# Europe in the summer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255 "2009-03-30T03:49:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/1 "2009-03-30T03:49:44Z")
Does it make sense to go? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/2 "2009-03-30T03:50:43Z")
Moving to IMHO from GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/3 "2009-03-30T03:52:25Z")
Why not? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/4 "2009-03-30T04:38:57Z")
For a lot of Europe it is the peak travel season, so one reason not to go is that it will be crowded and airfare costs more, but there are a lot of good reasons to go, like it’s peak season so a lot of attractions are open. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/5 "2009-03-30T08:15:43Z")
In the summer the weather here is nice… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/6 "2009-03-30T08:32:25Z")
Europe is a continent. Some places are very hot in the summer, some are cooler. Some places are jammed with tourists in the summer, some are not. Why not flip a coin? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/7 "2009-03-30T08:51:32Z")
I’ve been in the summer. It can get quite hectic, but there’s also a lot more happening, what with festivals and what not. Summer’s a great time to travel if you’re looking to meet new people and generally have a crazy time (although even in August it’s possible to find quieter spots if you’re willing to go a bit out of the way). ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/8 "2009-03-30T09:50:13Z")
Even within individual countries, that question is impossiple to answer. Oslo is quite nice in the summer, but stay the hell out of northern Norway (mosquito season). ---
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/9 "2009-03-30T10:16:12Z")
It depends where you go, but in general definitely yes. Summer is the best time of year to go to the UK, but that doesn’t guarantee you good weather. It is still likely to be better than any other time of year. But it depends where you want to go and what you want to do. If you want to ski then no 😉 The southern mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, Greece etc) will be very warm (20-30 degrees) and so if you aren’t keen on hot weather Spring and Autumn will be better times of year to visit. There are lovely flowers in Spring too. Actually Spring isn’t bad in the UK, May is lovely. I don’t think crowds or anything like that are ever a big problem in Europe. Sure it will be busier at certain times but this will never stop you from doing what you want to do. I’d say February and November are the worst months all over Europe, unless you do want to ski I guess 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/10 "2009-03-30T10:34:05Z")
Mid-summer around the Med can get really hot, to the point where most locals will abandon the cirty and head for the hills or the coast. Cities such as Rome and Paris pretty much empty during August as the heat is so oppressive (you might find fewer shops etc open if you visit then). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/11 "2009-03-30T13:51:17Z")
Make sure you check your guide to see if things like museums are open, especially in August when all of Europe seems to take the month off. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/12 "2009-03-30T14:31:07Z")
If the alternative is going in the spring or fall, maybe, maybe not. If the alternative is not going at all, then yes. ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/13 "2009-03-30T16:52:05Z")
I wouldn’t personally go to southern Europe, because extreme heat makes me sick. But I was in Germany in the summer a few years ago and it was generally pleasant, and none of the cities I was in were crazy crowded. Then again, I just got back from Paris and the big tourist attractions were already about packed to capacity (I waited outside the Musee d’Orsay for about 20 minutes, and you couldn’t get anywhere near the water lilies). I will never go there in July. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/14 "2009-03-30T19:38:57Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > If the alternative is going in the spring or fall, maybe, maybe not. > > If the alternative is not going at all, then yes. The alternative is going to the Caribbean in the summer. I am thinking St. Lucia and Martinique or Dominica or Grenada but am still undecided between that and Greece or Ireland. I get only get time off this year around July. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/15 "2009-03-30T20:01:24Z")
Ireland is lovely in July though it may rain. It will be very green though. I have been to Greek islands a few times in July and they were good too, I didn’t find the heat a problem, it wasn’t that hot (maybe 25degrees on average?). ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/16 "2009-03-30T20:45:19Z")
I’ve never been, but my friend went and said it was motherin’ hot. It may have been a particularly rough summer, and she may be adverse to summer heat to begin with. She said a lot of the old sightseer buildings don’t have A/C. When you’re standing in line for gawd knows how long to see something, in the heat, with no A/C, you need to be the type that can physically take long periods of discomfort. That said, people have been vacationing in Europe in the summer forevah, so why not try it? ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/17 "2009-03-31T00:42:24Z")
London doesn’t really get stinking hot - a bit humid sometimes. It’s actually quite a nice city in the summer\* - the parks are beautiful, and my careful observation of The English hs lead me to believe that they all sit quietly in their square of green, and let everyone else do the same. (In St James park, anyway). My friend spent last summer working/holidaying in the Greek Islands. She loved it, and is coming back this June to do it again. \*it’s quite nice in the winter, too. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/18 "2009-03-31T00:45:25Z")
I rarely go to to Europe in the northern summer. It’s expensive and crowded. I tend to go in the northern winter when things are much cheaper and there are no queues. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/19 "2009-03-31T02:11:34Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I rarely go to to Europe in the northern summer. It’s expensive and crowded. I tend to go in the northern winter when things are much cheaper and there are no queues. I really like the “shoulder seasons” (October-November—March-April). Airfare and hotels are less expensive, no big crowds for attractions; that said, if summertime is your only chance, dont hesitate to go!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/europe-in-the-summer/491255/20 "2009-03-31T05:41:52Z")
“Europe” is a pretty big continent, y’know? It depends a lont on what you like, and what your tolerance to heat is. But if you are considering the Caribbean, then heat doesn’t seem to be a problem for you (it gets smoldering hot here in the Caribbean in the summer). I’ve been in Europe in all seasons now, northern Europe is lovely in the summer, Scandinavia is best visited in the summer. Spain was too hot even for my tropical sensibilities. If I were rich I’d migrate to Northern Europe in high summer, spend early autumn in Southern Europe and come back home for the rest of the year.