Confused where best to spend a spare 8 or 14 days in August (Europe)

I'd go hang out on Mallorca for two weeks, easy.

Well, if you're looking for cooler weather, there's always Scandinavia and/or Iceland. Copenhagen is only 5 hours from Germany by train and the weather will definitely be more temperate there. Scandinavia is expensive, though, and will be crowded (but then so will everyplace in Europe).

If you are really drawn to Spain, you will not be able to avoid the heat, but you could avoid the more touristy areas by heading to places like Extremadura, which is very beautiful and largely overlooked by tourists. I loved my time there and would recommend it highly, especially Caceres.

There's also the Lake Como area in Italy, which is beautiful and cooler than the south. But again, you will find many tourists here that time of year.

Spain’s northern coast will have comfortable temperatures. It’s not what people think of “typical Spanish”, but offers rich experiences of its own.

I’d also be totally game for two weeks in Mallorca. I’d let go of most touristic ambitions, give into the heat, and enjoy a relaxing break.

8 days won't get you much in Germany, but if you want somewhere else. The South of France in August is not recommended.

Driving from one country to another can create an expensive drop charge.

You could visit Normandy, see the D-day beaches, visit Bayeux and see the 900 year old Bayeux Tapestry that tells the story of the Norman conquest of England. You could easily do a week in Normandy. If you want more, spend 3 days in the Loire Valley, south of Paris. Lots of amazing Chateux.

I would go north to Scandinavia and/or increase your time in Belgium/Netherlands.

Summer is the best time for Scandinavia. Copenhagen and the area around it offer a lot of interesting sights. Much of Europe is both hot and crowded in August. By comparison, Scandinavian cities are comfortable and relatively uncrowded.

Afterward you could work your way back through northern Germany to your first stop.

We have found that the budget Eruopean airlines have opened the entire Western Europe to tourism--flying everywhere cheap.

We have been to Scandanavia a couple of times, and we loved Copenhagen. The rooms and food are very expensive in the far north, however. We've found a cruise ship the best way to see that region--cheaper on the pocketbook.

The last trip before the pandemic was to inland Spain--Madrid, Granada and a cheap flight to Barcelona. Then we took the fast 6.5 hour train up to Paris. We found Spain very inexpensive to travel through. We liked it so well, my wife took her older daughter back over there.

And we always enjoy Amsterdam. Your Plan A would be good too.

Maybe Scotland.

I agree with Scudder, consider Northern Spain, aka "Green Spain"! It's quite the contrast compared to the south of the country, and looks more like Ireland mixed in with the Alps.

The climate is much more temperate with densely forested mountains and rolling green pastures. From medieval villages, to the picturesque wine regions, the emerald waters of Bay of Biscay, the culinary delights of the Basque country, the Celtic culture of Galicia, and finally the towering jagged peaks of the Picos de Europa National Park, there is something for every kind of traveler. Plus much of the North is still undiscovered by foreign tourists.

Here are few more reasons why you could consider the north of Spain: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/15-reasons-to-visit-green-spain-at-least-once-in-your-lifetime/

Nice article, Carlos! My cousin and her husband just bought an old farmhouse in Oliván that they are renovating. The north of Spain sounds wonderful!

Thanks everyone!

Is it really a European summer if I don't experience a sun scorched seaside town, drink wine, eat seafood, and swim in the warm blue ocean? ;)

I've settled on Mallorca. The more I research it, the more I see I could easily spend a lot of time there.

I'll enjoy the laid back travel on this small island after all the movement on the mainland.

Question is, I'll need to get back to Barcelona to fly back to London. Should I spend a few days in Barcelona/if so, how many?

Bump! 8 days in Mallorca, or 4/6 days Mallorca, 4/2 days Barcelona in mid-late August?

Ray- I’d suggest you stick to Mallorca and have a truly European experience that most Americans can’t begin to fathom—a truly relaxing vacation!

Yes I agree skip Barcelona in August and just enjoy Mallorca, a beautiful place inexplicably off the radar for many Americans.

Thanks for the responses. I have decided to stay with just Mallorca. :)