The best time to visit Europe from the UAE, month by month

How warm is Europe each month, compared with Dubai?

Much cooler, in every month. Even Madrid's hottest month averages a high of 32.1 °C, against 41.3 °C in Dubai in July. From November to March, northern and central European cities average single-digit or low double-digit highs, and Vienna's average January low is below freezing.

Two things stand out. The first is how quickly the north warms and cools: London's average high climbs from 11.7 °C in March to 18.4 °C in May, and falls from 20.2 °C in September to 11.5 °C in November^[1]. The second is how different the south is in high summer: Madrid's July average high of 32.1 °C^[4] is eight degrees above London's.

Rain is spread through the year in the north rather than saved for a season. London averages between about 8 and 12 days a month with at least 1 mm of rain^[1]; at De Bilt, near Utrecht, the wettest months by total are July, August, October and December^[2]. Madrid is the dry one, with fewer than two such days a month in July and August^[4].

When is Europe at its busiest?

July and August. In 2025 those two months accounted for 31% of all nights spent in EU tourist accommodation, and August alone for 16%, or 501 million nights. January was the quietest month: the August peak was 3.6 times its level.

The summer peak is much steeper in some countries than in others. In Croatia 55% of the year's tourism nights fell in July and August 2025, in Bulgaria 43% and in Greece 42%; at the other end, Malta (22%), Germany and Finland (24% each) were the least seasonal^[6]. August was the busiest month in 19 EU countries and July in eight^[6].

Eurostat names August and July as the two most popular months^[6], so every other month is quieter. For a traveller that makes May, June and September the months that combine warm days across most of the continent with fewer people on the same streets — and the difference is largest in the countries where the summer peak is steepest.

What is each season like?

December to February: winter

The coldest and quietest stretch. Average highs sit between about 3.5 °C (Vienna in January) and 12 °C (Madrid in February), and Vienna's average lows are below freezing in December, January and February^[3]. Days are short in the north. It is the season for museums, concert halls and the Christmas markets: in Vienna they run from mid-November until Christmas, and the market on Rathausplatz is open from 13 November to 26 December 2026^[12].

March to May: spring

The fastest-changing months. March is still cool in the north — London averages 11.7 °C and De Bilt 10.5 °C^[1][2] — while by May all four places average highs between 18 °C and 22 °C. The UAE school spring break in 2027 falls in early April^[7], when Vienna and Madrid average highs of 17–18 °C^[3][4]: pleasant for walking, still coat weather in the evening.

June to August: summer

The warmest weather in the north and the biggest crowds everywhere. London and De Bilt average highs of 21–24 °C^[1][2]; Madrid's July and August average above 31 °C^[4]. Even that is nine to ten degrees below Dubai's averages for the same months^[5] — and July and August are also when Europe is at its most crowded^[6].

September to November: autumn

September often behaves like a gentler summer: London averages 20.2 °C and Vienna 21.1 °C^[1][3], and the August crowds have gone home. October cools quickly, and in London November is the wettest month of the year by total rainfall^[1]. The UAE's October mid-term break in 2026 runs from 12 to 18 October^[7].

When are the UAE school holidays in 2026–27?

For schools following the Ministry of Education calendar, the 2026–27 year starts on 31 August 2026, with a mid-term break from 12 to 18 October, winter break from 14 December to 3 January 2027, spring break from 5 to 11 April 2027, and the year ending on 2 July 2027.

Winter break in 2026–27 is three weeks long^[7]. The same announcement gives the following year, 2027–28: winter break from 13 December 2027 to 2 January 2028 and spring break from 27 March to 2 April 2028^[7].

How far behind the UAE is Europe's clock?

One to four hours, depending on the country and the season. The UAE keeps the same time all year, four hours ahead of GMT, while EU countries move their clocks forward on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October.

• The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT^[10] and has never used daylight saving^[11].
• EU countries switch to summer time on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October^[9].
• So London is four hours behind the UAE in winter and three in summer; Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Madrid and Rome are three hours behind in winter and two in summer; and countries on Eastern European Time, such as Greece, are two hours behind in winter and one in summer^[9].

What should you check before you book?

Your passport's entry requirements, which we do not restate because they change and depend on nationality. Start from the official sources below, and check again shortly before you travel; our visa desk can check them for your passport and destination.

• The European Commission's page on Schengen visa policy.
• The EU's official pages on the Entry/Exit System and on ETIAS, the travel authorisation the EU has announced.
• For Emirati passport holders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' guide to travel requirements by destination.
• For the United Kingdom, which is outside the EU's systems, the UK government's Check if you need a UK visa.

Questions travellers ask

Sources

The desk opened each source on the date shown. Rules, fees and timetables change: check the official source before you travel.

1. [1]Heathrow: location-specific long-term averages (1991–2020) — Met Office. Accessed 25 September 2026
2. [2]De Bilt, langjarige gemiddelden, tijdvak 1991-2020 — KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute). Accessed 25 September 2026
3. [3]Langjährige Klimamittelwerte 1991-2020 — Stadt Wien (data: GeoSphere Austria). Accessed 25 September 2026
4. [4]Valores climatológicos normales: Madrid, Retiro — AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología). Accessed 25 September 2026
5. [5]Climate Yearly Report (station: Dubai International Airport) — National Center of Meteorology, UAE. Accessed 29 September 2026
6. [6]Seasonality in the tourist accommodation sector — Eurostat, Statistics Explained. Accessed 25 September 2026
7. [7]MOE announces the academic calendar for the next three years — UAE Ministry of Education. Accessed 25 September 2026
8. [8]Academic calendar for Dubai's private schools — Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). Accessed 25 September 2026
9. [9]Summertime — European Commission, Mobility and Transport. Accessed 29 September 2026
10. [10]Fact sheet — The UAE Government portal (u.ae). Accessed 25 September 2026
11. [11]The UAE explained: how winding the clocks back elsewhere affects the UAE — The National. Accessed 25 September 2026
12. [12]Vienna's most attractive Christmas markets — WienTourismus (wien.info). Accessed 25 September 2026
13. [13]Visa policy — European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Accessed 25 September 2026
14. [14]Entry/Exit System (EES) — European Union. Accessed 25 September 2026
15. [15]European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) — European Union. Accessed 25 September 2026
16. [16]Check if you need a UK visa — GOV.UK. Accessed 25 September 2026
17. [17]Emirates travel requirements by destination — UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed 25 September 2026

Corrections

• 29 September 2026: The time-difference answer said Europe is two to four hours behind the UAE; countries on Eastern European Time, such as Greece, are one hour behind in summer. It now says one to four hours. The Dubai climate figures are now labelled with their period, 1974–2025, rather than as 30-year averages.