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Tulip trip to the Netherlands 

Colourful tulips as far as the eye can see: the season of the Dutch national flower begins at the end of March and lasts until around mid-May. Seen from above, the fields of tulips look as if they have been drawn on the flat landscape with coloured pencils and a ruler. Usually, the fields are not open to the public. Instead, there are several show gardens south of Amsterdam in the Bollenstreek region. Keukenhof in Lisse is known as the largest tulip garden in the world: you can visit the fields on foot, by bicycle or by boat. Several tulip farms in the area have also specialised in tourism. The show gardens are perfect for a day trip from Amsterdam, especially Keukenhof, which is easily accessible by public transport. 

Travel to Amsterdam: From Antwerp in two hours, from Brussels in under three hours, from Lille in under four hours, from Luxembourg in six hours, from Paris in 6.5 hours, from Berlin in 8.5 hours or from London in eleven hours 

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Mainau Island: a flower paradise in Lake Constance 

The idyllic island of Mainau in Lake Constance is slowly waking up from hibernation. Crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are beginning to brighten up the island’s gardens and avenues. You can easily spend a whole day here, visiting the small baroque castle, a farm with a petting zoo or the butterfly house. Constance’s old town is also well worth a visit and really comes to life in early spring. From here, you can even take a stroll into Switzerland, as the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen is right next to the centre of Constance. 

Travel to Constance: From Zurich in one hour, from Strasbourg in 3.5 hours, from Munich in under four hours or from Nancy in 5.5 hours 

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South Tyrol welcomes the apple blossom   

When South Tyrol is bathed in delicate whites and pinks, you know it’s apple blossom time. The exact time when the buds open depends on the previous winter, but also on the location of the orchards. In the area around Merano, blossoming usually begins at the end of March, while in other places it starts in April. You can admire the apple blossoms from up close on a hike. On many mountain slopes, the so-called Waalwege run along narrow irrigation channels that also pass by the orchards. Further down the valley in Merano, the Gardens of Trauttmannsdorf Castle, which open their gates in April, are also not to be missed. Even Empress Elisabeth seemed to be in awe of their beauty and spent two holidays here. 

Travel to Merano: From Innsbruck in 2.5 hours, from Munich in 4.5 hours, from Milan in five hours or from Turin in 7.5 hours 

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Pink wonderland in Bonn  

You don’t have to take a long flight to Japan to admire the cherry blossoms: just take a FlixBus to Bonn! Here, usually in mid-April, countless trees transform the city centre into a pink wonderland. Stroll along Heerstraße and Breite Straße under what feels like a blanket of cherry blossoms. The trees were planted in the former West German capital in the 1980s, but it was a post on the Facebook page Places to see before you die that started the cherry blossom hype some thirty years later. Bonn has many more places that are particularly lovely in spring: magnolias herald the start of spring in the Botanical Gardens at Poppelsdorf Palace, and you can hunt for rarities at a huge flea market in Rheinaue park on the third Saturday of every month starting from April. 

Travel to Bonn: From Strasbourg in 4.5 hours, from Brussels or Stuttgart in five hours, from Ghent in 6.5 hours, from Paris in under seven hours, from Amsterdam in seven hours or from Prague in 9.5 hours 

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Tuscany: a sea of poppies 

Admittedly: Nature in Tuscany is like a gorgeous painting coming to life at any time of the year. If you want to visit the region in spring, wait until the April rains are over, when wild poppies sprout from the ground and turn the meadows bright red. Many poppy fields can be found in the Val d’Orcia valley near Siena. Another must-see is the Renaissance city of Florence: when the spring sun shines on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio or the Boboli Gardens, it’s easy to see why the capital of Tuscany is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. With FlixBus night routes you can reach Florence comfortably and without transfers also from further away. Find out what it’s like to travel on the night bus and where else you can travel overnight by clicking here. 

Travel to Florence: From Rome in three hours, from Naples in six hours, from Ljubljana in 6.5 hours, from Munich in eight hours, from Zurich or Marseille in 8.5 hours, from Zagreb in nine hours or from Lyon in ten hours 

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For allergy sufferers: Borkum Island  

For anyone whose nose and eyes are itching just reading this, we also have a recommendation: the North Sea island of Borkum, where you can escape the pollen and take a deep breath. The European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) has certified Borkum as the first allergy-friendly island in Europe. The sea air is low in pollen and the salt in it can help relieve symptoms. In addition, some hotels and restaurants offer special services for allergy sufferers. FlixBus takes you directly to the East Frisian town of Emden, where you can comfortably change to the ferry to Borkum. 

Travel to Emden: From Oldenburg in 1.5 hours, from Bremen in 2.5 hours, from Hanover in 4.5 hours or from Berlin in eight hours