Europe Travel
July

Europe in June | Europe in August

And suddenly travel in Europe goes wobbly again. The weather could well be gorgeous and there are loads of events, but school's out in the last half of the month, and millions hit the road. Prices up, accomodation down, crowds increase exponentially. Southern Europe gets oven-baked. It's a good time to hit north Europe and mountain areas. n.b. avoid prime tourist locations the last half of July, if possible.

Map of Europe | European Walking Tours | Europe Tours | Travel Directory

Europe Festivities: see European Festivals or Arts Festivals for more suggestions, information and some precise dates.
Italy: The Palio of Siena [medieval bareback horse race] about 2nd July and 16th August.
Venice, Festa del Redentore - a huge flotilla of decorated boats travel around the canals; it's a regatta with fireworks.
Germany Rhine in Flames at Rüdesheim and Bingen, 50km from Frankfurt - an amazing all-round fireworks display from boats, stately buildings and the surrounding countryside.
Berlin, Love Parade - the wackiest of local festivals, a weekend of ecstatic body-baring by 1.5 million techno- ravers.
Ireland, Galway Arts Festival - Ireland's biggest arts jamboree, with all kinds of entertainment, street, theatre, music, kid's stuff, exhibitions, concerts.
France: Festival d'Avignon[theatre] mid July-mid August.
Chaumont Garden Festival - thirty wonderful and sometimes wacky show gardens around a perfect chateau [castle], every year 15 May-19 October.
Paris, Bastille Day - parties, parades, fireworks, picnics, July 14th.
Spain: Running of the Bulls, [Los Sanfermines] Pamplona, early July, one week.
Barcelona, Summer Festival [del Grec], theatre, dance and music, late June - late August.
Switzerland : Montreux International Jazz Festival [many kinds of music featured, in spite of the name] from early July, 2 weeks.
Netherlands: The Hague's North Sea Jazz Festival, mid July, 3 days.
Germany: Wagner Festival, Bayreuth [very expensive and elitist] late July - late August.
England: London, BBC Proms [Classical music] Concerts mid July- early Sept.
Wimbledon Tennis Champs. June/July.
Womad world music festival, Reading, late July, 3 days.
Cambridge, Cambridge Folk Festival - the real deal for the folks who like the music.
Scotland: T in the Park rock festival in beautriful countryside, Balado, near Kinross, early July, 3 days.
Wales: International Music Eisteddfod, Llangollen, 6 days, early July.
Hungary: Sopron festival Weeks, ancient music and dance, June & July, Sopron.
Austria:The Salzburg International Festival [music], late July- end of August.
Vienna, ImPulsTanz - a dynamic and diverse dance festival across the whole of lovely Vienna, early July - early August.
Greece: Athens Festival, drama and music in ancient theatres. June-Sept.
Denmark: Roskilde Festival, north Europe's largest rock music festival, late June-early July.
Copenhagen Jazz Festival, early July, one week.
Copenhagen Summer Festival, chamber and classical music concerts, end July-mid August.
Turkey: International Istanbul Festival of Arts, late June-mid July.
Finland: Savonlinna Opera Fest at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle.

For sightseeing/culture:
Norway [esp. Oslo, Bergen, Risor]
Sweden [esp. Stockholm, Visby, Oland]
Finland [Helsinki]
Iceland [Reykjavik]
Austria [esp. Vienna, Land Salzburg, St Wolfgang, Mutters, Portschach, Bad Aussee]
Belgium [esp. Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, the Ardennes]
Hungary [esp. Budapest, Szentendre, Lake Balaton, Eger]
Czech Rep. [esp. Prague, Bohemia province, Karlovy Vary, Karlstejn castle]
Poland [from mid-May, esp. Krakow, Tatras Mountains]
Denmark [esp.Copenhagen, Ribe, Arhus, Mons Klint, Egeskov Castle]
UK [esp. London, Windsor, Stonehenge, Dorset, Stratford, Oxford, York, Lake District, Edinburgh].
Ireland [Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford]
Spain [esp.Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Madrid]
Portugal [esp. Lisbon, Sintra, Evora, and the Algarve - but little cuture at the latter, only for beaches]
Italy [esp. Venice, Florence, Rome, Genoa, Pompeii, Amalfi, Sicily]
Croatia [esp. Dubrovnik, Hvar, Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Trogir]
Greece [esp. Athens, the Peloponnese peninsula, Meteora, the islands]
France [esp. Paris, Ile-de-France, Loire Valley, the Alps, Burgandy, Avignon, Arles, Riviera]
Switzerland [esp. Zurich, Lausanne, Lucerne, Zermatt, Jungfrau Region]
Netherlands [esp. Amsterdam, Keukenhof, The Hague, Delft, Barrier Dam, Leiden].
Germany [esp. Berlin, Potsdam, Munich, Berchtesgaden, Bamberg, Heidelberg, Lubeck]

European City Pictures:
Amsterdam | Athens | Budapest | Edinburgh | Florence | Genoa | Lisbon | London | Madrid | Paris | Prague | Rome | Venice | Vienna