Perhaps a naive question, but I know that August is the month when a good deal of Europe goes on holiday and that there's little left to do in the cities besides tourist traps. I'm going to be travelling during July and August and am trying to plan a route; was wondering which are the good countries to visit in August and which I should get out of the way in July? Thanks for any help!
Reply to this I don't think this should be a concern at all. Things will be open in August.
Reply to this Hello Sara 😊
People here in Munich where I live seem to disappear to someplace else for August.
In Ireland where I am originally from, the traditional package holiday to Spain or wherever happens in the first 2 weeks in August.
Mel
Reply to this Avoid southern France on Bastille weekend (the weekend of July 14th). The beaches before then are fairly empty, and just fill up from mid-July until by August 1st, you are rubbing elbows with the way-too-tan guy next to you. Paris is like a ghost town in August...but there is plenty of space to sun-tan on the lawns below the Eiffel Tower! Or if you're missing the beach, they used to put sand and palm trees and deck chairs lining the river, as if to comfort those Parisiens who couldn't get away for August. 😊
August 1st is Swiss National Day...go check out the fireworks! It's an awesome day to be in Switzerland. Our family tradition was to climb a hill to watch all of the private fireworks exploding in the valley below after a bbq dinner of cervelat's (Swiss sausages). And of course setting off our own that we had bought that morning. 😊
Reply to this In general, August is a holiday season in central and southern Europe. In the Nordic Countries the the holiday season is june-July and the schools start in the middle of August.
For example travelling by car end of July, early August and the last days of August is not so nice, if you are trying to cover great distances.
For example in Spain, August changes everything. The beaches are full, the tourist resorts are crowded (Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca), the restaurants are too busy, the prices are higher. Many spaniards are trying to avoid the mass tourism by travelling to the northern coast of Spain themselves.
This year might be different though, thanks to the crisis.
If I was travelling in Europe in July and August, I would start from south and head to the northern part in August.
Reply to this Agree with walksntalks. My favorite destination is Greece, but I would never go in July or August--it is overcrowded with English, Germans, and all those other Europeans taking off. Try Finland and a train into St. Petersburg. The benefit of visiting the Nordic countries is the long summer days--you can stay up practically all night and it is just like day.
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