Halstatt, Austria - The Best & Worst part of my trip!

That's how I found Venice - jam packed like sheep - and we've always gone over mid-Sept to early Oct (usually Sept 15 onward). And in talking to one of the shop owners on the Rialto, he told us that was nothing - we should see it in July and Aug! I think my eyes must have bugged out...lol. But Venice is great because if you go five min away from the central areas, it's a whole other world. I found the heat in Italy oppressive some days in mid-Sept - I just can't imagine it in July and Aug (I know July has been pretty gross here in Nova Scotia, and if it's too hot, I don't feel like being outside.) And that's why it's nice to stay in the towns if you can as opposed to doing a day trip - you can experience it after the hordes of daytrippers and bus tours have left. Nothing like seeing Venice early or late! When we went to Salzburg in mid-Sept - it was lovely - I didn't find it crowded - but then again, more room to spread out.

Thanks for the trip report, both the good and the bad. I, too, gave up on travel to Central Europe in late summer after a similar adventure with heat in Austria and Bavaria last year. We did not make it to Hallstatt but Koenigsee was not so crowded, but Hallstatt has so little space to accommodate tourists. The people who could not remember such hot summers in the past forgot about last summer, when it was even hotter. But I love the area and the people, and will, like you, confine my trips in the future to cooler months. I just hope everyone else does not get the same idea.

Well, I guess now we know how the wealthy felt 60 or more years ago, when we, the great unwashed, could afford to tour Europe. Instead of "bus loads of Asian tour groups" it was bus loads of N. Americans crowding into the places that the privileged considered their territory. What goes around comes around.

There was nothing negative in what the OP said about bus loads of Asians.

Not sure why Norma felt compelled to make that response.

Thanks for the report. I too can't handle Europe in summer, and am planning early May or mid to late September. Too many tourists in the summer, mixed with bus loads of tourists, not a/c in some establishments, makes for a very sticky and uncomfortable trip.

Roy, I see no slur about Asians, either. I did not read the OP's post that way at all. I am astonished that you think I did. My point was that once upon a time it was only the wealthy who did the Grand Tour of Europe and now almost anyone can do it, which accounts for the crowds, crowds of which we are a part, like it or not.

Norma, good point. I am sorry I read your post that way. I have deleted my earlier response, although that may lead to some confusion here. The reference to Asians does point out that word has gotten out around the world,

We just got back from a RS My Way Germany Austria Switzerland tour. We stopped in Hallstatt for a lunch break of a couple hours and it was indeed hot. It was also crowded, but not wall to wall people. We had a lovely lunch on the square (the one that The Gruner Baum overlooks) and strolled the streets. So we were among that "literal overrun" of busloads of tourists. We aren't Asian though, so maybe that makes a difference?

Ginger, I was responding to a post by Roy, which has since been deleted.

I have taken three 'Spring Break' week-long trips to Europe in early- to mid-March in 3 of the past 5 years (visited the Netherlands in 2010; Italy in 2011; and Germany in 2014). No major crowd problems anywhere - Amsterdam and other Dutch cities; Florence and Tuscany; and Berlin. The weather was tolerable - in 2010 (Netherlands trip) temps were in the 30s (F) and colder than normal; in 2011 (Italy trip) 50s to 60s F and mostly sunny; in 2014 (Germany), temps were in the mid-50s F and blue sky sunny every day (very abnormal, we were told). The point I am making is that early to mid-March is a decent time to travel to Europe if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy manageable weather (no snow; no sweltering). Plus air tickets are much cheaper than for summer travel.

Were you in Austria about 10 days ago? Yes, it was quite hot. I was actually nearby in Obertauern, which I specifically chose because it's high elevation kept temperatures much more tolerable. I was walking around in a sweatshirt at night. Temperatures have cooled off since then, although now it's extremely humid.

Don't give up on Europe in the summer, though. Hint- go beyond the Blue Books. There's plenty of worthy but less publicized destinations that tour buses don't vomit on hourly. For example, Obertauern was practically empty.

October through early November are my times of choice for travel in Europe. I've been very fortunate with weather so far.

We have visited Hallstatt at least 5 or 6 times since our first visit in 1999. All of trips have been in May, September or October. While we have seen a number of daytrippers on occasion, most of the time it is not uncomfortably crowded and the people tend to clear out by late afternoon.

We have also found this to be true in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, another town that can be very crowded in the summer months.

I will never travel in to Europe or anywhere else for that matter during the summer months.

"Don't give up on Europe in the summer, though." You can bet I won't. It's a trade off undoubtedly with pros and cons. Ideal time is from mid-May to the second week in Sept. I'll be planning the next short trip to take place sometime within those boundaries.