anna99

We are based in England, usually holiday in Cornwall, but would like it a bit warmer and not so grey. Cant really cope with the heat either, so where do we go?

We were thinking to drive to somewhere in France, but the climate seems to vary so much, I am quite confused...

Other thoughts were to fly to Munich and drive from there to Austria (summer trails supposed to be very kid friendly). Flying to Munich, and car hire from there is not too expensive, and is offset by the cheaper rentals.

Driving from England will be cheaper, and more straight forward, but where to go?

flanneruk

This nonsense about England being "grey" in August is your downfall.

NW France has a virtually identical climate: totally unpredictable (but, like England, practically never grey in August). Most of inland France is uncomfortably hot in August. Maritime Southern France - both the SW Atlantic coast and its immediate interior, and the SE Mediterranean littoral and hinterland - can get horridly hot, but the breezes usually chill, especially in the SW.

If you're sensible enough to hate hot weather, the SW Atlantic coast of France is (just) driveable from SE England in a day (though it's easier to overnight somewhere clammily hot en route) and easily liveable in.

The German-speaking hilly bits of Europe (which include the German-speaking parts of NE Italy centred on Bolzano) are fine for people who aren't deluded by the imbecilic hot weather obsession that dominates most of the sillier postings on this forum, but are all about walking. So, in August, is the Baltic: SE Sweden, Gotland (Enid Blyton territory if the old biddy had ever grasped there's a world outside England) and Oland (driveable in a few hours, without having to get a ferry, from Copenhagen). Both Oland and Gotland are supremely bike-friendly.

But there's an old Seventies rock anthem: "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". None of these places look one millionth as nice as England in the summer.