Spring in Europe: Top 12 Shoulder Season Destinations

Spring in Europe

This year’s smartest travel tip? Go shoulder season, ticking off bucket-list destinations without adding to the rush. If you’re visiting Europe, spring and autumn are the best times — with springtime stealing the show. 🌷 From the Alps in Switzerland to salt-worn fishing villages in Sicily and the Greek Islands, you’ll find milder temperatures, fewer crowds, and delightfully flowered landscapes at this time of year, often paired with a run of events and festivals.

At Flytographer, we easily connect people with trusted photographers for fun photo shoots and have captured over six million memories worldwide. The magic of Flytographer is both the experience and the photos. Explore the city with a fun, talented photographer and get wall-worthy photos to relive your trip, forever.

Today, we asked our local photographers to share the best places to spend spring in Europe. Here are our top 12 shoulder-season European destinations for your spring break.

TLDR

1. Experience Irishness at its finest during St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland.
2. Jump from film to comedy to art as you festival-hop across Glasgow, Scotland.
3. Chase architecture, geothermal wonders, and the Northern Lights around Reykjavík, Iceland.
4. Find secret gardens in bloom and flashes of wisteria and mimosa across Venice, Italy.
5. Find flowers and books everywhere you look in Barcelona, Spain.
6. Wander cobblestone streets to find river lookouts and pastelarias in Lisbon, Portugal.
7. Get your fill of tulips, canals, and spring picnics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
8. Cross from Europe to Asia and back in a day in Istanbul, Turkey.
9. Enjoy cherry-blossom-framed gardens and cafe culture in Paris, France.
10. Discover a quieter French urban flair and nearby vineyards in Lyon, France.
11. Explore fairytale city walls, calm seas, and coastal road trips from Dubrovnik, Croatia.
12. Embrace cherry blossoms, fika, and open-air life in Stockholm, Sweden.

Photo: Olga in Venice for Flytographer. Ashley and partner capture memories in Venice with a couples photoshoot.

1. Dublin, Ireland

Dublin feels village-like and electric all at once. Visit in March and the energy is dialled up thanks to St. Patrick’s Day. ☘️ Officially celebrated on March 17, the festivities spill across the entire month, and it’s honestly hard to imagine a better way to embrace Irish life. This is far more than a drinking holiday, as it’s often mistaken for. At its best, it becomes a deeply cultural and family-friendly experience.

That said, there is still plenty of drinking, and much of it centres on the Temple Bar District, Dublin’s bohemian quarter. A visit to the Temple Bar itself is almost inevitable. Established in 1840, it remains one of the world’s most famous pubs. 🍻

Photo: Tetiana in Dublin for Flytographer. Greg and partner capture memories in Dublin with a couples photoshoot.

2. Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow is one of the liveliest places during spring in Europe, with a March events calendar that rarely lets up. The Glasgow Film Festival, running early in the month, is genuinely enjoyable even if you’re not a film-festival devotee. 🎞️ In the month’s second half, the Glasgow International Comedy Festival takes over, delivering big laughs and mixing international names with local legends. Every other year, contemporary artists also step into the spotlight at Glasgow International, a high-calibre art festival defined by an unmistakably local character.

Beyond the festival circuit, spring is when Scotland’s parks and gardens bloom, framing castles that reopen after winter and making city walks especially appealing. 🏰

Fly tip: If you’re reaching Glasgow from London, taking the train is a great idea. High-speed services and scenic daytime routes make the journey easy. Another travel tip for the new year: move sustainably. 🚄

Photo: Fiona in Glasgow for Flytographer. Judy and family capture memories in Scotland with a family photoshoot.

3. Reykjavik, Iceland

As Iceland eases out of winter in late March, Reykjavik wakes up again. Beyond exploring architectural landmarks like Hallgrímskirkja Church and pausing at cafes that feel especially welcoming after the colder months, brighter days also invite more time outdoors. You can cool off, literally, at Nauthólsvík, a geothermal beach where the sea is bracingly cold, then retreat to the nearby hot tubs to warm up again. Late March still offers a strong chance of seeing the Northern Lights just outside the city. 🌌

For a deeper sense of Iceland’s raw beauty, head to the UNESCO-listed Þingvellir National Park, where you can hike, snorkel, and walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates — yes, literally. 🤯

Photo: Ernir in Reykjavik for Flytographer. Willis and partner capture memories in Iceland with a couples photoshoot.

4. Venice, Italy

Built across more than a hundred small islands, Venice is one of Europe’s true originals. Visit in February or March, just ahead of spring, and you’ll find milder weather and a welcome easing of the crowds. This combination reveals a more intimate side of the Italian “Floating City.”

Springtime makes wandering on foot through Venice’s maze-like alleyways especially rewarding. You’re bound to find secret gardens coming into bloom and flashes of wisteria and mimosa softening stone facades and tucked-away courtyards. 💜

Fly tip: Afraid of getting lost? Don’t be. In Venice, losing your way is the experience, and often where the most memorable moments begin.

Photo: Marta in Venice for Flytographer. Stephanie and family capture memories in Venice with a family photoshoot.

5. Barcelona, Spain

In the Catalan capital, timing makes all the difference. March and April are when you can explore historical sites, parks, palaces, and markets without the summer heat or, worse, peak-season crowds. In late April, Barcelona celebrates Saint George’s Day, also known as the Day of Books and Roses. Flower stalls and booksellers take over the streets, and facades are decorated throughout the city. 📚 🌹 The surreal architecture feels especially striking at this moment.

Not far away, Valencia marks the end of winter with Las Fallas, a festival in which artists create towering papier-mâché sculptures only to set them alight, a truly unique spectacle to see during spring in Europe. Meanwhile, in southern Spain, Granada and Seville blend Spanish culture with centuries of Moorish influence.

Photo: Martina in Barcelona for Flytographer. Renae and family capture memories in Spain with a family photoshoot.

6. Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is made up of charming cobblestone streets that not just slope up and down its hills but are also lined with buildings decorated with striking tiles. In other words, it invites aimless wandering. In March and May, it’s T-shirt weather, but not yet so hot that you wilt. It’s an ideal time to seek panoramic viewpoints facing the Tagus River, explore the city’s old quarters, and of course scoff custard tarts in cozy little pastelarias. 😋 More sunshine also means more opportunities for hunting vintage finds at flea markets and heading for a quick dip in the Atlantic on beaches near to the city centre.

Photo: Claudia in Lisbon for Flytographer. Katie and family capture memories in Portugal with a family photoshoot.

7. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is picture-perfect year-round, but it truly shines in spring, when tulip season arrives. With the country’s most famous export in full bloom, there’s even a festival to match: Amsterdam’s annual Tulip Festival, which runs throughout April. 🌷

Warmer, drier days are ideal for picnics in Amsterdam’s leafy parks, tiptoeing through the tulips at Keukenhof Gardens, and, away from all things floral, strolling along the picturesque canals and 17th-century houses of trendy Jordaan. Of course, no visit is complete without sampling Dutch classics like a freshly made stroopwafel, those irresistible syrup waffles that always taste best in their native country. 🧇

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Ariel and partner capture memories in Amsterdam with a couples photoshoot.

8. Istanbul, Turkey

With its opulent Ottoman palaces and mosques crowned with soaring minarets, Istanbul knows how to put on a show year-round. 🕌 Still, the perfect time to visit this European city is between April and May. Tulips bloom across parks and squares, markets brim with seasonal produce, and the bazaars feel especially alive, stacked with carpets, Turkish delight, baklava, spices, and beautifully ornate coffee and tea sets. Best of all, you’ll arrive before the summer crowds, when Istanbul moves at a more relaxed pace.

Fly tip: Hop on a ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city, heading toward the hip Kadıköy Moda. Time the crossing for sunset, when the skyline softens and minarets glow. 🌅

Photo: Murat G. in Istanbul for Flytographer. Marco and Simone capture memories in Turkeuy with a couples photoshoot.

9. Paris, France

In Paris, spring feels just right. 💯 In April and May, the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden feel lighter as nature comes back to life, and the weather is pleasant (think 50s–60s °F) for exploring the Seine’s banks at length. Classic sightseeing spots like the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Trocadéro Gardens offer calm, sun-washed spaces that are perfect for picnics, with cherry blossoms framing views of the Eiffel Tower in the latter. This is also the season to channel your inner Parisian at sidewalk cafes, lingering at outdoor tables and people-watching, decidedly one of the best things to do in Paris in any season. 👀🍷

Fly tip: For sports lovers, spring brings a bonus: the French Open in May is one of the great tournaments to check off the list for any tennis aficionado.

Photo: Rachael in Paris for Flytographer. Heidi and family capture memories in Paris with a family photoshoot.

10. Lyon, France

If Paris feels a little too busy, Lyon is just as easy to fall in love with. A true hidden gem, the city delivers just as much in the way of gastronomic credibility and architectural drama, but swaps grand Haussmann boulevards for winding old-town streets, colourful facades, and secret passageways.

Lyon is also the natural gateway to the Rhône Valley. By May, the weather is mild enough for exploring medieval villages and vineyards on foot, with Beaujolais vineyards to the north and the Côtes du Rhône extending south toward the Mediterranean. 🍇

Fly tip: For an easy add-on, Dijon is a straightforward day trip by train from Lyon (or Paris for that matter), with journeys clocking in at around two hours. Come spring, Burgundy’s capital wakes gently; parks turn green, and café tables edge back outdoors.

Photo: Julia in Lyon for Flytographer. Christina and partner capture memories in Lyon with a couples photoshoot.

11. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Washed by the Adriatic Sea and enclosed by impressive limestone city walls, Dubrovnik makes a great alternative, or extension, to a Greece trip. 👍 Late spring is ideal for exploring its fairytale Old Town and taking a short boat ride to Lokrum, where gardens, olive trees, and quiet coves still feel serene. The season brings calmer seas, making it a great time to kayak around the city walls and soak in the scenery from the water. Dubrovnik is also an excellent base for road trips, including routes down to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor.

Fly tip: For even more fairytale scenery, head north to Slovenia, where late-spring meadows and postcard landscapes still feel blissfully uncrowded.

Photo: Božo in Dubrovnik for Flytographer. Erika and partner capture memories in Croatia with a couples photoshoot.

12. Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm welcomes wildflowers and longer, brighter days in late spring. That’s when Kungsträdgården fills with pink cherry blossoms. From early April, outdoor dining returns, bringing open-air seating back to restaurants and bars across the city. This creates plenty of opportunities to embrace the Swedish tradition of fika, a relaxed coffee break, best enjoyed with something sweet. ☕🍰 The city’s many parks are also fully open by this point, including the much-loved Gröna Lund Amusement Park, which typically launches its summer concert series in mid-May. 🎡

Fly tip: Even in late spring, it’s worth packing a light jacket or coat for cooler days.

Photo: Linda in Stockholm for Flytographer. Anna and daughter capture memories in Sweden with a family photoshoot.

Capturing memories in Europe in Spring

Other spring destinations that shine in Europe include Poland in East Europe, where spring arrives slowly with blooming flowers and lush greenery, and Austria, especially Vienna, a city best known for its winter allure and Christmas markets but an equally rich bet for spring in Europe. Then there’s Berlin, in Germany, where beer gardens and open-air events return, fuelling the city’s ever-growing hip energy.

Wherever you land this spring, reach out to one of our local photographers. Across 350+ locations worldwide, they are ready to show you around and help capture your travel moments along the way. 📸