Best parts of Europe / European Zoos to visit in March?

[ZooElephantMan]

I recently got a new job and will have a week off between my current role ending and the next one starting. I'm considering different travel options for that week, and one possibility is to go somewhere in Europe. If I go, I’d probably have time to visit a couple zoos.

However, I’m a bit concerned that March weather might make the experience less enjoyable, especially if exhibits for cold-sensitive animals are empty. Many of Europe’s top zoos seem to be in colder countries like Germany rather than warmer destinations like Italy or Greece, which makes me wonder how much of a factor the weather will be.

I’d love recommendations on the best zoos to visit in March, which parts of Europe would be ideal, and whether the weather could significantly impact the experience. My favorite animals are primates, elephants, rhinos, and hippos, if that would be helpful for recommendations. The only time I’ve ever been to Europe was for a six-hour layover in London, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

 

[Yassa]

You are right about the weather. For Germany and other countries in middle and northern Europe, March is not the best time to visit for Outdoor activities. It can be nice, but it can also be awful with lots of rain and cold temperatures. And the trees are not green yet, making everything look dull. Going to a more southern country is the right idea in my opinion! I have been to Spain in March serveral times and it was so much warmer then in Germany.

Greece has only one real zoo and Italy has a number of zoos but most are not that good. I would go to Spain - Bioparc Valencia and Barcelona Zoo are both very interesting and keep your favourite species. Bioparc Valencia even has 2 baby elephants. Barcelona is also a great city absolutely worth a visit!

 

[cornu aspersum]

My favorite animals are primates, elephants, rhinos, and hippos,

You might be interested in Dublin Zoo, based on your preferences. They have southern white rhinoceros, common hippopotamus, asian elephants, the three types of great apes, aye-ayes, Venezuela red howler monkeys and a few more primate species, with all of the species held in good to average enclosures.
Their rhinoceros live in a large herd, with their elephants and hippos have smaller groups, although, there are 1.3 elephants. The rest of the zoo is enjoyable too, (if at least currently, a little ABC-heavy) with dhole being something you might want to see.

If you are in Ireland, you might want to check out Fota Wildlife Park's primate selection (it is in Cork, which is accessible by train from Dublin, but will take some time, and another train is preferable to go to Fota itself). It includes drills, roloways, François langurs, agile gibbons and grey-cheeked mangabey a long with animals housed in many heavily-vegetated and natural enclosures.

Belfast Zoo is another option, but this will also be a long journey from Dublin (assuming you'll be entering Ireland via Dublin, if you are going there). It doesn't have as many rarities as it used to, but it still has a sort of charm and one of the main zoos in the island. Species that might interest you there are Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos, white-tailed eagle and Scottish wild cat. There is also a Rainforest House which is really enjoyable and pleasant Reptile and Farm Houses.

Edit: regarding the weather here, it is cold, with there being showers but the cold isn't too extreme and I feel like the winter of last year has been quite warm. I would advise for you to check the rain beforehand since indoor areas aren't really a major presence in Dublin and Fota (there are some, but not the level of London) and while Belfast has more, it is built on a hill with Northern Ireland seeing more precipitation, so I would recommend caution regarding the weather there.

 

[cerperal]

I may be in the minority here, but I find zoos to be just as enjoyable to visit in poor (or at least not sunny) weather as in the height of summer. Though March will still be rather grey in places as mentioned in other replies in the north and places such as Germany, equally I still find it all rather pretty especially if the sun peeks out. The animals generally don't mind either - I've visited both Berlin collections on a rather chilly -10 degree day and saw the majority of both collections, and March certainly won't be dropping below zero.

Depending on how long you want to dedicate in that week, I do think Berlin specifically is a good choice. 2 collections, and you can get the train to visit Leipzig for a 3rd collection. It would cover all the species you're wanting to see, as well as probably every species you will want to see at some point. If you want you can add Prague as well, around 3 hours by train from Berlin - I did this during the summer of last year, adding Dresden as a stop (mainly for the history), but you may want to fly in and out of the same airport and as much as I loathe Berlin Brandenburg it probably has the best flight connections. Ultimately, the weather isn't going to be too big a worry and March is generally mild anyway throughout much of Europe.

 

[Philipine eagle]

I would recommend you choose zoos with many indoor exhibits. Even in bad weather, it won't be a lost day then. I visited Wroclaw during torrential rain, but still enjoyed it tremendously, and on the rare occasions when it stopped raining, it was great to quickly walk out, visit a section and, when it started raining more heavily again, jump right in somewhere.

The only real negative of visiting during that period, is that zoos tend to not look as good, as garden maintenance has only begun in early spring. For some zoos like Stuttgart or Antwerp, that does matter.

Best European zoos are indeed more north. Berlin is an excellent choice in that regard. Take the best day in terms of weather for the Tierpark. Berlin zoo is excellent for both hippos and rhinos, and it has a large collection of primates, as is the Tierpark for the latter. Leipzig and Prague are without a doubt top-tier zoos, but you may not want to overload that week only with zoos.

The Netherlands would be another good choice: Arnhem's Burgers' zoo is a world-class zoo, and from there Amsterdam, Antwerp (Belgium) and Cologne (Germany) are within reach by train. The Dutch and Belgian zoos are stronger in smaller animals, but Cologne is strong in elephant, hippos and primates.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

Thanks so much for your advice everyone! In the end I decided to go to San Diego instead of going to Europe. I figured California would be nicer this time of year, and it also ended up being a lot cheaper. I appreciate everyone's comments and would definitely still reference this when I consider a Europe trip again sometime in the near future.