Germany and Spain

Seville is a "no" in August. The average temperature is 100F; the record is 117F. Barcelona has milder temperatures but can be humid, so even days in the low 80s don't feel great. Munich and Berlin were both quite hot during my time there in July 2015, so there are no guarantees in Germany, either. But Spain is just about sure to be somewhere between not-wonderful (Barcelona) and miserable (Seville). Your odds are better in Germany.

Seven or eight days is a short time to spend in Greece, where moving from place to place so often requires a flight or a ferry. To me, that looks like Athens plus one island. Is that your plan?

Trying to split seven days between Germany and Spain will be painful and will lead to a trip hindered by a too-high ratio of travel time to sightseeing time. Compromises can be useful in life, but they can lead to seriously non-optimum itineraries.

How many nights will you be spending in Europe (excluding the night on the plane)? I'm assuming about 14. That will mean 13 actual full sightseeing days; the sleep-deprived/jetlagged arrival day doesn't count. What you are proposing to do is spoil (sorry) two of those days by flying first to Germany and then to Spain. Depending on your choice of Greek Island, you may also have two more flight days there. So you may end up with just nine full days of sightseeing, plus some scattered hours here or there. That's very little time when you're thinking about major cities. Those tend to need at least four nights each, and Barcelona and Berlin are among Europe's most sight-rich destinations. Either one could keep you busy for a week or longer.

Berlin is very strong on museums (art, history, ethnography) and 20th-century historical sights, especially related to the Cold War. Fascinating stuff (to me), but it's a modern city that doesn't have typical small-town-German architecture. Munich has (to me) much less of tourist interest, but there are some buildings rebuilt in traditional style. So the two cities have very different atmosphere. Munich is a good place for folks who want to take side-trips into the mountains, to Salzburg, to the nearby Austrian lake district, etc. [I really meant to reference the German lakes, but Austria has lakes, too.]

Barcelona is one of Europe's most heavily touristed cities. There are at least six sights so popular that you really have to buy timed tickets (or extra-cost wildcard tickets) in advance, else you will probably be in line for an hour or more, or might not get in at all. Including Barcelona in your itinerary means you need to do some pre-trip planning if you want to see the traditional tourist sights.

Edited to add: If this were my trip, I'd spend all the time in Greece, assuming I planned a lot of beach time. (Otherwise, I wouldn't travel there in August due to the heat.) Greece is awkward to get to and get around; it's worth the full two weeks if not longer.

Start by being honest (brutally honest) with yourself about how many actual, usable, on-the-ground days you really have. No squishy "7 or 8 days here, around 7 days there". Don't count your arrival or departure days, then subtract every day you fly somewhere (or take a ferry). That's how many days you have.

Ignore what your have-never-been-there friends are saying you should do. Especially anyone who suggests going to Seville in August, who doesn't have much credibility.

Keep in mind that Europe has been getting gobsmacked in recent years by intense heat waves. I would not want to go to southern Spain or even the Greek isles in August. Germany and parts north seem like a better bet to me.

Listen to the advice above. I have planned trips for friends. I had to tell them that what they wanted to do was impossible with their time. One friend wanted to go to Athens to visit one museum. I arranged it and they were on the ground for less than 24 hours before leaving again. She disliked it, but she told me 24 hours was enough.

Slow down and see more of Greece. With two weeks, you might be able to squeeze a few days in Berlin in. Fly into Berlin, then fly onto Athens.

Get real!
Get toasty in Greece.
Get toasted in Berlin.

Were you figuring on flying cheap flights on Vueling, easyJet, or other cheap inter-European airlines? That’s a lot of airport shuttles and security screenings in 2 weeks! Or overnight trains? Still a lot of traveling.

This past April, we spent 2 weeks in Greece, just visiting the Peloponnese, Delphi, and Athens. Lots of Greece still to see.

In Spain, Madrid’s also great, and so is Granada, but each needs 3 or more days. Are you also factoring in any jet lag time?

I think that is way too many cities.

YEP, you got it right.

acraven and David offer good points to consider

The advice provided already about both the heat and the transit time is valuable. Since you are spending 7-8 days in Greece, you might want to end your trip in Germany, cooler climate and a completely different environment than Greece. You could easily visit both Berlin and Munich in 7 days and fly out of Germany back home. What is great about Berlin in the summer is that you not only have the typical tourist sites to visit, but great summer festivals. Here is an example of August events in 2018 to give you an idea of what to expect https://www.visitberlin.de/en/blog/august-berlin. Berlin is a cool, artistic, vibrant city, one of my favorites anytime of year, but especially in the summer. Munich will give you a distinctly Bavarian feeling and great outdoor events. You can also look for football games in August in Munich (they had them in August in 2018, so should have them in 2019.

Barcelona and Seville are both great cities, but August is brutal in Seville and crowded in Barcelona. I would recommend that you save Spain for another trip either in Spring or Fall.

Good luck in your planning,
Sandy

Hi,

If you have no health concerns relating to heat, go in August to Germany. It does get hot in Munich and Berlin, just deal with it, even more so in Vienna, if you venture into Austria. Yes, I have been often there in August, although admittedly the last time was in 2009 but certainly not because of the heat or weather, ie, family reasons. In Munich chances are that by the end of May, it's warm to hot...just depends. Between the two "normally," Munich will be hotter than Berlin.

On the two cities...I recommend Munich and Berlin, the options between them are flying, the bus, day train and also night train if you want squeeze out more time. There is no direct connection anymore since Dec 2015 ( unfortunately ) if you are departing from Munich to Berlin by night train. For that you need to change in Hannover...no problem since it is already morning when arriving in Hannover. If not Munich, then my suggestion is Berlin and Hamburg.

Suggest with only 7 days, go for one or the other.

I am from south Georgia and I visited Spain in the summer of 1984, including Seville. Yes, it was in the 90s, but that was like back home. Still, I would agree that it is better to visit Spain in May or September.

You could spend a week in Bavaria, going down the Romantic Road to all the great historic towns like Rothenburg on the Tauber, then Munich, Garmisch, Fussen and Salzburg, Austria.

Keep in mind that this last August, temps were above 90 for 3 weeks straight. Not that big a deal until you consider it's surprisingly humid and some hotels, restaurants, and smaller shops are unlikely to have air conditioning.

I adore Greece and Athens but I went to Athens for the first time in late June and it was miserable. I can't imagine being there in August. I enjoyed Athens a lot more in October.

Frankly, there's nowhere in Europe I'll go in August unless it involves a beach or a biergarten. I'd keep that in mind. Don't try to do too much and stay out of Southern Spain.