Top “Coolcation” Travel Destinations

Record-breaking summer heatwaves throughout Europe have more travelers looking for cooler destinations to spend the holidays. I have some favorites.

By: Lynn Elmhirst, travel journalist and expert

Some like it hot! And since Coco Chanel made it stylish to spend even scorching summers on the French Riviera, heat-loving travelers have flocked to the Mediterranean during the season. Those who couldn’t brave Mediterranean heat? Well, they stayed in more central areas of Europe in the summers.

That’s been the pattern for decades – but it is changing fast.

An early summer heatwave in 2026 shattered records across parts of Europe, making many top summer travel hotspots: London, Paris, Amsterdam - even Vienna and alpine Switzerland - feel like the high summer in the Med.

Mediterranean destinations are designed for the heat, with thick walls, shutters and even afternoon siesta habits – helping residents and visitors stay comfortable. In places north of the Med, it’s a much different story.

That makes one of the ‘hottest’ trends in travel today: the ‘coolcation.’ And there are my favorite places to travel in the summer - without breaking a sweat!

Pro Tip: consider cruising. Not only are these destinations best explored by coastal cruising, but it’s also always a bit cooler over water, and there’s always a breeze at sea!

SCANDINAVIA

Even more southern parts of Scandinavia and their capitals, like Copenhagen, are feeling the heat. To truly escape the climate, go even farther north. A coastal cruise up the fjords of Norway is one of the iconic, bucket list cruises with some of the most inspiring scenery and charming Scandinavian villages. Some cruises will take you far enough north to actually be Arctic – where you have the chance of even spotting polar bears!

(Top photo: Viking Cruises ship in Geiranger Fjord, Norway, courtesy of Viking)

SCOTTISH ISLES

Channel your inner Highlander along the windswept, rocky shores of Scotland’s Shetland Isles or any of its other islands. Discover ancient stone structures, cozy inns, shops and pubs, and unforgettable puffin encounters. Not to mention the isles’ trifecta of farm animals: rugged sheep, adorable Highland cows and coiffure-challenged Shetland ponies! I think the purchase of a piece of tartan or a Highland wool scarf may be mandatory!

ICELAND

The ‘land of fire and ice’ does not disappoint, from geysers and glaciers and volcanoes and one-of-a-kind wild scenery, to Icelandic ponies and quirky local food like sheep hotdogs and fermented shark. You’ll want to tour the ‘Golden Circle’ of scenic points outside of Reykjavik and catch a performance in the capital’s stunning harborfront music hall, covered in reflective ‘scales’ that mirror the water.

GREENLAND

The sleeping giant of Arctic travel destinations. Greenland is a giant icecap, with edges of the coast inhabited by small communities and some of the most spectacular polar scenery: towering cliffs and fjords, glaciers and icebergs. Capital city Nuuk now has an airport and public art installations throughout its charming, part-Arctic, part-Scandinavian streetscape by the sea.

NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland is more than the vast scenery of Gros Morne National Park, or the archeological remains of Viking settlements that long pre-date Christopher Columbus. It’s a cultural treasure. You haven’t really lived until you’ve been ‘screeched in’ as an honorary Newfoundlander in a pub in St. John’s, with local Irish seafarer-inspired bands playing in the background. You’ll have to kiss a cod fish and down a shot of the local ‘screech’ – rum which is nowadays a lot smoother than its original version! And you’ll never meet a Newfoundlander who can’t sing or tell you a tall tale!

ALASKA

And since we’re talking cruising, I have to point out one of the most accessible coolcation destinations in our own back yard. Cruises to Alaska just keep growing in popularity, and why not? It’s the perfect multi-generational destination, where everyone in the family finds something to love: spotting bald eagles and bears, otters and whales, glaciers and icebergs, and vast forests. And tasting local crab right out of the crab pots.

But there’s a catch: Alaska’s getting warmer summers, too. Although Alaskan ‘heatwaves’ aren’t nearly at Mediterranean levels, interior cities especially, like Fairbanks, can hit temperatures even over 95 degrees (35 C)! Especially with the ‘white nights’ where the sun is out 20 or more hours a day, this prevents nighttime cooling relief. Nonetheless, coastal areas remain cooled by sea breezes and Alaska cruises remain an easy way to experience the scenery and communities of America’s Last Frontier.

START YOUR (COOL!) TRIP!

Top image courtesy of Viking Cruises

Other Images: Lynn Elmhirst