missypie

We have three kids and travel when the school calendar allows. We left for Italy as soon as school was out (May 27th) and had very cool temperatures (actually too cool). Last Sunday we talked to an older lady in our church choir who had just returned from a Rome/Florence/Venice trip. She hated it - esp. Venice - because it was so hot. It was all I could do to keep from asking her "Why in the WORLD did you - who can travel any month of the year - choose to travel to Italy in mid-July?"

Do you think that people get so "summer vacation" oriented when they are raising their kids that they simply don't know that summer isn't necesasrly the best time to visit lots of locations?

jules4je7

Maybe they're insane.

I actually block out June-August for travel specifically because a) it's too darn hot, and 2) the rates are higher and 3) It's easier to travel when all the people with kids are safely back in the USA and out of my way.

I can't imagine going to Europe in the height of summer -- unless it was the only time I could go. Both times I've been so far have been in September & October. My next trip I hope to go in late April.

Happy travels.

Jules

dickv2

Don't blame Venice is the weather is hot
at a time you have choosen...It makes sense to pick your destinations relative to the weather that will occurr
during your visit. July and August are
not ideal unless you really enjoy the
heat. Probably Switzerland and Austria
would be better choices for this time and also that if other schedules limit
also might look at your longer weekends,
that can allow you to visit specific
cities in more acceptable weather but
for shorter time periods. Richard of LaGrange Park, IL.

suze

Why didn't you ask her? Seriously, I mean in a kind why. Like to mention maybe she could have enjoyed Italy more in the spring or fall when it wasn't so darn hot.

missypie

Suze, at the time, there wasn't a good moment to interrupt her rant (although we did sneak in what cool weather we had in May). Maybe later on we can mention how envious we are that she can travel at any time of the year and see what she has to say to that!

Celticharper

We're forced to travel to France in the height of the heat in order to see the Tour de France. Other than that special event we travel in the late fall or early spring.

I much prefer the weather, the lack of crowds and the generally more relaxed manner of the locals, everyone on both sides of the equation has a better time I think.

I love it when we can travel without having to "take a number" in order to see a specific site.

My next dream vacation is Ireland in October. Which year is the question.

L84SKY

It never occurs to me to travel during the summer. I have a friend who loves to travel anytime and she is semi-retired so she travels when the mood strikes her. What a blessing!

Margo_Chester

I would imagine she just didn't know any better, and I don't mean that in an unkind way. Some don't do all the necessary research, or may rely on an TA who might only casually mention that it is hot at that time, and if she didin’t join in the discussions here (or at least lurk), she missed a lot of great advice (including to choose another month to visit)

carylspall

Each to his own!
I know what you mean- I couldnt bear it myself
BUT if everyone wanted to go in the other months and nobody went in July and August, wouldnt prices soar up!
Lets encourage these sun-hardy folks!

Celticharper

I think you are correct Margo.

A lot of people think that attractions and museums are only open in the "High season" and that means July & August to them.

While many places do have altered hours other times of the year, those who don't travel often may not realize just about everything is still available to them, so unless they are doing a tour of gardens they can visit pretty much anytime.

willit

Maybe the went abroad in summer to avoid being "invaded" by their children and Grandkids ?

Neopolitan

Maybe they're like this retired person. I live in south Florida. Do you think I'm going to leave here in the middle of the beautiful weather we have from November to April and go where it is probably cold, wet, and dismal? No. We leave here to escape the Florida summer.

dorkforcemom

I'm with you, Missypie! We never plan vacations during July & August due to dorkforcedad's work; however, when all our neighbors and friends leave Texas to escape this insufferable heat, I admit I'm a bit jealous. I sure would do my homework, though, about what the weather is like at my destination!

missypie

Dorkfocemom, are your kids in public schools? The legislature has mandated a last Monday in August school start date, which will lead to school getting out later in June. It really irritates me that we will be forced to take vacations in the hottest part of the summer! Let's see....Canada, Scandanavia...where else?

wombat7

missiepie - check out the temp before you plan a summer vacation to the "great white north". Depends where you go but Toronto, for example, is hotter than Rome at the moment

dorkforcemom

Missypie - I'm past the "school-age" kids part of life. Our son just graduated from college, started his new job, and is in Chile for 2 weeks on his first work-related endeavor. It'll be interesting to see how the changes in school start/ending dates affect family vacations, camps, summer schools during the next few years.

KT

Maybe she was travelling with relatives who have school kids. Maybe she has other obligations. Maybe she'd just gone through a bad time and wanted to get away. Maybe she was with a friend who picked the dates. Who knows? (Except her.)

Myer

Ok. I'll go the other way.

First, we live in South Florida so summer here, summer there....

I like to travel in June for the longest days and just before the July/August crowds.

We were in Prague the first few days of June this year and it was COLD. We were in Europe for "the changing of season from winter straight to summer" this year (the first half of June).

In Brugge and Amsterdam it was probably a bit too hot for walking around.

So, the negative of too cold versus the negative of too hot?

When it's too cold it's not very enjoyable. When it's too hot you just stop often to refresh and walk slowly.

I'll take too hot over too cold any day.

Christina

As said, there could have been lots of reasons why she chose those dates, but I think a lot of people just don't know how to even check the temperature in other places and somehow don't have a good grasp of geography. Or just don't think about it. I've noticed that phenomenon on here, where people sometimes have the idea that as long as it's far away from home, somehow the weather will be great. For example, a lot of people talk about wanting to go someplace warm in winter, and start inquiring about where in Northern Europe should they go. Why they think Europe is like a tropical vacation, even Italy, in winter, always surprises me. I wonder if they've looked at a map.

I just had a friend who went on a package tour to Egypt in early July. Talk about nuts. I was there in October, and it was in the 90s down in Luxor. And he was mainly going to be in Luxor and places down there, not even Cairo. He went with a cousin who insisted on going then as she was a teacher. Now, this guy was not dumb, in fact has traveled a bit and is a geophysicist. So, he complains about how hot it was (mainly 45-50 centrigrade, really really hot) and how his cousin didn't even want to do much because the heat was too opressing.

What a surprise. So, I said -- well, didn't you check the temps before you went? and he says, well, I couldn't find them for Abu Simpel (the worst), only for Cairo, so figured they'd be similar and the tour fare was higher in that period so I thought it must be popular. Now I figured he was mistaken, but I checked Gate1travel's prices, and they actually were a little higher in July-Aug for Egypt than in June or whatever. I have no idea what that's all about, but still, the point was they just somehow didn't believe it was really going to be that hot. My parents were both teachers, she could have traveled lots of other times of the year, so I didn't think that was a good excuse (this was not a long trip, only 10 total days).

Personally, I like to travel in summer and often go to Europe in July. I like it because it's often less hot than where I live, Wash DC, and because I really like traveling without the heavy clothes, etc., and I love it that it stays light until 10, and being out in the outdoor cafes, etc. And just because I really want a vacation in the summer, I really need the break.

So, I generally like it and it's no more expensive than any other time appreciably, except for the air fare. Everything else is about the same, so I am not going to Europe in February to save a little money when the bulk of my expenses as well as my time are the big investment. I agree May or Sept. might be better, but not always -- as I said, I actually like the summer feeling in many places.

As Neapolitan said, I also do not want to travel during the best time of the year where I live -- which is Spring and October, both of which are beautiful, so I'm not going to leave here during those periods.

Christina

oh, I forgot to add -- even though I like traveling in summer, I wouldn't plan a trip to Italy, Spain or Greece in summer, for example. The one time I went to Spain, I did it around Easter.