A long summer’s evening promenading and picnicking in one of London’s great parks is a highlight of any stay in the capital.
Regent’s Park
Underground: Baker St / Regent’s Park / Great Portland St
Active playground for Londoners and home to the London Zoo, a sojourn on a Saturday will see locals at play well into a long summer night.
Enter via Baker St and hire a pedalo or boat to get about on the lake.
Primrose Hill
Underground: Chalk Farm / Camden Town
Directly opposite Regents Park, Primrose Hill gives strollers incredible views of London.
Drop into the nearby restaurants and pubs on Ainger Road to refuel.
Hyde Park
Underground: Marble Arch / Hyde Park Corner
The most celebrated park in London, Hyde Park is a delicious mass of greenery in the middle of the city.
For the novelty pay for a lounger to worship the sun with the rest of London or drop in on Speakers’ Corner for an entertaining dose of verbosity.
Hampstead Heath
Underground: Hampstead / Golders Green
The wild and woolly Heath has loads of children’s playgrounds and three ponds in which people actually swim. So if you are hankering for a dip on a warm evening it’s the go.
The great botanic gardens of the world are in fact a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to more then 300 years of dedication to all things flora. The famous glasshouse and orangery leave garden and plant lovers in awe, and the relatively new Treetop Walkway may actually make teenagers think this is a passable half-day excursion.
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Quentin Long is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Australian Traveller Media. Quentin is a sought-after travel media commentator. He is Australia’s most trusted source for travel news and insights, having held weekly radio segments across the country since 2006, and regularly appearing on Channel 9’s Today and A Current Affair programs from 2010. Don't ask him his favourite travel experience as that's like asking him to choose a favourite child. However he does say that Garma Festival is the one travel experience that changed him the most.
Temperatures are soaring this summer, breaking records across Europe and the UK.
Euro summer is a feeling like no other. But when a heatwave hits? The dream trip quickly turns into a sweaty mess. Extreme heat is sweeping Europe and the UK this week, with record-high temperatures impacting travel plans across the continent.
And while Australian summers are typically hotter in absolute temperature, many European cities aren’t equipped for high temperatures, resulting in unbearable weather.
Why is it so hot in Europe?
Signs of a hot summer loomed in May, when the mercury hit unprecedented spring highs. Now, extreme high temperature warning alerts have been issued in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, England, the Netherlands and Germany.
France saw its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average temperature of 30°C across the day and night. This surpasses the average temperature for June, which is 15°C to 25°C. Dozens of people have died, including 40 from drowning.
In Spain, 212 deaths have been linked to the heatwave.
The UK recorded its hottest June day ever on Wednesday with temperatures soaring to 36.1°C. In an article published by the Met Office – the UK’s national meteorological service – Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, shared his concerns about June’s heat. “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply,” he said.
Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in Europe and the UK, neither of which is prepared for such extremes. The World Meteorological Organization reported that in 2025, at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures and that the continent was heating up twice as fast as the global average.
How travel is impacted
A pharmacy broadcasting local weather data. (Credit: Getty/Dragoncello)
During a heatwave, power grids, water systems and transport networks can be affected, resulting in disrupted itineraries for travellers. In France, power outages have left thousands without electricity and early closures have been implemented for two of Paris’s biggest attractions, the Eiffel Tower (early afternoon rather than late at night) and the Louvre (two hours early). Eurostar cancelled its London to Paris and Paris to London services from the 22nd to the 25th, and major UK rail companies have been advising travellers to avoid using trains where possible, or to travel during early hours.
If a heatwave is predicted, being flexible with your itinerary and having fully refundable/changeable tickets is key, as extreme heat can force the cancellation of outdoor activities, impact rail and flight services and change the opening hours of sites and eateries.
Why does summer in Europe often feel hotter than summer in Australia?
People swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris to cool off. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)
With some of the highest UV levels in the world, Australians are no strangers to the heat, adapting well to intense weather. But our infrastructure is largely equipped to withstand soaring temperatures with climate-responsive passive design, refrigerated air conditioning or evaporative coolers, as well as swimming spots aplenty.
Buildings in Northern and Western Europe and the UK, however, are constructed to retain heat and handle frosty winters. The lack of universal air conditioning means it generally feels hotter even though the temperature on your app might not look it. During a heatwave, it can feel like you’re in a sauna as cities act like heat traps.
How to stay cool and prepare for another heatwave
Relief is expected across Europe and the UK later this week, but more heatwaves are still possible in the coming months. Summer heat typically peaks in July and August.
Public transport often doesn’t have air conditioning, and buses in particular can be swelteringly hot. If you’re heading outside or your accommodation has no air conditioning, it’s worth buying a spray bottle and a handheld fan from a pharmacy or tourist stand. Check ahead of time if restaurants and cafes have air conditioning and make a booking in advance. The highest temperatures typically hit between 3pm and 6pm, so aim to head outdoors outside of these hours.
Rising temperatures invite travellers to enter a more intentional era of seeing the world. Now more than ever is the time to embrace lower-impact “coolcations” and off-season getaways.
