Runs the scoring program behind every ranking on the site, and writes the world, month, solo and budget lists that come out of it.
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May is the first month when almost every city we rank is pleasant for a full day outdoors. All ten here have a May weather score of 8.4 or better, the light lasts well into the evening, and Lisbon gets a perfect 10: warm, dry and sunny. The order is close, with 0.56 of a point from first to tenth.
What changes a May trip more than the weather is the calendar. May 1 is a public holiday across much of Europe, and in 2027 it falls on a Saturday, the second day of a Friday-night trip. Britain has two bank holiday weekends this month. And Copenhagen, missing from our January to April lists, arrives with Tivoli open.
Score = 40% this month’s weather + 60% the Snack Score, plus a market bonus in November and December for cities with a Christmas market. No more than 3 cities from one region. How we score
| # | City | Score | High °F | Rain days | Sun (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | 8.6 | 73 | 5 | 12 |
| 2 | Florence | 8.5 | 73 | 14 | 12 |
| 3 | Madrid | 8.5 | 76 | 7 | 13 |
| 4 | Kraków | 8.5 | 66 | 14 | 11 |
| 5 | London | 8.4 | 64 | 11 | 11 |
| 6 | Prague | 8.3 | 67 | 12 | 11 |
| 7 | Copenhagen | 8.1 | 60 | 10 | 12 |
| 8 | Paris | 8.1 | 67 | 13 | 11 |
| 9 | Berlin | 8.1 | 67 | 8 | 12 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 8.1 | 63 | 11 | 12 |
1Lisbon has the only perfect weather score on this list: a 73°F (23°C) high, a 58°F (14°C) low, five rain days and 12.4 hours of sun. That outweighs a Snack Score of 7.7 and puts it first. The castle stays open to 9 p.m. from March to October, so you can be on its walls at sunset before dinner and fado in Alfama. The trap is May 1, a Saturday in 2027, when Jerónimos and the castle both close. The metro from the airport takes 20 minutes for $2.20 (£1.60; €1.92).
2Florence ties Madrid on 8.52 and goes second on the higher Snack Score, 8.6. Its May is warm, a 73°F (23°C) high, but wet: 13.7 rain days, which holds its weather score to 8.4. The plan copes, because the Uffizi and the cathedral museum are indoors and close together on a 3.2-mile (5.1 km) route. The cathedral is free Monday to Saturday, 10:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with shoulders and knees covered. The cathedral museum closes on the first Tuesday of the month, May 4, 2027.
3Madrid is the warmest and sunniest city here in May, a 76°F (24°C) high and 12.6 hours of sun, for a weather score of 9.6. It ties Florence on points and is listed third on its lower Snack Score, 7.8, but it has the best night on the list, from Cava Baja's tapas bars to the Mercado de San Miguel, open to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Do the museums on Friday: on Saturday, May 1, 2027, both the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen are closed. The Abono Turístico day pass is $11.60 (£8.70; €10.30).
4Kraków is fourth, with a 66°F (19°C) high and the most May rain days on the list, 13.8. Its Snack Score, 8.5, is the second best in Europe, and the night is the cheapest here at $50 (£37). Buy Wawel's limited tickets the day before, and avoid Tuesday, May 4, 2027, when Schindler's Factory is closed for the first Tuesday of the month. Lunch is at the Pod Temidą milk bar on Grodzka. A Kazimierz room was $77 (£58) on our June check, barely above January's $61 (£46).
5London's May weather scores 9.0, with a 64°F (18°C) high and 10.7 hours of sun, and its Snack Score is 8.0, with 10s for sights and after dark. A conditional verdict and the highest one-night cost here, $129 (£97), keep it fifth. The riverside walk from Westminster to Borough Market and Tate Modern is at its best in May light. Avoid the bank holiday weekends of May 1 to 3 and May 29 to 31, 2027 if you want lower prices. Americans apply for a UK ETA first, $27 (£20).
6Prague is sixth with a 67°F (20°C) high, 10.8 hours of sun and a weather score of 8.7. A worth-it verdict and a 3.0-mile route keep its Snack Score at 8.0. The trade-off in May is crowds: the castle, Charles Bridge and the Old Town are one line that every visitor walks, so start at the castle at 9 a.m. and save the bridge for after dinner at U Fleků. A Prague 1 room was $62 (£46) in January and $125 (£94) in June. The 24-hour ticket is $6.90 (£5.20; CZK 150).
7Copenhagen joins the list in May with 12.2 hours of sun and a 60°F (15.5°C) high, and Tivoli Gardens open for its summer season. It ties Paris on 8.12 and on the Snack Score, 7.8, and is listed first alphabetically. The metro from the airport takes 14 minutes, the fastest ride here, for $4.50 (£3.40; DKK 30). Book Rosenborg online, $21 (£15.70; DKK 140), and take a Netto canal tour from Nyhavn, $12 (£9; DKK 80). The catch is the room: $269 (£202) on June 11, 2027.
8Paris ties Copenhagen on 8.12. Its May weather scores 8.6: a 67°F (20°C) high but 12.9 rain days. Its sights and food scores are both 10; a conditional verdict and an 8.5-mile route pull its Snack Score down to 7.8. In May the evening plan works best: dinner on Rue de Buci and the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the Trocadéro, on the hour after dark. The Louvre is closed on Saturday, May 1, 2027, so use the Friday late opening to 9 p.m. Eurostar takes 136 minutes from London.
9Berlin has the third-best May weather here, 9.4: a 67°F (19°C) high, 8.4 rain days and 11.5 hours of sun. A conditional verdict and a 9.2-mile route that relies on the U-Bahn keep its Snack Score at 7.2 and its place ninth. May is when its outdoor plan pays off: the Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, the East Side Gallery at dusk, then Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg. No stop charges entry. A 24-hour BVG ticket is $12.60 (£9.40; €11.20), and a Mitte room was $124 (£93) on June 11.
10Amsterdam closes the top ten with good May weather, 8.9: a 63°F (17°C) high and 11.6 hours of sun. A worth-it verdict and a 17-minute train from Schiphol help, while the cost holds it back: one night is $116 (£87) per person, and a Centrum room was $230 (£172) on June 11. Anne Frank House tickets, $18.50 (£13.90; €16.50), go on sale six weeks ahead, and the house keeps short hours on May 4. The Albert Cuyp Market is closed on Sundays.
In this guide
Each city's May score blends its average May weather (40%) with its Snack Score (60%). The weather part rewards a daytime high between 63°F and 79°F (17°C and 26°C), few rain days and long sunshine, from Open-Meteo's 2016-2025 averages. Ties go to the higher Snack Score: Florence and Madrid both score 8.52, and Florence's 24 hours rate higher. Copenhagen and Paris tie on 8.12 and on the Snack Score too, so they are listed alphabetically. No region gets more than three cities. The method is in how we score cities.
Labor Day closes some of the biggest stops on this list, and in 2027 it lands on a Saturday. In Lisbon, the Jerónimos Monastery and São Jorge Castle are both closed on May 1. In Paris, the Louvre is closed. In Madrid, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza both close for the day.
If you arrive on Friday, April 30, move the paid stops to Friday. That suits Paris, where the Louvre stays open to 9 p.m. on Fridays, and Madrid, where the Reina Sofía is open to 9 p.m. Lisbon is harder, because Jerónimos is in Belém and the castle is across town; do one on Friday and spend Saturday on the free half of the plan, the Baixa, the Santa Luzia terrace and Alfama. Or simply travel the following weekend.
In England, Monday, May 3 and Monday, May 31, 2027 are bank holidays. That makes both weekends popular for short trips out of Britain, and our hotel prices do not cover them: we priced Friday, January 15 and Friday, June 11, 2027. If those are your only free dates, book early. If you are coming from the US, a regular May Friday is the better bet for London itself.
Two smaller dates matter too. May 4, 2027 is the first Tuesday of the month, when Kraków's Schindler's Factory and Florence's cathedral museum close all day, and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam keeps short hours on May 4.
Lisbon is the safe choice, with the fewest rain days here, five. Madrid is warmer and sunnier, with a 76°F (24°C) high and 12.6 hours of sun, and has the best night out, a 10 for after dark; choose it if you plan to eat late. Florence has the strongest daytime plan, but 13.7 rain days in an average May, so pack for a shower. Kraków is cheapest by far at $50 (£37).
From London without a plane, Paris is the only one here under three hours, at 136 minutes on Eurostar; Amsterdam is 244 minutes. Copenhagen has the quickest airport ride on the list, 14 minutes by metro. For more cities in rail range, see city breaks by train from London.
May falls between our two hotel checks, and the June figure is the better guide. On June 11, 2027 the cheapest qualifying central room was $77 (£58) in Kraków, $124 (£93) in Berlin, $125 (£94) in Prague, $127 (£95) in Lisbon and $160 (£120) in Florence. The north was dearer: $162 (£121) in Paris, $167 (£125) in Madrid, $186 (£139) in London, $230 (£172) in Amsterdam and $269 (£202) in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen's jump is the largest: its January room was $104 (£78). Amsterdam's one-night figure, $116 (£87) per person, and Copenhagen's, $117 (£88), sit just under London's $129 (£97). See cheap city breaks in Europe for the full cost ranking.
Porto (8.38), Rome (8.34), Barcelona (8.14) and Venice (8.12) all scored as well as or better than the bottom four here, but Lisbon, Florence and Madrid already fill Southern Europe's three places. Porto and Rome would otherwise be sixth and seventh. Vienna (8.02) is the first city outside the cap that simply scored lower, followed by Bruges (7.94) and Budapest (7.92). York and Bath, both 7.88, lead the British cities after London.
Entry rules are unchanged in May. The Schengen Entry/Exit System, live since April 10, 2026, takes fingerprints and a photo at your first border; ETIAS has no start date and will cost $22 (£16.80; €20). US travelers need a UK ETA, $27 (£20), for London. The June ranking is next.
Meet by the center statue in Rossio Square (Rossio metro, green line); the guide carries a blue badge or bag. Vegan and celiac options are not available. Same operator as the walking tour, so pick one if you want variety.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Reservation fees are included. The Uffizi's own site sells a regular ticket for 29 euros in advance or 25 euros on the day (about $33 or $28), so the $84 price is mostly for the guide and the skip-the-line slot. The meeting point depends on the option you pick; no luggage or large bags.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
The ticket covers the show; a welcome drink comes only with the option that includes it. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. The page shows $31 against a struck-through $36, so the lower price is a sale.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Of the cities we rank, Madrid is warmest in May, with a 76°F (24°C) average high, followed by Lisbon and Florence at 73°F (23°C). Lisbon is the driest, with five rain days, and gets a perfect weather score.
On this list: the Louvre in Paris, the Jerónimos Monastery and São Jorge Castle in Lisbon, and the Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. In 2027, May 1 is a Saturday, so do those stops on Friday, April 30.
In England and Wales, Monday, May 3 (early May) and Monday, May 31 (spring bank holiday), 2027. Both weekends are busy for short trips from Britain.
Yes. It is seventh on our May list, with 12.2 hours of sun and Tivoli open for summer. Budget for the room: the cheapest qualifying central double was $269 (£202) on June 11, 2027. See 24 hours in Copenhagen.
It is one of London's best months on our weather data, with a 64°F (18°C) high and 10.7 hours of sun. Avoid the two bank holiday weekends if you want lower prices, and arrive on a Friday so Westminster Abbey is open all day.
Further reading
