Lower the beach club umbrellas and check on Dua Lipa: Euro summer is coming to an end. Maybe you, like Dua, went all in, losing track of days as you plunged in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Or perhaps you didn’t get a chance to partake in Europe’s sunniest season, and the last few months have involved lots of envious scrolls on Instagram. Whether you still have room for more, or are making up for lost time, hold on to that last bit of PTO, because we’re entering what’s arguably an even more rewarding travel moment.
Fall in Europe brings with it brisk temperatures that make sightseeing an utter joy, thinner crowds that leave room for locals, and an opportunity to experience cities in their most authentic light. You might find yourself falling in love with the version of Vienna that’s settling down after the tourist rush, or chasing new destinations entirely, whether that’s Denmark’s North Zealand coast or Italy’s “green heart” of Umbria. “I’m seeing people looking far more off the beaten path this season,” says Kimberly Davis of Trouvaille Travel. “Even if they want to travel to major European cities, it’s places like Copenhagen rather than the typical London, Paris, or Rome.” To help you plan your autumnal sojourn, we gathered expert-suggested itineraries, from the food haven that is the Basque Country to the moody Irish countryside. Below, the seven best places to travel to in Europe this fall.
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Copenhagen and the Danish Riviera, Denmark
“Copenhagen just makes sense to me in the fall,” says Christine Andraus of Partenza Travel. “The food, the bakeries, candles everywhere, beautiful design, people actually embracing being cozy instead of trying to pretend it’s still summer.” Andraus is right: There’s no better place to embrace hygge than Denmark’s capital, where afternoons might look like strolling through golden-hued Assistens Cemetery or bundling up in a fisherman’s sweater at a harborside food hall like Reffen or Broens. Davis says she’s seeing clients opt for more design-forward hotels—think Hotel Sanders instead of Hotel D’Angleterre—to better lean into the city’s artsy edge. For a more comprehensive trip, Andraus suggests adding a couple of nights in North Zealand, otherwise known as the Danish Riviera, where historic palaces like Shakespeare-famous Kronborg Castle collide with vast forests and wild coastlines—plus, of course, the seaside stunner that is the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
Where to stay in Copenhagen and the Danish Riviera:
