need help planning trip for August 2024 with family to Europe

Any particular kind of museums you love? What do the children love? Have you been to Europe before? What do you want to see and do? A bit more information might be helpful.

A good starting point is to have a family meeting and find out what everyone"s "must do / see" is. Then see if those can all be accommodated, or if certain places or activities need to be eliminated due to logistics. Do a rough draft itenerary based on their input. The more involved the entire family is, the better the trip will be for all. Then come back with the draft and ask for advice about the feasability of your plan. Impossible for us to offer ideas without knowing the group's thinking.

So ruffly two weeks in August? I would scale back to 3 places. For me when I travel with young adults less is more. Rent large Airbnbs with pools if possible, swim in the heat of the day and see sites in the mornings when it's cooler. For example the place I rented when taking my kids and grandkids to Spain was on a semi private beach east of Nerja. It slept 11 persons, Casa Cuartel el Velero on Playa del Canuelo. That will require a car. Don't expect your kids to get up roll out of bed and hit the road, they won't want to. They will want to relax, play on their phone, eat cereal (it's genetic if your under 25) and then they will think about what/where they want to tour. Flying into Malaga in southern Spain is easy. I also took just my grandson to Paris and the Lorie Valley, we rented bikes and each day road to another Chateau and swam in the Airbnb pool in the afternoon, walked around Amboise in the evening. No car needed. (I'm not at all affiliated with Airbnb, just love how much joy the company has added to my life. Hotels are bedrooms, that's it that's all, especially going with family I want a home away from home.) Try to move no further than 4 hours, or you will waste a whole day traveling. Enjoy your trip J

In August you might run into some unpleasantly hot weather if you take Option 2 or Option 3. You will almost definitely run into even more unpleasantly hot weather if you take Option 1. August is just not the time of year to go to Madrid and Andalucia if you have an alternative.

All great choices.

1. Yes, Spain can be hot in the Summer, but I have been there in the Summer and it was no big deal. However, I am from South Georgia and it is hotter and more humid there than Spain.

2. Paris and the Loire Valley, been to Paris a few times and the Loire Valley once. It was great. Not sure when the Olympics are going on. It will be more expensive in Paris than Spain.

3. Amsterdam is great, but expensive. Love the Rhine River and Romantic Road in Bavaria as well as Prague and Budapest. However, you can't do all that in two weeks. Can do Amsterdam, Rhine Rive and Romantic Road.

Well, Thank you so much for the input so far
*the time window is unmovable due to summer jobs and school limitations
that's why I came up with different options
As a family we traveled 6 years ago to Italy, spent 2 weeks in Venice/Florence/Rome, no travel since
My favorite style of traveling is getting to a city and park in an Airbnb and get to know the city, which was my original plan for Spain, BUT I am worried about being too hot to enjoy, Is it really too hot to visit?
so was considering parking in Paris but worried about security and the summer olympics madness (although we would arrive 2 days after games finish)
then came up with option 3, but don't know those places and how to proceed
I love the paintings museums and palaces and castles, my kids can tolerate it
I usually like to plan a big outing for the day and then wonder about the rest of the time, but mostly go, go
I want to see as much as possible and take it all in
They don't really give me any input regarding places, things to do, but they will surely dish some complaints,
I will appreciate any comments, suggestions, recommendations, advise, keep them coming
THANK YOU!!!

BUT I am worried about being too hot to enjoy, Is it really too hot to visit?

Spain is not too hot to visit in August, millions of people do and let's not forget the millions of people who live there however a lot depends on your heat tolerance and what you plan to do.

I visit Spain on an annual basis, often a couple of times a year and I've spent plenty of time there during August either in Andalucia or the Balearic Islands and during those occasions sightseeing has been pretty much confined to the morning with the afternoons spent in and around water before venturing back out in the evening for dinner when the temperatures have cooled. It really isn't much fun trying to explore somewhere in the blistering heat of the afternoon so you need to plan accordingly.

Europadreaming,
What about the Dordogne for a week? We rented a gite for ten days for our family of seven (Mom and Dad, 2 adult children, one significant other, and two grandchiuldren, 9 and 12). Our house had four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool, modern kitchen and baths, large grounds and river frontage. It was a very short drive to some charming villages. We kayaked on the Dordogne river one day, visited two medieval castles, attended one of the larger markets in Sarlat, visited Font de Gaume cave and Lascaux IV. There is a big variety of activities for everyone. We deliberately chose this area for that reason, knowing the younger ones wouldn't want to see lots of art museums. We didn't have to get up early every day, and when we returned "home", we could relax in the pool, have aperitifs in the garden, grill a steak (or whatever) and enjoy the peace of the countryside. There are goose farms to visit, nearby wineries, MANY prehistoric caves to see, some Roman sites near Perigeux, walnut orchards to visit, lots of history from the Hundred Years War.....etc., etc., etc.
A week there would be perfect. You will probably need two cars. We rented ours in Bordeaux. That would be a good place to bookend your seven-ten days in the Dordogne. And you can take the TGV (2 1/2 hours) from Gare Montparnasse to Bordeaux and back, then taxis to CDG or Orly, whichever airport you need. Bordeaux has lots to see and do (a trip to the coast, day trips to Albi or Carcassone?)...the Cite de Vin, Bassins des Lumieres, all day winery tours to St. Emilion, the cathedral, the Grand Bourse, the Museum of Fine Arts....
Weather will be better in the Dordoigne than in Spain or Italy. And the variety of things to do is a big plus!
We all loved our stay there. It was relaxing and busy and fun, all at once. We found our rental at Gites-de-France, which I highly recommend over AirBnB. Ours was called Le Petit Fort, in La Roque Gageac. I could go back tomorrow!

Europeadreeaming,
Another suggestion of places I loved:
Two weeks in the Bavarian area of Germany, and in Austria. Munich is a really fun city, and you could also visit towns along the Romantic Road like Rothenburg or Dinklesbuhl. Also, a visit to Dachau is eye-opening and moving and a place that I will "never forget". Munich has lots of the usual art scene, plus its Deutsches Museum (full of technical marvels), the treasury at the Munich Residenz, the Marienplatz with all that goes on there, cathedrals, oompah bands and beer halls, a tour of the Lowenbrau brewery, day trips to some beautiful countryside.
Vienna has the Lippizaner horses (watch a practice on a tour, or see a show), Schonnbrun Palace and its gorgeous grounds and theater within, Grinzig for meals and white wine and music, the opera building, and one of my favorite art museums (because of the Breughels there). Sacher tortes (yum), Wienerschnitzel, the coffee(!), sausages (lots of variety) plus a lively cafe scene and some beautiful buildings along the Ringstrasse make the days in Vienna very pleasant and stress-free. Salzburg is nearby!
All in all, Austria and Bavaria are delightful. (Just a suggestion)

I am biased of course, but also believe this to be the easiest:
10. Depart.
11. Arrive Prague
12. 13, 14 Prague
15. Morning Shuttle to Cesky Krumlov
16. Afternoon Shuttle to Vienna
17, 18, 19 Vienna
20. Morning Train to Budapest
21, 22, 23, 24. Budapest
25. Depart

They don't really give me any input regarding places, things to do, but they will surely dish some complaints.

Your family isn't my business, but at those ages I'd think the "kids" would be very able to participate in planning this trip, or at least planning the activities. Some on this forum have suggested giving each person a day to plan for everyone, so all are invested in the trip and each other's choices. Another thing to keep in mind is that everyone doesn't have to do everything together. The teens and 20s could do something and you and husband do something else, or you and husband could split with each taking a couple of youngers, or whatever. I agree with others that an AirBnB, or VRBO, or Gites de France, or similar rental will work much better for you than a few hotel rooms, wherever you decide to go. You can spread out, keep different sleep schedules, probably do laundry, and have some meals "at home."

Is there any reason not to consider the British Isles? August is cooler in the UK and Ireland than most of the places on your list, and there's plenty for all ages to see and do. The only downside I can see is driving on the left side, if your plans include driving. But with six people that would require two cars.

I use the website timeanddate.com to see whether I'm willing to accept the range of temperatures my target area has experienced in recent years during the time I'm planning to travel. What I can tolerate at home (living in an air-conditioned apartment, riding an air-conditioned subway, shopping in air-conditioned stores and eating in air-conditioned restaurants) is quite different from what I'm prepared to tolerate when I'm paying for a trip to Europe and hoping to spend a great deal of time outdoors, appreciating the foreignness of it all. Here's Seville for August 2023; I rest my case.

Seville weather August 2023

Weather can vary a lot from year to year; I urge you to use the pull-down box just above the graph at the right to change the month and year so you can review similar data for 2019-2022, which may not have been as dreadful as 2023. You can use the Search box at the upper right to change the location.

Barcelona, being on the coast, usually has considerably lower summer temperatures than Andalucia and Madrid. However, Barcelona can be muggy, so you can't be sure of avoiding a period of uncomfortable weather. The stretch of northern coastal Spain from the Basque Country in the east to Galicia in the west is a different story; that area tends to be cool, damp and cloudy much of the time. The odd really hot day might occur, but a significant period of hot days would be really unusual. The northern coast of France (Brittany and Normandy) is somewhat similar in that regard--a great area to visit in the summer. (I'm uncertain about what the Olympics will do to costs in 2024, however.)

That's a great system, but I'm lazy do I use Weatherdpark cause they post the average and 25/75% and 10/90% bands. So Prague to Budapest a high of 78F with a 10% chance of about 90F. Perfect bath house weather LOL.

10% chance for a stay of how many nights?

Purely an academic exercise. Really means little. You will be very hot in Seville and not so hot in Amsterdam. All of the cities outside of Spain have overlapping temperatures so there is a chance that Budapest could be cooler than Amsterdam on a given day. See, nonsense. But it was fun to gather.

Best just to go where you will enjoy the sights and activities the most and not worry about the temperatures.

But do keep in mind that these are daily highs. That lasts for a few hours at best. Sunrise in Budapest can be as cool as 60F on a day when the high is 80F. Do museums in the heat of the day and walk the Corso before lunch…..

Also, for most locations the hottest date is in July, not August and as the month progresses things begin cooling somewhat rapidly. So start north and head south is one way of increasing your odds of good temperatures a tiny bit.

The first number the 10% odds of the lowest highest temperature during the day.
The second number the historic average high temperature
The third number the 10% odds of the highest temperature during the day.

Seville 85 to 95 to 102
Grenada 82 to 86 to 88
Madrid, Toledo, 81 to 90 to 97
Budapest 67 to 80 to 89
Vienna 65 to 77 to 87
Paris 62 to 76 to 86
Prague 64 to 74 to 85
Amsterdam 62 to 69 to 79

In other words, the given your luck the temperature is pretty certain to be between the highest and the lowest number with the greatest odds that it will be closer to the middle number.

I don't know what range of years WeatherSpark is using for its calculations. The way things seem to be changing, more years are not necessarily better. Those figures for Seville look a lot better than the August 2023 reality, which was this:

23 days at 99F or hotter, of which 8 days were at 108F or 109F.
5 days at 95F
2 days at 93F
1 day at 88F

The last two 108F days were August 24 and 25. The last three days of September 2023 had high temperatures of 95F, 97F and 97F.

I know I'm lucky to be retired and not have any significant restrictions on the timing of my trips, but I first decide where I think I'd like to go, then consider the best time to go there. Those are the two key elements of my decision-making process. With school kids I would either hold off on southern Spain or go there over the winter break. There are endless fascinating places to go in Europe; some of them are more suitable than others in the middle of the summer. If you keep having to retire to an air-conditioned hotel room for four hours every day, are you really getting your money's worth?

I have travelled solo, on guided tours, and in groups of friends. To keep everybody friendly, my experience says there can be too much stress on going everywhere together. Your four young adults can do stuff on their own, then report on their adventures at the evening meal. And "on their own" includes advance planning and research so each of them has individual wants satisfied. If they think it is their trip too, everyone will be happier with this rite of growing up.

Southam, good point. The oldest 2 may want a dance club, all 4 may like historic things with an edge or sports related. If Budaprst falls in the final selection I might have some ideas.

I understand your travel dates because I worked in the NYC public school system for almost 30 years. Most of our pre-retirement travel was Northern Europe - Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands. We also went on 2 cruises - Scandinavia and the British Isles. The weather up north is so much more pleasant for walking and sightseeing.
What I’m trying to say is that Europe consists of many countries, all worthy of a visit. Don’t limit yourself, do some research. Some places we enjoyed more than others, but not one trip did we regret taking. Some we will/have returned to, others once was enough.
We were in Barcelona last October and it was very hot. I was surprised how hot it was. We traveled around Andalusia and it was a bit cooler, just a bit. If the heat doesn’t bother you, go for it and enjoy wherever you decide to visit.

Hello
Thank you to everyone that has commented
Here is what I am thinking, may need more inputs as I narrow down
Amsterdam 3 nights4 days:
Van Gogh museum
Rijksmuseum
canal boat tour
city bike tour
mystery city games
is it worth it?: royal palace, day trip to Brugge
night train to Munich
Munich 4 nights, 5 days:
Alte Pinakothek
Neue Pinkothek
Nymphengburg Palace
Residenz
Schloss Herrenchiemsee day trip
Is it with it?: Pinakothek der Moderne,
train to Fussen
Fussen: 1 night2 days
Scloss Neuschwanstein
Schloss Hohenschwangau
Schloss Linderhof day trip
train to Vienna
Vienna 4 nights-5 days:
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Shonbrunn Palace
Belvedere Museum
Hofburg
I feel Vienna is a little weak, ideas?
would you change the number of days/nights
worth it to do Rhine river day cruise (upstream)?
worth it to drive the romantic road?
And again, THANK YOU!!!

Unless I've miscounted, the time you have available is all spoken for. With that in mind, I don't think you can squeeze in driving "the road". Unless you drop something. You might consided saving Viena for another trip, and driving the romantic road starting in Wurzburg (or Aschaffenbur) and going to Munich. It just depends on which is calling you louder. Research the towns along the road and see if they speak to you. The Rhine River day cruises are cool, but I don't think it's worth it if you are pressed for time.

Europadreaming,
I don't want to rain on your parade, but the rubric is 5 nights=4 day,s etc. Unless you are traveling during the night each time you change locations. Probably others will point this out better than I could.
Also, I agree with Southam and Mr E. The young adults may want to go off on their own. On our family trip to the Dordogne, the younger adults did things without us oldies and we enjoyed the company of the grandkids, unwinding at the gite...swimming, playing pingpong, doing puzzles, video games, reading. Sometimes we just went to the patisserie for treats, or the grocery store to explore the differences and similarities of French and US grocery stores. We explored the large propeerty where our gite was. Wonderful down time for the bookend generations!

"Purely an academic exercise. Really means little. " How true.

When I go over in the summer, I expect the weather to be hot, anywhere from 77 to 87 F be it in Paris, Wien, London, Prague, Budapest, Berlin or Kiel. I expect to bake, all the more so in the heart of central Europe. I'll expect that when doing next summer's trip...peak season.

Every summer trip taken the weather has been hot or at times dominated by a heat wave where the temp is 90 F. AC or no AC, if you don't want to pay for that extra piece of luxury.

Parts of France will be a bit cooler relative to Paris, eg, in Nord Pas-de-Calais, where I've spent numerous days over the years. Expect that you'll bake in the interior of France

Normally, one can expect Amsterdam to be cooler relative to Budapest, Prague and Vienna .

@Europadreaming; what I suggest you do is write out your itinerary day by day and include the time it takes to travel from one place to another. What I mean would look something like this, based on your last input;
Day 1; arrive in Amsterdam (what time?)
Day 2; Amsterdam
Day 3; Amsterdam
Day 4; Amsterdam, night train in early evening.
Day 5; Munich
Etc
Etc

When you write out your itinerary like this, you can start planning your trip in more detail. You will have a better idea of how much time you actually have in each destination.