Top 6 Places To Visit In Autumn Chosen By Travel Bloggers

Have you got plans to go away this autumn? We recently found a deal to southern Portugal so are off for a few days during autumn half term. But it’s still not too late to book a holiday this season. But where do you go? Where are the best places to visit which still offer some sunshine when the leaves start falling and autumn hits the UK? I have enlisted the help of six top family travel bloggers to give their favourite places to go in autumn.

Cyprus
Karen at Mini Travellers

It can be hard to find places (with a short flight) where you can get the sun but equally where it doesn’t matter too much if you don’t get it, as there are other things to do. However Cyprus, the southernmost island in the Eastern Med is, according to legend, a place where summer lasts longer and you get guaranteed sunshine well into November. It sounds like the perfect place to get away to at October half term.

In Cyprus you can also choose your standard of accommodation to match your budget. It isn’t all cheap and cheerful or all 5* luxury. You can do both. However regardless of which budget you opt for, what can’t be taken away from you is the stunning beaches, the fabulous relaxed atmosphere and the people who just love to talk to you and your children.

Flights into Paphos and Limassol from airports across the UK make Cyprus an easy location to get to although flight prices do become quite extreme during the half term break and you need to book early to get a decent deal! I can’t wait to go there this October.

Japan
Kirstie at The Family Adventure Project

Japan is most famous for its spring cherry blossom but in autumn it’s all about gold. In fact, going to see the displays of maple and gingko is something of a national sport. If you have a limited amount of time you can most easily catch the ‘koyo’ (coloured leaf) displays in Kyoto or Tokyo. The best time to see them in the capital is late November. Or head over to Mount Fuji. The sacred mountain and its five surrounding lakes are always worth a visit but they are particularly pretty in autumn.

Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible with the Momiji Tunnel recommended – a maple tree studded road along the northern shore. If you like woodlands I also recommend the magnificent Arashiyama bamboo grove. It was one of our favourite outdoor spots.

Or for indoor related fun you could meet a robot. You can even have dinner with a room full of them (although you will be too busy gawping to eat anything). Check out this post for some high tech and low tech ideas.

A good way to see Japan with the family is by bullet train but driving gives you lots of flexibility to visit outdoor attractions and may save you money. Here’s our tips for a family road trip.

North Wales
Jo at Kiddie Holidays

North Wales, especially the area around Snowdon, is a great place to visit in autumn. The trees are just starting to turn reddy orange but it’s still warm enough for a day at the beach if you wrap up well.

We spent a week in Conwy last October, and had a full day out at the seaside town of Llandudno. You can catch the tram or the cable car up to the Great Orme, known as Llandudno’s mini mountain, where there is a country park with a playground, café and stunning sea views. Back down in Llandudno, there is a beach, promenade and the longest pier in Wales.

Conwy is a medieval walled town with a World Heritage castle. The town walls are well worth a walk around and you can get fantastic panoramic views of the whole town and out to the sea. We also took a 30 minute boat tour around Conwy Harbour, and because it was clear, we were able to see Snowdon in the distance.

Christmas lovers will love the all-year round Christmas shop on the main street in Conwy.

Train is one of the best ways to see North Wales, and there are plenty of trains to go on. We loved the Llanberis Lake Railway which took us on a five mile ride alongside Lake Padarn where again, we could see Snowdon in the distance. We also jumped on the famous Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog line which took us to the mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog through some of Wales’ most beautiful scenery. I loved it and want to go back!

Malaysia
Nichola at Global Mouse Travels

Malaysia in autumn is a great time to leave behind the cold of the UK and enjoy the warmth of this beautiful country. At this time of year it is best to avoid the East coast which can be badly affected by the rainy season but the rest of the country won’t have the rains to the same extent. We were always told to avoid Asia in the rainy season but having travelled there on numerous occasions in October we’ve always found it a great time to be in the region – still nice and warm but cooled down every now and then by the rains.

If you can combine your trip with the mid-autumn festival this is a wonderful experience with lanterns and delicious moon cakes everywhere. It’s one of my favourite times to be in Asia and the kids will be spellbound by all of the lanterns lit up. I love the fact that the tourists have largely left the region so it’s much easier to visit some of the main sights and attractions but then you still get the energy and vibrancy from the celebrations around the festivals.

Lecce, Italy
Laura at Have Kids Can Travel

Wild sandy beaches (the Italians nickname them “Les Maldives”), basking sunshine and easy Italian living at its most relaxed and peaceful – we fell in love with the Ionian coastline in autumn. It’s way down in southern Puglia, at the bottom of the heel of the ‘boot’ of Italy, too far for most tourists.

Italians fill the region in summer, coming in their droves for the sun, the sea and the amazing food. The motor home site we stayed on takes 5,000 people at the height of summer but we visited in October, in the last few weeks of their season and the enormous site was deserted, just a handful of other visitors dotted amongst the trees. We spent long peaceful, happy days on the wide, empty beaches with the temperatures creeping up to 30 degrees celsius, and the evenings watching the stars as we listened to the waves on the beach. We stayed for a few magical days in the middle of our month-long road trip.

If you get tired of the beaches, go exploring; the region is filled with small, whitewashed villages to explore and Ugento itself is perfect for a leisurely walk through the narrow alleys of the town centre – don’t miss the Cathedral or the Bishop’s Palace in Piazza San Vincenzo.

Malta
Penny at Parent Shaped

Malta is a small island with a character all of its own between Sicily, Tunisia and Libya. It was part of the Commonwealth until 1974 so both English and Maltese are spoken. Driving on the left, the size of the island and the lack of language barrier make it a really easy place to travel abroad as a family. Malta becomes very hot and densely populated in high season but it is perfect for an Easter or half term break. As October turned to November when we visited the temperature was still 23, rising to 28 some days.

The Maltese Islands have three sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are the City of Valletta, the Megalithic Temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. The islands of Gozo and Comino are a fun adventure by short ferry or boat, the Azure Window is not to be missed. The Playmobil Factory will keep little ones happy and Popeye Village, the set from the 1980 film starring Robin Williams, is now a tourist attraction with trick or treating if you happen to be there at Halloween.

You may also enjoy reading the other posts in my seasonal series

6 Desinations to Visit In Spring
6 Of The Best Places To Visit During Summer
5 Top UK Family Destinations To Visit In Summer 

Please get in touch or comment below if you would like to contribute to my winter series. 

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