Dizer

My partner and I love to see nice landscapes during our vacation. We really enjoyed Iceland and Norway. Last year we planned a trip to Switzerland but cancelled it because of a personal situation.

This month we want to plan a quick 8 day trip to a nice location where we can enjoy the scenery (in Europe) . However, i'm a but puzzled where to go. Some ideas i have:

1. Ireland, visit the Cliffs of moher, slea head drive etc. Not sure what is double in 8 days. + 1 day Dublin.
2. Schotland. We are fully vacinated in August, but it's very impractical to get a negative Covid19 test on the second day after arrival. Covid measures seem to be quite strict.
3. Switzerland, visit Interlaken.
4. Norway Lofoten - dream place, but the weather was quite dramatic in the last few weeks.

The weather this summer is quite unpredictable in Europe. It rains a lot, also in Ireland, Schotland and Switzerland. I'm not a big fan of rain.

Any tips?

bilboburgler

The weather is down to climate change it is not going away
test impractical..... Well there is a lot of capacity
Scotland is lovely but the rules are in constant flux. Tuscany is pretty, The Black forest in pretty.

annhig

Given the constantly changing UK covid regs [there was a rumour that there's a barrister in Lincoln's Inn who knew them all but I suspect that even he has lost track by now] I would not recommend coming here, especially as it offends against your desire to avoid rain too.

For scenery I would definitely say Switzerland and in 8 days you could see quite a lot, especially if you took advantage of the trains and boats, but there can be rain. For scenery and less likelihood of rain there are the italian dolomites, or the Val D'Orcia in Tuscany, or the Amalfi Coast. Further afield have you thought about Croatia?

isabel

I agree with what annhig said. While 8 days in Switzerland would be fine, the chance of rain is higher there than in places like Italy. Almost everywhere in Italy is scenic.
I have photos of all those places if you want to see if any place strikes you as particularly scenic: Zenfolio | isabel's_images

janisj

You have left things very late. I LOVE Scotland and visit every chance I get but with the massive pressure on UK scenic areas because so many Brits are doing 'staycations' this summer, finding accommodations could be really difficult. (Day-2 testing isn't a problem AFAIk from reading 2 or 3 UK newspapers every day)

I suspect it would be the same in scenic western Ireland and parts of Switzerland. You might have to decide based on where you can find accommodations.

As for weather - no place in the northern European countries you list is exempt from 'dramatic' weather (and not even due to climate change - has always been so). I've been in Edinburgh in August when it was 30+° and I had to buy shorts, and when it was 9° and raining sideways.

If you can't abide rain you need to go south -- like to the Mediterranean -- but there it can be bloody hot.

bilboburgler

janisj, you are not that old surely "before climate change" would be pre-industrial ;-)

janisj

In the 70's they were warning us about an imminent neo ice age, then it was global warming, and now its 'climate change' - so no not that old . . .

bilboburgler

the only people who were claiming cooling was one US magazine.. global warming and climate change are merely different interpretations of the same human driven process. Have a good weekend.

janisj

I'm certainly not a climate change denier. My point was the weather can and always has been really changeable and trying to avoid rain in Ireland or Scotland or anywhere else oop north is pretty difficult.

(weather is distinct from climate)

Sassafrass

Obviously great mountains in Switzerland, but for a beautiful combination of land and sea, the Amalfi Coast or Croatia are good choices.

Michael

If you like mountains, what about the Pyrenees which might have better weather than the Alps? The eastern Pyrenees have a Mediterranean climate, hence drier than the central or western Pyrenees.

You could choose between the French side:

https://flic.kr/p/7T3wCi
Or the Spanish side:

https://flic.kr/p/7v1cTK

HappyTrvlr

We have traveled to a lot of places worldwide, and the top breathtaking scenery we found was in Alaska, Switzerland and Norway.

suze

How about a different part of Switzerland. I've been in Vevey/Montreux in summer months and don't remember having rain. Very beautiful region on Lake Leman.

But places are still under pandemic considerations. So maybe not there right now.

Dizer

Any specific places in Switzerland? The weather looks to improve in Switzerland.

*Thanks for the rest of tips, i will have a look at Croatia and Italy.

HappyTrvlr

In Switzerland, go to the Berner Oberland but do not stay in Interlaken, a transit hub. Go into the nearby mountains to spectacular Grindelwald or Wengen.

annhig

<<In Switzerland, go to the Berner Oberland but do not stay in Interlaken, a transit hub. Go into the nearby mountains to spectacular Grindelwald or Wengen.>>

HappyTrvlr - I don't think that you should dismiss Interlaken. On our last visit to Switzerland, we spent 4 nights in Interlaken and another 4 in Wengen. That gave us a chance to use the boats explore the wide range of places around the two lakes, [and to do a day trip to Bern on the train on the day it rained] and also enough time to explore the higher mountains including the Jungfraujoch.

PatrickLondon

Another option - if local Covid rules allow - might be Austria, and the Tirol. I've been several times to Neustift in the Stubaital - excellent public transport to cable-cars for mountain walks, and to Innsbruck if you want a city.

https://www.stubai.at/en/