Are you changing your holiday plans next year due to heatwave?

[TaraTomsmum]

Currently in Spain and it’s so hot we have to stay mainly inside during the day. Luckily the hotel has an indoor pool. Are you changing your holiday plans due to the heatwave we see in Southern Europe at the moment or are you ok holidaying in the heat?

Already have. We live in France and used to spend every summer in the sud de France, where my parents had a holiday home. For the last three years we’ve gone ‘home’ to Scotland instead, and it’s been lovely. Last year we had a week in Denmark on the way back to France, it was beautiful. This year we are going to Scotland for a month and having a week in Iceland halfway through.

my parents sold their holiday place, partly revise they were getting to old to travel so much but also because the summers have become unbearable round the Med. it was regularly 35-40 degrees during the day, and even with aircon and a pool it’s just miserable being stuck indoors all the time.

The downside is that it’s so much more expensive to visit Northern Europe, Scandinavia etc.

never go away in peak summer anyway - even though my daughters at school - we do easter break or may half term!

Summer we stay in UK or go to family in Ireland

@rickyrickygrimes we lived in Copenhagen for 20 months and also used to go up to Stockholm in summer and summers there were great - in Copenhagen it was often 20 to 26 blue skys, sunny and a breeze, and a white sand beach with shacks and occasional DJs etc - we did get rain but it seemed way less than uk in summer- maybe we just got lucky the 2 summers we were there !!

Yes, I agree. It's only a small portion of the island that is on fire at the moment and it seems fairly under control now. Greece has had some pretty horrific wildfires in the last couple of years though and it was more of a general point to say why I wouldn't rush over there in the middle of the summer, especially as some of the islands are so small and it would be hard to escape if needed.

We’ve been to the south of France for the last couple of summers and whilst last year was around 30C it was still nice. The year before I don’t think it hit 30C - was high 20s.

I’ve shifted our travel from this year onwards to Easter, May or October holidays. It’s too hot otherwise for me

If you still want a warm beach holiday the Canaries are much less hot in July/ August than the Med. Also windy so heat is more bearable. I'd say Fuerteventura is the coolest, which doesn't mean you won't get hot sunshine, just more comfortable.
Also the Algarve tends to be windier and cooler because it's the Atlantic coast.

If you still want a warm beach holiday the Canaries are much less hot in July/ August than the Med. Also windy so heat is more bearable. I'd say Fuerteventura is the coolest, which doesn't mean you won't get hot sunshine, just more comfortable.

Very true. Two years ago we went to the Canaries in August - it was about 30 degrees max, while in Greece it was 40 degrees. The Canaries and Madeira are lovely in the summer and if 30 is too hot, go to one of the cooler areas like the north of Tenerife.

I often wonder what the young ones going off on their post GCSE etc. hols to this heatwave think. I doubt it takes a feather out of them.

So for me anyway, I'm sure it is an age thing and creeping intolerance of high heat places that I used to love so much when younger. So I avoid now!

Netherlands or Jersey or Guernsey

I stopped going to the med in summer years ago after several years of 35-40c. Those temperatures are not new and they're not pleasant for me. I go end sept during term term now (Scotland so no fines). Or, northern Europe in summer months. Saying that fuerteventura in July a few years back was very pleasant never got above 25c and need a cardi at night, but it is the Atlantic, not the med.

As a pp noted, the summer heat can be quite erratic in Berlin - the biggest problem is usually the humidity combined with 30+. Sure, it was 38 degree on Wednesday but that was the only awful day this week and it’s a delightful sunny/cloudy 22 right now, predicted 21 to 27 next week. So you‘ve struck lucky, perfect sightseeing weather (just I won‘t be there myself).

I thought July and August was always really hot in the Med countries and wouldn't choose to visit that time of year anyway. Since when has that changed? 40 years ago Greece etc was scorching hot for example in July and August...mind you it was in June in 1986 from recollection of being there.

For me, it's the excessive heat in June we're seeing that's more of a worry.

I have been holidaying in the Med all my life and it’s always been really hot in the summer. And sometimes there are heatwaves. I wonder if it’s simply a case of the internet and more media reporting these days? When newspapers were in their traditional format we got a lot less news!

100% not I have just spent a week in Turkey and finally felt warm. Living Scotland is so depressing and I never get warm all the way through

Absolutely. Am currently in Venice and I want to cry.

I've been there. Strongly recommend buying a day public transport ticket that includes waterbuses tomorrow, and exploring the lagoon. Burano, Torcello- and for the hottest part of the day stop somewhere you can have a swim- the Lido is obviously easiest.

We decided to limit our holidays to northern Europe once eldest dc started school. There were always heatwaves and forest fires in the news. We will probably start going again when the youngest is a bit older and we can do some holidays at different times of year (at the moment we like to do the main holiday in summer as it gives us time to recover before going back to school).

I live in Ireland and it’s rarely properly or reliably hot- but I can’t cope with temperatures of 30+! We did a holiday in April this year, and hopefully another in September. Avoids school holidays too :)

We don’t need to do school holidays so would never go abroad in the main summer anyway. Up until now we’ve been having holidays in southern Europe in September but we’re thinking that now we’ll only go October - May. We’ve also considered that we may leave booking any UK breaks until the last minute and then when it gets too hot at home to head off somewhere by the coast where it’s cooler (often seems cooler in the west or wales).

@crackofdoom thanks. We did exactly that apart from lido. I just can't hack it. We are going to Rome today and honestly my body feels like lead. I have ME CFS so everything is sensitised for me right now. Am trying to put on a cheery (Ish) face on for the others. I wouldn't recommend a holiday in Europe in July AT ALL. EVER.

For those who think nothing has changed, I understand it’s scary that our climate is changing like this, but it’s true.

This report is about cities but it has a really useful comparison of the frequency of ‘heat stress’ days in Europe over time which really clearly shows how much warmer the south of Europe is getting.

eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/EU-State-of-Climate-Report-sounds-alarm-on-rising-heat-highlighting-urgency-to-refresh-our-cities

We has an incredibly hot holiday in Italy a few years ago which put us off hot summer holidays. We’re going to Copenhagen this year. We do places like Italy/Spain at Easter instead.

This is important. All the anecdata in the world doesn’t overturn the science that climate change is real and happening right now.

It’s ironic though that we are all on here talking about where we will fly / drive off to next, for no purpose other than leisure, in the context of a very real impact of global warning.

It depends what sort of holiday we want.

I’m still very happy to go to the Med in summer as long as the holiday will be water based - beach pool or watersports - and we have air conditioning. Anything else, sightseeing travelling round etc, forget it. I would do a sightseeing holiday in Easter or October instead.

Having said that I don’t enjoy temps above 35 even with frequent dips. But in my memory these temps are more likely in June/early July (like now) so not main school holidays. August seems to be less prone to heatwaves. Not sure if the stats back up my memory here?