The autumn destinations most people don't think of first

Every autumn, the same handful of places get all the attention. Bavaria for the forests, Tuscany for the vineyards, New England if you're crossing an ocean for it. They're popular for good reason, but they also get busy and pricier exactly when everyone else has the same idea. Here's where the season looks just as good without the crowds.

Douro Valley, Portugal

This is where port wine comes from, and September through November is harvest season, which means terraced vineyards turning gold and red along the river, and a genuinely different Portugal to the coastal towns most people picture. It's a couple of hours from Porto by train, and the views from the river alone are worth the trip before you even get to the wine.

See Douro Valley wine tours on Viator

Slovenia

Lake Bled gets a mention occasionally, but the wider Julian Alps region barely comes up at all for autumn. Same dramatic mountain scenery as the more famous Alpine spots, same golden larch trees turning colour against the peaks, at a fraction of the crowd and cost. Ljubljana as a base is small, walkable, and never feels overrun.

Piedmont, Italy

While everyone's booking Tuscany, Piedmont has misty vineyard hills, medieval hill towns, and it's peak white truffle season. Alba, the main town, builds an entire festival around it in October and November. Quieter, cheaper, and arguably better food than its more famous neighbour.

Transylvania, Romania

Genuinely underrated. Thick forests across the Carpathians turn colour through October, and you get proper medieval towns like Sighisoara and Brasov without another tourist in sight. It also happens to have some of the best value accommodation and food anywhere in Europe right now.

See Dracula castle tours on Viator

Luxembourg's Mullerthal region

Most people don't think of Luxembourg as a destination at all, let alone for hiking, but the Mullerthal ("Little Switzerland") has sandstone gorges, waterfalls, and forest trails that turn properly spectacular in autumn. It's compact enough to cover in a long weekend and barely gets a mention anywhere.

None of these need a long trip to feel worth it. A long weekend is plenty for most of them, which also keeps the cost down compared to the usual autumn favourites.