With temperatures in Spain touching 40c this week and further heatwaves expected across southern Europe, it’s little wonder one growing trend is ‘beat the heat’ holidays.
As average temperatures in the south during July and August rise year on year, many are having a rethink. The focus is shifting north — or to cooler mountain regions.
Could the mercury hit 48.8c again — as it did on Sicily in 2021, breaking the previous European high of 48c set in Athens in 1977?
Let’s hope not. But you’ll be safe on one of these heat-busting breaks, where average temperatures in August — shown in celsius on each entry — are guaranteed to be pleasant without threatening any meteorological records.
Polar bear on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway
POLAR BEARS IN NORWAY: 16c
To experience real Arctic temperatures, set forth to the icy wilderness on a cruise through Svalbard, the world’s northernmost archipelago. Join a six-day trip with four at sea aboard MS Nordstjernen on a round trip from Longyearbyen, the last town before the North Pole, via Liefdefjord, touring Spitsbergen under the midnight sun, and exploring glaciers with polar bears and walruses (hurtigruten.com, from £1,503 pp).
Or book yourself a city getaway in Oslo, the intriguing Norwegian capital.
Getting there: Edinburgh-Oslo flights from £55 return (norwegian.com).
On a budget: Doubles at Citybox Oslo from £101 (cityboxhotels.com).
Blow the budget: Doubles at boutique hotel The Thief in Oslo from £229 B&B (thethief.com).
A climber under the surface of the Langjokull glacier in Iceland
CHILL OUT IN ICELAND: 11c
Boasting a glacial landscape of cirques, fjords, glaciers and sulphurous fumaroles, Iceland is extraordinary. But it is not the best choice for sea bathing: the water is far too chilly for that. Most go for a float in the delightful thermal waters of the Blue Lagoon instead.
Other attractions include the spectacular waterfalls of Godafoss, cruises to see seals lolling on icebergs on Jokulsarlon lagoon and whales. Or go hiking across gloriously empty landscapes, and visit the cathedral-like interior of Thrihnukagigur volcano.
Getting there: Return Stansted-Reykjavik flights from £214 in August (flyplay.com).
On a budget: Doubles at the smart, central Hotel Odinsve in Reykjavik from £140 (odinsve.is).
Blow the budget: Junior suites at the Blue Lagoon with unlimited access to spa, breakfasts and welcome drinks from £1,479 (bluelagoon.com).
Red cottages in the outer archipelago of Stockholm in Sweden
SWEDISH COOL: 17c
Stockholm straddles 14 delightful islands, and a great way to get to know the city is to take a boat trip around the archipelago (£27 for two-three hours, stromma.com).
The city is great for a short break, and its attractions include the City Hall (where the Nobel Prize banquet is held), the National Museum with its art and design treasures and the ever-popular ABBA The Museum. The once working-class district of Sodermalm has become a lively Bohemian haunt.
Getting there: Return Stansted-Stockholm Arlanda flights from £132 in August (ryanair.com).
On a budget: Doubles at the well-located Hilton Stockholm Slussen from £132 (hilton.com).
Blow the budget: Doubles at the Art Nouveau Hotel Diplomat overlooking Stockholm Harbour from £230 (diplomathotel.com).
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia
JUST RIGHT IN ESTONIA: 19c
The average daily temperature in Tallinn, Estonia’s lively capital, in August is ideal for a summer getaway if you’re not a fan of heatwaves.
The city is renowned for its buzzing nightlife, fine medieval buildings and ornate Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Estonia is great to explore on a road trip crossing over to tranquil Saaremaa island to visit Vilsandi National Park, home to migratory birds and wild orchids, plus the Kaali field of meteorite craters, Panga Cliff (with great clifftop walks) and sandy Jarve beach.
Getting there: Luton-Tallinn return flights from £144 (wizzair.com).
On a budget: Doubles from £70 at central Metropol Spa Hotel in Tallinn (metropol.ee/spa).
Blow the budget: Doubles from £383 at the five-star Hotel Telegraaf in Tallinn (telegraafhotel.com).
Helsinki, Finland’s capital, on a summer evening, with the Uspenski Cathedral in the distance
FAIR WEATHER FINLAND: 15c
Temperatures range between 11c (52f) at night and 19c (66f) during the day in Helsinki, Finland’s capital. So it’s not too hot, but being so far north means long summer days: it’s sunny from 6am to 10pm. Twilight lasts until midnight.
One way to visit is to go on a fly-drive (balticholidays.com), exploring the vast, wild country, travelling through forests with brown bears and wolves and past pristine lakes up to Lapland near the Arctic Circle. Stop at Savonlinna (home to an annual summer Opera Festival) and save time for the sights of Helsinki.
Getting there: Gatwick-Helsinki return flights from £144 (norwegian.com).
On a budget: Doubles at the modern Scandic Grand Marina in Helsinki from £115 B&B (booking.com)
Blow the budget: Doubles at the elegant, central Hotel Kamp in Helsinki from £286 B&B (hotelkamp.com).
Fishing boats in the harbour in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands
FRESH FAROE ISLANDS: 13c
In the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Scotland, just south of the Arctic Circle, the Faroe Islands enjoy 19.5 hours of daylight in June but less than six in December, making summer the ideal time to see its dramatic cliffs and waterfalls.
Visit the art galleries and vibrant restaurants in the capital Torshavn, and hire a car to explore the remote Northern Isles via road tunnels which burrow under the sea (regent-holidays.co.uk). Or take a helicopter to Mykines Island, famous for its puffin population.
Getting there: Gatwick-Sorvagur return flights from £294 (atlanticairways.com).
On a budget: Doubles at the Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands in Torshavn from £103 B&B (hilton.com).
Blow the budget: Stay at 18 Reyngota, a three-bedroom house in central Torshavn from £344 self-catering (booking.com).
Dunes on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania
TRANQUIL IN LITHUANIA: 18c
Sand dunes at 55 degrees North? Welcome to the Curonian Spit, a 60 mile-long finger of sand shared by Russia (part of its Kaliningrad enclave) and Lithuania, that separates the waters of the Baltic Sea from the Curonian lagoon. Access is, obviously, to the Lithuanian part. It’s a haven of tranquility and a birdwatcher hotspot. Expect cycle routes and walking trails through thick forest where wild boar and elk lurk. Climb the dunes (the highest is 220ft), or search for amber on the shore. Be sure to try locally smoked fish.
Getting there: Return flights from Luton-Kaunas, 140 miles away, from £148 (wizzair.com).
On a budget: Doubles from £85 at Villa Lotmiskis in Nida (kambariunuomanidoje.lt).
Blow the budget: Doubles from £385 at SPA Nida, a spa hotel (spanida.lt).
Gstaad in Switzerland is the perfect place to go biking in the summer
SWISS ALPS ALLURE: 17c
How about an Alpine ski resort in the off-season? Gstaad is a great pick. A jet-set favourite in winter it offers beautiful mountain scenery, with river-rafting, hot-air ballooning, mountain biking and hiking in summer. Cultural highlights include the annual Gstaad Menuhin Festival, which runs throughout August, founded by the late violinist Yehudi Menuhin (gstaadmenuhinfestival.ch).
Getting there: Return flights from Manchester-Geneva, 75 miles away, from £133 (easyjet.com).
On a budget: It’s pricy in Gstaad, but doubles at the charming Hotel Kernen are from £185 B&B (hotel-kernen.ch).
Blow the budget: The Alpina Gstaad is a fabled, luxury hotel with a Six Senses Spa and Michelin dining, with doubles from £958 (thealpinagstaad.ch).
Sopot in Poland, with its pier and long, wide beach
PLEASANT IN POLAND: 17c
The Eastern European country may not scream beach holiday, but Poland has a clutch of sandy Baltic Sea resorts.
One of the best is Sopot, with its long, wide beach and pier, pretty tree-lined promenade, a lighthouse, market stalls and Krzywy Domek, a ‘crooked house’ with shops, restaurants and cafes within.
And be sure to visit nearby Gdansk, birthplace of the Solidarity movement, 35 minutes away by train.
Getting there: Luton-Gdansk return flights from £166 (wizzair.com).
On a budget: Doubles at the smart, modern Umi Hotel in Sopot from £126 B&B (umihotel.pl).
Blow the budget: Doubles at the elegant, beachside Sofitel Grand Sopot from £262 (sofitelgrandsopot.com).
Loch an Eilein in Rothiemurchus in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park
A REFRESHING BREAK IN SCOTLAND: 17c
How about a staycation? The average high temperature in Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland is 17c. Cairngorms National Park is wonderful in the summer for hikers and bikers. Take to one of the well-marked walking trails (see walkhighlands.co.uk) or consider ‘bagging a Munro’ — climbing to the summit of one of the mountains named after Sir Hugh Thomas Munro (cairngorms.co.uk). Other summer activities include pony trekking, archery and clay pigeon shooting, plus paddleboarding and fishing on serene lochs.
Getting there: London to Fort William return trains in August from about £240 (trainline.com).
On a budget: Doubles at Croit Anna Hotel on Loch Linnhe, five miles from Ben Nevis from £90 (leisureplex.co.uk).
Blow the budget: Three nights at a self-catering cottage sleeping four on Rothiemurchus Estate in the Cairngorms National Park from £1,200 (hiddenhighlandretreats.com)
