July travel in Europe?

Actually August is the month many Europeans have their vacations and travel as well. I spent the month of July traveling around France and never found the crowds that oppressive. I also spent the month of August in Paris and even though a few smaller shops were closed due to owner's vacations it didn't affect my sightseeing at all. I think France is fine for travel in July but because of more tourists you may need to make reservations a bit sooner to get the places you want. Of course Ireland/Scotland would be nice to visit in July - temps are warmer, but like other coastal areas mid summer does bring quite a bit of rain.

Of course, where you go in France, Ireland, Scotland or anywhere else will be the biggest determiner of tourist crowds.

In my opinion, the biggest crowds in July and August are most noticeable in the central, touristy parts of the bigger cities. For example, touristy London, down around the Thames, Parliament, Westminister Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the Millenium Wheel, and Trafalgar Square are wall to wall people in July and August. Much of the rest of the town isn't bad at all and in some places you don't really notice crowds that much. The same is true of most big cities in Europe during summer. That said, I don't let it put me off! I go, just expecting it to be crowded, and enjoy! It's easy to get away from the crowds if it becomes too much. They really tend to be clustered in certain areas. Don't let it stop you.

July is high season and high season can be great if you avoid the lures that most travelers fall victim to. Just because you are in Paris doesn’t mean you need to see The Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and Versailles. Of course not! Why fall victim to those tourist traps. Find a great café in a great part of town that no one has ever heard of; away from the tourists and sit and enjoy you craftiness in avoiding the crush of tourist sheep being led to their slaughter by little French people with tiny flags waving over their heads!!! Rome? Who really needs to see the Coliseum? London? Pooey on the Tower Bridge and Westminster!!!!! You’re no tourist robot programmed to go to all those worthless places that generation after generation have found so (incorrectly) special!!

And guess what: A significant percentage of those visitors arrive from
June through August. Figures from the Paris Tourism and Convention
Office show nearly 2.5 million overnight visits by leisure travelers
in July, compared to about 1.75 million per month in shoulder season
(April-May, September-October) and barely over a million in January or
February.
http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/mistakes/top-tourist-mistakes-2.htm

As an option you might concentrate on corners of the world that are only beginning to reveal what makes them so special. Places revered for a hundred years, then lost behind clouds of politics or the Iron Curtain.

No matter where you go, remember the Europeans have different standards for air-conditioning.

Hi,

Weather-wise it can be oppressively hot in France in July (just depends if you hit a heat wave when it goes up to 90F); the tourist sites are usually swamped with tourists. Most of my visits in France were spent in July, regardless if I baked or had enjoyed pleasant weather.

The plus side is that some hotels do lower the rates in July and August where you can stay in a 3-4 star hotel for the price of a 2 star. In France people take to the trains for their vacations on July 1 and August 1. Those dates you'll find the trains most crowded or sold out on the TGV. Since regional trains don't take reservations, hopping on you could very well possibly find yourself in a sardine can for that particular departure and route.

It's all part of the travel experience at high season in France. Don't expect normally to find AC in France. If you do and it's important to you (sometimes you have to pay extra for AC), you can count yourself lucky. If you don't find AC, you just put up with the heat.

Hotel prices sometimes dip from mid july thru august.. often labelled "L'ete Promotions "(summer sales) on hotel websites.

The Louvre, Orsay and Versailles are NOT tourist traps. The "Worlds biggest ball of string" is a tourist trap,the "Enchanted Forest " is a tourist trap. No, world class sites do not qualify as tourist traps.. they do however qualify as very crowded sites in the busy months ( and regardless of season they are never "dead" as tourists visit Paris year round.. local school groups visit year round,, and of course locals who like art.. )
Some folks happily brave the crowds because they love historical sites and art.. but others do put them on their "must see" lists just because they think they " should".. its up to you to make choices based on your real interests.

I somehow find time to see world class sites.. AND wander back streets, people watch from cafes.. and lounge in parks..

I spent last July in France, the crowds were not particularly noticeable. The heat is another issue, especially for hotel rooms at night. You might want to check in advance to be sure air conditioning will be available. The first two weeks of July were not bad in terms of heat, but the second half was miserable at night.

And thanks, pat, for clarifying tourist traps. If someone is not interested in art or history, it's best not to pay attention to the "must see's", but if you are interested, France is filled with good to great sights for all tastes.

There are places that you really want to visit during the high summer months. Scandinavia has the most reliable weather in July and August and the crowds really aren't bad. San Sebastian in Spain (really the whole north coast of Spain) is best in high summer so you can enjoy the beaches.

Those are two places I would only want to visit in the hottest months.

Pat, I guess my sarcasm was lost on you? I love Paris and would go anytime of the year; except July and August. I am averse to sweating in bed all night. There are few places in Europe I would go in the heat of the summer. Maybe someplace with some altitude or way far north.

When I read this forum, I sometimes have the impression that Paris is a tropical city, located somewhere between Accra and Luanda. Is it really that hot? I was there last July and it was chilly. And by the way, not all Europeans have the month off in July, and there are Europeans who take their vacation in July and work in August (like here in Denmark)...

Emma et al;

Hot, warm, cold, crowded, not so crowded; its all pretty subjective and a matter of personal comfort levels.

I don't know the definition of crowded but statistically: "Figures from the Paris Tourism and Convention Office show nearly 2.5 million overnight visits by leisure travelers in July, compared to about 1.75 million per month in shoulder season (April-May, September-October) and barely over a million in January or February". So July and August are "crowded" relative to other months.

http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/mistakes/top-tourist-mistakes-2.htm

I don't know the definition of "HOT" and it really does have a lot to do with all the comfort factors and how they interact (temperature, humidity and air movement). Statistically on July 30st, something just shy of 25% of the time the temperature is between 75F and 85F. That would be from noon to 6pm more or less; and the humidity ranges from 45% to 90%. In closed spaces with little air movement and lots of sweaty bodies increasing the humidity of the micro climate .............. well, my comfort level finds that uncomfortable. Compound that with the fact that there is some sort of rain 3 out of 7 days in July and ................. Remember, nothing is air-conditioned. Its not terrible, but it is my vacation and I just want it to be better than that.

https://weatherspark.com/averages/32139/7/Paris-Ile-de-France

Would I turn down a trip to Paris in July for either of these reasons? Never. But if I am paying I would rather spend the money when I am going to get more enjoyment out of it. Some may have noted that I spend quite a bit of time in Budapest. As much as I enjoy the city, I avoid it as well in July and August. Another good reason for me to avoid Europe in July and August is that most of the theaters are closed.

Thanks to everyone who responded - we appreciate your feedback. We are now considering Scandinavia where before it was not on our radar. We'll continue to do some research and make a final decision, but it sounds like if we DO plan to head to Paris or similar popular city, we should start making reservations soon. Neither of us is particularly fond of hot, hot weather, and crowds plus no AC (or beach) might put us over the edge. Once I retire from teaching, I'll have opportunities to travel throughout the year instead of just in the summer. We'll get to see every place on our list - eventually. Thanks again for all our your responses. We enjoyed reading them!

Last summer I travelled in late July/early August from Iceland to England/Wales to Ireland to France, in large cities and in small towns. Nothing was closed due to the months I travelled. I think that is sort of a blast from the past; I wouldn't worry about closures one whit.

I also didn't find the crowds to be TOO bad--Eiffel Tower was way too crowded, but I have no point of reference and maybe it ALWAYS is? As others have mentioned, there are some amenities only available during the high season, so it has good points and bad points. Get on the internet and investigate more out-of-the-way places. I also found that going later in the day was most often the best time (least people--like people get out early and then lose steam at 2:30 or 3 pm).

Scandinavia is expensive - now, I'm not saying don't go, just know. The tourist season is short, the countries are expensive anyway, and July-August is high season.

If France is your top destination, go for it. There are a lot of hotels in Paris (and elsewhere in France for that matter) with AC that are very reasonably priced and well-located. At least you won't have dozens of really loud school groups in the museums like there are in June. Maybe around July 14 Paris would be crowded, so either avoid it or enjoy the celebrations.

I was in Ireland in August and there were no big crowds anywhere. I don't think it ever gets "hot" in Ireland or Scotland, and if it does, what are the chances it will last more than a day or two? The only drawback I can think of is the difficulty of seeing much of the countryside and small towns without a car (driving on the "wrong side"). There are day trips from Dublin, and trains to Belfast (and other places), and easy enough to go from there to Scotland.