Where would you choose first for the summer months in Europe

How do you tolerate heat? How many people, any limitations, interests ? Additional info would help greatly. Safe travels!

Do you want to go to cities, towns or countryside? What do you like to do?

Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland hard to beat if you luv nature, hikes, cable cars, trains and cows!

Romania, Bulgaria and or Poland.

Unfortunately, Switzerland was very crowded last August. The only places we were able to get away from the crowds were on the hiking trails early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Hey thanks for all your responses - don't like heat. I used to be able to be in the sun fro hours - but no more. I have been to Switzerland - and it was gorgeous - Love nature and quiet....
We love some sports and games...
I know its a pretty general question
I am sure Greece is super crowded - does anyone know about any of the islands surrounding that are far less known?

Yes, that makes sense about Switzerland....no one said Scotland or Copenhagen???

The Nordics - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. There really aren’t crowds (as compared with other parts of Europe), the weather is generally comfortable, and the days are long.

THANK YOU!!

If you don't want crowds or heat in the summer, you should look at northern Europe. There are many great cities there well worth a visit as well as amazing nature. How much time do you have in total?

I was thinking about SPAIN too.
We have a lot of time- retired etc....
If you know of any GREAT PLACES or AIRBNB's to STAY in Spain - let me know

Thank you these are great tips
Much appreciated

Laura

If you don’t like heat or crowds, consider Orkney and/or Shetland. There are some crowds when cruise ships dock but you can usually avoid them. You would need a car.

The west coast of Ireland.

I have visited the Emerald Isle five times with my first trip in 1993. Ireland is always cool, calm and contented. There are virtually no crowds in western Ireland, except in a few cities like Galway and Limerick. And they barely even count as cities.

My favorite memory was hiking the 100-mile-long Dingle Way trail (https://www.dingleway.com/) in June 2010. It was paradise to hike the Dingle Peninsula for seven days surrounded by lush green of the Irish countryside and the cool blue of the ocean.

There are times I think which is more unpleasant , the summer heat or the summer crowds. True, the heat can get oppressive. I go over only in the summer. You learn not to be bothered too much by the fickle weather conditions.

Northern Germany in May and June does not get the heat nor the crowds. It's warm but not oppressive, likewise with the rest of northern Europe.

Can't help with Spain.

Bornholm - Danish island known for a lot of sun hours.

Or rent a summer house at North Jutland at North Sea coast.

Summer dates or months with summer dates?
June and September can br real, real nice in most of Europe.

Being from and being use to warm environments might extend the dates to all but about 3 weeks centered around August 1st.

Good planning makes the whole summer available almost any place in Europe. Good planning is indoor things or lake or ocean things in the worst of the day.

I spend every Summer in Europe. Works for me.

Oh, the Answer

1. Budapest
2. Kyiv
3. Odesa
4. Coast of Montenegro
5. Rural Bosnia
6. Slovakia High Country
7. Paris

Except for the north coast between Galicia and the Basque Country, Spain is likely to be very hot in the summer. Seville and Cordoba are the worst of the major cities in Spain during the summer, but I would discourage Spain in the summer unless you want the north coast.

Cities like Vienna, Budapest and Prague in central Europe can be quite unpleasant as well in the summer, but they won't have lots of days over 100F like Seville probably will. That doesn't mean you won't have some days in the 90s or even the high 90s.

I'd opt for the previously mentioned Nordic countries, Estonia, maybe Latvia (Lithuania seems to get warmer), Normandy/Brittany in France, that north coast of Spain, the UK, Ireland or Iceland. The Netherlands or Belgium or the coast of Germany might turn out OK, as might the coast of northern Portugal. Elsewhere, I think you're living dangerously unless you're up in the mountains.

It's a matter of the odds. How lucky do you feel? I spent the summer of 2024 in Europe, and I basically dragged a heat wave around with me through Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and northeastern Italy. It wasn't a matter of the occasional heat spell; it was hot virtually every day. Yes, I was unlucky, but high heat wasn't unexpected anywhere I encountered it; it was just more frequent than I expected and hoped. Things only got significantly better when I reached Venice on September 10--not because I was in Venice, but because the heat generally abated then.

OMG! Thank you ALL for this super detailed INFO Thank you!!!!!
Now I am thoroughly undecided! HA!

ALSO, please tell me if I am not responding directly or correctly here in the forum - please let me know if you have not received my responses in a cohesive order.
Laura

*Laura,
You are responding correctly. Pat yourself on the back, and best of luck with your decision!

Cities like Vienna, Budapest and Prague in central Europe can be quite
unpleasant as well in the summer,

That typically isn't true in June and in September. "Summer" really isn't precise enough a question. Between 9 June and 15 June 2024, the high temperature in Prague was between 65F and 75F.

https://www.wunderground.com/history/weekly/cz/prague/LKPR/date/2024-6-15

Concepts of too hot aren't very useful either. Too hot for who? And if you figure in humidity that changes the playing field again. It's sort of like asking which city is more beautiful (Budapest obviously).

Go to a place that interests you the most and plan and schedule your day around the hottest pat of the day if you must. Go enjoy.

Fair enough. I interpreted "summer" as either July or August. I don't think many travelers refer to September as "summer", but Laura could be thinking of June, and early June might not be so bad north of the Alps (not safe in places like southern Spain, though).

Budapest hit 90F or higher on 18 days this July. When you've spent the money to travel to Europe and are running up substantial expenses for lodging and meals, you really don't want to retreat to an air-conditioned space for a big chunk of the day. At least I don't; I want to see the sights. I'd think that would go double for the more typical traveler who spends only 3 or 4 days in a large city.

Technically Summer is: Jun 21 – Sep 22
Some define it as when the kids get out of school and that would be June, July and August.

Others .... well, like you said, each thinks of it differently which is why I asked the question in the first post.

I wouldnt suggest anyone waste their time on a holiday. Yup, got above 95F here for a few days last summer. But do keep in mind that I come from Texas and the Heat Index on a 95F day is about 20F higher than the heat index in Budapest on a 95F day. Thats because we have very little humidity in Budapest (typical of most of central Europe I believe). Makes a world of difference and drawing comparisons really doesnt work too well. (Heat Index = How your body responds to the heat).

We have quite a few museums .. all air conditioned. more than you could visit in a month if you are into art and old dead stuff under glass.

Then there is
- parliament building tour
- opera house tour
- wine tasting events
- hospital in the rock
- house of terror museum
- daytime preformances at the opera and oprett and the jazz clubs
around town,

On really hot days I had a tendency to use the metro more and walk less and spend more time at mid-day in Buda (5F cooler on average). A few more late evening events and a nap at mid-day

But, agina, not about where I live, same is generally true in most places.

THANK YOU ALL

I see summer as from 20 May to 22 Sept. In Vienna one can well expect the weather to be sunny with the temperature from the mid-70F or higher by May or better still being out and about without having to carry a light jacket, likewise in Potsdam and Berlin. Then as the days draw closer to the summer solstice with mild and warm to hot days, that's the best time to be there.

Norway, beautiful scenery, interesting place to research, weather will not be hot and unless you are in Oslo, the crowds will be minimal almost everywhere else.

Hello, we don't like crowds

Got so deep into "summer" that this was overlooked.

Rural is one way to avoid the crowds, but if you want a city experiece then look for cities where the tourism is well spread out. London, Paris, Budapest come to mind. Opposite concept cities that come to mind are Prague, Vienna, Barcelona.

If you do a little searching, you'll find a lot of heat issues from folks (and the media) in the EU come summer. AC is not normal, and a lot of hotels don't have it. Plus, you have to deal with crowds, and in August it seems like the entire world has taken off on holidays. I stay local then or go back to the Puget Sound.

My boss, being German, goes north. This is where his family heads in July August. https://www.germany.travel/en/nature-outdoor-activities/spiekeroog-island.html

If you do a little searching, you'll find a lot of heat issues from folks (and the media) in the EU come summer.
In every country, US included.

AC is not normal,
Maybe someday Germany will be as advanced as Hungary. We have AC most every place these days. Well, every place a guy like me goes. EDIT: Okay 80% of the places I want to go.

and a lot of hotels don't have it.
Never stayed in a 4 star hotel in Europe that didnt have AC.

Plus, you have to deal with crowds,
Oh, there I agree. Stay out of Prague and similar. Go where tourism is more spread out over larger areas.

and in August it seems like the entire world has taken off on holidays.
Because that when it is most convenient for all sorts of reasons. Or even, maybe, the only time a lot of people can do it. So I suggest, if thats when you can go, then go. Just be smart about it. Better than having never seen the world.

If you are serious about avoiding heat and crowds, you will have to stop considering the most popular destinations in Southern Europe, like Spain and Greece.

You want cool, do head north.

You want to see what really interests you, then do a little planning and make it work. Its possible.

I can’t stand hot weather. Scandinavian countries, Baltic countries, Scotland, Iceland, North Holland.

Baltics probably get warm, but less hot than other places, being so far north. And they are definitely not crowded.

I did the Baltic countries from July 9 to August 31, 2023. I was lucky with the weather, I think. Still, it was noticeably warmer in Lithuania. From a temperature standpoint, the Baltic countries shouldn't be considered a single unit; you can verify this by comparing temperatures for the three capital cities. Tallinn (Estonia) seems to average a lot cooler than Riga and Vilnius. Tallinn's farther north, but there may be something else going on as well.