There is a short window in the year when Europe becomes considerably more pleasant to travel in, and nobody advertises it because there is nothing to sell. That window is September. The sea is still warm, the weather holds, and the crowds that from July through August reduce every place to half of itself are simply gone. Prices fall for the same reason.

The Albanian Riviera is probably the most practical choice for a reader from this region, because you can drive there. In September the water still holds a swimming temperature, and the stretch around Himara and Dhermi offers small beaches between rocks and tucked-away coves with clear water. Porto Palermo and Ksamil extend the route. What sets it apart from its Mediterranean neighbours is simple arithmetic - eating and sleeping there is still cheaper than in Italy or Greece, and the difference in the view in front of you is not as large as the difference in the bill would suggest.

Sardinia enters the shoulder season in September. The island leaves the summer peak behind, and the sea off Alghero stays above 20 degrees on average. The Gulf of Orosei is toured by boat to Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu; in the north are Alghero and Capo Caccia with Neptune's Grotto; the La Maddalena archipelago takes a whole day and is worth it. If you start from the south, Cagliari is a good base for the beaches of Chia, Villasimius and Costa Rei.

The Algarve is the Portuguese version of the same logic - September still tastes of summer, but with fewer tourists and tighter prices. Tavira in the east is the recommended base: from there a boat takes you to Tavira Island with its long beach of fine sand, while Cacela Velha is a small nest of white houses above the Ria Formosa lagoon. The Ria Formosa nature park, with its channels, salt pans and birds, is crossed on foot or by boat.

Lyon is the only one on the list with no connection to the sea, and that is exactly why it is here. In September accommodation prices are better than in the peak-demand months, and the temperatures let you cover the whole city on foot. Old Lyon is UNESCO-protected, with the Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral; up the hill is the Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica with the best panorama, and on the way down are the Roman theatres of Fourvière, remains of ancient Lugdunum. Gastronomically, the city lives off its bouchons - traditional restaurants serving quenelle or praline tart.

Galway, on Ireland's west coast, is for those who do not associate September with a beach. Towards the end of the month it hosts the international oyster and seafood festival, conceived precisely to stretch the season a little further. The programme includes a gala ball, an oyster-opening championship and a tour of the pubs where oysters are served with stout.

What connects all five is not the destination, but the date. The same places cost more in August, look crowded and are experienced at half strength. The difference is made by the calendar, not the budget - and the calendar is the only thing in this we genuinely control.