Europe in April and August

Edinburgh in August is NOT off the beaten path. It is home to the world's largest arts festival, the Fringe, which goes on all month. Housing will be at a premium (if it's not already gone for that time period).

Ok, good to know...

Lots of questions in there, I'll take a stab at a few of 'em. -Is attempting to go to Loire Valley/Provence and Amalfi Coast/Sicily impossible in August? (too crowded, too hot, too expensive?) Impossible? Certainly not. As to whether or not it's "too" whatever, that depends on your level of tolerance for that (crowds/heat/costs). Sicily is going to be pretty hot in August - too hot for me, at least. If you're one of us Seattle folks who starts whining when the temps hit 90 (I'm one of them) then you might want to pick a different time of the year to do Sicily, and much of Italy for that matter. The crowds in August in many of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe make August unattractive for me. Costs may not be all that different in August versus, say, June or July. -Is Italy/France really 'shut down' in August? (as the people say) Anybody who says Italy or France are "shut down" in August is, um, uninformed. While it's true that many Europeans take their vacations in August, the countries hardly "shut down". This is peak tourist season, and any businesses or major attractions that cater to tourists are going to be very much open (for all the crowds). You might find a few shops or service businesses closed or having shorter hours, but these are generally not the sorts of businesses that tourists would be counting on. Things being "shut down" would be at the bottom of my list of things to worry about, but the crowds and heat would dissuade me from traveling in most of Southern Europe in August if I had the option of going some other time. But if you'll never have a chance to go to Italy except in August...I'd hate to never have gone there at all. Hope some of that helps.

One last point: I haven't been there (yet) but I don't think it's accurate to describe Croatia as "off the beaten path" - Croatia is a very popular tourist destination in the summer (I believe Oprah has a house in Dubrovnik, and there are lots of cruise ships that go there...it doesn't sound like a quiet backwater to me, certainly not in August).

it does, thank you!!

David, but would you say that Croatia is a BETTER option than Italy for August travel? (perhaps a bit less crowded, a bit less expensive and a bit less hot?)

Croatia is very hot and crowded (at least around Adriatic seashore) in August. It's somewhat less expensive than Italy.

@James- I mean crowded in general do you have any recommendations for places that are maybe less crowded but still beautiful in Europe that I can visit in August?

While it is true that Edinburgh is packed in August, the rest of Scotland is a great place to visit. The Highland and Islands are beautiful. Pam

Some of the more remote ski villages in Austria are relatively less crowded in the height of summer, note I said relatively. Places like Liverpool and Birmingham, in fact most cities in England (not on the coast, not London, not Edinburgh) are less crowded because lots of residents are on holiday. The coasts of the UK are an unknown quantity this summer for 3 reasons: a) staycations because folk are hurting financially, b) weather, and c) folk not going away even to the coast because they have no money. I can't predict (because I am not an economist and I don't play one on TV) how each of the 3 factors will occur this year. In 2010, (a) was positive, (b) was negative, (c) was neutral to positive, which meant there were more folk at the coast, doing less on the beach. Further off the beaten path, have you considered the Netherlands and Denmark?

@Nigel I haven't considered Netherlands and Denmark much. I've been to Amsterdam before and that's about it...where do you recommend specifically in Netherlands/Denmark in August? @ALL DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY ADVICE ON THE FOLLOWING? :) -Will the weather be warm enough to go to Greece in late April? (I'd love to go sailing) -Are things open in Athens/Greek islands in late April? -Where can I find a good sailing 'package' to have a boat take me around to some of the islands (a boat I can sleep at) for a week?
-Is Italy/France really 'shut down' in August? (as the people say)

David has already addressed your last question in detail. Things do not "shut down" in Italy and France in August. Tourist-related areas and businesses will be open, I can assure you.

If you are in grad school, then you should have the skills to google average temps for all the places you are planning to visit, as well as find sailing packages for Greece. There are tons of places that are off the beaten path, just go to towns that aren't listed in the guide books, though be aware that just cause they aren't popular with Americans doesn't mean they will be empty. Germans especially, love going to Croatia, and the coastline beaches of all the countries - Denmark, Sweden, Greece, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Edinburgh is busy all the time! Countries do not shut down! You are talking to the wrong people. This is tourist season and there is lots of money to be made, why would a business close? You have gotten some great advice from the other posters already, so see if you can utilize it to plan your trip.

@Jo thanks Jo. Appreciate it! And yes, I have already looked at weather averages and sailing packages but wanted to supplement those with more anecdotal insight from the travelers on this forum. Thank you for all your help, everyone!

Sometimes it works better if you find a package, etc. and then ask if others have used them. Actually, Trip Advisor is good for info like that, if you go to the Greece forums.

Many people in Europe go on holiday in August, but the businesses affected are not the ones a typical tourist would use. Meaning, you might not get your first choices of property insurers or sheet metal suppliers, but you won't have any problems with hotels (provided you make reservations early enough), restaurants or museums.

Regarding Greece: The last two weeks of April and the first two of May are good times to visit Greece as far as the climate goes BUT you must be aware of the impact of Easter which is a major family/religious/school holiday in Greece. In 2011 Easter is late in the calendar, on April 24. This year, the orthodox and the western Easter are on the same day which is unusual. Expect that many Greek families will travel over the Easter break. This jams up the highways, the airports, and the ferrys. That said, we have been in Greece over the Easter break and really enjoyed it - one just needs to avoid, or reserve, travel plans on certain days way in advance. Please post your questions about Greece to the 'east' forum of the Helpline. There are several very experienced travelers who will help you in that forum.

Renee - if you are still looking for other suggestions and are not afraid of the heat - try Spain. I'm not saying it will not be crowded, but in general it is a less expensive country for touristing than some of the spots you've mentioned. And as others have said, the countries will NOT be shut down - that is one reason it is so crowded! Businesses are open and tourists are flooding France and Italy in August. We've been to both during the summer and there are ways to cope with both the heat and the crowds. It isn't ideal but we always had to travel around our kids school schedules (including college) and it is better to travel in summer than not to travel at all. I do think Sicily would be one of the less crowded places that you've mentioned but also VERY hot. It would also be much cheaper than the Amalfi Coast - is there a particular reason you mention the AC? Though it is very beautiful, it is also honeymoon heaven and therefore a bit more upscale and "resorty" than other parts of Italy. If you can't find good deals with regards to Greece in April then consider one of your other must-sees. I think Provence would be wonderful in spring and not as crowded.

@Karen I went to Cinque Terre last summer so I thought Amalfi Coast would be a nice place to check out at least once in my lifetime :) Thanks everyone for your advice!