If you go ‘somewhere hot’ during the school hols…

[Analysisandparalysis]

…do you actually enjoy it?

I’ve spoken to various friends about this and observed comments on social media with so many people complaining about the ‘crazy heat’ when holidaying in places like Greece, southern Spain, Italy, Turkey etc.. Even my sibling messaged me this week from the Canaries saying it was over 40c by their apartment and that they were having to stay inside, the kids felt sick etc..

For the past few years I have actively avoided travelling abroad during the summer, with the exception of Brittany as the heat is just bonkers and I don’t enjoy that level of intensity, the kids moan and we all come exhausted from such poor sleep quality.

Why do people put themselves through it, if the heat is so awful?!

We went to Norway one summer, it was amazing. A very expensive treat though and not affordable for us every year. It did rain quite a bit and the weather was very mixed, but we were prepared for that with suitable clothing. Go for it!

I do enjoy it. My husband calls me Klara (Klara and the Sun) because I'm always seeking out spots to turn my face towards the sun to recharge. We've just come back from southern states of the USA - mouth-parchingly hot at times. So this week's 'heatwave' in the UK is barely registering with us now.

High temperatures make my body feel better. I use a sauna at least once a week, it makes me feel good to get properly thawed from head to toe.

We've lived in very hot climates for work. Holidays in the UK are our preferred option! Looking at Iceland or Scandinavia when we next have spare cash for a holiday. France is only for Easter holidays now, too hot in the summer - we don't do pool holidays, prefer hiking or sightseeing.

We had a few days of 35 degrees in spain a couple of years ago. It was fine, it was a pool AI holiday. We were in and out of the pool all day, did some aqua aerobics, played with dcs. Dcs went to kids club a few time which had AC. AC in our room and restaurants. The only killer was the 10 min walk to the beach (we only managed it twice during the day) but we then spent the whole time in the sea which was cool.

I once went sightseeing in Madrid at over 30 degrees, that was hard and unexpected. I spent a lot of time in bars 😄

I'm fine with hot weather abroad if I don't need to do anything. Its the 30 odd degrees at home and having to cook and clean which is the problem!

We just came back from the Canaries and although hot, they was a near constant breeze so it was lovely with lots of dips in the sea/pool & breaks in the shade. The most annoying thing was having to re-apply factor 50 every couple of hours!

We go to Turkey and Egypt regularly and we love the heat. I don't understand people who go away "for a bit of sun" then moan about it. Mind you I overheard someone here the other day saying she needs an extra freezer to sleep in. It was bloody 21C.

I like it hot, but as I'm a teacher I'm limited to when I can go. Easter wouldn't be warm enough and May is usually revision and examining.

We've always done variations of Greece etc. Greece was generally the more reliable in terms of constant heat, but it's become hotter over the last 5 or so years. 30s, fine. But you never used to hear of 40s in Greece. Mainly high 20s.Those were the sorts of temperatures I associated with Dubai etc and therefore had no intention of going.

We were in Turkey the year it hit 50, but were AI that year, so either by the pool or attached beach. Lots of time in the water.

For most of my career I've been too knackered in the summer to want to do anything but chill on a beach. Heat's fine for that.

I’m just back from a few days in Norway. It was very rainy, and extortionately expensive, if you are going to take kids you’d better have very deep pockets. It’s also not a friendly culture. So was quite a culture shock. Interesting, but I wouldn’t go back.

If in the UK definitely. We've been abroad in the middle of August for DH's birthday a couple of times now, but never again. Far too hot. It can reach 40 degrees which is just awful. However this year, we went to Majorca the last week of July and it was lovely. Early 30s but with a lovely breeze 🙂

Yes, but we are water people. Well, me and DD are. So we spend most of the day in the pool/sea which cools us off and we love it. We did a few boat trips, but again, being on the water, the speed etc kept the temps down, plus we had a couple of stops for sea/river swimming. Rooms have always had air con when we went away, so ok for sleeping. In fact , I always use the spare thin duvet they tend to have rather than the sheets/thin covers.

You couldn’t pay me to travel to a “hot” country like Italy during the summer, awful. Had to go to a black tie wedding in Lisbon in June and it was 34 degrees, absolutely disgusting experience with the heat.

Yes, it was fabulous. A Greek island in early July. About 34 degrees. We organised our day around the weather so something like ....

7am go for a beach swim
8am buy croissants & fruit, and go back to wake teen ds
9am, poolside with a book or head out to explore a new area
12 noon back to apartment, have lunch, siesta in the cool
3pm quick dip in the pool, then out to explore some more
6pm back to apartment, another quick dip in the pool to cool off
7pm Go out for supper

It was blissful. But we choose an apartment in a rural area with a beach/cove about a 5 minute walk down through an olive grove, very flexible and quiet. And didn't rush anywhere.

Totally agree. We visit family in Canada and it 30 degrees for the whole summer but then they have a pool and are on a lake with air conditioning so you can escape it if you need to. They had a heat wave of 38 so even the ‘cooler’ countries are getting hotter.

I can't stand the heat, anything above 25 is too hot for me (except in the sauna, where anything under 75 is far too cold for me) so hot weather holidays are not for me. My favourite summer holiday is Lapland, not too hot (this is changing though, in July at least) but lovely sun and beautiful nature.

Yes, I love the heat. I’m cold nearly all year and a week of warmth feels like a recovery session. I like it hot enough so that I can sit in the shade and still be lovely and warm. A week of swimming and snorkelling in warm sea and drying off in between is bliss! Greece at 35 was perfect with a sea breeze. Sightseeing early and swimming in the afternoon, a warm swim before bed is magical! Balearics a couple of weeks ago didn’t go over 29 and was lovely, nice and warm, cool enough to go for walks, didn’t really need air con - a couple of degrees warmer would have been great too.

I have wondered this for years! We actively avoided going abroad in school summer holidays as much as we could! Have had so many people over the years complain about the heat, I just think why bother? There are other holiday options than stewing in the Med!

I like a bit of both. I love heat but I also love cold-cold

We’re off to Italy tonight where it’s currently 35+ degrees, but we just want a chill break. Bit of beach, snorkelling, wander somewhere for lunch, maybe book a boat trip.

My older daughter has moved out with her boyfriend, youngest is off to uni 🤞 so we just want to spend some time together, have some nice dinners, etc and just relax

But I also loved Iceland in January and we’re off to Tromso next March. My dream trip is a cruise to Antarctica

We went to the canaries in July and although we mainly enjoyed it we wouldn’t go to a hot country in summer again. It was too hot to do much so we hardly left the hotel in the daytime, felt like a bit of a wasted opportunity really. Summer was the only time we could go this year but will stick to Easter and October in future and go for holidays where we can explore the area if it isn’t sunbathing weather.

I can cope for a week of pure relaxation - sunbed, shade, book, drinks, pool or sea. Anything more I get bored and want to do thinks but it's too hot. I like Fuerteventura as it's breezy!
That said am currently sweating in Wales!

I don't like the heat, don't sunbathe and dislike the sea and beaches, so I don't take those kind of holidays. I like pleasant autumn and spring city breaks.

Most people don't want to go on holiday in August its to hot, to busy and to expensive but where given very little choice in the matter

Course they have a choice. May or October half term are perfect for southern Europe.

I have a house in Spain. Yes we go in summer because that’s when the kids are off. I prefer going at Easter (we used to do that too). But that’s not always guaranteed to be swimming weather.
Mind you the heat is more bearable when you have a pool and all you have to do is decide what you want for dinner. In London this heat saps my energy and motivation to get what I need to get done.

We’ve just been to the Austrian alps and Lake Constance. That was about right.

I’ve not been to southern European countries in high summer for ages. Our last trip to visit the PILs in Spain in July it was way too hot.

We’re going to Pembrokeshire next summer.

Have you been in an outdoor pool in spain or greece in may or October 🥶