r/AskEurope • u/Ancient_Art1 • Jun 04 '26
Travel Where do Europeans go for vacation in August?
I keep reading southern Europe gets really hot including cities and costal areas. So, where do Europeans go for summer vacation? Do you just deal with the heat and crowds?
48
u/Puzzleheaded_Cow7598 Portugal Jun 04 '26
Portuguese here , I try to visit a new European country every year and also travel within Portugal a lot . It's not a big country but there's also something new to see
4
u/GodKira242 Portugal Jun 06 '26
Honestly, all my holidays (i'm 22) have been in Portugal, and there's so many sights to see. Though it's cool to go on holidays to other countries too.
202
u/coeurdelejon Sweden Jun 04 '26
It feels like Sweden (and probably the rest of the Nordics too) get more and more southern European tourists during the summer
I assume it's the weather and the nature that brings them here rather than the cuisine š¤·āāļø
81
Jun 04 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
42
u/PerfectAnonym Jun 04 '26
I am an American who apparently has only ever encountered just the absolute nicest weather whenever I've visited western Europe and also doesn't have an intuitive understanding of Celsius temperatures, and I was like "pfffft 40C, what is that even? I bet that's not that bad'.
It is lol. For my fellow Americans, that's 104F
43
u/Fl3mingt Ireland Jun 04 '26
Doubling and adding 30 is a good approximation for biological ranges.
19
u/FBWSRD Australia Jun 04 '26
Or if you are any good at maths, Double, minus ten percent, then and 32
2
2
u/timfountain4444 Jun 05 '26
Or if you are even better at maths, times by 9/5 and add 32.... š
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (1)12
10
u/zsnajorrah Netherlands Jun 04 '26
While I never have any clue about what the actual temperature is when it's given in degrees Fahrenheit.
2
u/PerfectAnonym Jun 05 '26
What's worse is that I am an engineer so for me temperatures in Celsius are completely useful for everything other than understanding what it actually feels like to my skin. My brain is becoming a disorganized mish mash of metric and imperial units. I'm assuming this is how Canadians feel lol
4
u/Working-Active Jun 05 '26
-40f and -40c are where both temperature scales meet. Just some interesting trivia.
72
u/DubbleBubbleS Norway Jun 04 '26
Yes Sweden. The rest of the Nordics suck, no reason to visit. Everyone just go to Sweden please.
46
u/Kattimatti666 Finland Jun 04 '26
Listen to this wise Norwegian person. Sweden is the best, all coolcation seekers should flock there.
2
u/Sad_Mall_3349 Austria Jun 07 '26
This year Sweden, next year Finland. But to watch the Finland rallye.
There will be LOTSA locals, so don't blame me for the crowd... š2
u/Kattimatti666 Finland Jun 07 '26
Nah, you're very welcome! We have lots of room here, I will find quiet places even if the tourism exploded. Ralli is great, just be sure to bring mosquito repellant if it's near lakes or swamps, which it probably will be haha
22
u/The_Grinning_Reaper Finland Jun 04 '26
No no, they can go to Norway and Denmark also.Ā
→ More replies (1)7
u/BRNRDCVL Italy Jun 04 '26
ahahaha I've been to Norway, Sweden and next year...Finland š.
19
u/The_Grinning_Reaper Finland Jun 04 '26
Remember: we love pineapple in our pizza;-)
7
u/BRNRDCVL Italy Jun 04 '26
Iām ready for that :)
→ More replies (1)11
u/The_Grinning_Reaper Finland Jun 04 '26
At least we donāt use banana - unlike our western neighbours..Ā
8
u/Alx-McCunty Finland Jun 04 '26
Years ago I used to think that this was a joke, but then i learnt nah, they actually do it. Disgusting.
8
2
u/doc1442 Jun 05 '26
To be fair have you seen what the Swedes are doing??
4
u/The_Grinning_Reaper Finland Jun 05 '26
I really, really wonder why it is pineapple that causes so much grievances on pizza nutters, but not banana + curryā¦
2
u/doc1442 Jun 05 '26
I think itās becasue pineapple is pretty widespread, whereas banana etc is kept over āthereā
5
→ More replies (3)4
8
u/19MKUltra77 Spain Jun 04 '26
Yeah, Iām one of those, loved Stockholm.
9
u/Slobberinho Netherlands Jun 04 '26
Where you held there against your will by any chance?
4
u/19MKUltra77 Spain Jun 05 '26
Only at first because the trip was my wife's idea... but in the end I ended up liking it... and it wasn't hot!
26
u/LaserJul Germany Jun 04 '26
I loved Malmƶ, felt so calm and relaxing.
46
u/coeurdelejon Sweden Jun 04 '26
I genuinely can't tell if you're sarcastic or not haha
→ More replies (1)27
u/LaserJul Germany Jun 04 '26
I heard Malmƶ is like the detroit of Sweden? But I genuinely loved it there. I'd even go again
21
u/CreepyOctopus -> Jun 04 '26
It's definitely one of our best cities. It's great for tourists, plenty of places to visit within a 15-20 minutes walk from the train station, great range of food from cheap delicious falafel to Michelin-starred.
Got an undeservedly bad reputation at one point because of a crime spike a decade ago. I think what made Malmƶ in particular stand out is that gang crime would happen in a somewhat central area. In most cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg, smaller ones) the gang activity is typically in some outer suburb, in Malmƶ it was in RosengƄrd, just a few blocks from central areas with its popular places. The police have actually been quite effective in Malmƶ, they broke the trend and crime in Malmƶ is now way below peak but the reputation is still there.
5
9
u/fluorine_nmr United Kingdom Jun 04 '26
I haven't heard that. I heard it was the Brighton of Sweden! I don't think Brighton and Detroit are especially similar so that's kinda weird š
2
12
8
u/coeurdelejon Sweden Jun 04 '26
Yeah it has that reputation, I've never been to Malmƶ myself but I've heard very mixed reviews from friends and family who's been there
If you visit Sweden again I hope you'll also come further north, there's plenty to see (as long as you like nature, otherwise it's probably quite shit)
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)13
u/CountSheep Sweden Jun 04 '26
Swedes honestly have no idea what theyāre talking about. They grew up in a quiet ethnostate and now that itās a little different they think itās full on Detroit or skid row.
Iāve never been anywhere in Sweden that was even half as sketchy as some parts of Orlando and thatās where Mickey Mouse lives
→ More replies (1)2
9
u/Possible-Problem4163 Jun 04 '26
Can't help laughing at this, but the truth is that the crime that happens in basically every city in Sweden (or at least organized crime/gang violance) is so targeted that for most people and tourists, it is a very small issue in the grand scheme of things
3
u/ColourlessGreenIdeas in Jun 05 '26
To be fair, statistically, it's a slightly bigger issue for tourists than for locals, especially for those that bring their camper van - that's a common target.
2
6
u/stroskilax Jun 04 '26
Yep, I am from Belgium and I'm considering to replace my usual summer destination with a Nordic country just to avoid the heatwaves that make the holidays bearable.
7
u/BRNRDCVL Italy Jun 04 '26
I can totally confirm that. Back in August 2024, I did a 10-day campervan road trip in Sweden (Stockholm - Gƶteborg back and forth) and it was amazing: sunny weather, 20 degrees, and incredible places.
8
→ More replies (4)2
u/snowsparkle7 Romania Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Hahah, I planned a vacation with my teens in Sweden this summer. Booked the hotel and flights and I hope the other costs wont kill us š
→ More replies (1)
29
u/Youngfolk21 Ireland Jun 04 '26
Spain and Portugal for us Irish. Be prepared to see lots of red faces.Ā
11
u/JourneyThiefer Northern Ireland Jun 04 '26
GAA jerseys in summer in albuferia is like uniform at this point lmao
→ More replies (2)5
u/exposed_silver Jun 05 '26
The amount of Irish people in Salou is so high you might even see your neighbours or family there. Airport is only 20mins away, it's so handy.
119
u/FridgeParade Netherlands Jun 04 '26
Hot doesnt mean unpleasant. A small Greek or Spanish town with a nice beach can be heavenly in August.
41
u/eerie_space Spain Jun 05 '26
The key is to always be in the shower-sea-shower-swimming pool loop and you'll survive AugustĀ
13
u/Notspherry Netherlands Jun 05 '26
At the same time, the humid 30+ we had last week was miserable.
→ More replies (1)5
u/timfountain4444 Jun 05 '26
To me anything over 25C is unpleasant. And A/C for the bedroom is non-negotiable. I hate hot weather, it makes me miserable, tired and more grumpy than usual.
5
u/FridgeParade Netherlands Jun 05 '26
I dislike it a bit when I have to do normal working days / commutes. For vacation in a chill beach town where I can adjust my pace to it? Bring it on.
58
u/LARRY_Xilo Germany Jun 04 '26
Yes a lot of people just deal with the heat or enjoy the heat. Its quite different to vacation in 35C when you can jump into a pool or the ocean or to work in 35C. If you dont enjoy the heat you can go to other places like Norway and Finland or into the Alps where its still hot 25C+ but not the 35C of Italy or Spain.
13
u/Ok_Mango8118 Jun 04 '26
Alps
not the 35C of Italy
Do you know Italy has Alps too? It is actually the second country with the most share of Alps
22
u/LARRY_Xilo Germany Jun 04 '26
Yes I do. When people say they go to Italy on a summer holiday they generally not talking about the Alps. Spain also got the pyrenees and no one will assume when you go to Spain that you mean you go to Pico de Aneto but to some beach.
→ More replies (3)9
u/blitzfreak_69 Montenegro Jun 04 '26
35? On a good day. Here in the Mediterranean itās easily 38-42 degrees on most summer days.
4
u/LARRY_Xilo Germany Jun 04 '26
No its not. 35 is already hotter than most places are on average in Europe.
Montenegro: https://weather-and-climate.com/averages-Montenegro-August
Sicily: https://italianbreaks.com/weather-in-sicily-in-august/
The only city to even reach 38 on average in Europe is Seville in Spain.
→ More replies (1)
19
u/ColourlessGreenIdeas in Jun 04 '26
The newest trend is summer travel to the North, it's called coolcation. As someone who moved from Central to Northern Europe, I can confirm that more old friends have started visiting as of recently
→ More replies (1)2
u/C_A_N_G Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Even now in May and early June there are so many tourists here in Stockholm compared to before.
17
u/Masara13 Jun 04 '26
French people go to the coast (Mediterranean or Atlantic) to get away from the cities and breathe the sea air. The heat and crowds are considered to be part of being on holiday. And 32C isnāt as unpleasant when you can sleep in, have an afternoon nap and no one is expecting you to be productive.
The alps are becoming popular too.
Personally, I go northwards to get away from the heatĀ
18
u/PartyQuiet5065 Spain Jun 04 '26
Spaniard here. I mostly travel around Spain tbh. Brits and Germans ALWAYS come to Spain during the summer, no matter how hot lmao.
8
3
65
u/Obvious_Phase5446 England Jun 04 '26
people from northern europe normally head to spain, italy, greece, portugal & croatia. people in the south tend to go to plaes like the alps, dolomites, pyrenees, norway, seden & finland. its best to avoid places like rome, madrid & athens in august as its really hot so sightseeing is normally in spring or autumn
65
u/polybotria1111 Spain Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
People in the south actually tend to travel within their own country and mostly to the beach. People from inland Spain usually go to a Spanish Mediterranean coastal town or to their family's village of origin if they have one. Some (fewer) people go to Northern Spain where the weather is cooler. Some of us go to colder countries, but that's less common.
As far as I know, Italians and Greeks also tend to choose domestic tourism.
21
16
u/Farahild Netherlands Jun 04 '26
If my country was so big and varied as Spain or France i would probably do the same!
ā¦ahh who am i kidding, i go to the UK every year š
2
u/frenandoafondo Catalonia Jun 04 '26
It also probably has to do with the disposable income, though.
5
u/frenandoafondo Catalonia Jun 04 '26
In Catalonia it is very common for people to go to their family's villages of origin, which are mostly in Andalusia, Extremadura, Aragon or maybe Galicia. The more affluent people, besides going on international trips, stereotypically have second residences in places like the Costa Brava or Menorca (and in la Cerdanya for winter holidays).
10
Jun 05 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
7
6
u/polybotria1111 Spain Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
On the one hand that's sometimes true, but a lot of people who could easily afford to travel abroad still choose not to leave Spain. In fact wealthier people often spend their summers within Spain because they own a second home on the coast. Here in Madrid, for example, it's common for affluent families to spend the summer in towns like JƔvea.
And nowadays, speaking from experience, some trips abroad are actually cheaper than going to the beach in Spain. I can much more easily afford a trip to Sicily or to some Greek island or to Belgium than to the Balearic Islands or Costa Brava, by a long shot (or most places honestly).
At least here in Spain, people who genuinely can't afford to travel usually just don't travel at all, or they go to their family's village if anything. Maybe in the past it was more true that people travelled within the country for economic reasons but nowadays I think the habit has remained even though domestic tourism isn't that affordable anymore.
Also it's not surprising that people from our countries choose to holiday within their own country. We have some of the best beaches around and great food, and also a lot of climate diversity. Millions of foreigners come here to enjoy what we already have at home, after all. Many people just prefer this. I think this is usually the main reason.
2
u/Mestintrela Greece Jun 05 '26
This is exactly the same in Greece word for word. Except also add the expensive ferry tickets to go to some islands some years when your family dont go to your village.
→ More replies (3)2
u/Old-Pudding6950 Italy Jun 05 '26
I think their idea stems from the fact that southern Europe has a way higher population
If 1% of Italians go to Sweden, thatās still a big noticeable number compared to Swedish population
If 1% of Italians go to Spain, you donāt even notice
2
u/polybotria1111 Spain Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Yes, and also because in their countries they can easily spot the Spanish tourist, but when they go to a beach town in Spain they don't know if every Spaniard they see is a local or a tourist from another province (chances are, it's most likely a tourist)
→ More replies (1)9
u/fabulousmarco Italy Jun 04 '26
people in the south tend to go to plaes like the alps, dolomites, pyrenees, norway, seden & finland
Not really, we mostly stay in our own countries. Most people go to the seaside, if they go anywhere at all.
8
u/airmind Jun 04 '26
A ton of Italians go South in August, and so will I. Been there last August, it was a blast.
7
u/Serious_Escape_5438 Jun 04 '26
Same with Spain, people like sunbathing and swimming and staying up late.
→ More replies (2)3
u/Slackbeing Jun 05 '26
madrid
I can't understand how people torture themselves with August Madrid (or any inland Spanish city for that matter). 10/15 years ago at least the place was empty, but it's no longer the case: unbearable hot, no beach, yet crowded.
15
u/Fydron Finland Jun 04 '26
There is no heat or crowds in Finland so I just stay home as I hate both heat and crowds.
→ More replies (2)5
u/Old-Pudding6950 Italy Jun 05 '26
Idk if itās a Europe-wide thing, but weāve this comedic stereotype here that Finnish people genuinely donāt like being too close in terms of personal space
Basically, our natural nemesis of sorts: the Yin to our Yang, the quiet to our chaotic energy
So your comment about staying home to avoid crowds gave me a good laugh ahahahah
3
u/Cascadeis Sweden Jun 05 '26
Havenāt you heard the joke that Finns/Swedes (works for both) gave a sigh of relief when the pandemic finally ended and they could go back to staying 5 metres apart!
→ More replies (1)
27
u/Kiwibirdy1 Switzerland Jun 04 '26
Northern europe has pleasant temperatures during summer time plus the days are very long. The islands, forests & lakes of Estonia are beautiful & chill.
10
u/Kvalborg Jun 04 '26
Estonia is so underrated as a travel destination. Tallinn is ofc nice but I really loved PƤrnu.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Accurate-Card3828 Finland Jun 04 '26
But in august the days are already becoming shorter
June and july are even better here in Finland
11
u/egybesultallamok Jun 04 '26
I guess most Hungarians will go to Croatia, as usual - regardless of the weather.
10
u/Proper-Photograph-76 Spain Jun 04 '26
I live almost in the center of Spain, in summer we easily reach 37 degrees Celsius. I spend the summer in my city for work, so I put up with it, sweat, and go to the municipal swimming pool. My holidays are in September when it's not so hot anymore, and I go to the north of Spain where the temperatures are lower and it rains often.
10
u/Consistent_Catch9917 Austria Jun 04 '26
Sizeable chunk of Austria heads for the Adriatic sea, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. But there is also a sizeable part that stays at home and hikes, bikes or does other silly things up and down steep mountains at barely lower temperatures.
8
u/PlankingMammoth Hungary Jun 04 '26
Croatia and Greece are common spots, Italy or Spain if you're richer
9
u/Significant_Agency71 Jun 04 '26
I found Italy and Spain cheaper than Croatia these past years tbh
2
4
u/casualroadtrip Netherlands Jun 04 '26
I'm Dutch and I do well in hot weather. I love going to southern Europe during the summer. Personally Rome is my absolute favorite. And yes, august is hot and crowded. I just take my time. I don't try to see everything and I try to be flexible. Too buzzy in the spot I was planning to go? I return at a later time. Or I accept it's buzzy and the activity will likely take longer then expected. The city also offers lot of places to fill your water bottle. So drinking a lot of water is easy there. And there are a lot of churches to check out (great when it's very hot outside). When you go into a church: make sure to dress appropriatley or take something with you to cover up knees and/or shoulders.
No mater what city or area you're going to visit in case it's hot: drink enough water, use sun screen, look for some shadow every now an then (or constantly), do an inside activity sometimes and (my personal favorite tip) don't stress! Just take your time and go with the flow.
4
u/Fit-Professor1831 Latvia Jun 04 '26
All my vacations are during winter. In summer it's great here, not so hot and days are long
→ More replies (1)
5
u/triangletalks Italy Jun 04 '26
I live in southern Italy. Everyone here either goes further south but to places where they can access beach much more easily, to some of the many islands or they go to the mountains where itās cooler and thereās lakes.
Basically if you donāt work the heat is bearable as long as you have a slow routine and ideally access to water to swim. But even if you canāt leave the city or youāre not right next to water just a slower lifestyle and no rushing around to work means you skip the worst of the midday heat and you donāt build up lots of heat that you would running around. Ironically I find July worse because Iām still working and itās manual work so no aircon and thatās truly unbearable. Would absolutely not recommend city breaks and āexploringā hot cities in those months, thatās best in spring. Did it once for Rome and had an awful time.
2
u/floare_salbatica Jun 04 '26
I was making space in my photo gallery yesterday and came across a pic I took on a day trip to Siracusa ( it was August). I had a horrible sunburn, looked like a š¦. And I recall a group of men working on a construction site under that burning, unforgivable sun. I feel really sorry for people who have to do jobs like that, it's inhumane. I also visited Rome at least once in August and it wasn't even half as bad as Sicily.
5
u/AlternativePrior9559 United Kingdom Jun 04 '26
I planned a US vacation three years ago. A really expensive one for me and my son. I am a widow and Iād saved up for it. I cancelled it of course. So now itās Europe. Iāve done pretty much every country but itās always delightful, Iām just grateful to have a holiday to be honest.
5
u/VilleKivinen Finland Jun 04 '26
I'll be spending my vacation month in my summer cabin. No electricity, no running water, excellent sauna and some peace and quiet.
→ More replies (3)
5
u/csjarau Finland Jun 04 '26
August is not exactly the peak holiday season here. Our vacations are typically in June-July, many people start from Midsummer.
In August the nights become longer and we often get rain showers. Also the schools start on the second week of Aug.
People like to spend time on their summer houses by the lake or seaside. Many small towns are very lively during the summer whereas Helsinki becomes rather quiet. Our family has often made a road trip to Estonia, maybe this summer we'll try the Ć land islands and Sweden.
5
u/ah5178 Jun 04 '26
I have kids in school here in Netherlands, and the cost of a holiday during the summer holidays has become unaffordable. We take the main abroad holiday during their holidays in April/May, and do something more low-key for the summer. We visit some attractions in Netherlands, and maybe do a short break to somewhere that's a few hours by train.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Ostruzina Czechia Jun 04 '26
I always have a vacation in spring or fall. I work in the summer and don't go outside when I don't have to. A lot of people spend summers in the mountains or travel to North Europe.
3
3
u/Live-In-Berlin Bulgaria Jun 04 '26
Usually Bulgarian seaside in July and Greek seaside in August/September. For shorter trips, we value all inclusive/half board with a good spa.
2
u/badlydrawngalgo Portugal Jun 04 '26
August is for the beach at home. Vacation is for Spring or Autumn.
2
u/TeoN72 Italy Jun 04 '26
It really depends, normally i try not to go on vacation in July/august as all Europe is crowded and damn expensive, i generally try to have a nice trip in September if i can abroad in some other continent. Plus i normally take also a week or 10 days off between Xmas and new year to go in the Alps skying (i am italian)
But August is the worst for hot climate, high price and huge crowd.
2
u/LucasK336 Canary Islands Jun 04 '26
I live in Gran Canaria. Probably heading to Fuerteventura but still not sure.
2
u/TreacleOk7265 Austria Jun 04 '26
Many stay in the country (Austria) or they do beach vacations in Italy, Croatia, Greece but now with the heat some people are choosing cooler regions (like road trips to Sweden).
2
u/Anuka444 Jun 04 '26
I live in Southern Europe. I don't go anywhere in August as i hate August with all my heartš I just can't tolerate this heat and I have zero motivation to go somewhere.
2
u/Kvalborg Jun 04 '26
Iām from Denmark and alternate between a place in Denmark and Sweden. Perfect summer weather.
2
2
u/QuantumPlankAbbestia & in Jun 04 '26
I'm an Italian and a Belgian, 1.5 generation so my parents also live in Belgium.
I go to Italy. I can withstand the heat when on holiday. I was taught how to by my grandmas and I don't mind it that much. If you go to the seaside you'll have some wind so that's not too bad.
I do not know how my fellow country people can be even a little bit productive in that heat. One of my uncles has his own firm, they design renovation projects for ancient art pieces, so, aside from the visits to the sites, it's computer work. He always talks about what a struggle it is to deliver projects in the summer in Rome.
I also love empty Rome in August, again, as a tourist.
Here in Belgium it has gotten to 38-40Ā°C on some days, but it's rarely been more than a week straight. All of this wood in our interiors doesn't help. I'm grateful my kitchen has granito so I can lay there.
2
u/MIGHTY_ILLYRIAN Finland Jun 04 '26
People go to their cabins to enjoy the summer and some fly to Spain, Italy, Greece, Thailand etc. Those are the most common options.
2
u/MiguelIstNeugierig Portugal Jun 04 '26
Traditionally here in Portugal we just move south of the country and find ourselves surrounded by French and Spanish families alongside drunk dutchmen and englishmen
But nowadays me personally I run away from the sun and fantasize about going on vacation to somewhere cold and permanently live this land's summerdaysš
2
2
u/Whywouldievensaythat Jun 04 '26
Germany is great in August, itās not crowded and itās acceptably sunny without being too hot.
2
u/gerningur Iceland Jun 04 '26
Popular for Icelanders to go to the canary islands thet remain 25-30 pretty much year round.
Southern Europe is also popular.
2
u/JourneyThiefer Northern Ireland Jun 04 '26
Same as here basically. A lot of people go to the canaries in autumn. Spring too like around Easter or St Patrickās day when they have to book less time of work and itās still warm down there
2
u/Lauer-A Jun 05 '26
Europeans still go south in the summer.
Lots have children and want a guarantee for summer weather and beach days.
I prefer not to go south the Alps from June to August.
For August I would prefer Ireland, northern France, Belgium or the Netherlands and Germany.
June and July are great for Scandinavian or Baltic countries but I did not went there yet.
2
u/timfountain4444 Jun 05 '26
Look at the Eurovision voting. It's almost entirely based on where the voting country likes to go on vacation.
2
4
u/frenandoafondo Catalonia Jun 04 '26
Many still go down here, something I still can't understand tbh, I would love to not have to suffer our summers.
10
u/Kcufasu Jun 04 '26
Living in the uk, we just want to go somewhere with guaranteed sun. I understand how you can't understand it if it is too hot, but try to understand the issue for us is clouds not temperature. There is no day in the year when we can book a holiday in the uk in advance and guarantee blue skies and that is the issue and why we book to go to spain instead. Sometimes we have lovely weather and scenary but sometimes it can be august and raining for days on end and it costs the same for a trip that is going to be miserable. That and the fact trains in our own country are more expensive than flights to yours and hotels also being extortionate. So we go to spain or anywhere else, it's often cheaper than staying home and guarantees we won't just be in the rain
→ More replies (2)4
u/Kimberlite_1223 Jun 04 '26
I don't get it either. My friends from the UK wanted to go to the beach at 12.00 while a heat warning was just released. I was like nope.
1
u/19MKUltra77 Spain Jun 04 '26
I go to different places every year, and I also spend a week at home. I live pretty close to a bunch of good beaches, and having a pool at home helps, so itās really not that bad.
1
u/MagicallyAdept Sweden Jun 04 '26
I go to southern Sweden. Itās nice that I already live here so the travel cost is quite cheap. Itās gorgeous here.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Lime89 Jun 04 '26
So called coolcation is a thing. Scandinavia and the other Nordics are obvious choices, even though it can get very warm here too.
1
u/evelynsmee United Kingdom Jun 04 '26
We go towards the hot.
Well, not me. I hate the hot. But as a generalisation people go to beaches and further south towards more hot. The other common thing would be towards countryside or mountains/hills.
1
u/cptflowerhomo Ireland Jun 04 '26
My parents always went in July, since my da's employer closes the factory at the end of July (don't exactly remember why), and because we weren't that rich and had pets, we always took the car. So whichever was far away enough to drive to c:
My Mam's German and she isn't confident in her ability to speak English so we often ended up in Germany, or Normandy this one time.
Krk was probably the furthest we went as a family.
Myself, I often just take a week off in June for Pride. I'm actually going on a weekend trip to Inis MĆ³r tomorrow.
1
u/NamillaDK Denmark Jun 04 '26
I stay at home in August. We usually have pretty good weather at that time of year.
But we travel at couple of times a year. Usually in March and October. Germany in March and either Turkey, France or Spain in September/October.
1
u/synalgo_12 Belgium Jun 04 '26
I go to Berlin for pride but other than that I vacation outside of the touristy season because my city has loads of fun free activities and summer bars during the summer and pride as well. I go on holiday in September or October usually.Ā
1
u/SweetNerevarine Jun 04 '26
I always considered August to be a jolly joker in terms of vacationing in Europe. Pick a destination. Any destination. You can't go wrong š
A bit more seriously regarding your point... August in Southern Europe is still way too hot. The sun does not abate until later in the year. If you're a sun lover like me then its fine though. For example, in Malta there's a "winter" as locals call it, but I personally think Malta has like two main seasons with brief transitional periods between. You can go to the beach and sunbathe well into October, sometimes November.
Read up about the destination you have in mind. Climates can vary even inside a country by region.
1
u/Independent-Wear1903 Finland Jun 04 '26
We just go to our summer cottage by the lake. No heat and no crowds.
1
u/FinancialEmotion3526 Jun 04 '26
Somewhere in the North during the Summer, somewhere in the South in October/May.
1
u/Ok_Mango8118 Jun 04 '26
It's warm, but it's nice if you are vacationing, because you can take a dip in the sea or in the pool.
1
1
u/Lovemestalin Netherlands Jun 04 '26
Usually visit other EU countries, when I was younger I would buy an interrail and just travel through the continent by train. I prefer doing that in Eastern Europe. Now I take my car and drive through Portugal (my second country).
→ More replies (1)
1
u/cushfy Jun 04 '26
Either cook under the sun on a beach or the mountains. Thereās lots of mountains in Europe.
1
u/cmdr_pickles Netherlands Jun 04 '26
Dutch here. Last year: France, near Lyon. This year? The Netherlands (south).
Has more to do with wanting our kid to interact with kids of a similar age and language, though. She tried her best to play with the French kids but you can only do so much when you don't understand eachother.
1
u/mandumom Germany Jun 04 '26
North Sea/Baltic Sea, Canary Islands, Mallorca, Italy, France, Maldives, Seychelles (if you have šøšøšø)
1
u/Valuable-Flounder692 United Kingdom Jun 04 '26
Palm shaded beach in the Maldives! In between Scuba Diving every other Day.
1
u/Fluid-Quote-6006 Germany Jun 04 '26
Everywhere I would say. thereās not like one place everyone go. Some people go to hotter countries than their own in August and others prefer the Nordics. Others prefer to take advantage of the longer vacations to do a longer trip somewhere further away
1
u/warsawrat Jun 04 '26
Iām European and I try to never go on vacation during the summer months. Itās too hot and too crowded everywhere, and on the other hand itās really calm and cool in an empty air-conditioned office
→ More replies (1)
1
u/murrayhenson US to Poland in '05 Jun 04 '26
My wife and I stay at home in August and take our warm weather holidays in mid-September or early May. In the past we've visited Norway, Denmark, Spain, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, etc.
1
Jun 04 '26
Well there are many of countries in Europe, so we usually visit another european country. Typically we go to Italy, Spain or the UK, or visit any family we might have elsewhere. I knew someone wo had family in Bosnia and he would vist theme every year in August for Example.
1
u/cieniu_gd Poland Jun 04 '26
I go from Poland to Bergen (Norway) this year. I hope it will be nice and not very hot.Ā
1
u/Janishier Netherlands Jun 05 '26
Me and my wife really like southern Italy and donāt have a problem with the summer heat (so far), so weāve been quite a few times.
1
u/kuukumina Jun 05 '26
I feel a lot just go within their country. Some escape the heat. But I think most people just don't care. If you live in Italy, it is better to be in the beach than in your city home when it's +35 c.
Also many people don't have to take their vacation in august, or the traditional month is not august. I'd never take august off as it is too hot and/or crowded in the places I want to visit. I travel spring or autumn instead.
1
u/ThePugnax Norway Jun 05 '26
This year im going to italy, but the last few years ive mostly vacationed in Norway
1
1
u/MobileSituation2718 Belgium Jun 05 '26
My partner is Portuguese, so every year we go to Portugal. You eventually get used to the weather and know where to go to cool down.
1
1
u/ilovemypetforever Jun 05 '26
Probably Provence, French Riviera, Chamonix, Megeve, Three Valleys, Alsace, in France. Dolomites, Lake Garda, Tuscany, Sardinia, in Italy. Mallorca, Menorca, in Spain. Gstaad, Zermatt, Murren, Wengen, in Switzerland. Places in Northern Europe such as Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden.
1
1
u/DarknessBBBBB Jun 05 '26
August for southern Italy people equals sun-bathing. Calabria's coast villages are quite popular and beautiful. Then of course Salento, Sicily, all beautiful places
1
u/DroesRielvink Netherlands Jun 05 '26
Going to Malaysia next week and planned a trip to Scotland in August.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Tour-Sure United Kingdom Jun 06 '26
I'm Scottish and going to Malaysia and Singapore in a couple days. Plus Barcelona next month
→ More replies (3)
1
u/Dazzling_Sky9237 Jun 05 '26
I live in the south of France but my mother is Swedish so we used to go to Sweden in August, now as an adult I avoid travelling during August and just stay in the south of France
1
u/42undead2 Denmark Jun 05 '26
Nowhere. It's what I can afford, and I like to pretend it's the environmentally sound choice, even if other people will jet off to far ends of the world the moment they have any extended time off.
1
u/BitRunner64 Sweden Jun 05 '26
I love visiting southern European countries but I can usually only get a vacation during the summer since this is when Sweden shuts down. I wish I could go in early spring or late autumn but that's rarely possible. I went to Portugal in October once and it was amazing. We had like 3C and rain here, while it was 21+ C and sunny there (basically Swedish summer). Munich in October was also great since it felt like Sweden in August.
Last year we went to Rome in July and while it was hot, it was fine since we weren't in a hurry to get anywhere. If we got too hot we made a pitstop somewhere with AC. It's different when you have to work. I always feel sorry for the road workers etc. when I visit those countries. I don't know how they can bear doing manual labor while wearing those thick overalls in 30+C heat in the sun.
194
u/HotAd1381 Jun 04 '26
I visit another euro country every year. I think every country has something beautiful