Why does Europe take August off?

Why do Europeans take off August en masse? The idea that summer is for play, not work, seems hard to shake for many Europeans. The habit is especially ingrained in old manufacturing sectors. During and after the industrial revolution, entire factories in northern England would decamp to the same beachside resorts.



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Traditionally August is the month for Spaniards to go on holiday. In the old days that meant the whole month, nowadays 2-3 weeks. As 15th August is a public holiday here, like Ferragosto is in Italy, the two middle weeks in August are the peak for absences from the cities.

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Astronomically speaking, Italian summers start on June 21st and end on September 23rd. But, if we consider school summer holidays, the only period to go on vacation for most families, summer begins at the beginning of June and lasts till the first days of September (each school is different).

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In much of Europe (especially Italy and France), cities are partially shut down in July and August, when local urbanites take their beach breaks.

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The price you pay for the smaller crowds and better deals is, of course, suffering through what is often extremely hot and humid weather (along with some shops and restaurants closed for the month). The main tourist cities – places like Rome, Venice, and Florence – aren't ghost towns in August.

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You can expect hot, muggy weather, day and night. . . and pretty empty streets. You can also expect crowds at the Vatican and Colosseum, because anyone who is in Rome is here for tourism, and those are the sites they want to see!

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Weather – Spain during summer is quite an interesting experience. The weather is hot and humid and the crowds are aplenty especially in coastal areas. In parts of inland Spain, it's considered the low season. Many people plan their trip to the country during the months of June to August.

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