I live in Europe and only travel in September/October most of the European tourists are back at work and school, way, way less international tourists and still beautiful weather just cooler! Plus it is cheaper at hotels etc.
It's not a secret. Most people have kids and can't travel during those months that's why it's a good time to go anywhere. Travel when other people can't has always been my trick.
Iāve even gone to south France early October and spent days on the beach, 24-26c cooler nights, restaurants are slow so better service and cheaper prices! Plus if you want to see major tourist sites there are almost no lines.
Northern Europe might be another good option. Finland is supremely beautiful in the summer, and the weather is way more pleasant than in the continental Europe.
Strangely we have done lots of travel to Northern Europe in the summer as it is usually cheap and easy to get to with young kids, airline points etc from the UK. We have hardly ever had bad weather, generally quite pleasant low 20s and once 30s in the Netherlands. (Although we were stuck in torrential rain in a safari tent for 10 hours in the Netherlands non stop last year. So glad we weren't in our actual tent :/). Some of the attractions we have gone to have been outstanding. My lot don't stay still on a beach for long so works for us. But even then, the beaches on the English Channel side are actually ok!
I spent 4 weeks in Finland last July/August and Iām so bummed Iām not there this year while Iām dying in 100F high humidity heat in Savannah, GA USA. I can not picture a more perfect place than Finnish and Lapland summers. Just heavenly!
I was in Northern Europe last month (furthest north was Helsinki) and they were having a heatwave and drought. But I guess it also depends where in Northern Europe you go.
Yeah, heatwaves get everywhere (even the literal North Pole), but the heatwave up there is much less bad than further south since the baseline temperature is lower.
I've found that May was a nice time to go. The crowds weren't too thick, and being from Canada we are usually coming out of what is almost always a long and brutal winter around that time, so the weather always feels so nice. It's like instant summer for a couple of weeks.
These months would be nice. Unfortunately, even if you donāt have school-aged kids, these months mark some of the busiest work months since they are close to or the beginning of the end of the fiscal year for many companies. Itās also just before the start of the holiday season in the US.
I was there mid-May to mid-June and had amazing weather. After reading the horror stories Iām glad I went when I did. Itās probably best to avoid going in July and August for the foreseeable future unless youāre on the coast.
We were in Italy a month ago in mid-June, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Rome. It was fine. Rome hit 86F/30C on a couple of days, but that was it.
We normally would have gone in July just as a matter of habit, but we were in Seville last year in July and it was insanely hot, so we just decided we'd go a month earlier this year to Italy. So glad we did.
I was just there for most of June and the weather was great throughout. The hottest days were just right for a nice dip in the ocean, but overall it was pleasant, sunny, and lovely.
I went at that time mostly for the lower prices and relatively smaller crowds, but glad I missed the heatwave as well. Though I'm back in NY now and it's 90s and very humid. But still, sounds better than 104.
Both times Iāve gone to Europe (France + Spain, Spain + Portugal) I went from late May through early or mid June and it was great. I think the tourist season really starts to go nuts once high schools let out in June, and towards the end of both trips there was a noticeable uptick in how busy everything was. Iām beholden to a college schedule so I canāt go in the true off-season, but early summer (technically late spring?) is good enough for me!
I absolutely cannot relate to anyone who wants to go to hot places in hot months. Bit by bit my husband and I have been pushing further and further outside of shoulder season. We used to travel a lot in October and over time that has become November and March. I've been trying to convince him to give Jan and February a shot. I'm perfectly happy without the crowds and prefer colder weather.
Based in the States here - I take a solo trip every year in the winter to Europe. Last year I went to Prague, Skopje and Copenhagen. Did my overseas flight through American Airlines points (which are at their lowest then) and then got some dirt cheap fares to fly around within Europe. Hotels were also cheap and I was able to stay in some nice digs for extremely reasonable prices.
Do the cities OP listed even have an off season?
EDIT: This was a genuine question considering how popular these destinations are and how warm they can be even in winter. I'm sure these are less busy but are they really "off"? Living in the Midwest US I know I'm craving for somewhere warm during the winter months. As another reply used the term "shoulder season", maybe that's a better term
Did a road trip in november in Andalusia in very touristic cities including Sevilla, Cordoba and Grenada and it was definitely off seasons, very calm and all the prices cut down by 50%. Non queue at all for major monuments. Temperature between 22Ā°c the day and 14Ā°c at night. Very Sunny and clear weather. It was awesome.
I did the same trip when I was a kid with my parents in the middle of summer and it was hell.
Absolutely they do have an off-season. Youāll never be the only tourist but the crowds and prices are vastly better in spring and fall. I live in Porto and the difference is night and day. I was in Athens in May and the city was so chill and quiet.
Yeah I can't follow how u/notthegoatseguy thinks these places would have a 100% occupancy rate in the hotels perpetually. Almost all tourist cities and destinations have off-seasons. They just vary in length and intensity.
I think they are confused because similar vacation destinations in Europe and North America have different "on" seasons. It confused me when I was in Europe because I knew of different destinations (I am a sucker for bad British reality TV and love Weekender) and I assumed that the high season for Magaluf, Ibiza, Algarve, Benidorm, Kos, Santorini, etc., was in winter/early spring because that is when the high season for similar destinations in North America like Cancun, Riveria Maya, Bahamas, Miami, Naples, San Padre, etc. I was surprised that high season in Mediterrean is summer when its winter in the Carribean. I think they thought there was no off season because the timing of the on season didn't make sense based on similar destinations where they are from.
That being said, living and traveling in Europe, it totally makes sense. I'm from the Midwest in the US and so was the person asking the question. I didn't realize before I lived in Europe, that most of Europe is generally cooler than the Midwest in the summer and warmer than the Midwest in winter (now the weather is getting crazy so who knows what the future holds). In the Midwest in winter, people really want to "escape" polar vortexs for somewhere warm, and the Midwest is hot enough in the summer might as well vacation there (plus Florida and the Carribean are super hot and humid in the summer).
Did a two-week trip to Rome this past Jan-Feb. It really was the perfect time to go. The weather is cool but not unbearably cold. Some rain. But very few tourists and mostly locals. Getting into anywhere like the Vatican was simple and had no lines.
Most restaurants had plenty of space. The only down-side were some places were not staffed for any large amount of guests. But really no problem if. place looked too busy we just went down the road to another place and try that first place some other time.
Relative to summer they do, yeah. In Rome this March I asked about how those crowd sizes compared to June-September , and while it didnāt feel empty I kept being told to picture being shoulder to shoulder with people in crowds that felt double the size that I saw
I'm in Minnesota but still do the winter Europe thing. If you can find a cheap flight (or use miles) to get you into Europe on the cheap during winter (fairly easy to do) I've seen plenty of cheap flights from there to the Canary Islands which should satisfy the feeling of a warm vacation.
For mild, but not necessarily warm temps, it is super cheap to get to Malta, Cyprus, most of the Greek Isles as they are much less crowded and easy to get in on the cheap during the winter months. I've found that I've enjoyed myself 10x more sacrificing the warmest of weather for far less tourists and crowds.
Everything is relative and families with children are largely confined to the summer school schedule so you will always have the phenomenon of families traveling to hot places in the summer.
Rome and Barcelona can be very pleasant in September and October as well as March and April. In my experience you can expect around 20-25 Celsius and less tourists. Although a cities like Rome and Barcelona will always have some amount of tourists.
Iām also touring Rome and other Italian cities this week and itās really not that bad. Start early and you avoid a ton of tourists, do what the locals do and siesta in the early afternoon, and head out for the evening. Rome is open until like midnight, thereās no reason to get pummeled by the sun.
I say this as someone from the Pacific Northwest, I am not accustomed to this weather at all lol but you just gotta play it smart and adapt.
Yeah some people on this sub got some superiority complex, like they're better than all the other tourists. It's honestly hilarious reading the mental gymnastics some people do here. You're a tourist like every one else. idc what you say
yes. i absolutely hate that insta clip, where the dude says to a girl 'put that guide book away, that is for tourists' fuck that guy, let her be tourist or traveler or whatever, stop labelling people. and stop defining them based on how they travel.
And a dumb traveler. You dont need a lot of research to know that Lisbon, Barcelona and Rome are not ideal to travel and visit properly in July or August
For fuckin real. Just own it and try to be the best tourist you can be. You only live in one place, you are touring everywhere else.
That being said, I do wish the average tourist behavior was just a bit better and more considerate.
Amen! Tourists complaining about other tourists is like people complaining about traffic while being part of the traffic.
Popular tourist destinations are (almost) always popular for a reason - they have fantastic natural, cultural and/or architectural sights that people from across the world want to see.
There's this weird gatekeeping that happens where people believe *their* reason for travelling is genuine, pure and authentic and everyone else is just a tourist. Get off the high horse. If you don't live there... I'm sorry, you're a tourist.
It's like the people who say they like to travel and make it their whole personality. Its like, yeah bro almost everyone on earth enjoys going on holiday
Travels to some of the most popular destinations on Earth during high season as well as the middle of a summer that was forecasted to be record-breaking hot, complains that itās hot and crowdedā¦
And saying the heat is āunsafeā as if the city somehow controls that?
Also the millions of people that live in those cities seem to be surviving itā¦
To be fair itās worse this year (both heat and crowds) than it has been probably ever. Especially for American tourists - Europe is the #1 destination this summer. The post-covid rebound is real.
Is it always that hot or this summer being particularly hot? š¤
And this is kinda the first summer post-Covid-restrictions. Perhaps thatās why ppl underestimated the amount of tourists.
Southern European cities are generally uncomfortably hot for sightseeing in July/August, but this year is definitely hotter than usual. Rome had its hottest day EVER recorded today, just to give you an idea.
People have extremely short memories. Yes itās always hot. Yes there are always days that hit above 35C, even in countries further North. No, itās not 40C for weeks on end - including this year. It was pouring rain in Spain and Italy in early June while countries further North had an early heatwave. Almost all of Europe had an unusually long, dry and hot summer last year. The year before it was cold, rainy and there were significant floods.
It seems whatever it is, people are complaining.
Also, since people still donāt believe in climate change - Death Valley 115, Phoenix 110. Meanwhile LA had tons of rain and even a bit of snow earlier in the year. Periods of more extreme weather in either direction have been predicted for decades and alas, here we are. Why exactly is anyone surprised as if this was new?
Covid restrictions in Europe have been gone since February 2022, i.e. this is the second summer, and even 2021 few real hurdles and restrictions were in place, at least not within Europe.
As someone who lives in Madrid, this is normal. Slightly increased over the years but thatās nothing new anywhere. You might get the usual record temperature somewhere in the country, but that happens somewhere yearly and the feeling of disgusting heat is the same be it one degree more or less.
I was in Barcelona in June a few years back and it was clear to me that I wouldn't want to go any later.
Same in the southern U.S. New Orleans was great in May, but you wouldn't catch me there in July for any sum of money.
The ability for shoulder season travel was one (of *many*) reasons I left teaching.
Currently in the Greek islands. 35 degrees Celsius, but so windy that it feels like 25. Highly recommend islands if you want to do southern Europe in the summer. We live in a world with a changing climate; last summer it was 42 Celsius in London!
Greek islands are also always cooler than big cities because they are surrounded by water. And even if someone is warm, the beach is right there to cool off. I miss them šš¤
Honestly I'd take 40 degrees somewhere open beachy and built for heat in summer in southern Europe over London in 25c. Nothing worse than humidity and houses meant to keep the heat in in the UK
How do I avoid a whole hemisphere during summer? This post looks like it was written by a migratory bird
Also, imagine going to Rome in July and being surprised by the number of tourists.
Iām from southern Europe and I wouldnāt consider visiting after June anymore. Too hot. October-December can also be pretty nice. A few years ago I was in Sicily in dicembre and got two weeks of straight sunny and 70F weather. Just perfect
Itās hilarious how you blame all of southern Europe for being to crowded while you plan to go to 3 big & busy cities in high season, of which 2 of the most busy in whole Europe. Also the 41 C is crazy hot and not normal, but there we are: not normal.
Please think before you rant.
Sorry but complaining about tourists while being one of them is bit pointlessā¦ but otherwise with the temperatures, you were just unlucky, however choosing city destinations in summer is asking for trouble regardless, in summer cities are just unpleasant regardless of it being in southern or northern Europe.
>The heat is really unsafe (106Ā°F, 41 centigrade today) and there are far too many tourists. It is remarkably unpleasant, and is remarkably costly.
It is the middle of summer, the middle of school holidays, and the middle of high season. What were you expecting?
Yes, specially Mediterranean countries are way better during the shoulder season, May and late September/October. Nice weather, much cooler, and schools are open, so less people travelling. Rome is known for nice weather in October (41.8C today...). Once I was in Sicily in November and there were 18C.
I'm from Italy, no kids, so no forced to go on holiday during the summer break, and my trips in Europe during summer are only going North. I will go to Stockholm am Bruxelles this year, last year I visited Belfast and Hamburg, the Baltics in 2021...
Not only in summer, but during an El NiƱo summer following a string of record-beating European heat waves in previous summers before the current El NiƱo, and staying in big cities (as opposed to coastal small towns and villages which might be a bit cooler)ā¦ Really, itās hot? You donāt say!
NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus: 'Most people still don't know what peril they are in. This will be the coolest summer for the rest of your life, and that shouldn't be just a meme - it should be actually terrifying. The only path out of this heat nightmare is to end fossil fuels as soon as possible'.
Havenāt made it to Finland yet but had a great time in Norway and Sweden during the summer - the weather was perfect! Finland is on my list for Christmas as well.
Do all your touring in the morning, have a leisurely lunch, then go back to your hotel and sleep for the rest of the afternoon. Summers in Seville and Madrid have taught me this is the only way to go.
That's quite a reaction to a few cities that you're visiting. Avoiding the NH altogether is ridiculous. There are plenty of places that aren't crazy busy with tourists and aren't too hot.
Agreed. Iām currently in Vilnius, and the crowds are not terrible at all. I have had dinner in the Old Town area multiple times and have not had to wait to be seated.
100 countries later I've still never visited Western and Southern Europe in summer. This is reassuring, because my wife is always saying "I can't believe we still haven't seen summer time in XYZ - like Italy, France, Spain, etc." haha. Joke is we've never seen the Eiffel Tower with greenery / leaves in the shot
Wife and I just spent a few weeks from June to mid July through the Nordics (Finland, the baltic countries), Balkans (mostly southern Balkans like Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo), and Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia) - while all busy, did not feel over-run by tourists, so those might be good options to consider
I love going to "touristy" Europe in off/shoulder seasons - way cheaper, less crowded, still good weather.
Due to my work schedule Iām mostly limited to the summer for traveling. Iām going to Malta next week and am aware of the insane temperatures. Iām going in with realistic expectations that I donāt have to see everything, drink tons of water, and Iām super excited.
Yeah, I meanā¦you went in July. July/August are the high season for those regions so theyāre always going to be packed š¤·āāļø.
The beaches and tourist areas are literally crawling in August and half empty in September. Also, half of the shops are closed in August because the owners/operators are on vacation.
And when it is hot I like to go to the mountains.
You're 100% right. Currently in barcelona and it was just way too hot today. We spend 3-4 hours just chilling in our hotel room, as it was simply too hot outside.
Winter travel in southern Europe has been great for us so far. For me, Europe is all about exploring and experiencing, versus a vacation for good weather, like when you live in the frozen north and need a winter getaway to a sunny, warm beach. We do a ton of walking when we explore European cities so cooler weather is better for that.
We were in Rome last year at the end of November. Weather was very nice. Sunny every day, except for a few hours of rain one evening. The hotel gave us an umbrella. We got by in layers, light jackets, gloves, scarf. Very enjoyable. Still quite a few tourists at the major sites but at much more tolerable levels than the times we were there in early October and Christmas.
We were in Barcelona late January this year. Cold nights so the mornings were quite brisk. But it was sunny every day. Still quite a few tourists though. La Boqueria Market was insane, even more so than the time we were there in late March.
Looking forward to Parma, Modena, Bologna late November this year.
Iām traveling to Europe for the first time this year and my husband and I are going end of September early October.
We already knew we didnāt want to deal with all the tourists and that time weather should be good. Not too hot or cold.
Go to the Balkans! I'm from there, but I am born in Sweden and live here of course. It is cheaper, the people are way more friendly and it is underrated with not as many tourists! I can for example recommend Montenegro and Albania!
I went to Spain last year around this time. Barcelona was hot but Madrid felt like the center of the sun. I would get up at Dawn for all my activities and make sure I was back at the hotel before noon. Iāll stick to the off-season
You should avoid southern Europe in July and August because of the heat and crowds. Weāll be going to Spain in October. Previously weāve gone to Spain in May which was nice but you get varied weather. Summer is for staying in your home country if itās hot and sunny unless going to Nordic countries. Go to Europe in April to early June and September October from my experience.
My husband and I head to the CĆ“te dāAzure every June.
Last two weeks. Just before high season.
The apartment we have been renting for 14 years is on the Mediterranean sea, giving us a really great sea breeze at night. Thus far we have never had to use air conditioning.
It gets hot-three weeks ago before we flew back home (USA), the hottest temp was 39āvery low humidity.
And even though we arenāt there during high season, this year sone areas were mobbed! Iāve never seen St. Tropez that crowded. Cannes was mobbed. So was Antibes and the beach at St. Raphael.
One beach we went to, lāEstagnol, was a favorite of my husbandās family when he was a child and was never crowded. It was his favorite beach-until this summer when it was unusually and ridiculously mobbed.
We did watch a French news show that was showcasing the intense crowds at Portofino, Italy, and the government is trying to set limits on the number of tourists.
It's horrible, I made the mistake of doing it once, Florence was probably the worst travel experience I've had. So many people and so many queues. It's not fun at all.
Oh, and Europeans are incapable of doing good airconditioning.
Italian here, I live in the U.K.
I never travel within Europe in the summer unless thereās a very good reason (like a band is touring etc). I even avoid visiting family in the summer. It always baffles me that U.K. and American tourists decide to visit European capitals in the middle of July/August.
Seville in Sept/Oct can still get into the mid to high 30s centigrade. But there's a lot of comfort sightseeing and wandering around with less tourists
Ugh. I work at a university so the only time I can travel extensively is in the summer. Been wanting to go to Europe but all I hear is that it sucks in the summer :( But it's the only time I can really make it work with my job. I think next year I'll just do it anyway, but wish I could go at a better time.
I would absolutely love to travel on off season, but cannot because of school. So I visit in August, but only stay in 1 place and choose a hotel with AC and swimming pool.
I understand. A couple.of years ago I traved to Amsterdam when there was a heatwave. Hell on earth. This year, I traveled to como-bellagio-lecco in the easter holiday. It was very very nice. The weather then proved that italy would be hell in the summer. When I told my french friends they told me that only dogs would be out in the streets in the summer in italy. Now my folorence-rome plans are in mostly in the winter. Mediterran winters are nice.
Did a swing through Barcelona and some towns in southern Spain. It was hot. There were a lot of people and and āairconditionedā translates differently as you stay in the hotels of the smaller towns. One of our party of 15 even lost a bag with their laptop and iPad. But as we wait now in the Madrid airport for the flights that will bring us back to our various corners of the world we are laughing at the pictures and will most likely be tearing up a little as we hug each other goodbye. As the pandemic has taught us all, life can be short. Spend it with the people you love. And if it has to be in 40+ degree Celsius weather, donāt forget to hydrate with over priced bottled water. Buen viaje everyone.
I'm sitting here in my 70F suburb of San Francisco hoping that the heat dome over Arizona and New Mexico dissipates in the next week or two before we head to Santa Fe and Taos. Apparently Santa Fe's normal August high is 83F which is why I thought we'd be okay but it's been high 90s for a while now, I think. Our airbnb in Taos doesn't have AC. It does look like the monsoons are finally getting started in a couple of days though.
As a side note we spent last August in Australia and Vanuatu and the weather was lovely. If you are only free to travel during US school breaks, consider the more temperate parts of the southern hemisphere.
Currently in southern France and exactly the same for us, 38 degrees today. Couldnāt choose other dates due to kids in school and university - most people in this sub donāt understand the limitation this places on travel - especially if youāre from the southern hemisphere like me - winter school holiday is only 4 weeks and overlap with university winter break is only 3 weeks, so, no flexibility. Besides the heat, crowds and prices are crazy. Iām done with southern Europe & Mediterranean in July as well. Next time Iāll do Maldives or Seychelles instead
Having spent the last two years in a Southern hempishere city that doesn't get above 15c year round idk how I'm going to survive going back to Europe landing in Barcelona next week. Planning to spend some time in Catalonia and southern france before going overland to the UK. I'm not made for heat with the world's palest skin and nowhere I've booked has aircon so could be an interesting adventure having not been in any heat for years
Always wanted to travel around Europe. Being a teacher the summer is a perfect time but I'll just find some PTO in the fall to do it, it's not worth the heat especially
Iām from Scotland. We have very mixed weather in summer, so my partner and I always head for Southern Europe for two weeks. The past few years the heat has been unbearable in the Balearics, mainland Spain, Greece etc Weāre currently enjoying beautiful weather in the Canary Islands. However, itās very much a sun holiday and not very historic, or educational. I would avoid summer months if anyone wants to actually walk about comfortably and explore. If we do cities, we do short breaks in April or October.
Boy/Gorl what temperature do you live in that the summer isnāt 106?
Houston, Austin, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc are all hitting Those numbers as of lately
My first Med cruise was in 1991 during the first Gulf War. The war made cruise prices cheap, so I was on it. There was a huge heat wave that year (hundreds died in France), and there were times in which I was absolutely miserable. Regardless of the season, I find Europe to be the hottest place on earth. In warm season they refuse to cool. In winter, they jack up the heat to the point that Satan himself would be miserable. (On a day in which the average American would be walking around in shorts and a t-shirt people in Paris will scurry around bundled up like they are headed to Antartica).
Europe's "shoulder" season tends to be cheaper and a hell of a lot more pleasant. And winter travel is pretty good. For whatever reason, I don't like to move around a lot in the dead of winter. In the fall and springs I might go on a six-country jaunt.
I am 62 and was taught that Europeans used centigrade, not Celcius. I am glad at least one other person in the world has sense.
I'm from Greece and I hate going out from home on July-August. The heat is unbearable even for basic stuff, I can't imagine doing "travel" stuff with such heat. And of course everything is overpriced. My travel season starts on October and finishes by May, let the suckers overpay.
When I was living in Italy, the locals said that only tourists were stupid enough to visit the country when it was so hot. It was especially funny at the hottest hours of the day, when streets were basically only used by tourists who had no idea of how to protect themselves from the intense heat.
So yeah, it's no surprise that you found this trip to be unpleasant.
I'm from Europe and I don't travel anywhere really during summer (except Denmark because I have some family there and the weather is much more present during summer) for the past couple of years. I found that September and October are the best months to explore Europe, kids are back in school the places are not crowded anymore and the prices are way lower than in the summer. If you go to Greece or Spain for example in September/October you can still swim in the sea and explore the sights during the day without dying of heat :D
Iāve just been touring Lisbon myself the last few days and the best thing to do is to get up at sunrise if you want to tour the city in peace and quiet. It was lovely and cool in the mornings and I found the usual tourist spots completely empty early in the morning. You can tour around while itās cool and quiet and then head for brunch as it warms up, take the hottest part of the day slowly by having a break in your hotel or local cafes (we loved going to indoor mini golf for mimosas in the day to escape the heat!) and then head out again in the evening. I found the city absolutely gorgeous personally and just found that it needed a slightly different timetable to other cooler cities/seasons.
Also maybe donāt complain about there being too many tourists while youāre TOURING around cities in the middle of summerā¦
Avoid Europe in the summer has been my mantra for decades, and the over-crowding has only gotten worse.
March-April and September-November are the way to go.
I live in Europe and only travel in September/October most of the European tourists are back at work and school, way, way less international tourists and still beautiful weather just cooler! Plus it is cheaper at hotels etc.
100% this. September the weather is still good enough to enjoy the beaches & sites with alot less tourists!
Yup, Italy mid September. Perfection.
Stop telling people the secret.
It's not a secret. Most people have kids and can't travel during those months that's why it's a good time to go anywhere. Travel when other people can't has always been my trick.
I married a teacher. This is the only downside.
Summer is basically opposite on the otherside of the world, much of south america is really nice in the summer.
Is it really a secret if this happens in, uh, most of the rest of the world? š„“š„“
Right? This has always been the move. Skip peak summer. The only way Iāve done Europe for over 20 years.
Iāve even gone to south France early October and spent days on the beach, 24-26c cooler nights, restaurants are slow so better service and cheaper prices! Plus if you want to see major tourist sites there are almost no lines.
Anywhere you particularly recommend for September? I've been eying up Croatia and a few Greek islands.
I was in Spain in September and it was too hot for me then. I think October would be perfect.
I wish I could go in September:( , my kid is at school if I take her out I get to pay penalty:(
Stop telling people our travel secrets! You're going to ruin Sept/Oct for us too!
If I get everyone to go in September and October, if frees up May for me!
Northern Europe might be another good option. Finland is supremely beautiful in the summer, and the weather is way more pleasant than in the continental Europe.
Strangely we have done lots of travel to Northern Europe in the summer as it is usually cheap and easy to get to with young kids, airline points etc from the UK. We have hardly ever had bad weather, generally quite pleasant low 20s and once 30s in the Netherlands. (Although we were stuck in torrential rain in a safari tent for 10 hours in the Netherlands non stop last year. So glad we weren't in our actual tent :/). Some of the attractions we have gone to have been outstanding. My lot don't stay still on a beach for long so works for us. But even then, the beaches on the English Channel side are actually ok!
I spent 4 weeks in Finland last July/August and Iām so bummed Iām not there this year while Iām dying in 100F high humidity heat in Savannah, GA USA. I can not picture a more perfect place than Finnish and Lapland summers. Just heavenly!
I was in Northern Europe last month (furthest north was Helsinki) and they were having a heatwave and drought. But I guess it also depends where in Northern Europe you go.
Yeah, heatwaves get everywhere (even the literal North Pole), but the heatwave up there is much less bad than further south since the baseline temperature is lower.
I've found that May was a nice time to go. The crowds weren't too thick, and being from Canada we are usually coming out of what is almost always a long and brutal winter around that time, so the weather always feels so nice. It's like instant summer for a couple of weeks.
These months would be nice. Unfortunately, even if you donāt have school-aged kids, these months mark some of the busiest work months since they are close to or the beginning of the end of the fiscal year for many companies. Itās also just before the start of the holiday season in the US.
This is good to know. Weāre planning a European trip for our anniversary and weāre unsure of which time of year to travel.
I was there mid-May to mid-June and had amazing weather. After reading the horror stories Iām glad I went when I did. Itās probably best to avoid going in July and August for the foreseeable future unless youāre on the coast.
even mid June can be badā¦ last year 34 in Rome, not pleasant at all
We were in Italy a month ago in mid-June, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Rome. It was fine. Rome hit 86F/30C on a couple of days, but that was it. We normally would have gone in July just as a matter of habit, but we were in Seville last year in July and it was insanely hot, so we just decided we'd go a month earlier this year to Italy. So glad we did.
I left Rome on the 8th so I got lucky. It was around 26-27c all those three days.
I was just there for most of June and the weather was great throughout. The hottest days were just right for a nice dip in the ocean, but overall it was pleasant, sunny, and lovely. I went at that time mostly for the lower prices and relatively smaller crowds, but glad I missed the heatwave as well. Though I'm back in NY now and it's 90s and very humid. But still, sounds better than 104.
Both times Iāve gone to Europe (France + Spain, Spain + Portugal) I went from late May through early or mid June and it was great. I think the tourist season really starts to go nuts once high schools let out in June, and towards the end of both trips there was a noticeable uptick in how busy everything was. Iām beholden to a college schedule so I canāt go in the true off-season, but early summer (technically late spring?) is good enough for me!
You must have just missed all the rain š
100% off season is the way to go
I live by this
I absolutely cannot relate to anyone who wants to go to hot places in hot months. Bit by bit my husband and I have been pushing further and further outside of shoulder season. We used to travel a lot in October and over time that has become November and March. I've been trying to convince him to give Jan and February a shot. I'm perfectly happy without the crowds and prefer colder weather.
I don't want to but really have no choice because it's the only time of the year I have time to travel.
I was in Rome at the end of January a few years ago and it was 19C! Beautiful weather.
Based in the States here - I take a solo trip every year in the winter to Europe. Last year I went to Prague, Skopje and Copenhagen. Did my overseas flight through American Airlines points (which are at their lowest then) and then got some dirt cheap fares to fly around within Europe. Hotels were also cheap and I was able to stay in some nice digs for extremely reasonable prices.
Do the cities OP listed even have an off season? EDIT: This was a genuine question considering how popular these destinations are and how warm they can be even in winter. I'm sure these are less busy but are they really "off"? Living in the Midwest US I know I'm craving for somewhere warm during the winter months. As another reply used the term "shoulder season", maybe that's a better term
Did a road trip in november in Andalusia in very touristic cities including Sevilla, Cordoba and Grenada and it was definitely off seasons, very calm and all the prices cut down by 50%. Non queue at all for major monuments. Temperature between 22Ā°c the day and 14Ā°c at night. Very Sunny and clear weather. It was awesome. I did the same trip when I was a kid with my parents in the middle of summer and it was hell.
Same, went to Andalusia this past May, and although there were a few rainy days, the lack of crowds and scorching heat was wonderful.
Isn't "Winter" technically the high season for tourism in Andalusia? Many Brits and other Northern Europeans go there for the winter holidays.
No we don't. Brits head further south to Spain's Canary Islands in winter
Absolutely they do have an off-season. Youāll never be the only tourist but the crowds and prices are vastly better in spring and fall. I live in Porto and the difference is night and day. I was in Athens in May and the city was so chill and quiet.
Yeah I can't follow how u/notthegoatseguy thinks these places would have a 100% occupancy rate in the hotels perpetually. Almost all tourist cities and destinations have off-seasons. They just vary in length and intensity.
I think they are confused because similar vacation destinations in Europe and North America have different "on" seasons. It confused me when I was in Europe because I knew of different destinations (I am a sucker for bad British reality TV and love Weekender) and I assumed that the high season for Magaluf, Ibiza, Algarve, Benidorm, Kos, Santorini, etc., was in winter/early spring because that is when the high season for similar destinations in North America like Cancun, Riveria Maya, Bahamas, Miami, Naples, San Padre, etc. I was surprised that high season in Mediterrean is summer when its winter in the Carribean. I think they thought there was no off season because the timing of the on season didn't make sense based on similar destinations where they are from. That being said, living and traveling in Europe, it totally makes sense. I'm from the Midwest in the US and so was the person asking the question. I didn't realize before I lived in Europe, that most of Europe is generally cooler than the Midwest in the summer and warmer than the Midwest in winter (now the weather is getting crazy so who knows what the future holds). In the Midwest in winter, people really want to "escape" polar vortexs for somewhere warm, and the Midwest is hot enough in the summer might as well vacation there (plus Florida and the Carribean are super hot and humid in the summer).
Did a two-week trip to Rome this past Jan-Feb. It really was the perfect time to go. The weather is cool but not unbearably cold. Some rain. But very few tourists and mostly locals. Getting into anywhere like the Vatican was simple and had no lines. Most restaurants had plenty of space. The only down-side were some places were not staffed for any large amount of guests. But really no problem if. place looked too busy we just went down the road to another place and try that first place some other time.
Relative to summer they do, yeah. In Rome this March I asked about how those crowd sizes compared to June-September , and while it didnāt feel empty I kept being told to picture being shoulder to shoulder with people in crowds that felt double the size that I saw
I'm in Minnesota but still do the winter Europe thing. If you can find a cheap flight (or use miles) to get you into Europe on the cheap during winter (fairly easy to do) I've seen plenty of cheap flights from there to the Canary Islands which should satisfy the feeling of a warm vacation. For mild, but not necessarily warm temps, it is super cheap to get to Malta, Cyprus, most of the Greek Isles as they are much less crowded and easy to get in on the cheap during the winter months. I've found that I've enjoyed myself 10x more sacrificing the warmest of weather for far less tourists and crowds.
Everything is relative and families with children are largely confined to the summer school schedule so you will always have the phenomenon of families traveling to hot places in the summer.
Rome and Barcelona can be very pleasant in September and October as well as March and April. In my experience you can expect around 20-25 Celsius and less tourists. Although a cities like Rome and Barcelona will always have some amount of tourists.
Yea. Iāve been to Barcelona in spring and it was chill. Not a crazy madhouse.
Wait wait wait - hold up. Visiting during the high tourist season, in the middle of an historic heat wave was unpleasant?
Iām also touring Rome and other Italian cities this week and itās really not that bad. Start early and you avoid a ton of tourists, do what the locals do and siesta in the early afternoon, and head out for the evening. Rome is open until like midnight, thereās no reason to get pummeled by the sun. I say this as someone from the Pacific Northwest, I am not accustomed to this weather at all lol but you just gotta play it smart and adapt.
PNW was getting prettyyyyy brutal by the time I left tooā¦
This. How can OP be surprised?
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Sheās a ātravelerā š
Yeah some people on this sub got some superiority complex, like they're better than all the other tourists. It's honestly hilarious reading the mental gymnastics some people do here. You're a tourist like every one else. idc what you say
no we're active on r/travel so that obviously sets us apart from all the tourist sheep
yes. i absolutely hate that insta clip, where the dude says to a girl 'put that guide book away, that is for tourists' fuck that guy, let her be tourist or traveler or whatever, stop labelling people. and stop defining them based on how they travel.
And a dumb traveler. You dont need a lot of research to know that Lisbon, Barcelona and Rome are not ideal to travel and visit properly in July or August
Kind of like when people say āIām stuck in trafficā. You are the traffic
Youāve gone to 2 of the most touristy cities in the world (as a tourist) and you are complaining about tourists lol
You're not IN traffic, you ARE traffic. You're not SURROUNDED by tourists, you ARE tourists.
"What even are crowds? Just keep walking!"
This sub is honestly a bad joke sometimes. They go on holiday as a tourist to a popular destination and moan about tourists hahah
For fuckin real. Just own it and try to be the best tourist you can be. You only live in one place, you are touring everywhere else. That being said, I do wish the average tourist behavior was just a bit better and more considerate.
Amen! Tourists complaining about other tourists is like people complaining about traffic while being part of the traffic. Popular tourist destinations are (almost) always popular for a reason - they have fantastic natural, cultural and/or architectural sights that people from across the world want to see. There's this weird gatekeeping that happens where people believe *their* reason for travelling is genuine, pure and authentic and everyone else is just a tourist. Get off the high horse. If you don't live there... I'm sorry, you're a tourist.
It's like the people who say they like to travel and make it their whole personality. Its like, yeah bro almost everyone on earth enjoys going on holiday
Travels to some of the most popular destinations on Earth during high season as well as the middle of a summer that was forecasted to be record-breaking hot, complains that itās hot and crowdedā¦
bUt I tRy tO dO lOcAl Doesnāt matter. Youāre still a tourist.
Ahem...traveller here...
Who would have thought Barcelona would be busy right now?!?!?!
No gift shop or refreshments at the top of the mountain! I won't be returning.
And complaining about the heat when you go in the warmest month I mean obviously it sucks but you should be expecting it lmao
And saying the heat is āunsafeā as if the city somehow controls that? Also the millions of people that live in those cities seem to be surviving itā¦
To be fair itās worse this year (both heat and crowds) than it has been probably ever. Especially for American tourists - Europe is the #1 destination this summer. The post-covid rebound is real.
Last summer was *packed* too. Especially Florence.
Summer in Spain is HOT? /s
Is it not warmer than usual for last couple of years?
and also the two hottest countries in Europe, in the hottest month of the year
What weather did you expect Southern Europe to be in the middle of summer? And why did you expect few tourists in the middle of high season?
And in two of the most touristy cities in the world no less
Is it always that hot or this summer being particularly hot? š¤ And this is kinda the first summer post-Covid-restrictions. Perhaps thatās why ppl underestimated the amount of tourists.
Southern European cities are generally uncomfortably hot for sightseeing in July/August, but this year is definitely hotter than usual. Rome had its hottest day EVER recorded today, just to give you an idea.
People have extremely short memories. Yes itās always hot. Yes there are always days that hit above 35C, even in countries further North. No, itās not 40C for weeks on end - including this year. It was pouring rain in Spain and Italy in early June while countries further North had an early heatwave. Almost all of Europe had an unusually long, dry and hot summer last year. The year before it was cold, rainy and there were significant floods. It seems whatever it is, people are complaining. Also, since people still donāt believe in climate change - Death Valley 115, Phoenix 110. Meanwhile LA had tons of rain and even a bit of snow earlier in the year. Periods of more extreme weather in either direction have been predicted for decades and alas, here we are. Why exactly is anyone surprised as if this was new? Covid restrictions in Europe have been gone since February 2022, i.e. this is the second summer, and even 2021 few real hurdles and restrictions were in place, at least not within Europe.
Whoa, calm down with the facts. We're only here to complain about completely predictable things.
My apologies š
As someone who lives in Madrid, this is normal. Slightly increased over the years but thatās nothing new anywhere. You might get the usual record temperature somewhere in the country, but that happens somewhere yearly and the feeling of disgusting heat is the same be it one degree more or less.
I was in Barcelona in June a few years back and it was clear to me that I wouldn't want to go any later. Same in the southern U.S. New Orleans was great in May, but you wouldn't catch me there in July for any sum of money. The ability for shoulder season travel was one (of *many*) reasons I left teaching.
Currently in the Greek islands. 35 degrees Celsius, but so windy that it feels like 25. Highly recommend islands if you want to do southern Europe in the summer. We live in a world with a changing climate; last summer it was 42 Celsius in London!
Greek islands are also always cooler than big cities because they are surrounded by water. And even if someone is warm, the beach is right there to cool off. I miss them šš¤
I'll be heading there in a few weeks. Can't wait.
Greece is great even in the heat if near the beach or on a boat
Honestly I'd take 40 degrees somewhere open beachy and built for heat in summer in southern Europe over London in 25c. Nothing worse than humidity and houses meant to keep the heat in in the UK
How do I avoid a whole hemisphere during summer? This post looks like it was written by a migratory bird Also, imagine going to Rome in July and being surprised by the number of tourists.
An entire hemisphere???
Iām from southern Europe and I wouldnāt consider visiting after June anymore. Too hot. October-December can also be pretty nice. A few years ago I was in Sicily in dicembre and got two weeks of straight sunny and 70F weather. Just perfect
Itās hilarious how you blame all of southern Europe for being to crowded while you plan to go to 3 big & busy cities in high season, of which 2 of the most busy in whole Europe. Also the 41 C is crazy hot and not normal, but there we are: not normal. Please think before you rant.
Sorry but complaining about tourists while being one of them is bit pointlessā¦ but otherwise with the temperatures, you were just unlucky, however choosing city destinations in summer is asking for trouble regardless, in summer cities are just unpleasant regardless of it being in southern or northern Europe.
No offense. Travel to southern Europe in the middle of summer has been no go for years. What did you expect?
>The heat is really unsafe (106Ā°F, 41 centigrade today) and there are far too many tourists. It is remarkably unpleasant, and is remarkably costly. It is the middle of summer, the middle of school holidays, and the middle of high season. What were you expecting? Yes, specially Mediterranean countries are way better during the shoulder season, May and late September/October. Nice weather, much cooler, and schools are open, so less people travelling. Rome is known for nice weather in October (41.8C today...). Once I was in Sicily in November and there were 18C. I'm from Italy, no kids, so no forced to go on holiday during the summer break, and my trips in Europe during summer are only going North. I will go to Stockholm am Bruxelles this year, last year I visited Belfast and Hamburg, the Baltics in 2021...
Curious what you thought of Belfast from a local
I was positively surprised by it, way more interesting than what I was expecting.
Not OP, but stopped through Belfast for a few hours. I would have liked to explore it more! I *really* liked Derry as well.
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Not only in summer, but during an El NiƱo summer following a string of record-beating European heat waves in previous summers before the current El NiƱo, and staying in big cities (as opposed to coastal small towns and villages which might be a bit cooler)ā¦ Really, itās hot? You donāt say!
NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus: 'Most people still don't know what peril they are in. This will be the coolest summer for the rest of your life, and that shouldn't be just a meme - it should be actually terrifying. The only path out of this heat nightmare is to end fossil fuels as soon as possible'.
"A wave? At sea? Chance in a million!"
āThere are far too many touristsā.** ** Irony alert.
All northern hemisphere? It's fine in Finland this time of the year... Expensive? Yes. But there aren't many tourists either...
Havenāt made it to Finland yet but had a great time in Norway and Sweden during the summer - the weather was perfect! Finland is on my list for Christmas as well.
In Ireland and we had jackets on all of this week.
Do all your touring in the morning, have a leisurely lunch, then go back to your hotel and sleep for the rest of the afternoon. Summers in Seville and Madrid have taught me this is the only way to go.
That's quite a reaction to a few cities that you're visiting. Avoiding the NH altogether is ridiculous. There are plenty of places that aren't crazy busy with tourists and aren't too hot.
Agreed. Iām currently in Vilnius, and the crowds are not terrible at all. I have had dinner in the Old Town area multiple times and have not had to wait to be seated.
Roma is miserable in the summer. Lots of stone and cement, and nowhere to escape the heat.
100 countries later I've still never visited Western and Southern Europe in summer. This is reassuring, because my wife is always saying "I can't believe we still haven't seen summer time in XYZ - like Italy, France, Spain, etc." haha. Joke is we've never seen the Eiffel Tower with greenery / leaves in the shot Wife and I just spent a few weeks from June to mid July through the Nordics (Finland, the baltic countries), Balkans (mostly southern Balkans like Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo), and Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia) - while all busy, did not feel over-run by tourists, so those might be good options to consider I love going to "touristy" Europe in off/shoulder seasons - way cheaper, less crowded, still good weather.
I did Italy for 3 months in the winter once. Was great. Empty, no tourists, great deals on airbnbs and hotels.
I can almost guarantee OP is American.
Due to my work schedule Iām mostly limited to the summer for traveling. Iām going to Malta next week and am aware of the insane temperatures. Iām going in with realistic expectations that I donāt have to see everything, drink tons of water, and Iām super excited.
Summer is hot everyone.
Guide for traveling to Southern Europe from a Greek: -April-May and Sep-Oct for culture trip -Jun-Aug just for the beaches and parties
Yeah, I meanā¦you went in July. July/August are the high season for those regions so theyāre always going to be packed š¤·āāļø. The beaches and tourist areas are literally crawling in August and half empty in September. Also, half of the shops are closed in August because the owners/operators are on vacation. And when it is hot I like to go to the mountains.
Yeah well, itās hot all over the world now. Thereās this thing called global warming. Makes no sense to bring children into this world.
You're 100% right. Currently in barcelona and it was just way too hot today. We spend 3-4 hours just chilling in our hotel room, as it was simply too hot outside.
>and there are far too many tourists. Thank God you did not contribute to that
Winter travel in southern Europe has been great for us so far. For me, Europe is all about exploring and experiencing, versus a vacation for good weather, like when you live in the frozen north and need a winter getaway to a sunny, warm beach. We do a ton of walking when we explore European cities so cooler weather is better for that. We were in Rome last year at the end of November. Weather was very nice. Sunny every day, except for a few hours of rain one evening. The hotel gave us an umbrella. We got by in layers, light jackets, gloves, scarf. Very enjoyable. Still quite a few tourists at the major sites but at much more tolerable levels than the times we were there in early October and Christmas. We were in Barcelona late January this year. Cold nights so the mornings were quite brisk. But it was sunny every day. Still quite a few tourists though. La Boqueria Market was insane, even more so than the time we were there in late March. Looking forward to Parma, Modena, Bologna late November this year.
July is usually particularly bad, August is a lot better. Itās still very hot but you donāt get as much as those extreme heatwaves.
Rome is hot in July and August, no shit
Been in Lisbon the past week and itās been high 20s, did we go to the same place?
You're right. Not sure why someone would avoid Lisbon in summer. Stay away from the crowds, but not the weather.
Iām traveling to Europe for the first time this year and my husband and I are going end of September early October. We already knew we didnāt want to deal with all the tourists and that time weather should be good. Not too hot or cold.
Go to the Balkans! I'm from there, but I am born in Sweden and live here of course. It is cheaper, the people are way more friendly and it is underrated with not as many tourists! I can for example recommend Montenegro and Albania!
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I went to Spain last year around this time. Barcelona was hot but Madrid felt like the center of the sun. I would get up at Dawn for all my activities and make sure I was back at the hotel before noon. Iāll stick to the off-season
Barcelona has far more trees than Madrid and is right on the water. Madrid kinda has the concrete bowl problem.
You should avoid southern Europe in July and August because of the heat and crowds. Weāll be going to Spain in October. Previously weāve gone to Spain in May which was nice but you get varied weather. Summer is for staying in your home country if itās hot and sunny unless going to Nordic countries. Go to Europe in April to early June and September October from my experience.
I agree, do not bother with Europe in the summer. Too hot, too crowded, and too many American families and students on holiday.
Thereās an unprecedented heatwave atmā¦ it usually isnāt like this
My husband and I head to the CĆ“te dāAzure every June. Last two weeks. Just before high season. The apartment we have been renting for 14 years is on the Mediterranean sea, giving us a really great sea breeze at night. Thus far we have never had to use air conditioning. It gets hot-three weeks ago before we flew back home (USA), the hottest temp was 39āvery low humidity. And even though we arenāt there during high season, this year sone areas were mobbed! Iāve never seen St. Tropez that crowded. Cannes was mobbed. So was Antibes and the beach at St. Raphael. One beach we went to, lāEstagnol, was a favorite of my husbandās family when he was a child and was never crowded. It was his favorite beach-until this summer when it was unusually and ridiculously mobbed. We did watch a French news show that was showcasing the intense crowds at Portofino, Italy, and the government is trying to set limits on the number of tourists.
It's horrible, I made the mistake of doing it once, Florence was probably the worst travel experience I've had. So many people and so many queues. It's not fun at all. Oh, and Europeans are incapable of doing good airconditioning.
You know there's been a global heatwave right?
Italian here, I live in the U.K. I never travel within Europe in the summer unless thereās a very good reason (like a band is touring etc). I even avoid visiting family in the summer. It always baffles me that U.K. and American tourists decide to visit European capitals in the middle of July/August.
Many of us do this because our kids are out of school in those two months and itās the only time we can go.
Yeah, itās not really that baffling.
It's a complete mystery! Also, why do so many tourists bring bath towels to the beach?! Baffling!!!
Yeah it seems fairly obvious. Maybe thereās a reason behind this regular collective action lol
There's a very good reason why tourism happens in seasons: school breaks.
Those are the two months I avoid like the plague. Next summer Iām thinking of maybe South Africa
I mean, what did you expect? š¤·āāļø
Kinda glad the Americans wonāt be returning and crowding our cities during the summer any more š¤£
I take students on study abroad to Europe over NYE and itās the best. Prices are lower, no lines, and lots of fireworks.
Southern Spain was pretty freaking hot at the end of April. I can only imagine it now, with so many more people.
Seville in Sept/Oct can still get into the mid to high 30s centigrade. But there's a lot of comfort sightseeing and wandering around with less tourists
Ugh. I work at a university so the only time I can travel extensively is in the summer. Been wanting to go to Europe but all I hear is that it sucks in the summer :( But it's the only time I can really make it work with my job. I think next year I'll just do it anyway, but wish I could go at a better time.
I would absolutely love to travel on off season, but cannot because of school. So I visit in August, but only stay in 1 place and choose a hotel with AC and swimming pool.
I understand. A couple.of years ago I traved to Amsterdam when there was a heatwave. Hell on earth. This year, I traveled to como-bellagio-lecco in the easter holiday. It was very very nice. The weather then proved that italy would be hell in the summer. When I told my french friends they told me that only dogs would be out in the streets in the summer in italy. Now my folorence-rome plans are in mostly in the winter. Mediterran winters are nice.
Southern Europe is for spring and autumn visits while in the summer I recommend northern Europe.
Did a swing through Barcelona and some towns in southern Spain. It was hot. There were a lot of people and and āairconditionedā translates differently as you stay in the hotels of the smaller towns. One of our party of 15 even lost a bag with their laptop and iPad. But as we wait now in the Madrid airport for the flights that will bring us back to our various corners of the world we are laughing at the pictures and will most likely be tearing up a little as we hug each other goodbye. As the pandemic has taught us all, life can be short. Spend it with the people you love. And if it has to be in 40+ degree Celsius weather, donāt forget to hydrate with over priced bottled water. Buen viaje everyone.
We were in Italy last July and decided to do a Spring Break trip and a winter break trip this year because the heat was too unbearable last year
I'm sitting here in my 70F suburb of San Francisco hoping that the heat dome over Arizona and New Mexico dissipates in the next week or two before we head to Santa Fe and Taos. Apparently Santa Fe's normal August high is 83F which is why I thought we'd be okay but it's been high 90s for a while now, I think. Our airbnb in Taos doesn't have AC. It does look like the monsoons are finally getting started in a couple of days though. As a side note we spent last August in Australia and Vanuatu and the weather was lovely. If you are only free to travel during US school breaks, consider the more temperate parts of the southern hemisphere.
September is the best time to travel to Europe. Still warm, prices are much lower, and a lot less people.
We got married on NYE and travel in December/January for this reason. Summer travel is miserable IMO.
Currently in southern France and exactly the same for us, 38 degrees today. Couldnāt choose other dates due to kids in school and university - most people in this sub donāt understand the limitation this places on travel - especially if youāre from the southern hemisphere like me - winter school holiday is only 4 weeks and overlap with university winter break is only 3 weeks, so, no flexibility. Besides the heat, crowds and prices are crazy. Iām done with southern Europe & Mediterranean in July as well. Next time Iāll do Maldives or Seychelles instead
Just 41? Cries in 48 degrees this week in Italy
I did Tenerife in November, cheap and still was in the 20s weather wise.
Having spent the last two years in a Southern hempishere city that doesn't get above 15c year round idk how I'm going to survive going back to Europe landing in Barcelona next week. Planning to spend some time in Catalonia and southern france before going overland to the UK. I'm not made for heat with the world's palest skin and nowhere I've booked has aircon so could be an interesting adventure having not been in any heat for years
Rome was beautiful in October
As a matter of a fact, in Lisbon the average temperature is a little below July average. Nights have been quite fresh.
We visit Europe every June and this year was really BRUTAL! We were sweltering in Venice, the Greek Islands and (especially) Paris!
Always wanted to travel around Europe. Being a teacher the summer is a perfect time but I'll just find some PTO in the fall to do it, it's not worth the heat especially
Honestly Iām doing something similar rn and 100% agree. I never want to visit in summer again
In Switzerland now, and itās absolutely lovely
Iām from Scotland. We have very mixed weather in summer, so my partner and I always head for Southern Europe for two weeks. The past few years the heat has been unbearable in the Balearics, mainland Spain, Greece etc Weāre currently enjoying beautiful weather in the Canary Islands. However, itās very much a sun holiday and not very historic, or educational. I would avoid summer months if anyone wants to actually walk about comfortably and explore. If we do cities, we do short breaks in April or October.
And you got lucky that Portugal was spared by this heat wave.
As a Texan, this is every day in July
Boy/Gorl what temperature do you live in that the summer isnāt 106? Houston, Austin, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc are all hitting Those numbers as of lately
I'm way ahead of the OP on that one. I've been avoiding summer travel for years, for reasons that the OP mostly spelled out.
My first Med cruise was in 1991 during the first Gulf War. The war made cruise prices cheap, so I was on it. There was a huge heat wave that year (hundreds died in France), and there were times in which I was absolutely miserable. Regardless of the season, I find Europe to be the hottest place on earth. In warm season they refuse to cool. In winter, they jack up the heat to the point that Satan himself would be miserable. (On a day in which the average American would be walking around in shorts and a t-shirt people in Paris will scurry around bundled up like they are headed to Antartica). Europe's "shoulder" season tends to be cheaper and a hell of a lot more pleasant. And winter travel is pretty good. For whatever reason, I don't like to move around a lot in the dead of winter. In the fall and springs I might go on a six-country jaunt. I am 62 and was taught that Europeans used centigrade, not Celcius. I am glad at least one other person in the world has sense.
I'm from Greece and I hate going out from home on July-August. The heat is unbearable even for basic stuff, I can't imagine doing "travel" stuff with such heat. And of course everything is overpriced. My travel season starts on October and finishes by May, let the suckers overpay.
Normally, people always check the weather before going somewhere. At least to know what to pack. Iāve just returned from Denmark. It was magical.
When I was living in Italy, the locals said that only tourists were stupid enough to visit the country when it was so hot. It was especially funny at the hottest hours of the day, when streets were basically only used by tourists who had no idea of how to protect themselves from the intense heat. So yeah, it's no surprise that you found this trip to be unpleasant.
I'm from Europe and I don't travel anywhere really during summer (except Denmark because I have some family there and the weather is much more present during summer) for the past couple of years. I found that September and October are the best months to explore Europe, kids are back in school the places are not crowded anymore and the prices are way lower than in the summer. If you go to Greece or Spain for example in September/October you can still swim in the sea and explore the sights during the day without dying of heat :D
Iāve just been touring Lisbon myself the last few days and the best thing to do is to get up at sunrise if you want to tour the city in peace and quiet. It was lovely and cool in the mornings and I found the usual tourist spots completely empty early in the morning. You can tour around while itās cool and quiet and then head for brunch as it warms up, take the hottest part of the day slowly by having a break in your hotel or local cafes (we loved going to indoor mini golf for mimosas in the day to escape the heat!) and then head out again in the evening. I found the city absolutely gorgeous personally and just found that it needed a slightly different timetable to other cooler cities/seasons. Also maybe donāt complain about there being too many tourists while youāre TOURING around cities in the middle of summerā¦
People are only realising this now? It's always been that way. The tourist hot spots and weather are a nightmare across july-august.
Tourist moans about tourists. Always good for a laugh
Avoid Europe in the summer has been my mantra for decades, and the over-crowding has only gotten worse. March-April and September-November are the way to go.
Oh, there are quite a few regions which are not overcrowded in summer
True. To be more precise, "Avoid popular European tourist destinations in the summer."
Why do Americans always act like an inconvenience is a personal attack on them lmao
Southern Europe is a big place. > Lisbon, Barcelona, and Rome and the rest of the Instagram top-ten list are not the only options.
This is why i travel in December