Where to go in May?
56 destinations at their best in May, with what to think about before you leave.
- London What to pack for a trip to London? London can be visited year-round, but April to September offers the longest days and the most pleasant weather.
- Musée du Louvre What to pack for Musée du Louvre? The Louvre is open year-round but July–August brings extreme queues due to peak Parisian tourism; visiting outside school holidays makes for a far more pleasant experience.
- New York City What to pack for a trip to New York City? Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November) offer ideal weather in New York; summer is hot and humid, making intensive sightseeing uncomfortable.
- Paris What to pack for a trip to Paris? Paris is at its best in spring and early autumn: mild temperatures, flattering light and fewer crowds; July–August bring mass tourism that overwhelms major sites and public transport.
- Château de Versailles What to pack for Château de Versailles? The gardens are in full bloom in spring and autumn, while July–August brings overwhelming crowds and stifling heat.
- Roma What to pack for a trip to Roma? Rome is ideal in spring and autumn: pleasant temperatures around 20 °C and moderate crowds; July–August are stifling (over 35 °C) and mass tourism makes visiting major sites exhausting.
- Tokyo What to pack for a trip to Tokyo? Spring (cherry blossoms in March–April) and autumn (foliage in October–November) are the best seasons; summer is hot, humid and affected by the rainy season.
- Italia What to pack for a trip to Italia? Spring and autumn are the best seasons for visiting Italian art cities, coasts and countryside; summer is stifling in major cities and overcrowded on the coasts.
- Venezia What to pack for a trip to Venezia? Spring and autumn offer pleasant weather and manageable crowds; summer is overwhelmingly hot and busy, while winter brings frequent acqua alta flooding.
- Amsterdam What to pack for a trip to Amsterdam? Spring (tulips, lively canals) and summer offer the best conditions; winter is cold and rainy but the city stays open.
- Barcelona What to pack for a trip to Barcelona? Spring and autumn offer a pleasant climate for visiting Barcelona; July and August are very hot, crowded, and expensive.
- Berlin What to pack for a trip to Berlin? Berlin's summer is lively, sunny, and ideal for enjoying green spaces and cultural life; winter is cold and dark.
- Disneyland Paris What to pack for Disneyland Paris? Spring and autumn combine shorter queues with pleasant weather; July–August should be avoided due to peak crowds.
- España What to pack for a trip to España? Spring and autumn are ideal for exploring Spanish cities and coasts; summer brings scorching heat inland and overcrowded beaches on the coast.
- Istanbul What to pack for a trip to Istanbul? Spring and early autumn bring mild temperatures and little rain for visiting mosques and the Bosphorus; summer is hot and crowded, winter cold and wet.
- Madrid What to pack for a trip to Madrid? Madrid is ideal in spring and autumn; July and August regularly exceed 35°C, making sightseeing exhausting.
- Mont-Saint-Michel What to pack for Mont-Saint-Michel? Spring and autumn allow a visit with far fewer crowds; July and August bring massive tourist numbers that detract from the experience.
- Athenes What to pack for a trip to Athenes? Spring and autumn offer a mild climate ideal for visiting the Acropolis; July and August are scorchingly hot and extremely crowded.
- Japon What to pack for a trip to Japon? Spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (fall foliage) offer the best conditions; July and August are hot, humid, and crowded.
- Praha What to pack for a trip to Praha? Prague is at its best in spring and early autumn: pleasant temperatures and thinner crowds; winter is cold and grey, and the July–August tourist peak overwhelms the old town.
- Wien What to pack for a trip to Wien? Vienna is delightful in spring and autumn for its museums and cafés; winter is worthwhile for Christmas markets and concerts, and summer remains pleasant despite some heat.
- Grece What to pack for a trip to Grece? Spring and autumn offer pleasant conditions for visiting archaeological sites and islands; July–August brings overwhelming heat and tourist crowds.
- Budapest What to pack for a trip to Budapest? Spring and autumn are ideal for visiting Budapest; summer is hot and busy, while winter is cold but lively in December for Christmas markets.
- Château de Chambord What to pack for Château de Chambord? Château de Chambord is open year-round, but the park and estate are at their best from spring to autumn; winter is cold and outdoor activities are limited.
- Dublin What to pack for a trip to Dublin? The Irish summer offers the longest days and mildest temperatures; winter is cold, rainy and windy.
- Edinburgh What to pack for a trip to Edinburgh? Summer is the mildest and brightest season, ideal for visiting the old town and the Highlands; winter is cold, dark and very windy.
- Europa-Park What to pack for Europa-Park? Europa-Park runs its main season from April to November with most attractions available; it typically closes from January to March.
- Lisboa What to pack for a trip to Lisboa? Spring and autumn offer mild, sunny weather; July and August are very hot (35°C+) and overcrowded.
- Nice What to pack for a trip to Nice? Nice enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot sunny summers perfect for the beach, and very pleasant spring and autumn; January–February are mild but windy and unsuitable for swimming.
- Perú What to pack for a trip to Perú? Peru's dry season (May to September) is the ideal time to visit Machu Picchu and the Andes; the rainy season from January to March makes trails slippery and some sites inaccessible.
- Portugal What to pack for a trip to Portugal? Spring and autumn are the best seasons in Portugal: pleasant heat, swimmable sea and less crowded sites; July–August are very hot (often over 35 °C inland) and extremely busy along the Algarve coast.
- Sevilla What to pack for a trip to Sevilla? Spring is ideal with Semana Santa and the Feria; summers are oppressively hot, regularly exceeding 40 °C.
- Tivoli What to pack for Tivoli? Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen typically opens from April to October, with a Christmas season in November–December; it is closed January–March.
- Bordeaux What to pack for a trip to Bordeaux? Spring through autumn allows visitors to enjoy the vineyards, the Garonne, and the architectural heritage; the grape harvest in September–October is a highlight.
- Corse What to pack for a trip to Corse? Spring and autumn offer ideal conditions for hiking and swimming, without the overcrowding and excessive heat of summer.
- Marseille What to pack for a trip to Marseille? Marseille shines from May to September with sunshine, swimmable sea, and accessible calanques; winter is windy (mistral) and unsuitable for swimming.
- Puy du Fou What to pack for Puy du Fou? Puy du Fou is open from April to early November; the major night shows such as La Cinéscénie take place mainly in summer, offering the best experience from June to September.
- Avignon What to pack for a trip to Avignon? The Avignon Festival in July and the mild Provençal climate from spring to autumn define the season; winter is cold and windy (mistral).
- Lyon What to pack for a trip to Lyon? Lyon enjoys a pleasant continental climate from April to October; the Festival of Lights in December is also a highlight.
- Parc Astérix What to pack for Parc Astérix? Parc Astérix opens from early April and closes in November, with a partial reopening for the end-of-year holidays; the full summer season ensures all attractions are available.
- PortAventura Park What to pack for PortAventura Park? PortAventura operates mainly from March to January with partial winter closures; the summer high season (June–September) gives the best access to all attractions under the Costa Daurada sunshine.
- Strasbourg What to pack for a trip to Strasbourg? Pleasant in spring and summer for its canals and old town, Strasbourg is also a prime destination in November–December for one of Europe's oldest Christmas markets.
- Tignes What to pack for a trip to Tignes? Thanks to the Grande Motte glacier (3 456 m), Tignes offers one of France's longest ski seasons, from December to May.
- ZooParc de Beauval What to pack for ZooParc de Beauval? The zoo is open year-round, but March to October provides the best experience: mild temperatures, long days, and more active animals compared to the cold winter months.
- Annecy What to pack for a trip to Annecy? The lake is swimmable from June to September and the Alpine scenery is at its best from spring through autumn.
- Carcassonne What to pack for a trip to Carcassonne? Spring and autumn offer a mild climate to visit the medieval citadel; July and August are stifling and the site is overwhelmed with tourists.
- Efteling What to pack for Efteling? The park is fully open from April to October with all attractions; it also offers a winter season (Winterefteling) but with a reduced programme.
- Futuroscope What to pack for Futuroscope? The park is fully open from spring to autumn; in winter, the offering is reduced and the park may close on weekdays.
- Saint-Malo What to pack for a trip to Saint-Malo? Saint-Malo is ideal from May to September: swimmable sea, lively ramparts and spectacular high tides; winter is windy, beaches are deserted and many restaurants close off-season.
- Toulouse What to pack for a trip to Toulouse? Spring and early autumn offer mild, sunny weather ideal for exploring the Pink City and surroundings; summer can be warm but remains pleasant.
- Honfleur What to pack for a trip to Honfleur? Norman spring and summer offer the best weather to enjoy the old harbour and nearby beaches; winter is cold, grey and rainy.
- Le Mans What to pack for a trip to Le Mans? Le Mans is best visited from May to September; the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June is the highlight of the year.
- Nantes What to pack for a trip to Nantes? Nantes' oceanic climate is most pleasant from April to September, with mild temperatures and enough sunshine to enjoy the city and its outdoor attractions.
- Riquewihr What to pack for a trip to Riquewihr? Riquewihr is beautiful in summer for the Alsace Wine Route and in November–December for its famous Christmas market; January–February are cold and the village sees little activity off-season.
- Nigloland What to pack for Nigloland? Nigloland is open from early April to early November; outside this period the park is closed, and the summer season offers the greatest number of operating attractions.
- Walibi Rhône-Alpes What to pack for Walibi Rhône-Alpes? Walibi Rhône-Alpes is an outdoor theme park open mainly from April to October; it is closed in winter except for occasional special events.
✔ Best avoided in May
- Bangkok — The dry season (November to March) is the best time to visit Bangkok; the monsoon (May to October) brings torrential rain and flooding.
- Chamonix-Mont-Blanc — Chamonix peaks in winter for skiing (December to March) and in summer (July–August) for hiking and Mont Blanc; spring and autumn bring avalanche risk and unstable conditions.
- Zermatt — Zermatt offers year-round glacier skiing, but the peak winter season (December–April) and summer season (July–August) offer the best conditions; late spring and autumn are quiet with many closures.
- Thailande — The dry season from November to March brings clear skies and manageable heat; the monsoon from May to October brings heavy rains and localised flooding.
- La Plagne — Located between 1,800 and 3,250 m, La Plagne benefits from reliable snow from December to April across one of the largest ski areas in the Alps.
- Kitzbühel — The ski season runs from December to March; snow cover is reliable between 800 and 2,000 m, with famous runs like the Streif.
- Méribel — At the heart of the Three Valleys (1,450–2,950 m), Méribel benefits from reliable snow from December to April in one of the world's largest ski areas.
- Les Deux Alpes — Les Deux Alpes has a glacier skiable until April and reliable snow from December at altitudes between 1,650 and 3,600 m.
- Mayrhofen — A Zillertal resort with a village at 630 m but slopes up to 2,500 m, Mayrhofen opens its runs from December to April with good snowmaking to complement natural snow.