Renting a house in Europe in April

[Anonymous]

We're looking to rent a house for a group of 12 people somewhere in Europe in April 2017. We would like to find a place with a chance of decent weather - not beach weather but something other than 40s & rain. For that reason we're not focused on England & Scotland although they would otherwise be of interest. One idea is Normandy but not sure if the weather there is likely to be any better than England. Otherwise we've focused so far on Tuscany, but I'd also like to explore other options in Italy as well as Spain. Amalfi area of course looks incredible but rentals seem way expensive. We have all been to Provence/Cote d'Azure before so not as interested in that area. Ideas welcome!!!

[Anonymous]

Yes Normandy would probably be chilly if not rainy as well. Tuscany is a good option though you will need a car to see the surrounding area. Spain - Costa del Sol around Marbella is gorgeous. Amalfi can be done but do not expect a view of Capri or to be in Positano on anything approaching a reasonable budget! Also consider Basque area.

[Anonymous]

You will need to be pretty far south to get good weather in April - northern France is not a good idea.

An area I really like is Catalonia in Spain. we rented in a village called Ullastret and there are some beautiful places around - Pals, Girona, Figueres etc.

[Anonymous]

Normandy pretty much has the same weather as England.

[Anonymous]

If you do Amalfi, you may want to look at some smaller towns, like Ravello.

[Anonymous]

We have been in south of Spain and Rome in April and it was rainy, overcast and cold! We have been in Tuscany Mid May and it was beautiful - warm almost summer like. So I would say to plan for a little of anything- as you would here. There are no guarantees that the weather will be great. During our cold rainy trip we just did a lot of sight seeing - if we'd had our hearts set on the beach we would have been disappointed. In Tuscany we planned to sight see and the weather was nice nice we went to the beach!

[Anonymous]

We used to rent a house in Ceriale, Italy for the summer each year. It was really nice - smaller town, nice weather, beach, great food.

The price wasn't to bad and there are wonderful homes to rent (at good prices).

Highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

Maybe southern Spain-- we were in Seville in late March and it was pleasant and there are a lot of day trips you could do I think.

[Anonymous]

April can still be chilly in Tuscany if you're up in the hills. Less so if you stay over by Pisa or Lucca on the coast. You could go off the beaten path to the heel of Italy. Beautiful, cheaper. Puglia region, Bari is the capital.

[Anonymous]

Last few years we have made trips during the March-April time frame and had good weather in Venice, Florence (and surrounding areas), Sicily, and Croatia. Southern Spain is also usually good weather that time of year but avoid Sevilla during Holy Week - very crowded and expensive. Portugal might be another good option. Southern Europe is the way to go in spring - everything else is too unreliable (weather).

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks all! Sounds like Normandy will have to be done another time. It's great to hear everyone's experiences and suggestions.

[Anonymous]

I would do Madrid, transportation hub that would allow you to get anywhere in Europe easily.

[Anonymous]

Are there good places to stay near Barcelona? We'd like to rent a whole house in a relaxed area so not city center, but being close to Barcelona and the beaches seems attractive.

[Anonymous]

Can I come?

[Anonymous]

Greece?