What is the best time of year to cruise the Mediterranean

[clerky96]

We are looking at Mediterranean cruises and don't really know what time of the year has the best temperatures.

[Hlitner]

Good question, but the answer is not so simple. Generally from early June through August the Med is under a huge high pressure system which means you tend to get very little rain. The negative is that it can be very hot (90s in some places) and, since its the high season, places tend to be more crowded. Personally, we think May and September are the best months because the crowds are a bit thinner and its not as hot.

 

Hank

[TrentS]

You'll have to tell us what "best" means to you before we can answer that ;)

[Keith1010]

We prefer April, late September or October. Why? Because it is far less hot and humid than during the summer months and far less crowded.

 

Keith

[Donder1]

June!

[mypleasure]

The med can get very,very hot. I would say May to Mid June and September as being the most comfortable months to go. The temps are very warm but not unbearable in those months and this makes it easy to enjoy moving around in them.

In terms of crowds, July and August are very crowded and lead to long queues at many of the sites. European counties take their vacations around that time too which adds to the crowds.

[paul929207]

We went to the Med in November, 2007 and the weather was great. It was cool, but for sightseeing, that was wonderful.

[cruiserking]

We cruised the Med in mid April and it was very mild and not very touristy at all.

 

Jonathan

[operafan]

We've done early May, late May and November. The weather was beautiful in early May and the tourist season was still at a slow point. It was perfect. Late May was pretty warm and more crowded and November was cool with no crowds at all. The only time I would try to avoid is mid June through August. It's really steamy.........

[FritzG]

We loved late April-early May when we took the Ruby TA this year. The weather was beautiful, it wasn't too crowded, and the flowers were blooming. It was quite warm in Rome and Florence so I can't imagine how bad it would be mid-summer. In fact, our tour guide in Rome told us that "Rome in summer is hell."

[yellowbird23]

We are looking at Mediterranean cruises and don't really know what time of the year has the best temperatures.

I did it in late February and it was rather coolish, but Costa just closed the top of the ship and it really didn't matter. It was less crowded in ports because of it as well.

[operafan]

We loved late April-early May when we took the Ruby TA this year. The weather was beautiful, it wasn't too crowded, and the flowers were blooming. It was quite warm in Rome and Florence so I can't imagine how bad it would be mid-summer. In fact, our tour guide in Rome told us that "Rome in summer is hell."

 

FritzG, I just had to laugh at the "Rome in summer is hell". We live in TX. Just about anywhere is better in summer!

[Texas Tillie]

FritzG, I just had to laugh at the "Rome in summer is hell". We live in TX. Just about anywhere is better in summer!

 

Yeah, but here in Texas we go from our air conditioned house to our air conditioned car to the air conditioned store to our air conditioned work place. If you plan right it's like maybe 3 minutes out of the air conditioning at each stop (often less). There ain't no air conditioning in Rome! (Well, maybe a few of the VERY expensive hotels.):p;):D

[jocap]

It also depends where in the Med you want to go. We travel to different parts in Feb-May, then Sept-Oct. If you go on one of the year round ships (NCL, RCI, Costa, MSC), they'll start in northern Spain or Italy, and it can be snowy, rainy and windy there in Feb and March, so they normally add somewhere more southerly like Egypt or the Canaries. By Sept-Oct, the fiercest heat is fading, although the rains may start. Watch the dates when the majority of ships leave the Med for the Carib- they know when the heat is lessening.- jocap.

[operafan]

Yeah, but here in Texas we go from our air conditioned house to our air conditioned car to the air conditioned store to our air conditioned work place. If you plan right it's like maybe 3 minutes out of the air conditioning at each stop (often less). There ain't no air conditioning in Rome! (Well, maybe a few of the VERY expensive hotels.):p;):D

 

I'd still swap Plano for Rome any day..........