You are probably planning your first Europe trip this summer and popular cities such as Paris, Rome, and Prague are on your bucket list.
You get there with high expectations and excitement, only to find that nothing is as you thought it would be. I try to mitigate any disappointments with my guide so that you are ready for Europe when the time comes.
If you are spending thousands of dollars, I believe you should enjoy a trip to the old world without regrets.
Below I explain each pain-point, the biggest expectations and the reality of visiting Europe in the summer.
That said, if you can avoid visiting Europe in the summer, I recommend picking a shoulder season instead OR selecting a place that isn't as touristy, such as a destination in Ireland or Estonia. But more about that in a future separate post.
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The Weather
Your Expectations
You expect to have perfect sunny weather on a sightseeing tour and that the temperatures are moderate and pleasant, and that, too, everywhere in Europe.
Reality
Europe can get super hot in the summer months and with that, I mean all over Europe and not just Southern Europe, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
The heat hits you differently in Europe. In the mountains it burns your skin, and in other places it's a constant sweating match because Air conditioning is almost non-existent. People sleep with their windows open.
Paris, Rome, Vienna, Barcelona, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam are unpleasantly hot in the summer.
Only a selected number of places are relatively cool in June, July, and August, including mountain destinations, Nordic countries, and places such as Ireland and Great Britain.
The weather can also be very unpredictable. We have seen 10 consecutive days of constant rain, and flooding is a common occurrence across Europe at this point. Hail storms are also pretty common and something you should be aware of if you're renting a car for the duration of your trip (hail car cover).
Prices
Your Expectations
You may be looking to cut down on costs, thinking that some European destinations are known for budget travel, such as Croatia and Portugal.
Reality
Summer is the peak Tourist business season almost anywhere in Europe. You will observe that accommodations cost much more compared to shoulder seasons.
Inflation is on an all-time high, all due to the recent economical and political events in Europe. Several countries are worse off than others, such as Türkiye, Croatia, and Austria.
This is most evident when you go out for food. Add to that sales tax, and you end up paying way more than you have originally anticipated.
Some take advantage of specific events, too, such as the current Jubilee year in Italy. Room accommodations are exceptionally expensive across Italy in 2025, and not just in Rome.
Cities, beach towns and mountain resorts are the most expensive places in Europe.
The Crowds
Your Expectations
You have come across some wonderful looking towns on Instagram or Facebook, and they all looked lovely and perfect because the photos or videos showed deserted, colorful covid-time towns and iconic beach spots.
Reality
I'll be the one breaking it to you. Europe is chock-full of Tourists all year long, but the summer months are specifically exhausting.
You will be miserable and very disappointed as you wait in a queue in the heat. In some instances, you will come across sights that are booked out far in advance, (e.g., Neuschwanstein castle in Germany).
Europe is facing a major summer tourism dilemma due to three variables.
- European schools are closed during several weeks in the summer and therefore Europeans take off and go on an extended vacation because that's the only time in the year they can do that for 2–3 weeks. For example, in France everybody is on vacation in August, and the whole country heads to Southern France.
- Large tour groups from all over the world have been filling up destinations. Some locations count over 100s of large tour groups in a day in the summer, and then you have the cruise ship issue, which adds another load of people. Great examples are Santorini in Greece, Venice in Italy and Dubrovnik in Croatia.
- Foreign visitors are limited to a handful of places because the same places are advertised again and again online and offline. For example, Hallstatt in Austria. What nobody known? Numerous other villages nearby are as captivating as Hallstatt.
Another thing to be aware of, which is directly connected to crowded tourist places, are pickpockets. Pickpockets are mostly active in cities such as Paris, Barcelona, and Milan in the summer months.
Tip: Examples of popular overcrowded towns in Europe and how to not attract pickpockets.
Accommodations
Your Expectations
You dream of a quaint old world style room, with all the standard amenities that you will find back home, at a reasonable price.
Perhaps you even intend to book your rooms last minute because you have an open itinerary.
Reality
My wife worked in a 4 star mountain resort in Austria and rooms were booked out months in advance in the summer. The smallest category of rooms was quoted at over $200 per night per adult, and children are charged as adults.
Good places are gone months in advance, what remains are mediocre accommodations if you book last minute.
European rooms are generally not equipped with air cooling systems and fans. This is less of a problem in southernmost places such as Spain and Portugal, but other places further up don't offer rooms with Air cooling units or ceiling fans.
Old hotel buildings are poorly isolated and that means you will be dealing with poorly ventilated hot rooms, loud neighbors and streets. People are out in the summer at night, and you will hear them yelling about at odd times if you booked a room in the city center.
If you are planning to rent a car, be prepared to have to face issues with hotel parkings. Not every hotel offers parking, some claim they have parking, but it's far away in a public space. Certain city hotels can't be accessed by car (e.g., Venice).
If they have parking, they charge for it a whopping $20 a night and there is no guarantee that you will get a spot because hotel rooms are completely booked out in the summer. For example, at the Novotel in Bern, Switzerland, we were told to park outside because the garage was full (although we had asked them to keep a spot in advance) and we still paid the same amount (beginning August btw).
Getting from A to B within Europe
Your Expectations
You can't wait to enjoy these pristine scenic routes or the fun train ride across Europe that influencers promised you.
Reality
Summer is simply the craziest time to travel across Europe, no matter if you are getting on a train or hiring a car, flying across Europe or taking the public transport.
Train tickets in the summer are booked out daily across Europe, and trains are not equipped for large suitcases. Train compartments are steaming, there is no air-conditioning except if you book an expensive first class ticket, and there is still no guarantee that you will get an AC cooled space.
Highways, mountain roads and beach areas are clogged with traffic. I can guarantee that you will be in several traffic jams on a single day on the German Autobahn in July or August.
Parking spots are scarce and overpriced. In some places you need to be extra careful, such as in France and Italy because gangs break into cars. I share parking tips for Verona and where to park safely in Venice.
Public city transport is super busy in July and August. It's unbearably hot in the subway trains and trams.
Your flight will be delayed, and you will have to deal with lost baggage and crowded immigration zones at airports.
Other Things to consider
Over tourism and the weather are some of the main reasons why you would want to avoid visiting Europe in the summer months, but that's not the only problem.
I don't know what it is, either the heat or should we blame something else, but the rudest, least considered and most annoying tourists seem to be heading to Europe in the summer months. Code Word: How to be a considered Traveler. Locals are also not that welcoming in the hotter season.
It gets hot in the summer months and naturally, we opt to put on shorts and tank tops. Nonetheless, you might have to dress modestly, covering your knees and shoulders if you are entering a church in Italy or a synagogue in Budapest.
Tourist traps are everywhere in the summer months. Some are only operational in July and August due to the surplus of gullible tourists.
Meadows in the mountains are not bright green in the summer months. You'd have to visit this area in April or May to experience it greener than green.
Droughts are common in certain areas in Europe. Shortage of water can mean limited water supply to accommodations, lakes look awfully dry and waterfalls are just a trickle.
Most regions go into school summer holidays in July. Therefore, June is used as a school excursion month. For example, Vienna is full of school groups from all over Austria in June.
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