When to Go

For most of us, summer is the travel season, whether we like it or not. Certainly the vast majority of students and teachers will be traveling between May 15 and September 15. The good and bad aspects of travel during the summer are obvious: the weather is nice, but the crowds are not. So for the first time (and not the last), I will repeat one of the Three Great Truths of European travel: GO EARLY.

The best time to travel is in early May. Spring is in the air, European students are still in school, the summer hordes have not arrived, and it’s as good as it’s going to get. What this means to students and teachers is that it will be worth your while to leave as soon as possible after school is out. While you shouldn’t go directly from your Organic Chemistry final to the airport, don’t wait around just to catch a concert on June 10 when you could have gone on May 30.One word of warning: many European schools take their students on “educational” trips during May. Some of the “education” provided on these trips seem to include screaming football matches in hostel hallways until lam. If you are hosteling in May, always ask if you will be sharing your hostel with a school group, or you may go to sleep to the not-so-sweet sounds of children at play.

Travel quality peaks around June 1, before the tourists really start to arrive from abroad, declines steadily throughout June and July as more and more Europeans hit the trail, and then drops off a cliff in August, as millions of French, Greek, and Italian tourists go on a vacation frenzy. Almost all French and Italians take their holidays during August. This means that not only are beaches and major attractions crowded, but also many shops and restaurants are closed, and others may have shorter hours. Bear in mind, too, that actually traveling at the beginning or end of August is very unpleasant, with massive traffic jams and overcrowded trains and ferries.

Weather is another factor to consider. A traveler who spends a summer in Europe can expect some very hot days and nights in southern Europe {Spain, Italy, Greece) and warm days with cool nights in most other places. Rain is possible anywhere at any time, especially in Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia, so it is advisable to bring a light rain jacket or small umbrella. Outside of the south, layered clothing is a good idea because days can include chilly mornings, hot afternoons, and cool evenings. More detailed weather information, on specific countries, is best obtained from a national tourist office. Europe is a big place, and it is hard to generalize about continent-wide weather conditions.