Within the blink of an eye, my first full summer has come to an end.
I have officially lived in Germany for over a year now as of August 12th!
Goodness. Summer in Europe is no joke. I have lived in some very different climates within my lifetime (Arizona, California, Washington State, and Tennessee/Kentucky), but none of them prepared me for a Euro summer.
The heatwaves are killer, a summer breeze is real, and the sea is your best friend.
SUMMER WEATHER
Summers here in Europe are not as tricky as spring or fall. In early summer (think June) or late summer (think mid August through September), the weather can be finicky.
But July will no doubt be hot.
The average temperature in July here can fall between 75-89 degrees depending on where you are in Europe, however unexpected heatwaves do occur.
Add in humidity at 90%, and a 85 degree day in Italy becomes more like 120 degrees on the heat index scale and is utterly insufferable.
Not even kidding.
Germany, The UK, Spain, and France all broke records this summer; Germany topping out at 104° , and 98° in London (which is an all time high in the month of July for the entirety of the UK!).
http://www.weather.com/forecast/news/europe-heat-wave-record-highs-june-july-2015
To many people from hot climates, this sounds like 'walk in the park' weather, but again, added humidity makes it even hotter than what the thermometer reads.
OH, and let's not forget that air conditioning here in Europe is a privilege, not a right. My house does not have air conditioning.
Fun fact: Only 2% of homes in Germany have air conditioning!
Americans are spoiled. Just sayin'
Like I said, I have lived in Arizona, USA, which is one of the most arid places in North America. It's undoubtedly hot as shit during the summers there, and one never second guesses the heat during the summer.
I thought I could handle heat anywhere after being raised there, but European summers are a different kind of beast. There were a few days I felt as if I was melting, and I had no way to escape it... unless I wanted to sit in my car with the AC running all day or take a cool shower every hour.
WHAT TO PACK for EUROPE in the SUMMER
What you MIGHT want to bring to Europe in the SUMMER:
What you MAY NOT NEED but should consider bringing:
I won't tell you what to carry on your person for daily site-seeing in Europe, but a few words of advice:
A FEW EXTRA NOTES:
Now that I know what I know, I don't think I would ever willingly travel to Europe during the summer. My best advice would be to avoid peak summer in Europe all together, if feasible.
Too many tourists, too hot, and don't forget the peak season costs!
Don't get me wrong, it is still beautiful here in the summer, but it's definitely not my favorite time of year to be here.
If summer is the only time you can travel to Europe, just be mindful of it's side effects.
***Based on my own experiences, late April through mid June, & late August through early October are my favorite months to venture out around this continent.
If you visit Europe during the summer and you are a person that cannot sleep while on the warmer side, buck up and spend extra for a hotel that has air conditioning. Also, do not rely on hotel descriptions. One of ours said it did not have AC, but that it did have ceiling fans. Uhhhh it definitely did not have any fans! Call or email to confirm, if need be.
Also, remember that with the heat, your feet will be a bit bigger (and if you do a lot of walking, that's also a contributing factor to foot swell). At one point my feet looked like they were stuffed into sandals two sizes too small. Same with ballet flats. I definitely plan to go up a half size or buy in wide width when buying sandals next year!
As I mentioned, early and late summer can be finicky. We hit a 55° F high day in mid August and a 44 degree day in early September here in Germany. I required a coat and heavy scarf on both of those days. But in mid July, I was walking a trail in Spain while topless. If I could have gotten away with being fully naked, I would have been.
It was THAT hot!
Something important that many travel bloggers do not mention: Mosquitoes. They are big and they are cruel. We experienced bites in every city and country over the summer. If you are prone to mosquito bites, do not leave bug spray at home, or plan to buy it when you arrive (just make sure if you plan to buy it here that you know how to translate ingredients that you may be allergic to).
And in conclusion, I do love sunshine and wading in the water at the beach, but I am soooo glad that it's officially fall now!
I have officially lived in Germany for over a year now as of August 12th!
Goodness. Summer in Europe is no joke. I have lived in some very different climates within my lifetime (Arizona, California, Washington State, and Tennessee/Kentucky), but none of them prepared me for a Euro summer.
The heatwaves are killer, a summer breeze is real, and the sea is your best friend.
SUMMER WEATHER
Summers here in Europe are not as tricky as spring or fall. In early summer (think June) or late summer (think mid August through September), the weather can be finicky.
But July will no doubt be hot.
The average temperature in July here can fall between 75-89 degrees depending on where you are in Europe, however unexpected heatwaves do occur.
Add in humidity at 90%, and a 85 degree day in Italy becomes more like 120 degrees on the heat index scale and is utterly insufferable.
Not even kidding.
Germany, The UK, Spain, and France all broke records this summer; Germany topping out at 104° , and 98° in London (which is an all time high in the month of July for the entirety of the UK!).
http://www.weather.com/forecast/news/europe-heat-wave-record-highs-june-july-2015
To many people from hot climates, this sounds like 'walk in the park' weather, but again, added humidity makes it even hotter than what the thermometer reads.
OH, and let's not forget that air conditioning here in Europe is a privilege, not a right. My house does not have air conditioning.
Fun fact: Only 2% of homes in Germany have air conditioning!
Americans are spoiled. Just sayin'
Like I said, I have lived in Arizona, USA, which is one of the most arid places in North America. It's undoubtedly hot as shit during the summers there, and one never second guesses the heat during the summer.
I thought I could handle heat anywhere after being raised there, but European summers are a different kind of beast. There were a few days I felt as if I was melting, and I had no way to escape it... unless I wanted to sit in my car with the AC running all day or take a cool shower every hour.
WHAT TO PACK for EUROPE in the SUMMER
- Shorts
- Sandals/Casual sneakers/Deck shoes/Ballet flats
- A hat (straw fedoras are popular here for men, women, and kids)
- Tanks and tees (light colors)
- Skirts
- Light-weight scarf
- Cotton sundresses
- Swim suit (NOTE: some hotels and resorts require men to wear a speedo. No trunks allowed. It is wise to check before assuming)
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock
- Umbrella
- Refillable water bottle
- Bug spray
What you MIGHT want to bring to Europe in the SUMMER:
- A short sleeved bolero or shoulder cover-up (if you plan to visit any places of worship, 9 times out of 10 this is a MUST. Most do not allow bare shouldered people in).
- In conjunction to the above, a long skirt or capri pants (just like the shoulders, knees are not something allowed to be seen in many places of worship. IE; Cathedrals, holy places, etc,.)
- A light-medium weight jacket or cardigan, especially if you are headed to the UK or if you'll be in central Europe during the beginning or end of summer.
- Leggings
- ankle boots (leave tall, clunky boots at home)
What you MAY NOT NEED but should consider bringing:
- Beach towel (some hotels do not provide them)
- Beach umbrella (if you are driving or renting a car, toting a beach umbrella is easy. We bought one in Spain and tagged it as part of our free check-in baggage on the plane ride home)
- Hand held battery operated fan (lots of people use them while sightseeing)
- Jeans/pants (at least one pair)
- A heavy coat, if you are visiting at the very beginning or end of summer.
I won't tell you what to carry on your person for daily site-seeing in Europe, but a few words of advice:
- Sun block people! You will BURN if you don't use it. All day, every day, wear it!
- WATER! In the summer, vendors jack up the prices of water. You will need it and want it, which is why I recommend bringing a refillable bottle or canteen. Some cities have public fountains scattered everywhere (Venice, Barcelona, to name two) where one can refill a bottle if in dire need. Just make sure it's a drinkable fountain.
- Bug spray. Buy it when you arrive or bring it with you. We had to use it in every city we visited this summer. The mosquitoes here are HUGE and relentless.
- A lightweight scarf comes in handy for wiping sweat off your brow, not just fashionable.
- If you are planning to visit places of worship whilst walking about a city and are unsure about dress codes, bring a long skirt that you can throw over the shorts you are wearing and also [the above] light-weight scarf can be thrown over your shoulders. A cheap long jersey skirt doesn't take up much room in a purse. Ball it up, and go!
A FEW EXTRA NOTES:
Now that I know what I know, I don't think I would ever willingly travel to Europe during the summer. My best advice would be to avoid peak summer in Europe all together, if feasible.
Too many tourists, too hot, and don't forget the peak season costs!
Don't get me wrong, it is still beautiful here in the summer, but it's definitely not my favorite time of year to be here.
If summer is the only time you can travel to Europe, just be mindful of it's side effects.
***Based on my own experiences, late April through mid June, & late August through early October are my favorite months to venture out around this continent.
If you visit Europe during the summer and you are a person that cannot sleep while on the warmer side, buck up and spend extra for a hotel that has air conditioning. Also, do not rely on hotel descriptions. One of ours said it did not have AC, but that it did have ceiling fans. Uhhhh it definitely did not have any fans! Call or email to confirm, if need be.
Also, remember that with the heat, your feet will be a bit bigger (and if you do a lot of walking, that's also a contributing factor to foot swell). At one point my feet looked like they were stuffed into sandals two sizes too small. Same with ballet flats. I definitely plan to go up a half size or buy in wide width when buying sandals next year!
As I mentioned, early and late summer can be finicky. We hit a 55° F high day in mid August and a 44 degree day in early September here in Germany. I required a coat and heavy scarf on both of those days. But in mid July, I was walking a trail in Spain while topless. If I could have gotten away with being fully naked, I would have been.
It was THAT hot!
Something important that many travel bloggers do not mention: Mosquitoes. They are big and they are cruel. We experienced bites in every city and country over the summer. If you are prone to mosquito bites, do not leave bug spray at home, or plan to buy it when you arrive (just make sure if you plan to buy it here that you know how to translate ingredients that you may be allergic to).
And in conclusion, I do love sunshine and wading in the water at the beach, but I am soooo glad that it's officially fall now!
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| Lido de Jesolo, Italy |
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| Tossa de Mar, Spain |
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| Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain. |
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