Years ago, a small group of our friends gathered and planned international trips with a particular goal in mind: spending the days hiking and eating well every evening. When it came time to determine when to travel, we decided to take our trips when the daytime temperatures were ideal for walking, which we determined to be between 62-70 degrees F (17-21 degrees C). It turned out to be a good idea.
When we planned our many years of constant travel – we continued with the notion of traveling in a comfortable temperature range as much as possible. Every potential destination was charted for annual averages for high and low temperatures each month as well as how many days and how much rainfall were average each month. We circled the top three months that were ideal times to visit each destination.
You might wonder where we chose for our travel in April these past years…
The pleasantest of Aprils was spent on our month-long stay in Florence, Italy in 2018.
One day we went up to Fiesole for lunch and this was the view back to Florence. What a lovely sight!
In April 2017, we visited Arizona to watch birds. We heard there had been a recent rare sighting of the tufted flycatcher, a bird whose range is Mexico down through northwestern South America. We took off in search of the bird on a mountain where it had been last seen.
After reaching the spot we searched for a half hour and there, on a nearby branch, was the very bird!
We’ll never forget the earthquake in coastal Ecuador in April 2016. The town where we were headed had just been destroyed.
After quick research, we booked a month-long stay in Cuenca, Ecuador – a fabulous place to visit and where we learned all about Panama hats.
We spent most of April 2015 visiting our grandchildren and their parents in California.
We went to school performances, sewed a pioneer outfit, painted furniture, and visited a little nature center with and for our grandchildren.
We made it almost halfway around the world in April 2014 to Tasmania. (Where is it? Tasmania is an island off the southeast coast of Australia.)
Friends, Gretchen and Phil, drove us up to Freycinet National Park, and we all hiked to Hazzards Bay.
The American southwest desert is one of the nicest places to be in April – so in 2013 we again traveled to Arizona – this time to Tucson.
We love both cactus and rocks.
We wanted to go to Cappadocia and finally made it there in April 2012.
The fairy chimneys, rock houses and formations were spectacular. We even took a hot air balloon ride.
Consider traveling to places you want to go when the temperature is just right and the rainfall is manageable. If you’re planning a trip, we can tell you from experience that Italy, Arizona, Ecuador, California, Tasmania, and Cappadocia are all wonderful and worthwhile destinations in April.
April 2019
simpletravelourway 
Beth and Joe – Your travel-panning ideas all are time-tested, but especially this one of travelling during pleasant weather tops the list. You give yourself the best intro to new places when you see them at their best. Cheers – Susan
Timing is everything they say – and so true! We first visited Spain in mid-winter and just didn’t find our stay at all appealing. Decades later we finally made it back in glorious, warm weather and Spain was like a different country! We then understood what people loved traveling there. Yes, seeing places at their best and in perfect weather makes all the difference.
We like to travel in September for the same reason. The weather is usually great.
Lovely to read this recap of your April adventures, and have to agree with your ideal temperature range. The thought of Italy in April is particularly alluring…