Our window of opportunity for travel this year is mid-August. I know Rick has said that August can be a good time to visit some cities, when many of the locals have fled for the beaches. I'm looking for advice of any destinations to particularly consider (or avoid) during this timeframe. Obviously, we won't be going anywhere near southern France, for example. Any ideas?
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
115 posts
Sweden, Estonia, Norway, and Finland are really nice in August. Cruise around Stockholm and explore the "land of the midnight sun".
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
I too would go north. This way you'll find reasonable temperatures, and you'll avoid the huge crowds that swamp the most popular European destinations (ie Paris, Rome). Britain, Scandinavia, the Baltic Countries, maybe Poland (Rick says Warsaw is the next Prague...) I you are an outdoorsy person I think anywhere in the Alps would also be nice. I'd avoid the most touristed places like Zermatt and maybe Chamonix, but I bet you could have a great time in lesser known alpine destinations in Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and maybe even France and Italy.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
I too would say go north. Up in the highlands, the heather should be out. Most of the crowds are in Edinburgh at the Festival. It's a lovely time to be in Scotland. Pam
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
I'm going to second Christy's recommendation for the Alps. Especially if you like doing outdoor activities, the weather is so nice that time of year.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Vienns are lovely. And the Scottish highlands can't be beat. Either would be great. Just avoid Edinburgh during August- unless you LOVE crowds and don't mind expense and are willing to look for rooms a good bit away from everything. Inverness, Aviemore, Isle of Skye, Orkney and the other islands, Glasgow, all would be marvelous in August. And the train system is great in both Scotland and Austria.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
695 posts
Last year in August, we went to Mosel, Rhine, Munich, Berchtesgaden, Berlin and Brugges. The weather was between, 19-24 degree celsius. We did get lots of rain, but apparently that was unusual. We had a great trip, no crowds, except for Brugges. I would definitively go to Germany again in August.
Posted by
Dallas
1022 posts
Another shout for Scotland, a very beautiful country in August. The cool weather makes a welcome change from the heat in most of the States. I disagree about skipping Edinburgh, however, and recommend attending the Tatoo which is really great.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
I normally prefer to travel in May or September. During the hottest part of the summer, I look as far north as possible. This year we chose to visit the Baltic Capitals (Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Gdansk and Oslo) in late July/early August.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Tex is right. The Edinburgh Festival is wonderful. It's actually multiple festivals. The thing to do though is that if you're going to Edinburgh in August then plan to attend Festival events. Otherwise it just feels crowded and you feel left out. It would be a good idea to get Tattoo tickets soon. Here's the link. You can get them later, but flexibility is shrinking daily. Pam
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
The Edinburgh tattoo is what makes the Festival different and special. Dont miss it . Its more than Edinburgh's equivalent of a front row position at the Changing of the Guard