Where to go in Europe in September?
The 15 best destinations for a trip in Europe in September, ranked on the weather actually recorded.
For a trip in Europe in September, 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: Rhodes (30 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain, sea at 27 °C).
The ranking at a glance
| # | Destination | Afternoon | Rainy days | Sea (°C) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇬🇷 Rhodes | 30 °C | 2 | 27 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 2 | 🇬🇷 Santorini | 27 °C | 1 | 25 °C | €120-220 a day |
| 3 | 🇪🇸 Andalusia | 31 °C | 4 | 24 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 4 | 🇵🇹 The Algarve | 28 °C | 3 | 17 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 5 | 🇲🇹 Valletta | 28 °C | 4 | 27 °C | €80-140 a day |
| 6 | 🇵🇹 Lisbon | 26 °C | 4 | 18 °C | €60-100 a day |
| 7 | 🇪🇸 Madrid | 27 °C | 5 | - | €80-130 a day |
| 8 | 🇮🇹 Puglia | 28 °C | 6 | 26 °C | €80-130 a day |
| 9 | 🇮🇹 Sicily | 27 °C | 6 | 24 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 10 | 🇷🇴 Bucharest | 25 °C | 5 | - | €50-90 a day |
| 11 | 🇲🇹 Gozo | 25 °C | 5 | 26 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 12 | 🇭🇷 Dubrovnik | 26 °C | 7 | 25 °C | €80-130 a day |
| 13 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 27 °C | 8 | 27 °C | €40-70 a day |
| 14 | 🇭🇷 Hvar | 25 °C | 7 | 25 °C | €80-150 a day |
| 15 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 21 °C | 7 | - | €80-130 a day |
The 15 destinations in detail
City1 🇬🇷 Rhodes
🌡️ 30 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain, sea at 27 °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.
City2 🇬🇷 Santorini
🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 25 °C · 💶 €120-220 a day
Santorini means white houses clinging to the caldera, the sunset over Oia that everyone waits for, and black volcanic sand beaches. Spectacular, especially out of season.
Region3 🇪🇸 Andalusia
🌡️ 31 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 24 °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.
Region4 🇵🇹 The Algarve
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 3 days of rain, sea at 17 °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.
City5 🇲🇹 Valletta
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 27 °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.
City6 🇵🇹 Lisbon
🌡️ 26 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 18 °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.
City7 🇪🇸 Madrid
🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 5 days of rain · 💶 €80-130 a day
Madrid reveals itself in the evening: the Prado's paintings by day, then tapas from bar to bar in La Latina, and terraces that never empty. A capital that lives late and welcomes everyone.
Region8 🇮🇹 Puglia
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 6 days of rain, sea at 26 °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.
Region9 🇮🇹 Sicily
🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 6 days of rain, sea at 24 °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.
City10 🇷🇴 Bucharest
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 5 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.
City11 🇲🇹 Gozo
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 5 days of rain, sea at 26 °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.
City12 🇭🇷 Dubrovnik
🌡️ 26 °C in the afternoon, 7 days of rain, sea at 25 °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.
Countries13 🇦🇱 Albania
🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 8 days of rain, sea at 27 °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 🇭🇷 Hvar
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 7 days of rain, sea at 25 °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.
Countries15 🇩🇪 Germany
🌡️ 21 °C in the afternoon, 7 days of rain · 💶 €80-130 a day
Germany means Neuschwanstein Castle straight out of a fairy tale, Berlin with its raw memory, and the Black Forest and its firs. And in December, Christmas markets in almost every town.
Frequently asked questions
Where to go in Europe in September?
Rhodes, Santorini, Andalusia, The Algarve and Valletta top our ranking for a trip in Europe in September. In first place, Rhodes: 30 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain, sea at 27 °C on average over 2015-2024.
Which is the closest destination in Europe in September?
Germany, about 1h30 by air from Paris, with 21 °C in the afternoon, 7 days of rain in September.
Where does it rain least in September among these destinations?
Santorini: 1 day of rain on average in September, with 27 °C in the afternoon.
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