Europe in late October?

August 22, 2011 7:56 AM

Due to very busy schedules, the earliest time we can take a vacation this year is the second half of October. We originally planned to go to Turkey, but Lonely Planet says that Cappadocia basically shuts down due to cold in mid October. So is that true, and if so, what other similar places would you suggest for a week at that time of year, in Europe? A little culture would be nice, since the rest of the tip will be spent in the Greek isles.
posted by smackfu to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

Crete, Knossos is wonderful, there's some great hiking trails. Alternatively Sicily.
posted by Wilder at 8:10 AM on August 22, 2011

My sister went to Cappadocia in the end of October a few years ago and had a great time, which is a good thing, since I'll be there this October. My only reservation about traveling in the way-off-season is that there are simply fewer people around, in general-- fewer tourists to get tips from, restaurants are quieter, etc.
posted by deanc at 9:43 AM on August 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't know which Greek isles you are visiting but I've heard good things about Corfu.
posted by marais at 11:50 AM on August 22, 2011

Now that I'm back, I just wanted to come back to say that even in late October/early November, Cappadocia was an absolute tourist zoo. Yes, it was a bit cold, which put a damper on some hiking I did, and the fact that the cheap hostels are optimized for staying cool in the summer rather than warm in the fall/winter, but every major site was overrun with tourists. It was not in the least bit "shut down," though maybe things are different in December and January.
posted by deanc at 8:02 AM on November 28, 2011