cordelia

Wew are trying to plan a two week trip to Europe in August. Our first coice was Italy but I have reas a lot of negative feedback about heading there in August.
Please help....
Is there anywhere else in Europe to avoid in August (please be specific on why)

Or does anyone have any suggstion of what regions are great to visit that time of year. August is our only option.

We are look at taor uoptions (Tauck Tours)

THANKS!

WillTravel

Scandinavia would be great.

earl30

read my lips: norway!

earl30

I guess I said that wrong. I meant go to Norway, don't avoid it.

isabel

Why is it you want to avoid Italy in August? Crowds, heat, what? I know many people suggest other months as better weather (cooler) but if August is your only choice, do you really want to forgo Italy? People all over Europe tend to take August vacations so in many places there will be crowds, and in some places some locally owned and operated businesses will be closed. That is the case for most of Europe, not just Italy. But the touristy places are crowded from mid spring to mid fall and if you avoid that whole half of the year then you are left with the half of the year that tends to have dark, cold, rainly weather.

I would decide where you really want to go and then go. Weather is so iffy that you never know what you'll get. Unless you absolutely hate hot weather in which case you'd be best off going somewhere very far north, like Scandinavia. England is usually less hot than places like Italy and Spain but last August I was in London and it was 100 degrees! (all time record - and not much is air conditioned in England). I can also only do an extended vacation in July or August and finially decided to just go where I wanted and not worry about how hot, crowded, etc. it was and I have not been sorry.

Capt_Canuck

Our first trip to Italy was during August...in some of the smaller Tuscan towns there were some closures (e.g our laundromat!) and since then we have visited there in July. That said, if you have never been to Italy, and can only go on a trip in August, I would still go. Yes, it's warm (but so is July!) so plan accordingly with your accommodation and be ready for a few closures. We still enjoyed Florence, smaller areas of Tuscany, Siena, San Giminagno, and more.

swalter518

On the same trip I talked about in your previous post, we also visited PAris and Salzburg and both these places were fully opened and not too crowded.

WillTravel

I'm a little nervous about going to Paris in July, but this will probably be the last trip I make with my son for some years, so it was now or never! Thanks for the encouragement swalter and isabel about just going.

bobthenavigator

The Alps--including the Dolomites of Italy.

bobthenavigator

Opps ! I meant go there--not avoid it.

ira

Hi Cordelia,

Just because it will be hot and crowded is not reason you shouldn't go to Italy.

Other places: All of the Scandinavian countries, any mountainous region, the sea shore.

sheila

Don't go to Edinburgh- the Festival makes it a permanent party with thousands of people you've never met before and will never meet again.

OTOH, the outer Isles and Orkney are splendid at that time of year

rex

I agree with the Alps
(as being places NOT to avoid) - - that gives you at least, what... six countries? eight? (I'm not sure where you stop counting... Czech Republic? Poland? Slovakia? Slovenia?)

Best wishes,

Rex

cordelia

WOW!

Thanks for all you fast responses. The heat (In Italy) was not an issue for us. I guess I just heard a lot of chatter about restaurants and shops being closed. I don't only want to experience the tourist restaurants which I know often cater to Americans with regards to food choices. I was there once before and all I got served in the "touristy" retaurants was chicken.....chicken....and more chicken. I know we will would be a on a tour and therefore experience mostly touristy restaurants - but would we still be able to escape the tour and dine in some small, cozy restaurants and experience the local flavor?

Thanks!

cordelia

Wow - just read my original post...sorry about the typos - I was in a rush (aren't we all.......)!!!

swalter518

I haven't taken a tour so I can't speak to that and I know I'm contradicting alot of people here but I would really advise against Italy in August. Since that trip I've been back at other times of the year and I can't stress how different and how much more "authentic" it felt. One thing you may do, which we did for a few trips, was find out the tour route from the operators and plan our own trip around some of those stops. We've done this with a few Rick Steves tour routes and made our own tweaks and loved those trips.

padbrasher

I would avoid Paris in August...was there in 1998 & 2001 and it was too hot to enjoy...temps well into the 90's. Even our air-conditioned room at the Lutetia was barely comfortable at night. I can only imagine what last summer was like there!
By contrast, we enjoyed perfect weather in Munich, the Black Forest, Lucerne and Zermatt in August 2001. Sunny, dry and never warmer than 75. Wonderful weather for walking, hiking, biking and swimming.

nytraveler

Avoid Spain in August at all costs - except for the Atlantic coast it is way too hot to do anything at all. (Frequently over 100 in the south and even in the north the roads melt.)

ira

Hi Cordelia,

Is there a reason that you want to take a tour?

I think that you will enjoy your trip more if you plan it yourself.

We can help.

JonJon

It really is unfortunate that you were unable to separate the "chatter" you heard about shops and so forth being closed from the reality of things.
I've been to both Spain and Italy in August and yes, both plceas can get hot but that isn't your issue...and since Spain, in particular is the number one destination for folks from the UK in the August "holiday" time frame most things were wide OPEN when I was there..and the same for Italy for the most part. That said, there's nothing as bad as something that is "not so bad" and there's nothing worse than your second choice in destinations.
I think you need to disregard the idle chatter often found here, stick to what is real, and go for your FIRST choice...the few places that will be closed you wouldn't want to visit anyway.