Late September weather in the Alps between Munich and Lake Garda?

January 23, 2024 8:00 AM

We are interested in a ten day supported bike tour starting in Munich, traveling through Leutasch, Imst, Nauders, Merano, Auer, and Trento, before ending in Riva on the north side of Lake Garda. The best start date for our group is September 29th. What can we expect for weather? (if it might rain, will it be for days or just showers, etc.)

I am asking this forum because it is likely there is someone here who can give us more useful information than I can glean from looking up the climate charts!

Aside: My wife and I would like to continue our vacation beyond the tour. What will the weather be like in Verona and the Dolomites say October 10th through the 15th?

More aside: The start date puts us in the middle of Oktoberfest for our arrival in Munich. Assuming we can find lodging, we would still like to see what we can of the city for a day before we depart on our tour. Any recommendations on what we should definitely see (or where to eat) that might allow us to avoid all the drunks?

Thanks!

posted by Don_K to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

I lived in Trento for a year; October can be lovely. It certainly rained now and again but not constantly. The shortening days in late fall can seriously curtail daylight hours - the valleys are narrow and deep. Once the sun goes down behind the ridge, temps drop and an extended twilight sets in. Only speaking about the Adige valley here, I can't say much about your destinations above Merano.

Verona will be lovely in mid-October. The Dolomites (both the eastern and western groups) will also be nice and crisp and autumnal - we were in Cortina, Val Gardena, and Val di Funes right around the 10th of October and I have lots of pictures of us sitting out drinking beers at mountain huts in the sun. Definitely chilly in the evenings. Some, but not all, of the recreational infrastructure of the mountains - refuges, gondolas/lifts, park restrooms - will be closed for the season by then, or until ski season begins in late December. In my photos at the Tre Cime above Dobbiaco, the cliffs are already holding plenty of snow.
posted by niicholas at 8:49 AM on January 23, 2024 [1 favorite]

I was in the Alps at exactly that time last year and the weather was incredible. Perfect sunny days 50-60 degrees F, with cool nights but not yet freezing. At very high altitudes, there was a little bit of snow and it was crisper, but we were still out hiking in just 1 layer of clothes, no problem. There wasn't a spot of rain during the week I was there, but that's unpredictable. Afterward, I went south, and it was extremely hot in Spain and Portugal, in the 90s! I think that was technically unseasonable, but with climate change, it seems like it's becoming more normal.
posted by luzdeluna at 12:35 PM on January 23, 2024 [1 favorite]

Weather can range from glorious to miserable. I've been in Munich during that time period more times than I can count and have had lovely days in the mid-70s with picture-perfect cumulus clouds and miserable gray rainy days in the 40s. You're rolling the dice. Make sure to pack your gear accordingly.

More aside: The start date puts us in the middle of Oktoberfest for our arrival in Munich. Assuming we can find lodging, we would still like to see what we can of the city for a day before we depart on our tour. Any recommendations on what we should definitely see (or where to eat) that might allow us to avoid all the drunks?

Book lodging now. Prices are already rising. You can always cancel closer to the time of travel.

Most of the drunkenness will be confined to the area around the Theresienwiese. It's absolutely worth checking in to Oktoberfest (I'm a big fan of the Oide Wies'n, which tends to be tamer and has higher quality food at Festzelt Tradition). Other things to consider are the various Pinakotheke and other art museums; the Wittselsbach Residenz and Schloss Nymphenburg if you like seeing palaces; the Englischer Garten, including the Chinesischer Turm; the Viktualienmarkt; climbing Alter Peter to see the city; the Deutsches Museum for a great science/engineering museum; and plenty of other attractions.
posted by kdar at 1:43 PM on January 23, 2024 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: This is great! Once again, you guys have helped me get through my life! Oktoberfest ended up derailing our original tour dates (hotels for our operator were booked), so we shifted a couple of weeks into September. I believe the information you guys wrote is still relevant regarding the weather.
posted by Don_K at 2:15 PM on January 23, 2024