Simon Calder's Holiday Helpdesk: Is the weather already wintry in Budapest and Prague in mid-October?

Q My daughter is doing a few months of gap travel through Europe and wants us to meet up with her in Budapest and Prague in mid- October. Is the weather already wintry there at that time? We don't mind cold but don't wish to lose walking the streets to heavy rains. Light rain is not a problem. Is Eastern Europe much wetter and colder than Western Europe at that time?

Gaby Menegaldo

A Central or Eastern Europe (depending on how you want to characterise it) has a Continental climate, which means extremes of temperature are more pronounced than in Britain - and also means that rainfall is very different. Summers tend to be hot and wet, winters cold and dry. Accordingly, August in Prague typically sees twice as much rain as October (and four times as much as February). And last time I was in Budapest, in June, it poured for almost all my stay.

Mid-October is an excellent time to visit the Czech Republic and Hungary in terms of temperature, because both should still be fairly comfortable - as opposed to the sub-zero spells common in December, January and February. So while you can't bank on eating outside at the great bars and restaurants in each capital, you can leave the heavy clothing behind and enjoy the sights of the cities without worrying about the weather.

Click HERE to email Simon.

You can also tweet him your questions @SimonCalder

Follow @_SimonCalder