Where to go solo in August (not too hot!)

[holidayseeking]

Hi can anyone suggest a place in Europe I could go as a solo female who struggles awfully with heat? I’d ideally like to go to a peaceful adult only place where I can read and lounge by a pool without a fight for a sunbed and parasol, with decent walkable cafes and restaurants, maybe museums, galleries etc not too far if I fancy a day of culture. I’ve looked at both wellness and yoga type retreats as well as searched all solo/singles holiday companies but they are either very pricey (as in thousands just for 4 nights), flights are bad times, or dates just don’t work for me (hoping mid August for around 4-7 nights only). Thinking I’ll just book flights and hotel separately now I’ve exhausted those searches, but would welcome accommodation recommendations. I’d like the place to feel like I’m getting a touch of luxury/quality without breaking the bank if that’s possible!

I have previously been to: Amsterdam, Paris, many parts of Spain inc Valencia, Barcelona, Sitges and Madrid, Portugal, Bulgaria, most of the Greek, canary and Balearic Islands, and ideally am looking for somewhere new, safe, English speaking and won’t be absolutely boiling hot! Mid 20s is about all I can cope with. Is any of this even possible or realistic?!

Appreciate any thoughts, thanks all.

Luxembourg? Temperatures would be around mid 20s. There are lots of lovely hotels with pools at various pricepoints, that also aren't too far away from the centre, like this for example
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Thank you @xmasdealhunterI had never considered looking into Benelux! I’ll have a browse, thanks

San Sebastian. Fly into bilbao

SS will be hot. I've been to both Netherlands and Belgian coast in height of summer and they meet requirements. Also it's a lovely train journey out there.

Northern Spain coast nothing like as warm as Med coast. We were there last year when it was 40 in Barcelona and it didn't go above 30 in Bilbao/San Sebastien area. How about Norway or Iceland?

I'd vote for the Austrian lakes - something close ish to Innsbruck or Salzburg for art and culture.

Finland, can’t guarantee weather but we had low 20’s last year. Not cheap though, especially drink

Jersey - could also do a day trip to St Malo in France if you fancied it.

Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels are historically interesting cities. Milder temperatures and if you like trains easy to reach by train. You could venture into Netherlands hire a bike in any of the cities to get about

Thanks everyone, I’ll take a look at all these!

It rarely goes above the mid 20s in Madeira and it’s a beautiful island.

Just to warn you that temperatures may be hotter than is the norm. Over the last few years, we’ve been to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Brussels, Bruges and Slovenia, all in August and all were in the 30s

Of course if you choose somewhere by the coast, you’ll get coastal breezes

You could try Scandinavia? Or my go to is the French mountains. I was there last year out of season and the weather was cold but lovely. August should be warm but not hot.

I say it every time, but Lake Constance in Germany (Bodensee). Fly to Zurich, then hop on the train just over the border to Konstanz and you will have a fab holiday. Not just the lake, but lots of excellent thermal pools. Free and efficient public transport (paid for out of your city tax), boat trips, ice cream cafes, interesting shops, cycling, scenery...... perfect.
Stay at Inselhotel or Riva, but cheaper hotels are available.

Normandy or Brittany. The coasts are fab, plenty to see and do. Fly to either Caen or Rouen for Normandy and Brest for Brittany. You could take a ferry also if you prefer.

Check it out. I'm off to Rouen for a week soon on my own and plan to go to Paris for the day (been lots before but it's a no brainer), Honfleur and Giverny of Van Gogh fame. I'll be using trains and buses. Each Department has a tourist website with good information about getting around and what to see etc.

It won't be too hot, and is often quite cool, so bring a jacket!

Brugge. Lots of spa hotels too

Thanks, I haven’t been to France and Belgium for a while, loving these ideas! Trouble is I have visions of luxury and champagne lifestyle on rola cola budget 😂

Was going to be my suggestion too. Or maybe Bavaria.

Weather can be unpredictable so not sure about the lounger but it shouldn’t get too hot and has plenty of options of things to do.

Anywhere more than 20km from the English Channel can easily reach 30° in the first half of August.

However, in the OP you mention "a peaceful adult only place where I can read and lounge by a pool without a fight for a sunbed and parasol", and that's really a Mediterranean style of holiday. Places that don't get above 25° don't tend to have outdoor pools with sun loungers, because most people who want to lie by a pool like it hotter (and places that only get to 25° in August only get to 18° in May). You won't find many resort-type hotels in the Jet2 or TUI brochures in Picardy or Belgium.

Norway - fly cheaply on Norwegian to Bergen or Oslo.

Copenhagen - cheap flights and you can also get the train across ‘The Bridge’ from central Copenhagen to Malmo in southern Sweden and get two countries in.

There are beaches and coastline stops on the train from Copenhagen airport into the city, which is less than 30 mins total.

We were there last August - temp was mid 30s the whole time. Not sure it's the right place for someone who struggles with heat. It was cooler at altitude, but not much!

I don't have any particular suggestions of places but just wondering if you're restricted to mid August? As it's school holidays prices are going to be peak . But if you wait until September it will be a lot cheaper, quieter and temperatures in a lot of places cooler.

Slovenia, we went to Lake Bled in August and the temperatures were in that range, but it's not really resort territory. San Sebastian and Bilbao were also under 30 in August last year, but again not really resort territory. I'm struggling to think of any of the focused beach resorts in Europe that will be under 30 in August.