Places by month

Where to go in October with friends

29 places at their best in October, picked from our guides for group trips.

Autumn is the most underrated season: the heat eases, the crowds thin out and harvests, autumn colours and liveable cities return. Many summer destinations are at their best right now, for less.

Add the destinations you like to a Roamie trip: the group votes with 10 points each and, if needed, the wheel decides.

Amalfi Coast
Italy
Colourful villages clinging to the cliffs, the Path of the Gods and boat trips to Capri. Get around by ferry or bus: in high season a car is more trouble than help.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.3
RomanticFood & WineRelax
From the guide Trips for couples travelling with friends: 6 destinations
Barcelona
Spain
Dinner is late, going out even later, and the next day you recover on the beach. Gaudí, El Born and the Gothic Quarter win over anyone in the group who isn't a night owl.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
NightlifeCultureRelax
From the guide Nightlife: 6 European cities to party in with friends
Douro Valley
Portugal
Terraced vineyards dropping to the river, quintas to stay in and taste wine at, and slow cruises on the Douro. In September the harvest makes it even more special.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
Food & WineRomanticNature
From the guide Trips for couples travelling with friends: 6 destinations
Santorini
Greece
White houses on the caldera, world-famous sunsets and wineries making volcanic wine. Skip August and look for a house in Imerovigli or Pyrgos, calmer than Oia.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.3
RomanticRelax
From the guide Trips for couples travelling with friends: 6 destinations
Sofia
Bulgaria
A compact capital with Orthodox cathedrals, hot mineral water fountains and Mount Vitosha half an hour from the centre. Eating out is cheap even for big groups.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureAdventure
From the guide Budget group trips: 6 destinations where your money goes further
Tbilisi
Georgia
Khachapuri, khinkali and wine made in clay amphorae following a tradition thousands of years old. The wineries of Kakheti make a perfect group day trip.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
Food & WineCultureNightlife
From the guide Food trips: 6 cities to eat your way through together
Alsace (Colmar)
France
Half-timbered houses along canals, the Wine Route through flower-filled villages and hearty food. In December its Christmas markets are among the prettiest in Europe.
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct, December
Budget
€€€budget.2
RomanticFood & WineCulture
From the guide Trips for couples travelling with friends: 6 destinations
Bologna
Italy
Tortellini, mortadella and taverns under the porticoes, with Modena and Parma under an hour away by train for balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano. A group pasta class is a classic.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
Food & WineCulture
From the guide Food trips: 6 cities to eat your way through together
Bucharest
Romania
The old town fills with bars every night, and Therme, just outside the city, is one of the largest spas in Europe: party at night, unwind by day.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
NightlifeCulture
From the guide Bachelor and bachelorette parties: 6 destinations to celebrate as a group
Granada
Spain
A university city where every drink comes with a free tapa, the Alhambra to book well ahead and sunset from the Mirador de San Nicolás. Hard to spend little better than this.
Best time
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureFood & WineNightlife
From the guide Cheap weekends for students and flatmates: 6 cities
Hanoi
Vietnam
The flight is the only big expense: after that, street food, hotels and transport cost very little. It is the starting point for Ha Long Bay cruises and trains to the north.
Best time
Mar–Apr, Oct–Dec
Budget
€€€budget.1
Food & WineCultureAdventure
From the guide Budget group trips: 6 destinations where your money goes further
Istanbul
Türkiye
Bazaars, mosques, ferries across the Bosphorus for the price of a bus ticket and street food everywhere. Plenty to share out between history lovers and fans of the bars in Karaköy.
Best time
Apr–May, Sep–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureFood & WineNightlife
From the guide Budget group trips: 6 destinations where your money goes further
Lake Como
Italy
Lakeside villas with gardens, ferries between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio and trails with views. Easy to reach from Milan, and just as good for a long weekend.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.3
RomanticRelaxNature
From the guide Trips for couples travelling with friends: 6 destinations
Lisbon
Portugal
Seven hills, yellow trams and miradouros for sunset: easy to explore on foot and by tram. At night Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré keep even the most mixed groups happy.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
CultureFood & WineNightlife
From the guide Long weekends in Europe: 6 cities to visit with friends
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Small, green and laid-back, with bars along the Ljubljanica river and the alternative Metelkova district. Lake Bled is under an hour away by bus.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
CultureNatureFood & Wine
From the guide Cheap weekends for students and flatmates: 6 cities
Lyon
France
Often called France's food capital: traditional bouchons, the Les Halles Paul Bocuse food hall, and Beaujolais and Rhône Valley wines within day-trip range.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
Food & WineCulture
From the guide Food trips: 6 cities to eat your way through together
Madeira
Portugal
The levadas, irrigation channels with paths alongside, cross laurel forests and cliffs. Spring-like weather all year and sunrise on Pico do Arieiro.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
NatureAdventureRelax
From the guide Hiking and nature: 6 outdoor trips for your group
Marrakech
Morocco
A riad all to yourselves, Jemaa el-Fna square at sunset and trips to the Agafay desert or the Atlas mountains. Best avoided in the hottest summer months.
Best time
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureAdventureFood & Wine
From the guide Budget group trips: 6 destinations where your money goes further
Naples
Italy
Pizza, coffee and sfogliatelle on every corner, the alleys of the old town and Vesuvius in the background. With an extra day, add Pompeii, Procida or the Amalfi Coast.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
Food & WineCulture
From the guide Long weekends in Europe: 6 cities to visit with friends
Osaka
Japan
The local motto is kuidaore, eat until you drop: takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Dotonbori, cheap izakayas, and Kyoto and Nara less than an hour away.
Best time
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.2
Food & WineNightlifeCulture
From the guide Food trips: 6 cities to eat your way through together
Porto
Portugal
Azulejos, the Dom Luís bridge over the Douro and port wine cellars with tastings. The area around Galeria de Paris is packed with cheap bars that stay open late.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureFood & WineNightlife
From the guide Cheap weekends for students and flatmates: 6 cities
Seville
Spain
Tapas for a few euros, flamenco in Triana and the Alcázar, not to be missed. The city is at its best in spring; in summer the heat is truly fierce.
Best time
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureFood & WineNightlife
From the guide Cheap weekends for students and flatmates: 6 cities
Thessaloniki
Greece
Greece’s student city: a seafront for strolling, bars full until late and some of the country’s best food at low prices. The beaches of Halkidiki are close by.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.1
Food & WineNightlifeCulture
From the guide Cheap weekends for students and flatmates: 6 cities
Budapest
Hungary
Historic baths to share, the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter and Parliament lit up on the Danube. Prices below most European capitals.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct, December
Budget
€€€budget.1
CultureNightlifeRelax
From the guide Long weekends in Europe: 6 cities to visit with friends
Cappadocia
Türkiye
Hot-air balloons at dawn over the fairy chimneys, cave hotels carved into the rock and, in winter, snow on the valleys. Quieter and cheaper out of season.
Best time
Jan–Apr, Oct–Nov
Budget
€€€budget.1
RomanticAdventureNature
From the guide Winter trips: 6 group getaways for snow, northern lights and sun
Malta (St Julian’s)
Malta
Paceville packs the island’s nightlife into a few streets; by day there are coves, boat trips to Comino and Valletta. English is spoken everywhere and sunshine is almost guaranteed.
Best time
May–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
NightlifeRelax
From the guide Bachelor and bachelorette parties: 6 destinations to celebrate as a group
Oaxaca
Mexico
Seven kinds of mole, mezcal tastings at the palenques and colourful markets. Around the turn of October and November, Día de Muertos makes the trip unforgettable.
Best time
Oct–Mar
Budget
€€€budget.1
Food & WineCulture
From the guide Food trips: 6 cities to eat your way through together
Prague
Czechia
Some of Europe's cheapest beer, multi-storey clubs and a fairytale old town to see by day. Perfect for stag and hen parties, but not only.
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct, December
Budget
€€€budget.1
NightlifeCulture
From the guide Nightlife: 6 European cities to party in with friends
Valencia
Spain
City and beach in one weekend: the City of Arts and Sciences, the Turia park by bike and paella where it was born. Mild weather almost all year round.
Best time
Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
€€€budget.2
RelaxFood & WineCulture
From the guide Long weekends in Europe: 6 cities to visit with friends