Our travel team’s favourite European holiday destinations in March and April – with 24C highs and budget flights

Spring has sprung (nearly), and the Sun Travel team has some top recommendations of places across Europe you need to visit in March and April.

From city breaks to beaches with warm temperatures and winter sun, spring attractions and local food delicacies, all of these places are relatively close to the UK.

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March

Berlin, Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter

While weather in Berlin can still be fairly chill in March, trading warm temperatures for space at the city’s top attractions is a welcome compromise. 

It also has a great mixture of indoor and outdoor attractions, so if the weather is a little gloomy you can pop inside a museum to shelter from the grey. 

Visits to key landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie are a must - although don’t get your passport stamped at the latter. 

Equally important are the Memorial to the Murdered Jews and the Topography of Terror, both stark reminders of the terrors of the Second World War and the treatment of Jewish citizens. 

Add the East Side Gallery onto your itinerary too. Walk along the open-air art gallery on the banks of the Spree to learn more about the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

Museum lovers will want to make a beeline for Museum Island. Located on Spree Island, the Unesco World Heritage Site is a sprawl of five huge museums each dedicated to a different period of history. 

With the Pergamon Museum closed for refurbishment until 2027, I’d recommend visiting the Altes Museum and the Neues Museum. 

Just like Munich, Berlin is also home to its fair share of beer halls, including the Prater Garden. 

After first opening in 1837, the Prater Garten is the city’s oldest beer garden. Still attracting visitors to this day, make sure to stop by for a Maß of pilsner. 

As for food, a trip to the German capital wouldn’t be complete without a spot of currywurst. Queue for the curry sausage dish at Curry 61 at Hackescher Markt, it’s worth the wait. 

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Copenhagen, Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

One place where the weather doesn't matter is Copenhagen.

The Danish city is beautiful throughout winter and spring, where you can admire the very well-dressed locals who are wrapped up warm.

The coffee culture means you can hop between stylish cafes to stay warm while enjoying a Smørrebrød - an open rye-bread sandwich.

And it's about to get easier to access - Norwegian is launching new flights there from Newcastle this summer.

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Lisbon, Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter

Easily reachable in two and a half hours, Lisbon in Portugal is one of the best places to explore this spring with flights as cheap as £35.

Still out of peak season, you can enjoy the city without the crowds, and temperatures in March can be as high as 18 degrees.

Head down to the recognisable Pink Street, actually called Rua Nova do Carvalho, to see the Instagrammable umbrella installation.

By day, Pink Street is where you can grab a bite to eat in a cosy cafe, and at night, it's the best spot to hit popular bars and clubs like Pensão Amor and Sol e Pesca.

On a clear day, visit one of my favourite look-out points, the Miradouro de Santa Luzia.

The charming terrace by the church has mosaic walls, and offers incredible views over the city. There are often musicians playing there too which all adds to the romantic setting.

Fuertaventura, Caroline McGuire, Head Of Travel (Digital)

Thanks to their location off the coast of Africa, the Canary Islands are easily the most reliable European destination for March sunshine.

I've spent weeks in Fuertaventura in March where my jumper never even made it out of my suitcase - just what I needed after a long English winter. 

The island's beaches are stunning and the water is warm enough for us to paddle in for hours, but as the temperatures stay around 25C, it is also great weather for exploring the lesser-known inland destinations.

Like the quaint village of Tiscamanita, with its traditional Canarian windmill, and the indie village of Lajares with its boutique stores. 

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April

Amalfi Coast, Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter

When planning a trip to Italy, travelling in the shoulder seasons is definitely something to consider. 

While I’ve been lucky enough to spend one week exploring the Amalfi Coast in the height of the summer, the crowds were unbearable. I learnt my lesson and on a second visit, I plumped for early April. 

Even though the weather wasn’t as sensational - and dips in the sea definitely weren’t on the agenda - it was warm enough for a light jacket. 

Make the most of exploring without the crowds and book visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum.

You can spend hours exploring the famous archaeological sites. In Pompeii, make sure to explore The Teatro Grande, the large onsite amphitheatre, and the Forum. 

It can be unbearable visiting these sites in the summer because of the heat and the crowds, but in the shoulder season it’s actually enjoyable. 

And with the arrival of Easter, towns on the Amalfi Coast are starting to open up for summer, with lots of restaurants open and taking reservations. It gives places like Sorrento, Positano and Capri a slight buzz without the business of the crowds.

For the best options base yourself in Sorrento, which is easily accessible on a direct train from Naples.

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Amsterdam, Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter

Amsterdam has always been a top city to visit in spring, from the budget-friendly flights to the biking-friendly weather.

April is also one of the top months to visit, with 80 per cent of the days set to be sunny. It's also extra special because it's tulip season.

And just 35 minutes away from Amsterdam city centre is the biggest tulip display in the country.

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens plant seven million flower bulbs by hand and the best time to see them all in bloom is in April.

With 800 different varieties of tulips, it's an experience not to be missed, and tickets are available from £16.61.

With mostly dry weather across the month, it's the best time to get 'on yer bike' with some day rate rentals as cheap as €10 (£8.26) a day.

The trip doesn't have to be expensive either with with flights from £18.

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Gran Canaria, Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor

For fly-and-flop holidaymakers seeking faff-free travel with guaranteed sunshine, few holiday destinations beat The Canary Islands.

I paid a visit to Gran Canaria for the first time this year – and it did not disappoint. 

The volcanic island is only a four-hour (ish) flight from the UK, yet it offers balmy weather that is worlds apart from those April showers back home, reaching highs of up to 23C in spring.

I’ll be honest, I barely left the resort during my visit, but there's no harm in that.

Book yourself a plush all-inclusive hotel and it’s simply impossible not to unwind when you’ve got pina coladas being delivered to your sunbed every hour. 

Got children? That’s what the kids clubs are for, My resort, Paradisus by Melia, had an excellent one for all ages from tiny tots up to teens.

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Seville, Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

If you are wanting to find the best place in Spain where you can expect it to be hot in spring, then Seville is the very best option.

Just a few hours by plane, it is one of the country's hottest cities (so much so that you will want to skip it in the summer holidays, where temperatures can hit 40C).

Enjoying highs of 24C in April, it is also one of Spain's most beautiful, where you can find stunning old cathedrals and plazas as well as glasses of wine for a few euros.

Kara went to Seville last month, and here are her top tips from secret food tours to getting tickets to the top attractions.

And here's our budget-friendly Amsterdam trip from trendy restaurants to interactive art museums.

Ibiza, Caroline McGuire, Head Of Travel (Digital)

April is an exciting time to visit Ibiza, as the island is slowly coming out of its winter hibernation.

Many of the big clubs like Pacha and Hï launch their summer season with grand opening nights towards the end of the month. 

While some of the day parties like O Beach and Ushuaïa don't start until late April / early May, the more chilled beach clubs like Jockey Club start to reopen in may. 

The weather can be unpredictable, but with average highs of 19C, it's still warm enough to sunbathe on a sunny day.

Plus, it's perfect temperatures for enjoying the rest of what the island has to offer, like hiking and cycling inland. 

Kefalonia, Caroline McGuire, Head Of Travel (Digital)

When I travelled to Kefalonia in April, I felt like I'd stumbled across a secret travel hack no one knows about - the island was virtually tourist free, but the weather was stunning. 

We spent a week exploring the world-famous beaches like Myrtos - usually super crowded in peak season, there were just four other people swimming in the sea when we visited one afternoon.

We never had to book a restaurant either, even the island's best known eateries were accepting walk-ins, gleefully telling us that if we'd tried it a few weeks later, we'd have had zero chance of a table.

Plus, our flights were a third of the price than if we'd visited in sweltering August.