Where to go in Europe in May?
The 15 best destinations for a trip in Europe in May, ranked on the weather actually recorded.
For a trip in Europe in May, we kept European destinations outside France, during their best season. Temperatures and rainfall are real records, averaged from 2015 to 2024 at each destination's reference point, and the sea is measured at the nearest coastal point. 15 destinations pass this filter. Top of the ranking: Andalusia (29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C).
The ranking at a glance
| # | Destination | Afternoon | Rainy days | Sea (°C) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇸 Andalusia | 29 °C | 4 | 19 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 2 | 🇪🇸 Seville | 28 °C | 4 | - | €70-110 a day |
| 3 | 🇵🇹 The Algarve | 25 °C | 4 | 16 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 4 | 🇬🇷 Rhodes | 25 °C | 4 | 20 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 5 | 🇬🇷 The Cyclades | 22 °C | 3 | 19 °C | €90-160 a day |
| 6 | 🇲🇹 Valletta | 22 °C | 3 | 18 °C | €80-140 a day |
| 7 | 🇵🇹 Lisbon | 23 °C | 5 | 17 °C | €60-100 a day |
| 8 | 🇮🇹 Sicily | 23 °C | 5 | 18 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 9 | 🇲🇹 Gozo | 18 °C | 3 | 19 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 10 | 🇮🇹 Puglia | 24 °C | 7 | 19 °C | €80-130 a day |
| 11 | 🇭🇷 Dubrovnik | 22 °C | 10 | 19 °C | €80-130 a day |
| 12 | 🇭🇷 Hvar | 21 °C | 10 | 19 °C | €80-150 a day |
| 13 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 24 °C | 12 | 20 °C | €40-70 a day |
| 14 | 🇷🇴 Bucharest | 22 °C | 11 | - | €50-90 a day |
| 15 | 🇭🇺 Budapest | 21 °C | 11 | - | €55-95 a day |
The 15 destinations in detail
Region1 🇪🇸 Andalusia
🌡️ 29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
Andalusia is best experienced behind the wheel, from the Mezquita of Córdoba to the cliffs of Ronda, from the flower-filled patios of Granada to the wild coves of Cabo de Gata. Between white villages clinging to the Sierra, you stop for a gazpacho, a vertiginous walkway on the Caminito del Rey or a night of flamenco in Jerez. A road trip that feels a world away, yet only a short flight from much of Europe.
City2 🇪🇸 Seville
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain · 💶 €70-110 a day
Seville means the Alcázar and its Moorish patios, the Giralda towering over the rooftops, and flamenco stamping out its rhythm at night in Triana. Andalusian to its fingertips, especially in spring.
Region3 🇵🇹 The Algarve
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 16 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
The Algarve means ochre cliffs dropping onto hidden coves, Benagil cave reached by kayak, and whitewashed fishing villages. Portugal's most spectacular coastline.
City4 🇬🇷 Rhodes
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 20 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
Rhodes is the city of the Knights of St John, with 4 km of ramparts, an intact street of inns and a Palace of the Grand Master rebuilt by the Italians, all listed by Unesco. 50 km to the south, the acropolis of Lindos towers over a white village, and between the two lie 1930s spa buildings, pebbly bays and sandy beaches.
Region5 🇬🇷 The Cyclades
🌡️ 22 °C in the afternoon, 3 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €90-160 a day
Some 220 islands south-east of Athens, 24 of them inhabited, arranged in a circle around the sanctuary of Delos. Santorini's black caldera, the farmed valleys of Naxos, the white rocks of Milos: the scenery changes with every crossing, but the villages are whitewashed everywhere.
City6 🇲🇹 Valletta
🌡️ 22 °C in the afternoon, 3 days of rain, sea at 18 °C · 💶 €80-140 a day
Built by the Knights of St John after the siege of 1565, Valletta sits on a peninsula measuring 900 metres by 600, laid out in a grid above the Grand Harbour. A little over five thousand inhabitants, bastions of golden limestone and stepped streets that plunge towards the water.
City7 🇵🇹 Lisbon
🌡️ 23 °C in the afternoon, 5 days of rain, sea at 17 °C · 💶 €60-100 a day
Lisbon means tram 28 climbing through Alfama, miradouros at sunset, and a still-warm pastel de nata in Belém. Bright, hilly and surprisingly kind to your wallet.
Region8 🇮🇹 Sicily
🌡️ 23 °C in the afternoon, 5 days of rain, sea at 18 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
Sicily means Etna smoking in the distance, the Greek temples of Agrigento, the noisy markets of Palermo and beaches that are still wild. A generous island, at the table as everywhere else.
City9 🇲🇹 Gozo
🌡️ 18 °C in the afternoon, 3 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
The second island of the Maltese archipelago, Gozo covers 67 km² with around 40,000 inhabitants, a citadel planted at its centre and cliffs that drop 130 metres in the south. Its Ġgantija temples date from 3600 BC, a millennium before the pyramids of Egypt.
Region10 🇮🇹 Puglia
🌡️ 24 °C in the afternoon, 7 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €80-130 a day
The heel of the Italian boot lines up the trulli of Alberobello, the whitewashed lanes of Ostuni and the cliffs of Polignano a Mare above a turquoise sea. Between swims, you head for the exuberant Baroque of Lecce or the sassi of Matera, just over the border in Basilicata. All of it savoured over homemade orecchiette and oil from centuries-old olive trees, in an Italy that still feels authentic.
City11 🇭🇷 Dubrovnik
🌡️ 22 °C in the afternoon, 10 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €80-130 a day
Dubrovnik means a walk around the walls above the red roofs, the Stradun polished by the centuries, and a swim at the foot of the fortifications. The old town is best enjoyed early in the morning, before the cruise ships arrive.
City12 🇭🇷 Hvar
🌡️ 21 °C in the afternoon, 10 days of rain, sea at 19 °C · 💶 €80-150 a day
A 68 km-long island off Split, Hvar lines up lavender fields, terraced vineyards and a bay guarded by a Venetian fortress. Its capital of 4,000 people sits between a yacht harbour and stone lanes, facing the Pakleni Islands.
Countries13 🇦🇱 Albania
🌡️ 24 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain, sea at 20 °C · 💶 €40-70 a day
Albania means the turquoise water of Ksamil on the Riviera, the stone lanes of Gjirokastër, and the wild peaks around Theth. The rising star of the Balkans, still unspoilt and affordable.
City14 🇷🇴 Bucharest
🌡️ 22 °C in the afternoon, 11 days of rain · 💶 €50-90 a day
Bucharest pairs the world's second-largest administrative building, 365,000 m2 of marble commissioned by Ceausescu, with lanes of 18th-century Orthodox churches ten minutes' walk away. In between lie Art Deco villas, vast parks and cheap terraces.
City15 🇭🇺 Budapest
🌡️ 21 °C in the afternoon, 11 days of rain · 💶 €55-95 a day
The Danube splits the city into two worlds: regal Buda, with its castle and Fisherman's Bastion, facing party-loving Pest, with its Belle Époque cafes and the ruin bars of the Jewish quarter. In between, you lounge in the Széchenyi Baths, admire the illuminated Parliament from a boat and dine on goulash for a handful of forints. Budapest is Vienna, only more affordable and more alive.
Frequently asked questions
Where to go in Europe in May?
Andalusia, Seville, The Algarve, Rhodes and The Cyclades top our ranking for a trip in Europe in May. In first place, Andalusia: 29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C on average over 2015-2024.
Which is the closest destination in Europe in May?
Andalusia, about 2h30 by air from Paris, with 29 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 19 °C in May.
Where does it rain least in May among these destinations?
The Cyclades: 3 days of rain on average in May, with 22 °C in the afternoon.
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