Where is hot in July? Heat and cool escapes

July is when the summer holidays begin across much of Europe, and many people head to the Mediterranean as a matter of course. But there July is above all hot. In Andalusia, Turkey and Greece average daytime highs are well above 30 °C, and heatwaves with more than 40 °C happen again and again in high summer. If you travel with children, sleep badly when nights stay warm, or simply want to do more than lie by the pool, the Atlantic coast, the north and the mountains often offer the more pleasant summer.

We looked at the weather of the Julys 2015 to 2024 for 20 destinations: the hot classics, alternatives at 18 to 25 °C and – because many people travel further in summer – a look at the monsoon in Asia.

The table: 20 destinations in July

Temperature and rain: average of the Julys 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded. The values describe a grid cell of about 25 km. In the mountains the grid averages over valley and peaks: in the valley it is often warmer, higher up much cooler. Flight times: typical direct flights, rounded.

1. Seville 37.0°
2. Antalya 36.4°
3. Athens 33.5°
4. Rome 33.1°
5. Palma 32.1°
6. Lisbon 27.7°
7. Porto 24.4°
8. A Coruña 23.1°
9. San Sebastián 23.7°
10. Brest 20.3°
11. Newquay 18.8°
12. Edinburgh 18.1°
13. Bergen 17.2°
14. Stockholm 21.8°
15. Innsbruck 25.4°
16. Chamonix 23.3°

Base map: Natural Earth

Where July scorches

The table shows clearly where high summer gets tiring. Seville averages 37 °C in July with practically no rain, Antalya 36.4 °C with 24 °C at night – even the hotel room barely cools down. Athens and Rome sit at 33 °C, Marrakech at 38.5 °C and Dubai at 41 °C.

That does not mean you cannot go there in July. On the beach, with a pool and a siesta, Antalya or Mallorca (32.1 °C) are perfectly bearable. For city breaks and sightseeing, though, the heat is a real problem: the Acropolis, the Roman Forum or the Alcázar in the afternoon are no fun. If you go anyway, plan sightseeing early in the morning and late in the evening and stay in the shade or indoors around midday.

The Atlantic: 23 to 25 °C and fresh nights

The best alternative to the hot Mediterranean is the Atlantic. Porto averages 24.4 °C in July with only 13 mm of rain, Lisbon 27.7 °C. North-west Spain is fresher still: Galicia around A Coruña sits at 23 °C, San Sebastián in the Basque Country at 23.7 °C – with La Concha, one of the most beautiful city beaches in Europe. The sea is much cooler here than in the Mediterranean, but nights at 16 to 17 °C let you sleep.

Porto trip planDay by day, with map and tips Lisbon trip planDay by day, with map and tips

The Azores (23.5 °C) and Madeira (25.9 °C) are pleasantly warm in July too, without getting hot. The same goes for Tenerife at just over 25 °C in Santa Cruz – the south of the island is a little warmer.

Cooler still are Brittany (20.3 °C) and Cornwall (18.8 °C): wild coasts, fishing villages and cliff paths – with the weather of a warm early-summer day. Rain is part of it, around 65 to 76 mm a month on average.

Mountains: the Alps and the Dolomites

In the Alps, July is the main hiking season. Innsbruck averages just over 25 °C, Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc 23 °C, and nights cool down to 13 to 15 °C. In the Dolomites around Cortina d'Ampezzo the average is only just over 21 °C by day. The catch: the mountains get a lot of rain in summer, mostly as afternoon thunderstorms. Innsbruck averages 148 mm in July, Cortina even 189 mm. If you start early and are off the ridge by midday, you avoid most storms.

The north: Scotland and Scandinavia

Stockholm (21.8 °C), Edinburgh (18.1 °C) and Bergen (17.2 °C) are summer destinations for anyone avoiding heat. Edinburgh's festival season starts in August – in July the city is still a little quieter. Bergen stays wet even in summer, though: 193 mm in July is the highest value in Europe in our list.

Edinburgh trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Long-haul in July: mind the monsoon

In South and South-East Asia, July is monsoon season. Goa averages 947 mm of rain in July. Bangkok (195 mm) and Phuket (198 mm) are wet too. For round trips there, November to March is the better time.

The big exception is Bali: the island lies south of the equator and is in its dry season in July – 27 °C by day, 23 °C at night and only 82 mm of rain. That makes Bali one of the few long-haul destinations that really suit the summer holidays.

How to plan your summer trip

First decide what matters more: warm sea or pleasant temperatures on land. For a beach holiday with warm water, the Mediterranean remains the first choice – ideally with accommodation on the beach and quiet midday hours. For city breaks, hiking and round trips with children, Porto, Galicia, the Basque Country, Brittany, the Alps or Scandinavia are the more relaxed choice.

YesTrip plans your trip day by day, shows the places on a map and the forecast for your travel days. With shared trips you plan together with family or friends and keep track of shared expenses. For Porto there is a ready-made plan:

If you are going to Provence in July, check when and where the lavender is still in flower, since the first part of the month is the safest bet.