Non-Crowded Europe in Mid-July
 

What are some reasonably inexpensive cities in Western Europe that are not completely filled with tourists in July? Also, it would be a bonus if they're not hot, but I'm from Texas, so when I say "not hot," I mean under 95.

I have visited Berlin five times (in July). Not very crowded.

Munich
Turin

The locals will mainly be on the beach.

Many northern Europeans have vacations in July and in August - and as BritCaicos says many go to warmer seaside areas like Spain or southern France or Greece, etc. Pretty much any town north of the Alps will not be overloaded with tourists save a few IME - Prague, Bruges, Amsterdam, Paris of course are some but most not a mad rush like in Italy.

Your questions are not possible to answer with any accuracy because other than "not hot" you phrased them with generalities that lack universal definition. Texas cities are spread out with population densities far below European cities with similar(ish) populations (e.g., Dallas v. Napoli, San Antonio v. Barcelona, Houston v. Milan). What danon says is "not very crowded" to you could be a mob scene.

In all likelihood, there is no major European city that will NOT feel crowded to you. The notion that the locals all bugger off on vacation is a false trope. July is the height of the tourist season so "completely filled with tourists" is a similarly meaningless concept.

You also need to state what you're looking to pay for whatever you're wanting to do, including the nightly lodging budget. Any city is "reasonably inexpensive" if you adjust your standards and wants to accommodate what you're willing to shell out. If you think inexpensive is $200/night lodging you have more options than if inexpensive is $75/night lodging.

As for "hot" - there isn't a city in Scandinavia, the UK, Benelux or Ireland that would be close to your definition. Most places north of Rome, just on latitudinal basis, will not be hot. Ditto for coastal cities (not Athens) in western Europe. Madrid and Seville do not fit that bill.

I would stick with north of the Alps - and probably plan a road trip in Germany or Benelux. High temps are possible but not common - and many places are not mobbed (as would beaches and major cities in Italy and Spain).

But don;t know what you mean by not mobbed. Living in NYC I think most places in europe are not really mobbed (barring Venice St Mark's or similar). The only thing I have found close to Macy's at Christmas is downtown Cairo.

My fave places with minimal ugly tourist hordes:

Italy - Turin, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, San Remo, Sta. Margherita Ligure, Camogli (in the last three, the tourists tend to be Italian, so it doesn't seem like mass tourism).

Belgium - Leuven, Mechelen, Namur, Ghent (Ghent is pretty well visited, but it's not swamped like Brugge)

France: Dijon, Lyon, driving around Provence, Strasbourg is busy but still really nice

UK: Glasgow, Manchester

Germany: small towns with nice centers - - a guidebook like Rough Guide and a car will help

Munich? In July? Not a lot of visitors? I'm sorry, but that has not been our experience and since we WERE visitors as the OP will be, I guess we were "part of the problem."

Were we bothered by the presence of others? No and did not allow ourselves to be. I understand the "difficulty" when you visit a place which seems somehow "mobbed" such as a particular popular (and for obvious reasons) site. But to ask about a CITY???

I think this requires a certain amount of self-discipline in terms of the "bothered" part but to each their own opinion.

Here's an easy way to find the less-crowded cities. First get an all-Europe guidebook and go to the chapter for the country you want to visit. Write down the names of all the cities in the chapter. Next, get a guidebook from the same series specifically for the country you want to visit, and make a list of the cities that are not on the first list.

I though Munich seemed pretty crowded in June, let alone July.

Less crowded cities are less crowded for good reason - there may not be much to do - no world-class museums or famous cathedrals or ancient alleyways - cities are crowded with tourists for a reason. Yeh you can go to un-touristed cities and that is fine - but many would be bored stiff.

<<Less crowded cities are less crowded for good reason - there may not be much to do - no world-class museums or famous cathedrals or ancient alleyways - cities are crowded with tourists for a reason. Yeh you can go to un-touristed cities and that is fine - but many would be bored stiff.>>

There's much truth in this. Nashville and El Paso are nearly the same size; ditto Anaheim and Bakersfield. In each example, the former will have many more tourists.

>>>>>Less crowded cities are less crowded for good reason

Disagree completely. Rick Steves has killed some places, and other major infestations (read: Rue du Rosiers in Paris or the Eiffel Tower or Sacre Couer; anywhere in Florence; the entire center of Rome - - the list is endless) are utterly DEFACED by the tourist masses - - your experience of those classic places will BE the experience of thousands upon thousands of tourists, clogged access streets, and endless tourist traps on the way in and out. The restaurants? Jaded fleece asylums. Seriously - - there are delightful places off the beaten path that have total charm and total class - - you just have to think outside the McDonalds Big Mac carton.