Wildfires and extreme heat in Europe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i can't imagine why anyone would go to Europe in the summer unless they absolutely had to.

Yet most Americans go in the summer. Even 20 years ago, Rome was populated with Americans in July. Europeans go over Easter break.

[Anonymous]

I am currently in France and was in Antibes/Nice and it was HOT and humid. It was still fun but you just needed to stay near the beach to do a quick dip. I wouldn’t go inland in hot places like that where i wasn’t swimming and able to cool off. I hiked down from Eze to Eze-sur-mer to catch the train and without the beach RIGHT there, I would have been miserable!

I found cassis, France to be MUCH cooler, less humid and the water was COLD. It reminded me of the water in Portugal or Maine.It was delightful. I wouldn’t recommend it at all, just don’t come lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s extremely hot where I am so why not be somewhere like Europe.

Same, but the last thing I need in the summer is more heat, lol! I am thinking about more Northern destinations for next year. Had planned Sardinia but am rethinking it.

It’s all YMMV but my family in
North Central Europe report miserable heat there as well. I was there during a drought and high temps summer many years ago. It was miserable. Keep in mind that central AC is not nearly as common as it is here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i can't imagine why anyone would go to Europe in the summer unless they absolutely had to.

Yet most Americans go in the summer. Even 20 years ago, Rome was populated with Americans in July. Europeans go over Easter break.

I mean I think most Americans go in the summer because they do HAVE to. It is often the time of year people can get a long time off. For what it is worth, I only chose to go to certain parts of Europe during Spring break because there is zero way I would willingly choose a vacation that involved walking and have it be hot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s extremely hot where I am so why not be somewhere like Europe.

Same, but the last thing I need in the summer is more heat, lol! I am thinking about more Northern destinations for next year. Had planned Sardinia but am rethinking it.

You can go to South America or Australia/ New Zealand where it’s winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i can't imagine why anyone would go to Europe in the summer unless they absolutely had to.

Yet most Americans go in the summer. Even 20 years ago, Rome was populated with Americans in July. Europeans go over Easter break.

I mean I think most Americans go in the summer because they do HAVE to. It is often the time of year people can get a long time off. For what it is worth, I only chose to go to certain parts of Europe during Spring break because there is zero way I would willingly choose a vacation that involved walking and have it be hot.

I think school calendars greatly impact summer as the only option for a length of time to visit Europe. However, as our family does, we will always choose as early in June to do so, before crowds/weather gets super hot. I think it's very (totally) possible to plan it so that you do it this way. Why people do not and instead choose the hottest months to go to Europe esp when most Europeans are on holiday themselves has always baffled me. I mean, don't complain if you go in late July. Of course it'll be hot as hell as crowded. Then don't go? Everything is not a totally don't go, or totally go situation. Pick and choose the times that are ideal to go during an unfavorable time - you can still be fine. There is still some effort that needs to go into planning. You simply can't just put no effort in and then complain about your holiday!

[Anonymous]

^ I also think to choose to go to a certain location only based on weather is silly. You can choose to go somewhere you like in an ideal season - that's different. We enjoy the culture of W Europe, specifically by the Med - Spain/Italy - unfortunately it gets super hot in summer there v going to the N countries like Scandinavia. Now we need to be smart and plan accordingly but to just say we hate hot weather so we're going to holiday where it's cool - that's silly. Go see a place because you want to see a place. We typically go to Mexico in the winter and Canada in the summer - ideal weather scenarios. But it's because we like Mex/Can. We don't go travel to places unless we really enjoy it there. There are way too many beautiful and interesting places to go that appeal - don't choose based on weather!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s extremely hot where I am so why not be somewhere like Europe.

Same, but the last thing I need in the summer is more heat, lol! I am thinking about more Northern destinations for next year. Had planned Sardinia but am rethinking it.

You can go to South America or Australia/ New Zealand where it’s winter.

I’m in Brisbane, Australia where it’s 71F today and gets to 76F on Saturday. ‘Winter’ down under.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes
The extreme heat and wildfires that Europe has been experiencing during the summer months have really made me rethink summer vacations. I'm a teacher, so I can only travel during the summer and I think I've decided to put off a trip to Italy until after I retire.

Go right after school ends. June is fine. I was in Sicily in mid to late June and weather was wonderful and perfect.

We also go after the school lets out. June is better than July or August. During the elementary years, we pulled DC out school on the last week of school.

June is rainy season in many parts of the world, but it's doable. It tends to be cooler due to overcast skies and some intermittent rain. We found that it never rains all day and make do by carrying an umbrella for stray showers. Cloudy days tend to drive down the temperature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i can't imagine why anyone would go to Europe in the summer unless they absolutely had to.

Yet most Americans go in the summer. Even 20 years ago, Rome was populated with Americans in July. Europeans go over Easter break.

I mean I think most Americans go in the summer because they do HAVE to. It is often the time of year people can get a long time off. For what it is worth, I only chose to go to certain parts of Europe during Spring break because there is zero way I would willingly choose a vacation that involved walking and have it be hot.

I think school calendars greatly impact summer as the only option for a length of time to visit Europe. However, as our family does, we will always choose as early in June to do so, before crowds/weather gets super hot. I think it's very (totally) possible to plan it so that you do it this way. Why people do not and instead choose the hottest months to go to Europe esp when most Europeans are on holiday themselves has always baffled me. I mean, don't complain if you go in late July. Of course it'll be hot as hell as crowded. Then don't go? Everything is not a totally don't go, or totally go situation. Pick and choose the times that are ideal to go during an unfavorable time - you can still be fine. There is still some effort that needs to go into planning. You simply can't just put no effort in and then complain about your holiday!

This has been explained many times- a lot of people may have a pretty short window where camp weeks and work slow time line up. It can be difficult to line up everyone's schedule for a 2 week vacation. Not surprising or baffling that that time period can often be in late July or into August.

What I find baffling- why it's so hard to imagine that other people may have similar things they want to do, but have different priorities or constraints that may end up with different decision-making than yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am currently in France and was in Antibes/Nice and it was HOT and humid. It was still fun but you just needed to stay near the beach to do a quick dip. I wouldn’t go inland in hot places like that where i wasn’t swimming and able to cool off. I hiked down from Eze to Eze-sur-mer to catch the train and without the beach RIGHT there, I would have been miserable!

I found cassis, France to be MUCH cooler, less humid and the water was COLD. It reminded me of the water in Portugal or Maine.It was delightful. I wouldn’t recommend it at all, just don’t come lol.

I’m going to cassis next month…how was it???!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s extremely hot where I am so why not be somewhere like Europe.

Same, but the last thing I need in the summer is more heat, lol! I am thinking about more Northern destinations for next year. Had planned Sardinia but am rethinking it.

You can go to South America or Australia/ New Zealand where it’s winter.

I’m in Brisbane, Australia where it’s 71F today and gets to 76F on Saturday. ‘Winter’ down under.

Hi! I’m also in Brisbane… small world. Didn’t think there were any Australians on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s extremely hot where I am so why not be somewhere like Europe.

Same, but the last thing I need in the summer is more heat, lol! I am thinking about more Northern destinations for next year. Had planned Sardinia but am rethinking it.

You can go to South America or Australia/ New Zealand where it’s winter.

I’m in Brisbane, Australia where it’s 71F today and gets to 76F on Saturday. ‘Winter’ down under.

Hi! I’m also in Brisbane… small world. Didn’t think there were any Australians on this forum.

I’m a D.C.-based Aussie. Have to say Queensland winters are lovely.

[Anonymous]

Switzerland has been much cooler- low 60s, walking around with light jacket.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely the heat deters me from planning europe in the summer. I am not spending a week in 110 temperatures in Rome with crowds, no AC, and barely any access to ice and water. My kids would be miserable which would double my pain. We will only go to Europe in late spring or fall now. The heat is not going to abate anytime soon as the sun is in a maximum energy phase so each summer will be hotter than the last and the infrastructure isn’t there yet to make it tolerable.