If you don’t like hot weather in the UK, do you go on holiday to hot places?

[Hellokittymania]

Genuine question, since I now live in Greece, we have a heat wave this week with no air-conditioning at home, at least I don’t anyway. And it just made me think, because I was in the UK last year when it was 40°… I wouldn’t say the heat here is different, it’s just as bad. I know a lot of people enjoy going on holiday to places like Greece, Italy etc., and but many other countries don’t have air-conditioning either and they have very big heat waves like France, Italy and yes, Greece.

I think it’s much different if you go to a hotel that has air-conditioning everywhere and a swimming pool etc. I’m just curious to know what people do if they really don’t like heat. Is it just difficult because of the lack of air conditioning do you think? I can definitely tell you, I love sunshine, and blue skies, but I’m not so keen on 40° temperatures, living on the fifth floor with no AC. I did invest in a very high powered fan on Friday, but getting AC in the flat has been a problem.

Not when they're 40 degrees, no, which pretty much rules out holidays in the summer. Not that that's a problem, I'd much rather go later or earlier in the year.

Well the heat might be the same but the activities I do on holiday and here are different. Here I have to go to work, wear work clothes, do school runs, do the supermarket shop, the washing etc etc. On holiday I get to spend the hot weather eating at outdoor restaurants, sitting on the beach, going in the sea/pool etc.

So to answer your question I would go to hot countries on holidays but I wouldn't choose to live in one permanently unless I was retired and had AC.

Yes, you have a good point, and Greece is so nice in the spring and even at Christmas time. A lot of people don’t come here at Christmas, because it’s not a “Christmas destination.“ But it’s beautiful and there are special Christmas treats that you don’t get during the rest of the year.

Hello cats, yes, you make a lot of good points there and I had thought about this.

it is interesting though when people tell me oh you live in Greece, nice weather etc.… But I think a lot of people who come on here on vacation or doing just the things that you mentioned, going to the beach etc. I think he can be very different when you live in a place and when you’re on holiday there for the reasons that you mentioned.

I do, but not in the hottest season. I go to Greece in May when it rarely gets about 24, which about my top limit.

And as pp said, I can sit doing nothing, swim in pool/sea and eat outside. I don’t have to sit at a computer for 7 hours a day, worry about exercising etc.

Can’t abide heat. I don’t holiday in Europe during summer - only in April/October or winter.

Yep. Totally happy with 35 degrees on holiday when there's air con and a pool. We like to get out and about early so can wander round the sights hopping in and out of shade then cool off in the pool late afternoon.

At home I'll start getting irritable when it goes over about 23.

Absolutely no way. I don't want heat of any kind in any country. It's bad enough at home, I'm not spending money to get it!

It tends to be less humid in Greece, it's a drier heat. The humidity is awful in the UK imo.

I agree!

No I go to North Wales!

No. Every summer I google where is coolest at the moment. I can never afford to go to these places, but I always imagine being able to get away from temperatures higher than 20°

I loathe the heat and summer. I literally feel tortured by it and can't wait for it end. I'd never pay money to go to a hot country!

I would only go somewhere hot during the off season- so Southern Europe in Spring, or Sep/Oct. There are also less queues if going to popular places.

I hate the heat. Can't deal with it anytime, not anywhere....so no, I never go on holidays to hot countries, or if I do, it's in their winter so that I can cope.

Mostly I holiday in the north of Scandinavia or similar to get away from the UK summer heat; Iceland is an average of 15 degrees in summer (can get up to the 20s but even if it does, it gets cold overnight again) and in Greenland it's about 7 degrees in the summer in the north. At Easter it's still full of snow and about -10 which is much, much better. And better still, no-one really knows these places as serious holiday destinations so you're guaranteed only a few tourists too!

Yes I dislike the heat. Am in Italy right now due to an error of judgement- its 32 today and forecast to be 41 next week. Last year we were further north in Italy at a similar time of year and it was 25 and showery.

Admittedly the houses are easier to keep cool here and all the restaurants and shops have air con.

Next year we are going to North Wales.

We always go mid September, and always have an air conditioned hotel.

We won't choose super hot sun worshipper places like South of France, Spain, Portugal or Italy or Grrece but will choose more northern European cities. The most important thing is to make sure that the apartment has AC and if possible there are trees around it.

The good thing about places that get hotter than UK over the summer is that many of the houses have AC as a standard feature.

Yes. Love hot weather on a beach holiday, not here .
Don't go for a walk in the UK in my bikini dipping in every stream on my way to Sainsbury's like I would go for a walk and dip in the ocean at each beach on holiday though.

No, I really cannot bear the heat. And I’m not a lover of beaches either. Funnily enough, if I wasn’t a Brit, I think I’d be tempted to visit the U.K. for a summer holiday. Places like Oxford, Cambridge, York, Bath, Edinburgh, etc, would suit me fine. I love history, old buildings, cathedrals, and so on, and the cultural history of this island takes some beating.

I would never go to somewhere like Spain in July. I couldn’t even face Paris in the heat.

If I could afford to then yes I would love to go somewhere hot and I HATE hot uk weather. It's definitely different tho, being on holiday not worrying about cooking or school runs or working in hot weather makes all the difference! I'm counting down the days till colder weather 😂

I try not to go when it's near 40, but as I don't have to do the usual mundane things and a lot of running around, high temperatures on holiday are much easier than when at home. On holiday I'm strolling around, stopping for a glass of sangria if the heat gets too much, lounging by the pool, or enjoying a paella at a restaurant by the sea. I'm not doing a weekly shop, vacuuming or doing housework, trying to concentrate at a computer or any of those things that heat makes intolerable.
My parents lived in Spain except summer when they escaped back here.

Nope hate hot weather! Like others would only go to Europe in April or October. For Spain or Greece it would need to be Winter.

No, only in the Spring or the Autumn. I could lay by the pool for days in a 40+c heatwave if that's all I had to do, but doing interesting things with the kids in that heat is an exercise in misery.

Love Greece but wouldn't go in the height of summer. I'm so fair skinned that it would be a battle to remain sunburn free. May or September would be fine though.

Yes I do go to hot countries on holiday. But my holidays generally consist of lying on a sun lounger, swimming in a nice cold pool and then sitting in an air conditioned bar. I'm not trying to do the school run, work 9 hours and then go the supermarket.