Summer vacation in Europe where it is not too hot

[Anonymous]

Edinburgh has a high of 65 this week (and no rain!)

[Anonymous]

Estonia is supposed to be beautiful!!

[Anonymous]

Scandinavia is probably your best bet. Maybe Scotland. Southern Europe is usually hot in summer and heat waves have been hitting Central Europe for past decade or more. We lived five years in Austria - “normal” summer weather was delightful but also extremes including gray/cold/rainy and hot/humid/100+ degrees in a country with very little a/c.

Sweden usually delightful in summer (if not cool and rainy). Everything else is a crapshoot. We made summer season trips to France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Belgium, and Netherlands and all were hot. Sweden was not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're close enough to France or Netherlands, both of which will be cooler in certain areas. I once woke up in Colmar, France in July to 45 feegree weather and had to purchase a coat.

What kind of vacation do you want? City, beach, countryside?

France has already had record-breaking heat this year. It will not be cool this summer.

[Anonymous]

Scandinavia, Ireland or Scotland. It was 113 degrees in France this week. Most of the continent is an oven.

[Anonymous]

I live in Lisbon. Summers really aren’t bad in Portugal *if you stay on the coast*. Inland for most of the Iberian peninsula is an inferno, but on the coast, our normal is in the low to mid 80’s for July & August. There are heat waves occasionally, but I only bother to turn on AC 5-6 days per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Lisbon. Summers really aren’t bad in Portugal *if you stay on the coast*. Inland for most of the Iberian peninsula is an inferno, but on the coast, our normal is in the low to mid 80’s for July & August. There are heat waves occasionally, but I only bother to turn on AC 5-6 days per year.

OP here, can you recommend any nice beaches around that are kids friendly, not too crowded and affordable? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're close enough to France or Netherlands, both of which will be cooler in certain areas. I once woke up in Colmar, France in July to 45 feegree weather and had to purchase a coat.

What kind of vacation do you want? City, beach, countryside?

OP, we prefer beaches, because the first week will be mostly city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Lisbon. Summers really aren’t bad in Portugal *if you stay on the coast*. Inland for most of the Iberian peninsula is an inferno, but on the coast, our normal is in the low to mid 80’s for July & August. There are heat waves occasionally, but I only bother to turn on AC 5-6 days per year.

OP here, can you recommend any nice beaches around that are kids friendly, not too crowded and affordable? Thanks

There are a dozen beaches on the linha (train line) between Lisbon & Cascais - the only one I’d avoid with little kids is Carcavelos, only because they have surfing lessons there and the waves don’t catch until they are close in, so a lot of surfing beginners. Oeiras has a salt-water swimming pool right next to the beach itself. The frequent train takes ~30m between the two end points, so you could stay anywhere and have reasonable access to beaches without driving. Cascais is a little more family-friendly than Lisbon, but there are a lot of housing rental/hotel options in both.

For a dedicated beach town, take a look at the following:

Comporta is very pretty - it gets less crowded the further south along the water you walk. Gentle waves.

Tavira and other Algarve towns toward the Eastern section (closer to Spain).

To the north of Lisbon is a lovely little town called Ericeira. When there are heat spikes, we take a day trip to this place because it is always cool and breezy on the cliffs.

[Anonymous]

I live near the Germany/Nederland border.
I would never recommend Amsterdam in the summer to anyone.

During the heat wave (we have no airco), I go to Denmark (usually Rømø) or Sweden.

[Anonymous]

London can be bad but it’s usually only one day. Take this latest heat wave for example. It got up to 90-93 maybe on Saturday. But since then—back to low 70s as highs. And this is still a heat wave for us. About two weeks ago we had highs in the low 60s.

The coasts in Europe are the same. It’s rare to jet above 80 degrees. That is not hot. There is usually not much humidity. And you are on the beach so you are usually just begging for sunshine. I think a coast or lake or somewhere alpine is perfectly pleasant in the summer. There is no need to go up to Scandinavia.

[Anonymous]

It's highly variable as to how hot it will be in July/August. You could have a heatwave, or you could have very mild weather.

What about Northern France? Wonderful beaches in Normandy and Brittany. Great seafood too. Look around St. Malo. Charming town. You can combine this with visits to Mont St. Michel and the D-Day battlefields and the American Military Cemetery (which really moved me in a way I never expected).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ireland, England, Scotland

Nope. I'm in London, and it was 90 today. British buildings are not generally made for the high temperatures we had last summer and are going to have this summer, and it is hideous. Last summer I had some visiting family members stay at a nice hotel because my house has no AC, and...the hotel's AC broke because it couldn't handle the sweltering temperature.

Maybe Scotland or Ireland.

Cornwall, Devon, Costwolds in England will be ok temp in July. No to Dorset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Lisbon. Summers really aren’t bad in Portugal *if you stay on the coast*. Inland for most of the Iberian peninsula is an inferno, but on the coast, our normal is in the low to mid 80’s for July & August. There are heat waves occasionally, but I only bother to turn on AC 5-6 days per year.

OP here, can you recommend any nice beaches around that are kids friendly, not too crowded and affordable? Thanks

There are a dozen beaches on the linha (train line) between Lisbon & Cascais - the only one I’d avoid with little kids is Carcavelos, only because they have surfing lessons there and the waves don’t catch until they are close in, so a lot of surfing beginners. Oeiras has a salt-water swimming pool right next to the beach itself. The frequent train takes ~30m between the two end points, so you could stay anywhere and have reasonable access to beaches without driving. Cascais is a little more family-friendly than Lisbon, but there are a lot of housing rental/hotel options in both.

For a dedicated beach town, take a look at the following:

Comporta is very pretty - it gets less crowded the further south along the water you walk. Gentle waves.

Op Here, thank you so much

Tavira and other Algarve towns toward the Eastern section (closer to Spain).

To the north of Lisbon is a lovely little town called Ericeira. When there are heat spikes, we take a day trip to this place because it is always cool and breezy on the cliffs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Lisbon. Summers really aren’t bad in Portugal *if you stay on the coast*. Inland for most of the Iberian peninsula is an inferno, but on the coast, our normal is in the low to mid 80’s for July & August. There are heat waves occasionally, but I only bother to turn on AC 5-6 days per year.

OP here, can you recommend any nice beaches around that are kids friendly, not too crowded and affordable? Thanks

There are a dozen beaches on the linha (train line) between Lisbon & Cascais - the only one I’d avoid with little kids is Carcavelos, only because they have surfing lessons there and the waves don’t catch until they are close in, so a lot of surfing beginners. Oeiras has a salt-water swimming pool right next to the beach itself. The frequent train takes ~30m between the two end points, so you could stay anywhere and have reasonable access to beaches without driving. Cascais is a little more family-friendly than Lisbon, but there are a lot of housing rental/hotel options in both.

For a dedicated beach town, take a look at the following:

Comporta is very pretty - it gets less crowded the further south along the water you walk. Gentle waves.

Tavira and other Algarve towns toward the Eastern section (closer to Spain).

To the north of Lisbon is a lovely little town called Ericeira. When there are heat spikes, we take a day trip to this place because it is always cool and breezy on the cliffs.

Op Here, thank you so much .