October Holidays: 15 Best Places for Your Holiday

October tends to be colder and visiting the mountains is more for the hardy, but we like to go to the Dolomites in early October because you can see the golden larches there. October is a great month to explore southern Europe, you can go to Andalusia or a long weekend in Rome or romantic Paris . But where to go on holiday in October to the sea? Here’s a list of the best places to go on holiday in October.

Holidays by the sea in October

Do you still want to go to the sea in October, where you can swim without having to be hardy? Mexico, Cape Verde or the United Arab Emirates are definitely among the best destinations. Let’s take a look at exactly where to go, where to stay and we’ll throw in links to other articles where you can find out much more information. ☺️

Mexico – Yucatán

We lived in Mexico for five months, and if there is one place worth visiting, it’s definitely the Yucatán. Mexico is generally known for its unique Mayan culture and beautiful nature. You will find beautiful cenotes, stunning beaches (be sure to visit Holbox ), and for those who don’t like to lounge by the sea, we recommend visiting the local Mayan ruins, such as those in Tulum or the famous Chichen Itza.

October is the ideal time to visit the Yucatán, as the rainy season ends, making it the perfect time to travel and sunbathe by the sea. Plus, October is one of the less touristy months, so there aren’t as many people and the accommodation prices are lower.

United Arab Emirates

October is one of the best months to visit the United Arab Emirates as the weather is more pleasant compared to the extreme temperatures during the summer months, but don’t think it’s still warm here. The air temperature in October is around 35°C in the afternoon, exceptionally it can reach 40°C, and the sea temperature is ideal for swimming, ranging between 24 and 28°C.

The United Arab Emirates is known for its luxury resorts and hotels that offer world-class service and comfort. Some of the most popular resorts and hotels for a seaside holiday are:

• Hotel Arabian Park Edge By Rotana in Dubai, located close to major tourist attractions such as Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain.
• The Cove Rotana Resort a DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
• Hotel Rotana Fujairah Resort & SPA in Fujairah, situated near the Persian Gulf, between the Hajar Mountains and the Indian Ocean, offers luxurious accommodation in beautiful landscaped gardens right on the long sandy beach.
• Hotel Citymax Bur Dubai in the heart of Dubai, which is the ideal hotel for those looking for affordable accommodation and want to be close to the main tourist attractions.
• Royal Regency Suites in Dubai, located 800 metres from the Marina.

Egypt in October

How is October in Egypt? Quite pleasant, it’s a great compromise for those who don’t want big crowds of tourists, but still want the sun. Temperatures often hover around a comfortable 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, making it ideal for exploring the country’s historical gems such as the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor and the stunning archaeological sites of Aswan without being bothered by the extreme heat of the summer months.

October is also the time of year when hotels are much cheaper and you can enjoy the luxury of all-inclusive travel at a great price. Plus, with the milder weather, it’s also the perfect time to relax on Egypt’s beautiful beaches, such as those in Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, or for diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea, where the waters are calm and visibility is excellent.

Where to go on holiday in Egypt? Best hotels and resorts

A very popular area is Sharm El-Sheikh, where the best rated hotels include Sunrise Arabian Beach Resort a Rixos Sharm El Sheikh where they also offer an ultra all inclusive package.

Another very popular area is Hurghada. This area along with Sharm El-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula is considered one of the best places in Egypt. Some of the top rated hotels in this area include Pickalbatros Blu Spa Resort which offers an ultra all inclusive package or the Beach Albatros Resort.

If you want to go somewhere a little different, you can check out Soma Bay, where you’ll find the world-famous Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay .

Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a great alternative to the Caribbean and in October is an absolute paradise for those who want warm weather and quality beach resorts. The average temperature in October is around 27°C – 29°C, with maximum temperatures reaching up to 30°C. The sea temperature is around 27 °C.

The most popular hotels include Melia Llana Beach Resort & Spa, The Albatroz Hotel, Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa and Sol Dunas. These resorts and hotels have beautiful interiors, nice beaches, good food and most importantly excellent perosnal. Plus, many of them offer all-inclusive packages if you’re one of those who don’t want to worry about food.

Sightseeing holidays and roadtrips in October

Nepatříte mezi ty, kteří se chtějí válet u moře, ale chcete vyrazit na zajímavou dovolenou, kde uvidíte nádhernou přírodu, ochutnáte něco dobrého jídla a možná se i vykoupete? Pak tu pro vás máme nabídku našich nejoblíbenějších roadtripů, na které lze vyrazit právě v říjnu, a to i když hledáte, kam na rozlučku se svobodou do zahraničí.

Morocco

If you want to go on an adventurous and affordable sightseeing holiday, we can recommend Morocco . October is one of the best times to visit Morocco, when the weather becomes much more pleasant after the hot summer. Temperatures hover around a mild 20 to 28 degrees Celsius, allowing for comfortable exploration of the city’s markets, historical sites and beautiful natural scenery.

For nature lovers, October is the perfect time to trek in the Atlas Mountains or explore the Sahara on camel. Morocco in October offers the perfect combination of pleasant weather, cultural enrichment and adventurous activities in the heart of North Africa.

This country may not be suitable for first-time travellers, but if you’re a bit more experienced, don’t hesitate. 😎

Read our article about safety in Morocco so you don’t run into any problems with local scammers and you can check out the itinerary roadtrip that we took.

Madeira – island of flowers

You can go to Madeira all year round. However, it is not a destination for swimming, but for hiking and sightseeing tours. If you haven’t been, you definitely need to come here. Madeira is one of the most beautiful islands in the world, and we’ve been to Hawaii. 😁

How long to go to Madeira for? We recommend going for 7-8 days to see the highlights. You can find our itinerary in our article about Madeira.

Tip. how to get cheap flights.

Andalusia – sightseeing holidays by the sea

If you fancy a holiday where you can swim while exploring spectacular cities and rich culture, head to Andalusia. Even in October, the temperatures are around 25 degrees and if you’re not a winter-hardy person, you can even swim in the sea.

Spanish Andalusia is one of the most popular destinations for a sightseeing tour in October. The Costa de Sol is Spain’s beautiful coastline of beaches and Granada, Seville and Cordoba are some of Europe’s most fascinating historical gems.

Surfing Holidays in October – Algarve – Southern Portugal

We are going to the Algarve this year for October and November (yes, this is the second time we are going to southern Portugal 😁). Algarve is the most amazing place in Europe. In October the water is already quite cold, but it’s a paradise for surfers or anyone who loves temperatures around 20-25 degrees, the sea, reefs, ceramic workshops, good food and cute little towns.

You only need 7 days to get to the south of Portugal (see our itinerary here ), although we spend at least a month here in each case. Be sure to rent a car (we use RentalCars) so you can get around the coast easily.

The itinerary including tips on the best starting points for accommodation can be found here.

Dolomites – behind the golden larches

October is already a border month for a trip to Italian Alps because it’s getting cold. Still, we like to go at the beginning of October to see the golden larches. This year is the first time we are not going to the Dolomites in autumn. Hopefully next year we can make up for it with the little guy. ☺️ In the Dolomites there are already a minimum of tourists and hotels are much cheaper at this time. We don’t recommend camping though, it can get too cold for that. Check it out if you want to, how to choose a good sleeping bag.

• The Dolomites are ideal for all ages, but we wouldn’t go with small children in October as some of the lifts are closed and the weather can be lovely but cold.
• We recommend going to the Ortisei area, where you can go to Seiser Alm and Seceda. In Ortisei you can stay in B&B Villa Angelino or in stylish apartments Apt Lara Siela .
• Our second favourite destination is the area around Cortina. If you travel like us with dogs, try the affordable accommodation in B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina where the breakfasts are excellent, it’s right on the trek to Lago di Sorapis and the dog was only a small fee.
• Another tip for accommodation: Dolomiti Sweet Lodge a Hotel Villa Gaia .

Iceland – in October for the polar September

Iceland is cold all year round, so whether you go in July or October, you’ll need a winter hat and waterproof jacket. But if you want to see the Northern Lights, you’re much more likely to see them in Iceland in September or October (here’s an ideal 14-day itinerary), as the nights are already longer than in summer.

Go for at least 14 days and you won’t regret it. You can spend a month in Iceland and still have plenty to discover. A month would be enough though, even though it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, at most a Viking would want to live here because the weather is pretty crazy. 😁

Tips for the best long weekends in October

Only have a few days off, but already need to go somewhere? We have some tips for our favourite long weekends in October.

Rome – Long Weekend in October

Rome is one of my favourite European cities, but I avoid it in the summer season. Last time we were there was in June and we were pretty exhausted from the sun. I therefore recommend a visit in autumn, when the temperatures are much more pleasant and there are fewer tourists.

Pokud nechcete stát fronty ve Vatikánu, pročtěte si tipy v našem článku. Hlavně se ubytujte v centru Říma, hledejte ubytko blízko hlavního nádraží, kde staví vlak z letiště nebo u některé ze zastávek autobusu z letiště.

See if there’s availability at Residenza Cavallini, which is five minutes from the airport express bus stop, a short walk from the Vatican and the Trevi Fountain. We were very happy in this small hotel, even though the room was quite small, it was clean and included breakfast at a nearby cafe (croissant, toast and cappuccino).

Long weekend in Budapest

Budapest beautiful all year round, we like to go in the second half of September or October because it’s not as hot as it is in the summer (it can be brutal in the summer). We visit Budapest every year because no other city in Europe has such an amazing atmosphere. Apart from the beautiful monuments, it is a city full of amazing cafes bistros, restaurants and vintage shops.

Stay right in the centre, the cheapest accommodation is the Flow hostel, which is where we stayed when we saved every penny.

For those of you looking for more luxurious accommodation, I recommend Hotel Vision, which we stayed at the year before last and has great breakfasts, location and beautiful rooms. It’s beautiful, but it’s pretty expensive. Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection . The Eurostars Danube Budapest, the Novotel Budapest Danube or the Milford Suites Budapest are such golden centres .

Paris

Is there any point in luring you to Paris? Paris is a city of lovers, rich history, museums, art and good food. If you haven’t been to Paris yet, we recommend an extended trip, but for those who want to explore not only the Louvre, but also other art museums, a weekend will not be enough.

I spent a whole week in Paris several times and it wasn’t enough. What about October in Paris? October can be cooler and sometimes rainy, but there’s so much to see inside Paris that you don’t have to worry about it. But autumn can also be absolutely gorgeously colourful and sunny, so it really depends on your luck.

Read our article about Paris and make up your own mind about how long you’re going to stay.

Barcelona

Like Rome, Barcelona is a great destination for a long weekend in October. Temperatures here tend to be around 23 degrees, which is absolutely perfect for exploring the sights and corners of Spain’s second most visited city.

If you’re heading to Barcelona, we recommend reading our article on Barcelona for tips on how to skip the queues at the sights. October may be a less touristy month, but for the most visited sights, you might doubt it. 😁

Our family didn’t listen to us, they didn’t buy as we the tickets to the Sagrada Família in advance and didn’t get in.

Be sure to stay in the centre, most places are within easy walking distance, try a cheap and bohemian hostel for example Sant Jordi Hostels Gracia or the slightly more expensive but very nice Hotel Granvia which is located in a beautiful modern renovated building from the 19th century. century.

For a hotel with a nice view we recommend Hotel Gaudí even if it is a bit outdated.

Where to go for a cheap holiday in October? Try wellness hotels

Want a luxury holiday but don’t want to spend tens of thousands on flights and hotels abroad? Try something different and go to vacation in the Czech Republic .

Isn’t October always the best weather? You’re right, but what about going to wellness hotel ? In a wellness hotel, you won’t care what the weather is like outside and if you choose a nice location, you can enjoy the autumn weather outside when it’s nice. Plus, if you don’t go abroad, you can pay extra for a really luxurious hotel.

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