Europe’s too hot, too crowded; Could this be the end of Australia’s Mediterranean holiday dream?

Australians are turning away from the traditional July-August Mediterranean escape as heatwaves and overtourism reshape travel across Europe. For the first time, more Aussie travellers are choosing cooler, quieter months like April, May, and September, a shift travel companies say is happening far sooner than expected.

Melbourne-based Intrepid Travel reports that 55 per cent of its Europe-bound customers now prefer the shoulder season over the peak summer stretch.

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“I thought we had five to ten years before this trend hit the mainstream, but climate change has accelerated everything,” said Brett Mitchell, the company’s Australia and New Zealand managing director.

Heatsopt on the tourist hotspot

This summer, Europe has seen record-breaking heat. Spain hit 46°C in June, its hottest June on record. Portugal and France followed with similar highs, and England recorded its hottest June ever. Health warnings, wildfires, and even fatalities have raised concerns among tourists.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently called the heat “the new normal” and warned that no country is immune to the rising risks of climate change.

In response, Intrepid Travel has cut certain summer itineraries altogether, especially active tours in southern Europe during July and August. Some experiences are being rescheduled to cooler times of day, such as evening walks on Dubrovnik’s city walls in Croatia.

Do overcrowded tourist spots lose their appeal?

Yes, overcrowding may be another key reason Australians avoid the peak European summer. Destinations like Italy, Greece, and Croatia are struggling with overtourism.

In some places, locals have taken to the streets in protest.

Flight Centre also confirms that more Australians are opting for shoulder-season trips. “We’re seeing ‘Euro Summer’ stretch from May to late September,” said the company’s global leisure CEO, James Kavanagh, to news.com.au. Northern Europe, including Finland, Norway, and Greenland, is also gaining popularity for its cooler climate and unique experiences.

Booking trends

The numbers show a clear shift. Intrepid Travel says bookings for Italy’s peak season are down 72 per cent year-on-year, while off-season bookings have jumped 166 per cent. In Croatia, peak demand dropped by 19 per cent, with off-peak bookings up 179 per cent.

Search data from Booking.com shows interest in Paris, Athens, Lisbon, and Milan is now highest in September, a sign that travellers are adjusting their schedules to avoid the heat and the crowds.

Could this end the Euro summer trip?

Probably not in the near future, as tour operators are also adapting according to the new norm. Intrepid has introduced “climate-resilient” itineraries, reduced reliance on flights in favour of trains, and added carbon labelling to 800 trips.

The company recorded 151 climate-related incidents affecting its tours last year, twice as many as the year before.

“We’re shifting away from over-saturated hotspots to quieter, lesser-known places,” Mitchell said. For example, Positano is being replaced by Minori on Italy's Amalfi Coast. On Croatia’s coast, Hvar is giving way to the more peaceful Mljet Island.