keys to visiting big cities

Start a journey through Europe in the hottest season of the year It turns out to be a great adventure from the beginning of planning.

Late sunsets and major capitals of the world full of flowers are just some of the benefits to visit Europe in summer.

However, there are also certain aspects that are recommended take into account when organizing the trip to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

According to the tourism intelligence firm Forward Keys, in 2024 searches for flights to travel to the European summer are led by two destinations: the city of London – its searches grew by almost 2% year-on-year – and Paris – whose interest increased by 0.5%.

In addition to the charm of the Old Continent, this year there is added interest in attending the Olympic Games that will take place in France.

One of the enormous advantages that the European summer offers is that, thanks to the famous “summer time”, from which the clocks change in March and October, in the months of June, July and August it is possible to enjoy long dreamy sunsetssince in the middle of the year in some cities it gets dark after 10 p.m.

In the case of France, for example, it allows you to observe magical sunsets on the banks of the Seine or in front of the Eiffel Tower itself until late in the day.

Another benefit of taking a trip to Europe in the middle of the summer has to do with the possibility of walking through the streets of the capitals without the presence of large crowds.

Happens that some of the cities most important in Europe, such as Paris or Madrid, -mainly, July and August-, which allows you to visit its museums and tourist attractions avoiding the long lines that characterize them at other times of the year.

Although in the hottest season most inhabitants of large cities usually flee to sun and beach destinationsIt is also true that European cities have attractive plans designed for those who stay. And also, of course, for tourists.

In the case of Paris, for example, year after year it is launched in different areas of the city Paris beachan initiative that seeks to bring the beach to different places, such as the banks of the Seine River and also the Canal Saint Martin.

The quintessential activity that works as summer start signal in the French capital it is the Music Festival (music festival), which takes place on June 21 with the arrival of the solstice and marks the beginning of summer in the city.

Only on that day are artists from all over the world allowed to play on the streets of the city without any type of authorization. Both the Parisian cafes and bars are filled with music throughout the day And everywhere.

In the case of Spain, in Madrid throughout the summer the famous festivals of Madrid neighborhoods. Every week there is a party in a different neighborhood, and that place becomes an epicenter of activities that include gastronomic proposals, music and dancing in the streets until the early hours of the morning.

Although touring Europe in summer has a certain magic, you must also take into account a series of issues before embarking on the summer adventure.

• High season. One of the factors to consider has to do with the trip costs. Regardless of whether the chosen place in Europe is a beach destination or not, it is known that summer is high seasonso the price of plane tickets from the country of origin will always be higher.

• Mobility. On the other hand, the same occurs with transfers within the same continent. If you want to travel from one city to another, or between countries, the prices for planes, trains and buses are usually higher than at other times of the year. For this reason, it is advisable to either take them out some time in advance, or take advantage of offers and promotions – such as those offered by many ‘low cost’ airlines -.

• Closed for repairs. It is also important to know that, in some particular cities, such as Paris, certain restaurants or even certain bakeries remain closed during the summer and they only reopen in September, when the return to school takes place. At the same time, sometimes, summer is the season chosen to do reforms in the subwaysso circulation may be affected.

• Heat waves. Something no less important to consider if you travel in summer: the heat waves, increasingly frequent. In recent years, in certain cities these have exceeded 40 degrees and the Old Continent is not always adapted to these situations. In some of its capitals the scarce air conditioning and not even cafes have this possibility. For this reason, it may be a good idea to combine the days of cultural tourism in the capitals with a few days on the beach closest to the chosen destination