Picking destinations for mid-August travel

You already have one - Stockholm. I suggest Oslo as the second one. Neither Stockholm or Oslo are too hot in August.

Thanks for your super fast reply!

Oslo is way too expensive (even for Swiss)! Stockholm is already very pricey and I would like to find a destination that is more affordable. I don't want to get a second mortgage.

Besides, I need to find 3-4 destinations: 2 as targets (one being Stockholm) and 2 as backups. Flight loads are unpredictable and I need to be as flexible as possible. I am of the type who needs to do deep advance research on travel destinations.

OK. I add Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Tallin. None of them should be too hot. Reykjavik is pricey, Edinburgh so so, Tallin is very affordable. You won't be disappointed by either of them. If you like beer then Dublin. Not too hot either.

Thanks again. Edinburgh isn't my cup of tea. Not a beer drinker (have gout) either.
What do you think of Budapest and Krakow? Both are affordable.

Budapest can be very hot in mid August if you are not lucky. Krakow could be hot. Both are affordable and certainly worth visit. Last year in July (similar like in August) I was in Prague and it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and I had hotel without AC. Didn't expect such heat. Those two nights were torture. Never again.

Cool temps in europe mid august is difficult. Perhaps you could consider mountain areas in switzerland like engleberg, berner oberland and stay at hostels. If you can reserve when you arrive in zurich. Otherwise consider lake contance area a short train ride from zurich airport. Lindau or Meersburg are very nice places to visit on the lake. Otherwise stay at Ibis budget hotels booking online and found in many towns even beautiful Luzern.

What do you call too hot?

Mid August, not hot, cheap and booking so late for accommodation is an almost impossible balance. Look into northern Spain, Lisbon (although that can get hot), Amsterdam (not that cheap) or the Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia etc. Anywhere not near the coast will be too hot, as will Southern Europe, so strike countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, southern Spain, Croatia etc.

If you end up paying 300 + euros for a room and are limited when and where you can go, the free flight doesn't sound like such a good deal!

Northern Spain might be a decent option, from the Basque Country west to Galicia. I don't know whether Swiss flies to Bilbao or Vigo, though. At the moment it's summery (28-33 C) in Vigo and Pontevedra, but most of this area trends cooler. Vigo's not too exciting except as a jumping-off point for trips to the Islas Cies, but I've found all of the following largish spots worth visiting, and my weather has been mostly very pleasant with some light rain here and there: Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos, Oviedo, Santander, Santiago de Compostela, and Pontevedra. Leon and Pamplona tend to be much hotter, I believe, and probably wouldn't suit you. There are many attractive smaller towns, including coastal spots, visitable from those cities. The Picos de Europa area is gorgeous, as is much of the Basque and Cantabrian countryside.

I'm booking as I go and am finding decent spots from 40 to 70 euros per night most of the time. Santiago gets huge pilgrim traffic and conceivably could be tighter. I have the impression that major beach destinations--definitely including San Sebastian--tend to be pricier on the weekend. No problem with food cost anywhere.

Hi there: Thanks for your replies. Tallinn sounds good. Northern Spain is a good option too, and Swiss does fly to Bilbao. The Basque region is the world's gourmet capital: do restaurants close for vacation in August? Many in Barcelona do. Also, my biggest concern for Basque country is that all I have is about 7-8 nights to spend in up to two places. If I spend 3 nights in Stockholm, then I won't have much time left in Basque countty.

We also have flown standby to and from Europe, but we haven't had the option of doing that within Europe. There we must pay for flights or take the train.

We did get stuck in Rome for 6 days on the way home in 2014. It sounds good, but what it meant was checking out of our hotel each day, going to FCO, waiting to get on, not getting on, going back to the hotel and repeating the same process the next day.

We finally gave up, had our departure airport switched to Milan, took the fast train there, spent the night at the airport and easily got on a nearly empty flight the next day.

If it was me, I'd stick closer to Switzerland, use the more predictable trains and explore the Alps, be they Swiss, German, Austrian, Italian or French. It would be cooler and a different kind of trip from the "big cities only" ones you've apparently had in the past.

Thanks again. The issue with Switzerland is that I have seen most of it. Also, prices are high and food is often not that good. Perhaps I will consider renting a car and visit the Grisons. Trains are very pricey and it won't be worthwhile to purchase the Half-fare card for such a short time frame.

Decide on one country not two - Sweden, Poland or Latvia - and have 7/8 nights.

It's a far better idea than trying to find another country for only 3 days when you'll end up short changing both.

Do you like the outdoors and mountains? The Val Gardena in Italy's Dolomites is delightful, although t getting accommodations last minute could be a problem. Cool nights, warm but not hot days, endless mountain lifts and trails to explore. You could consider staying in a hotel on the Alpe di Siusi. Great food and Italian prices make this a winning location.

I also vote for Stockholm. I did not find it expensive as I have said before. As I just got my free night from hotels.com I happened to see my hotels from last year's trip to Sweden. The least expensive one was in Stockholm, ranging from 125.00 down to 95.00 per night for one adult, and I thought it was a charming, small hotel on Sodermalm. Here's a survey with some interesting information: http://www.thelocal.se/20150121/why-living-in-sweden-is-not-as-expensive-as-you-think.

Thanks everybody. I hope my plan A of Stockholm+Warsaw/Krakow works out. Budapest is in plan B. However, summer is not the right season to enjoy thermal baths.

I have done research on Krakow/Warsaw and am pleasantly surprised that the food scene in Poland is awesome and affordable. Tallinn is out of consideration because Swiss doesn't fly to it.

If it's not too late to join the party, I would suggest Tallin. It's not very expensive, there's a lot to do, the old town is authentic, and it has great nightlife. Plus it's a short and easy ferry ride to Helsinki.

OK, thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. My friend told me to go to Vienna and then Warsaw+Krakow. Will have to visit Stockholm in another trip. I don't know much about Vienna, any tips?

If it's mid-August you intend to go over, chances are that it will be hot, sometimes oppressively hot in Central Europe (Ger and Austria), Hungary and Poland will most likely be more so, so either get used to it in this oppressive heat ( a good number of my trips were spent in August), or choose a place which literally is more bearable, such as Sweden or Finland.

Vienna is mid-August is very warm to hot, oppressively so when outside, especially visiting sites such as Schönbrunn. The advantage is that many hotels offer their cheapest rates in Aug, which though it is summer they see as the "slow season."