Europe in August - Spain or Eastern Europe?

Spain is almost guaranteed to be hot and have a lot of Northern European sun seekers touring around. Prague is pretty crowded in August but outside of the main 2 squares it isn't bad. Not very many budget hotels in Prague have air conditioning so if this is important to you choose your hotel carefully.

How about a little further east? Hungary is wonderful and there can be some pretty reasonable flights to Budapest, a great destination and not yet crowded.

Mona,

Thanks for the suggestion. I forgot to mention that we will be backpacking so we would be doing multiple countries/cities if we do Eastern Europe, Budapest being one of them. Im glad to hear that there would be areas around Prague that wouldn't be over flooded with tourists.

We travel to Budapest a few times a year. It really isn't the fastest or cheapest place to reach in Europe. It also isn't exactly further east or for that matter in Eastern Europe. It is a great place and I enjoy it. But, I bet you would enjoy Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague. (or Munich if you want to avoid the worst of the crowds). Further north is a little cooler and the nature in the region can be pretty amazing.

Just a head's up Sziget Festival runs the week of the 10th of August in Budapest (Monday through Sunday). Amazing festival but if you aren't wanting to be there for the music festival just book around that week. There is a mega influx of people in the city causing budget hotels and hostels to be more expensive. Also thermal baths and other attractions are way busier.

Thanks James. Any reasons in particular for the Berlin, Amsterdam, Munich recommendation?

Thanks for the heads up Sarah!

We were in Budapest last summer for 4 days when this concert was happening. The only reason we even knew it was happening was that our train from Vienna was double booked because of a Munich train malfunction before we got on in Vienna. People were sitting in every seat and all of the aisles. I'm really thankful that we had reserved seats!

Once we got to Budapest though the people coming for the concert seemed to keep to the island concert venue. It never seemed crowded with concert attendees or cruise ship day-trippers.

If you do go to Budapest during this big concert week, book a room well in advance. The people camping primitively on the island had some warm days and limited showers... We didn't have any trouble booking a hotel room a couple of months before we went. I wouldn't want to show up in the city without a room/hotel if you go during the August week of the mega concert! Thanks for the heads up, Sarah!

Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich and Prague seem to speak well to the younger travelers in activity and cost. Budapest generally speaks to an older crowd. Now, before anyone bites my head off, I know there are no absolutes. The Ruin Pubs in Budapest are amazing but the "natural" outdoors is a little lacking in Budapest. They don't call Hungary the Bread Basket of Europe because of its mountains and forests. It could be a good jumping off place for Slovakia which is inexpensive and greatly unspoiled. We head tht way to fish in the mountains from time to time.

Of course if I were 20-something again I would begin in Budapest and head south through Romania and Bulgaria and on to Istanbul. I've done it in parts of the years but one long beautiful trip would be amazing.

I'd say the four reasons for visiting Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Munich would be beer, beer, beer, and BEER !!! I am only partly joking because these are probably the four biggest cities in Europe for beer, and consequently attract a lot of young backpackers, creating a youthful vibe and energy. Each city has lots of great cultural sights as well and so attract the crowds for varied reasons. You could also include Vienna, perhaps at the expense of Munich. As much as I love Spain I think it's too demanding for a group moving about a bit in the August heat.

I was trying to avoid stating the obvious. Vienna would be a good choice for mixing hedonistic activities with opera.

I'm sure that you would not regret choosing Eastern Europe and saving Spain for another trip. On a trip when I was driving around Slovenia in August (plenty of mountain, lake, cave, and farm sightseeing opportunities), I was finding hotel space wide open and asked one rural innkeeper, "where is everyone?" He replied, "you'll see when you go to Croatia," and he was right. (On a Saturday in August, European sun seekers brought traffic to a standstill all down Croatia's coastal highway and hotels on Rab island were all full.)

On a summer trip several years earlier to Prague, Vienna, Slovakia (including High Tatra mountains), Hungary (including Eger and Lake Balaton), and Poland, I was able to travel quite flexibly, so I'd have to say that crowds were not an issue for me at that time. If it's more popular now, it also has more tourism infrastructure.

Bring some bug repellant, regardless of destination.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. You have made the decision to pass on Spain and go with Eastern Europe easier and now we have some good suggestions of places to see while we are over now. Now for the hardest part...picking which countries to cut out of the trip.

Well if you are going to insist on Eastern Europe, then first know that a lot of those Eastern Europeans will appreciate you calling them Central Europeans (weather you agree with their definition or not).

Since the trip to Istanbul didn't light your fire the safe two week trip is Prague, Vienna and Budapest with a few stops in between. The Tatras of Slovakia are beautiful and the elevation will make things a little cooler. But they are hard to reach with any great efficiency.

You might research Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia. Lots of beauty some great cities and outside of Dubrovnik not a lot of tourists.

Hi,

Between the two choices given, I would choose eastern Europe, depending on how far east or southeast you go. If you were to go regardless of the weather, whether you'll broil or not, then I would pick Poland, Budapest and elsewhere in Hungary, Belgrade (with Novi Sad included) Weather wise I have been to Poland in the summer....all three trips were in July. Expect it to be hot. The general rule I follow in east -central Europe is the further east one goes in the summer, the hotter or more chances of encountering oppressive heat.

Historically, Hungary was the bread basket for Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy until its collapse in 1918. It was because of that very reason the hunger in Austria (rump Austria or Vienna with some Alpine scenery) in 1918-1919 was an acute problem, above all in Vienna, when appeals to US food relief were made. Posters revealing that plight can be seen at the Army Museum (HGM) in Vienna, esp when you read the headlines.

Thanks for the tip James. I anticipate the hard decision will be whether to focus on the Prague, Vienna and Budapest route, or go more South to the Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia route. Or if it would be possible to try and fit in both? I feel like many of the places up North are "must-see" areas but that many places in the South like Lake Bled, Plitvice Lakes, and Dubronik are also too good to pass up. Decisions...decisions...

Thanks Fred. We will keep that in mind for the weather, we either way it won't be as bad as Seville or Granada so a little heat isn't a deal breaker if it means we can see some beautiful landscapes.

Bruce, at your age, knowing what I know now, I would fly into Istanbul and out of Budapest. The ground between the two just won't be what it is now in another 10 or 15 years.

Second choice I guess would be to fly into Dubrovnik and then head for Belgrade (air Serbia about $110) and on to Novi Sad by bus(good idea Fred) and then on to Szeged by bus and finally Budapest by train.

Prague and Vienna are what they are and that's not bad, but they will be what they are today for a long time to come. Dubrovnik to Budapest will be an adventure and Budapest is also a town in the midst of change and best to see now in the current context.

On the other hand I could keep you busy just in Hungary and you would save a bunch of money. Check out Budapest, Pecs, Gyor, Lake Balaton, Tihany, Pannonhalma Archabbey, Eger, Lillafüred, Szentendre, Esztergom, Vac............. What you do is rent an apartment in Budapest and do overnight trip around the country.

Hi,

As regards to the weather factor, you can expect both Spain and east central Europe to be broilers. That's a given. On one of my recent trips I was in Vienna end of July/August, where it was hot, sometimes oppressively so, but the temperature indicated for the day at the hotel was always less than that in Budapest, say Vienna was 29C, or 30C, Budapest 31C. or 33C. Day after day was like that. Also, keep in mind that the further you from Vienna into Hungary you're in a landlocked country. If you go to Croatia, don't be surprised if the temperature hits 40C

https://weatherspark.com/averages/32212/Budapest-Pest-Hungary

https://weatherspark.com/averages/32356/Vienna-Niederosterreich-Austria

https://weatherspark.com/averages/32139/Paris-Ile-de-France

https://weatherspark.com/averages/30032/Arlington-County-District-of-Columbia-United-States

Thanks James. You make good points on how certain countries could be different in 10-15 years. However in regards to Istanbul, I don't think that is really on our radar at the moment, so right now we are leaning towards your suggestion of Dubronik to Budapest.

Fred/James - thanks for the updates on the weather. Based on the info on average temperatures, things don't look THAT bad, especially when compared to Spain. However we do come from DC so we are used to the hot humid summers over here, and based on the online charts we have looked at, Croatia wouldn't be any worse. Spain on the other hand, mainly Seville, would be much worse so it seems like it would be a good idea to save Spain for Spring/Fall.

The north coast of Spain is really nice in August, in fact that's the best time of year to visit.

Southern Spain is like Arizona, expect summer daytime temperatures on the order of 115 degrees Fahrenheit regularly.

I haven't traveled Eastern Europe extensively but I did visit the Batlics (including Poland and Estonia) during August. Again, July/August is the perfect time to visit.

Hi,

Maybe the predictions given on the online charts will serve you better than it did me. I wasn't too lucky with online temperatures this last trip a few weeks ago. It was colder in Vienna than the temperatures indicated the week I got there. Since you'll be there at peak season, count on it being hot; whether it's 90F or 100F that won't make much difference in Croatia.

Bruce, in September we will be flying into Dubrovnik then driving to Kotor and then on to Podgorica to catch a cheap flight to Belgrade, then another cheap flight to Budapest; although you could easily go overland to Budapest as well. For us because time is tight it will only be a week long trip. All trips end with a full week or two in Budapest. Check out the Hungary forum. Some good posts right now.