The best European cities for September sunshine

We hate to break it to you, but summer is rapidly coming to an end. “What summer? That two-day heatwave we had back in June?”, we hear you asking. If you feel let down by this year’s Great British Summer, we reckon it’s time to rectify matters by squeezing in one last proper holiday before autumn rolls around.

You’ll be glad to hear that loads of places in Europe still have favourable temperatures well in to September, so you can sunbathe and swim to your heart’s content. Check out our top picks…

Palma, Majorca

If you’re after a cheap island escape, Majorca is your best friend. Its capital Palma packs everything you’d hope from a beach city break in the Med – a colossal medieval cathedral, a pretty old town, a harbour and a huge selection of hotels, restaurants and bars to fit any budget. And after a short bus or taxi ride, you can find yourself on the beach sipping sangrias in no time.

Rome, Italy

You’ll be glad to hear that September is probably the best month to visit Rome. In case you’ve been putting off that Rome city break for ages, you should make the most of the cheap air fares and book your flights now. Holidaying in September means you don’t get the unbearable Roman heat and hoards of school trippers that usually come with summer stays in the city.

Rhodes Town, Greece

Ancient ruins, a well preserved medieval centre with an impressive castle, cobbled streets, Orthodox churches, old Ottoman mosques, open square markets, tavernas serving fresh seafood and Greek delicacies, a vibrant nightlife… we could go on. But what we’re trying to say here is, Rhodes Town is perfect for a September break. It’ll be still pretty hot, the sea will be warmed up from summer and accommodation is cheaper too. What’s not to like?

Seville, Spain

Southern Spain’s cultural capital will satisfy the fussiest of travellers. It’s home to an impressive array of sites like the world-famous Alcazar Palace and an enormous gothic cathedral, so you’ll have to try hard to run out of things to do and see. Expect hot, hot, hot weather with temperatures pushing the 30s. And the best thing about this place? Cheap tapas everywhere.

Naples, Italy

Naples, in our opinion, is one of the most underrated corners of Europe. You have the chaotic mishmash of really narrow streets in the centre, a selection of probably the best pizzerias in the world (it’s where pizza comes from after all), Roman sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum a stone’s throw away, and the extremely photogenic Amalfi Coast that’s begging to be Instagrammed. What more would you want?

Zadar, Croatia

Zadar is one of those lucky places where you could fit activities like shopping, sightseeing, mountain hiking, and island hopping into one single day. And for the days when you don’t want to be doing anything, there’s always the ever-present sea which means only one thing – you’re never too far from a decent beach to lie on and soak up the precious sun that we’re so deprived of back in Blighty.

Barcelona, Spain

You can’t go wrong with a break to Barcelona, even if you’ve visited million times. And for those who haven’t been, if sipping sangria while munching on tapas by the waterfront is your idea of heaven, Barcelona is the place you want to be booking your flight tickets to right now. And for any dubious souls that don’t believe Barcelona can be done in September, we promise, you shall be treated to glorious sunny days.

There are loads of other places in Europe you could visit in September and get a healthy dose of the sunshine for cheap. Just think of the Canary Islands, or any other of the big southern Spanish cities really. Greek Islands like Crete, Mykonos, Zante and Kos are a good shout too, with temperatures well above the mid-20s mark. Our best advice to you would be to check Cheapflights.co.uk now and shop around to find that cheap belated summer holiday. You can easily find return tickets for under £100 price mark. Good luck!

*** The prices we listed are good as of August – to get the latest prices, launch a flight search now.