Where to go in April: 9 places at their best

April is when Europe comes back to life. Terraces reopen, parks turn green, and the weather in the south is warm enough for long days outside without the heat or the summer prices. Further east, blossom arrives in Korea, tulips flower in Turkey, and the desert countries are still comfortable before summer.

The catch is Easter. It falls in March or April, and the week around it fills hotels, trains and roads across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Some countries add their own public holidays on top. Look up the Easter date before you pick, and if it falls in your window, either book early or aim for the weeks around it. Here are nine places that are properly good in April.

April also sits between seasons, so the weather can surprise you. A warm afternoon can be followed by a cold, wet morning, and the sea is cool nearly everywhere in the northern hemisphere. Treat this as a month for walking, eating outside and seeing sights, not for beach days.

Netherlands

April is the season of bulbs. Daffodils come first, then tulips and hyacinths, and the fields between Haarlem and Leiden turn into stripes of colour in April and early May. The flower gardens at Keukenhof open for a short spring season and are crowded at weekends, so go on a weekday and early. King's Day on 27 April turns the whole country orange, with street markets and boat parties in Amsterdam, so book a room well ahead if you want to be there, or avoid the city that day. Use the Amsterdam itinerary and the Netherlands travel guide.

Spain

Spring is the best season for most of the country. Andalusia is warm and in flower, the cities are comfortable for walking, and the beaches are open without being full. Holy Week, the week before Easter, brings huge processions to Seville, Málaga and many other towns, and falls in April in some years. It is wonderful and busy, with hotels full and prices up. The Madrid itinerary and Barcelona itinerary cover the big cities, and the Spain travel guide covers the south.

Portugal

April to June is the best all-round season: warm days, green countryside, wildflowers in the Alentejo, and beaches that are pleasant without being full. The Atlantic is still cool for swimming. Lisbon is at its best for walking its hills, and 25 April is a national holiday that marks the 1974 revolution, with events in the capital. Follow the Lisbon itinerary and read the Portugal travel guide for Porto, the Douro and the Algarve.

Turkey

Spring is the best all-round season. Istanbul is mild and green, with tulips in the city's parks and a tulip festival that usually runs through April. The ruins on the Aegean coast are comfortable to walk, and Cappadocia has wildflowers and clear air. The Mediterranean sea is still cool, so this is a month for sights and not swimming. Public holidays on 23 April add to the crowds. See the Istanbul itinerary and the Turkey travel guide.

South Korea

Cherry blossom arrives in early April in the south and in Seoul, with streets and rivers lined in pink, and then the hills turn green. The weather is mild and dry, and it is one of the two busiest seasons, so book flights and rooms ahead. Blossom lasts only a week or so, and the exact date shifts each year, so keep your plans loose. Spend four days in the city with our Seoul itinerary, then use the South Korea travel guide to add Busan or Jeju.

Italy

Spring is the best season in Italy. The weather is warm, the countryside is green, wildflowers cover the Tuscan hills, and the sea is warming up. Easter week and the long weekends around 25 April and 1 May fill the cities and the roads, so book early for those dates. Outside them, Rome, Florence and Venice are comfortable and less crowded than in summer. Choose from the Rome itinerary, Florence itinerary and Venice itinerary, and read the Italy travel guide.

Czech Republic

Spring is mild and fresh. Parks and beer gardens open, the crowds are manageable until June, and the river valleys turn green. Easter markets appear in Prague's squares in the weeks before Easter. It is a good month for a city break by train, with long enough days to see the castle, the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter in comfort. The Prague itinerary and the Czech Republic travel guide show the way.

Belgium

April to June is the most pleasant season in Belgium: cool to mild, with blossom in the parks, outdoor tables in the squares and long evenings. The weather is changeable, so expect a shower or two. Easter and the long weekends around Ascension fill Bruges especially, so see it on a weekday if you can. Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp are calmer and just as good. Read the Belgium travel guide.

Jordan

Spring is the best season in Jordan, and April is the middle of it. Temperatures are warm without being hot, the hills are green with wildflowers in March and April, and Petra and Wadi Rum are comfortable to walk. It is also the busiest time, so book hotels and camps early, especially around Easter and school holidays. Read the Jordan travel guide.

Planning a trip for April

April trips are made or broken by two things: the Easter date and the weather. Easter pushes prices up, but the week after it is often quieter and cheaper, as families go home and schools return. If you have flexible dates, aim for that gap.

Late April is the point where many places start to charge summer rates, particularly on the Mediterranean coasts, so the first half of the month is usually the better value. Late April is when many places begin to charge summer rates, so the first half of the month is usually the better value. The weather is changeable, so pack layers and a light waterproof and keep an indoor option for each day. A museum, a market hall or a long lunch makes a good plan B, and having one ready stops a wet morning from wasting the day. For Europe, book rooms and trains for the busy weekends two or three months out; our guide to how far in advance to book gives sensible lead times. If you can travel outside school holidays, shoulder-season travel explains how to get more for less.

A city break is a good way to use April. Plan a weekend city break walks through it, and the cities above all work with two or three days.

Trips in April also suit people who want to combine places. Italy and Spain, or the Netherlands and Belgium, are close enough to link by train in a week or two, and spring weather makes long train days pleasant. Train travel in Europe explains how to plan the legs, and how many days in each city helps you decide where to slow down.