I'm traveling around Northern Europe beginning August 2014. I want to make sure I get the best weather possible. I have until mid November and want to spend minimum 10-15 days per country.
Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark) and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) begin to get cold from around early September time and get very cold towards December. Also, certain places get very little amount of daylight, due to their position on the planet.
I was in Munich and Prague in early November last year - the average temperature was -10C and there was some serious amount of snow. It can also rain a lot in Northern Europe, especially Ireland and the UK, during the Autumn months but sometimes you can get lucky.
It's not ideal time of year for weather for these locations as May, June, July and August are the best months - if you're wanting good weather then your your best bet is to go further South to places like Italy, Spain or the Balkans.
I really think it depends in a) luck and b) what kind of weather you're prepared for. After August, many places in Northern Europe can be a bit drizzly and chilly, but if you're prepared to deal with a bit of rain then it may be well worth it to visit in September or October. Tourist season slows down a bit because it's not summer, and you'd be surprised at how much a bit of drizzle will prevent people from going sightseeing.
It all depends on what you want to see, really. If you're going to Sweden, for example, the summer months are incredibly bright (my fiancée lives in Stockholm and when he goes to bed at 3AM it's already pretty light outside). But the winter months are quite dark I know. The upside of that is if you go far enough north you might get to see the Aurora borealis, which is basically magical it's so beautiful.
If most of the things you want to see are outdoors, I would stick closer to august. It's difficult to give advice without knowing where exactly you want to go since each country is quite different. Going from England to Scotland, for instance, I noticed a temperature drop that was significant enough so my sandals that were fine in Malvern were almost unbearable in Edinburgh in May.
If you must have 80 degree weather, I don't suggest Northern Europe at all...but if you feel like you can live with a bit of potential drizzle and cold, September, October and November would be good months - travel and hotels will be cheaper, too, because it's not peak season!
Good luck on your trip!
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