Fall is one of the very best times to travel, particularly if your idea of the perfect vacation involves exploring hip cities in cooler temperatures, embracing fall foliage, or immersing yourself in new cultures.
And you don’t have to just take my word for it!
According to Timeout, searches for ‘autumn cities’ are up 40% compared to last year.
Some cities are summer cities.
Think Nice, Barcelona, and Miami. But between early September and late November, other cities really come into their own.
These are the 5 best global cities for fall travel according to Timeout:
5. Vienna
The busiest times to visit Vienna are summer and winter, with winter an especially popular choice for snow sports enthusiasts.
But while fall may be the quietest time to visit the city, that doesn’t mean it’s without its charms.
The city’s parks and highly regarded botanical gardens erupt with color. And if you’re a wine lover, then fall is by far the best time to visit Vienna.
The local wine inns (known as Heurige) open in the fall so that locals and tourists alike can try the fruits of the summer’s harvest. You can also take part in wine hikes and explore the many vineyards that surround the city.
Culture vulture? Then try to be in Vienna on October 6th. The ‘long night of museums’ sees the city’s finest museums and galleries open until 1am so that you can spend the evening exploring them at your leisure. Tickets cost just 17 euros ($19).
2. Copenhagen
If you’re looking to get cozy and enjoy the ultimate Scandinavian hygge experience then you need to visit Copenhagen in fall.
Copenhagen still enjoys plenty of daylight hours in September and October, which means you’ll have plenty of time to explore.
As an added bonus, the crowd levels are much lower, so you would have to jostle to get to the city’s main attractions.
Some of the highlights of fall in Copenhagen include exploring the changing leaves in the gardens of the Rosenborg Castle, a renaissance castle in the heart of the city.
Then warm up by stopping for hot chocolate and discovering the National Museum of Denmark.
You can also enjoy fun Halloween events in the city’s iconic Tivoli Gardens.
3. Paris
There’s never a bad time to visit Paris, the city of love.
Wrap up and people watch in pavement cafes then stroll around the city’s many gardens which are a riot of color at this time of year.
The Luxembourg Palace and gardens are a great place to see the fall foliage in the city.
And fall is also considered the best time of year to watch the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
If you’re more interested in spooky fall then changing leaves, head to the Paris Catacombs.
This includes an ossuary that contains the remains of several million Parisians, and is the perfect attraction for spooky season.
Tickets cost 10 euros ($11) per person.
2. Seoul
Fall is peak travel season in Seoul, and that’s no coincidence.
The skies are bright blue and the temperature is perfect for sightseeing. Expect temperatures of between 10 to 20°C ( 50 to 68°F) in October.
If you want to see Seoul’s fall foliage then the best place to visit is the secret garden in the famous Changdeokgung Palace.
There are more than 26,000 trees in this pretty garden and its a great place to stop for a picnic.
Visit on a week day to avoid the weekend crowds. Admission costs 3,000 won ($2.29) to enter the palace plus an additional 5,000 won ($3.81) to enter the secret garden.
Head up to the North Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain to see the colors of fall in Seoul from above. You can get to the top using the Namsan cable car, which costs 15,000 won ($11.43) for a round-trip.
1. London
The number one city to visit this fall according to Timeout? London.
In the lull between the crowds of summer and the bustle of Christmas, this is certainly the quietest time to visit.
And as London is a very green city with plenty of public parks, you’ll have an abundance of opportunities for leaf peeping here.
Until the end of October you can even hire deckchairs in Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St James’ Park, which is a great way to relax and unwind. Hire costs £4 ($5.30) for one hour or £5 ($6.70) for 2 hours.
My favorite way to spend autumn in London is to get cozy in a local pub. For a traditional pub with a selection of ales try The Harp in Covent Garden. For something that’s classic but a little more refined try The Churchill Arms in Kensington.
However, as I’m writing this piece from a very rainy London I feel I ought to add: pack a raincoat! The weather can be very temperamental here at this time of year!
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