there. yet, on a day when I'd been was all bundled up in layers in little towns in the Nebrodis, after a short ride, I was back at the train station in Capo d'Orlando (on the north coast), where it felt like it was in the upper 70s F or maybe 80. According to the people I talked to, neither the warm weather in western Sicily and along the coast nor the almost cold weather in the Nebrodi Mountains towns was at all unusual for November.

Pegontheroad

Perhaps what you consider "warmer" depends on where you live.

I spent January of 2000 in Spain, and it was positively balmy in comparison to Spokane, Washington, where I live. I was based in Madrid but went to Sevilla and Granada on weekends, which were both quite pleasant, though not swimsuit weather. I guess I concur with mjs, who suggests Andalucia, Majorca, and the Canaries.

Balm

Yes, November in sothern Spain was reasonably warm. I also spent a week in Barcelona in November - it was not warm, but sunny and great for sightseeing - crowds not that big. If you had a week after London you could check for a last minute charter flight to Egypt or Tunisia or Marocco, even to Kenia or Madagascar if you want warm and exotic, but a flight to Madagascar is a bit long. European charter flights usually include air and hotel (you can choose hotel standard), and the last minute selection offers often great bargains.

Cicerone

Go to weatherbase.com, and click on "Vacation Finder". Enter November and the minimum acceptable temperature. It will show you where you can go. The Vacation Finder won't show how often it may rain in that month, for that you need to go to the city listings on the weatherbase.com site.

Get out a map and look at how far NORTH most of Europe is. That is why very little of it is warm during November, most of it is downright cold, except for the UK which is kept more temperate by the Gulf Stream (albeit it gets dark early). Naples/Sorrento are on the same latitude as New York City and are only a bit warmer because the Med is not as cold as the Atlantic. That being said,I think European cities are great for a break and not crowded, i.e., I think Paris or Rome would be perfect for a few days in November, the only thing you can't do is sit outside at cafes, but museums are not crowded and restaurants are all open, something you won't find in August, for example. Paris is a short train ride, and Rome would be a 2-3 hour flight, you could do an open jaw airline ticket that would allow you to fly into London and go home from Rome.

I agree that Portugal or Spain would be a good place for November, if you don't mind some rain. You aren't really going to find beach weather in either place, however.

nonnafelice

Kiwifan,

We went to Sorrento in early November 2004 and had pretty good luck with the weather. It's a great base for lots of interesting day trips -- Pompeii, Naples, Paestum, among others.

You can see photos and a trip report here:
http://rozault.com/italy2004

tcreath

Actually, I spent a lot of time sitting at outdoor cafes in both Paris and Rome in winter seasons. We were in Paris this past November and the temps were fine. Sure it got a little chilly, but nothing too bad. Several outdoor cafes had heatlamps that made it quite cozy, even in chilly weather. Same with Italy. We've been to Rome in both December and March and have sat outside for dinner and coffee many times. The heatlamps definitely help.

Tracy

ira

Hi K,

Have you considered Madeira?