14 Travel Writers Share Their Top Summer Destinations (And Why They Love Them)
Real recommendations from people who've been everywhere. Their answers might surprise you.
Summer is coming. And with it, the same question that pops up every single year.
Where should we go this summer?
It sounds simple. But with so many options, rising costs, and the pressure to make the most of limited time off, it can feel anything but.
So I did something different this time.
Instead of giving you my own list, I asked 13 Substack travel writers featured in my TravelMates interview series from around the world—people who travel a lot—one simple question:
What are a few or your top summer travel destinations and why do you love them?
Their answers are honest and from their personal experiences. Some are classic destinations. But plenty are unique and unexpected.
Here’s what they said!
Jen Belcher from BooksonTrains (Travel & Books)
Honestly, summer is not my favorite season to travel. Especially to popular international destinations.
When I lived in Europe a decade ago, it was a different story. I’d take advantage of low-cost flights to Portugal, Spain, Greece. Back then, it was a dream. These days, European summer travel has exploded. Prices are sky-high, the crowds are overwhelming, and the heat is awful.
So now, I approach summer differently. I lean into shorter domestic trips (2–3 days max) to places that are easier on the wallet and still feel like an escape. I love Boston for its walkability and history, Charleston for its charm and food, Colorado for the mountain air, and the Catskills for that cozy upstate feel.
I also use summer to reconnect with friends and family. It gets me out of the house, fills my cup, and saves me from those peak-season hotel rates. It’s the kind of travel that feels restorative, not exhausting.
Lindsey Cade from The Travel Desk
We live in Texas, so we are often seeking refuge from the heat in the summer.
In the US, I love Telluride, Colorado, Big Sur, California, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Abroad, a few of my favorites are the Dolomites in Italy (Selva val Gardena area), Grindelwald in Switzerland, and the Lake Region in Italy.
There are common themes for all of these: incredible hiking and scenery, food that packs a punch for the size of the destination, and a variety of accommodation options no matter your budget or travel style.
Europeans just know how to summer in all the right ways, and I can never get enough.
Shannon Gomes from The Gomes Guide
I can’t help but give more than one summer travel recommendation. Here are my top 4!
The Azores, Portugal – Underrated paradise with volcanoes, stunning hikes, charming villages and the most welcoming people.
Switzerland – Mountains, trains, lakes, and postcard-worthy scenery at every turn.
Italy – It’s Italy. Enough said. Food, art, history, wine… and more food.
Orcas Island, Washington – A peaceful, slow-paced escape with whale watching and wild beauty.
Ibtissam C.| In Transit from In Transit
I try to avoid Southern Europe in the summer and prefer staying in the UK.
It’s the perfect season to explore places like Cornwall, the Lake District, or Scotland. The weather cooperates and they are all breathtaking. They feel like a world away without leaving the country.
I also enjoy visiting Scandinavian countries in summer. The long daylight hours and stunning nature make places like Norway and Sweden feel especially alive during that time of year.
Ashleigh at Travel Bugg from Travel Bugg
I recommend Northern Spain any time of the year, but summer is especially pleasant.
While the rest of Southern Europe is sweltering, the regions of Asturias, Galicia, and Cantabria have perfect weather for hiking, surfing, and devouring tasty pinchos.
I would also recommend the Balkans, particularly Albania, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While Croatia and Montenegro are becoming more popular with tourists, Bosnia and North Macedonia are still largely free from the major effects of European summer overtourism.
All of these countries are spectacular for hiking, food culture, and learning about history, with incredibly welcoming people.
Rachel Lipson | The Point from The Point
While, of course, there’s nothing quite like hanging by the beach or poolside, summer is the only time of year we have many weeks in a row to travel. It’s a great opportunity to travel a little farther away or visit multiple destinations rather than just one or two.
Some summer trips I recommend:
Barcelona + Madrid + Costa Brava – Pair the two cities with a stop in Costa Brava for beach time. Rent a car and explore charming, medieval towns and hang where the locals go. A bonus: while air conditioning can be hard to come by in much of Europe, we found it to be the norm in accommodations in both cities.
Italy (multi-city) – We took a month to visit Italy last summer and while it was indeed excruciatingly hot, we loved it. We visited 7 cities including Puglia in the south where we stayed in a home swap with a gorgeous pool in olive gardens, and Sorrento where the hotel had six pools and was walkable to a ferry that takes you straight to Ischia, Capri, and Naples. Make sure to visit Venice. Being by the beautiful canals and staying just off the main island at a hotel with an amazing rooftop pool with 360 views of the city made it feel more tolerable.
Daniel Catena from Itchy Feet
My family has a cabin in rural Montana, in the US.
We’ve been making yearly trips up there every summer since I’ve been alive. This is my number-one travel destination because it’s peaceful with plenty of memories.
For me, summer is synonymous with road trips. So whenever I get a chance to hit the road, I’m happy. The most recent road trip was with my wife Yesi to a small mountainous village in Tolima, Colombia. I enjoy escaping crowds in the summer.
Benthall Slow Travel from Benthall Adventures — A Slow Travel Journal
Cornwall for its wild cliffs and quiet coastal paths.
Belize for its tropical color and world-class snorkeling.
Provence for golden evenings, lavender fields, and markets that feel like a feast for all the senses.
Adrian Landin from With Gusto
Anywhere outside of your country and your comfort zone. Truly.
The single best piece of advice I can give anyone is to go somewhere you’re not just sitting and being catered to. Go somewhere developing. Somewhere where you don’t speak the language. Somewhere you can experience things you’ve never before experienced.
Hey, it might not be as intoxicating or comfortable, but I promise it’ll be a hell of a lot more fulfilling and rewarding, long-term.
Amy Boyle from Amy Boyle | Stories in Light and Sound
I’m biased, but Chicago in the summer is hard to beat.
The lakefront along Lake Michigan comes alive, and every single day offers something — music festivals, food festivals, theater, or simply a walk along the water.
Even after 30 years of living here, I love playing tourist in my own city. Chicago has an energy in summer that feels unmatched, and I tend to stay close because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Flavio Massignan from I only take pics
I usually don’t travel in summer, or at least I don’t plan it, but sometimes it happens spontaneously.
Last summer, I travelled to South America — Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. It turned out to be a great option if you want to escape the hot European summer, since the climate there is much cooler at that time of year.
A few years ago, I also travelled to Georgia in September, at the very end of summer. It was just after the peak season, so it wasn’t too crowded, and the weather was perfect for hiking and exploring cities.
It’s a great late-summer destination for those seeking good food, mountains, and culture.
Alvin Toro from Departures - Travel & Lifestyle
I’ve grown to love spending summers in the western hemisphere above the 40th parallel.
Europe is an especially good fit for me. Aside from the occasional heatwave, temperatures tend to remain a lot more manageable. To me it’s just the right balance of climate and lifestyle.
Matt Schulz from Ask, Save, Earn
I grew up going to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my family every summer, and it is still an absolutely beautiful place with plenty to do.
However, having lived in Texas for most of the last 30 years, I tend to prefer a break from the summer heat. I went to Germany with my family about 10 years ago and loved visiting the Zugspitze, where I got to sled and have a snowball fight with my son in the middle of summer.
That’s not something you get to do in Central Texas.
Riana | Teaspoon of Adventure
Stockholm, Sweden. I visited Stockholm in August 2019 and thought it was the perfect summer city escape. Because it’s in Scandinavia, the weather was perfect — not scorching hot but nice and sunny. It wasn’t overrun with tourists and there was so much to do.
I loved the photography and Viking ship museums, royal palace, cobblestoned old town, water views, subway art, and of course, the Swedish tradition of having a mid-morning Fika break.
Toronto, Canada. I grew up in Toronto and visit once or twice a year. Summers can get quite hot, but they’re also such a fun time to be in the city. Museums and galleries when it’s too hot outside. Harbour cruises, festivals, and outdoor patios when the weather is just right. You can also head up to Ontario’s cottage country for a weekend escape.
Sunshine Coast, Canada. One of my top summer destinations, mostly for sentimental reasons. Every summer, my husband’s cousins host a family reunion in Pender Harbour. A week of camping, fishing, hiking, roasting marshmallows, diving off the dock, reading in the sun and catching up over delicious meals. Some of my favourite memories of summer.
My Personal Summer Travel Pick
Yes, it’s a classic pick. I know.
But I can’t leave it off this list.
Last summer, my husband and I joined his family for 10 days in Tuscany, Italy. I’ll be honest — I expected it to be beautiful. What I didn’t expect was just how incredible it was—the food, the wine, the weather, the photography, the warmth of the locals.
The small villages dotting the Tuscan countryside stopped me in our tracks, constantly urging me to pause to pull out my camera. Every turn in the road felt like a painting.
The food was incredible (not that I expected anything less). Not a single bad dish in 10 days. We went from simple, perfect pasta and pizza at local trattorias all the way through to a Michelin-starred family dinner at Il Palagio inside the Four Seasons Florence—one of the best meals I’ve ever had—for our final night in Tuscany.
And then there are the roads. Winding, lined with cypress trees, and best explored slowly with no real agenda.
Tuscany is a classic for a reason.
Some places earn that reputation. This is one of them.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one theme that runs through every single response, it’s this.
The best summer destinations aren’t always the most popular ones.
Some of these writers head north to escape the heat. Others lean into road trips, domestic getaways, or places with personal meaning. A few skip the obvious European hotspots entirely.
Summer travel doesn’t have to mean crowds, high prices, and heat exhaustion. Sometimes the best trip is the one nobody else is taking.
Now it’s your turn.
If this post helped you think about your summer travel plans, share it with someone who’s still deciding where to go.
And if you have a summer destination you in mind — drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear what’s on your list!
Until next time, happy travelling!
Janice
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Thanks for the feature, Janice!
Thank you for the opportunity!