The best holidays to book for August 2024, from Alpine lakes to Scottish boltholes

Whether looking for a break closer to home or dreaming of something further afield, here’s some inspiration for your peak summer escape

Get to know Slovenia on a self-drive holiday (Getty Images)

Although some parts of southern Europe had a disappointingly damp June, others had the sort of blazing temperatures you’d expect in August.

Nowadays, not everyone wants to swelter in 40C heat, and many more holidaymakers are seeking cooler, more pleasant climes. That’s when a break in the mountains or in Scandinavia could be your best bet for an August holiday.

Check out the gorgeous lakeside scenery of Helsinki, or head to the open roads and towering Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta. If you still can’t get enough of clean mountain air, hole up in the French Alps in a ski resort that goes into active overdrive in the summer.

Slovenia’s lakes, mountains and valleys will certainly knock you out with their beauty, and, if you want to stick closer to home, book a romantic retreat in Scotland or Wales.

Wherever you decide to go in August, take a look at some of these ideas.

Read more on travel inspiration:

• The most incredible hotel tennis courts: Where to stay and play
• Beat the heat: The ‘cool’ European destinations to visit in summer
• The best lesser-known European beach destinations for sun without the crowds

French Alps

Head up to the French Alps to beat the heat (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Rather than sweat it out on a Mediterranean beach, swim in Alpine lakes and feast on cheese in the French Alps, specifically in the extremely pretty village of Samoens. Go rafting on the River Giffre or splash about in the village’s lakes and outdoor swimming pools when you’re not mountain biking or hiking. Peak Retreats has a week’s self-catering at La Résidence Club Samoëns Village, which has outdoor and indoor pools as well as a spa, from £945 for a one-bedroom apartment from 24 August. The price includes a return DFDS ferry crossing.

Slovenia

Slovenia sparkles from Ljubljana to Lake Bled (Getty Images)

Exquisite Slovenia has one Europe’s most beautiful capitals as well as some fabulous mountain scenery. On Fleewinter’s Highlights of Slovenia self-drive holiday, you start in jewel-like Ljubljana before carrying on to Lake Bled and its fairy-tale landscapes. That’s the warm-up for magical Lake Bohinj, Julian Alps, Soca Valley and the final flourish on the Adriatic coast at Piran. Prices start at £750pp and include six nights’ B&B accommodation, five days’ car hire and airport transfers. Flights are extra.

Scotland

Rambling meets romance in Aberdeenshire (Getty Images)

It’s hard not to feel like a laird when you stay in the Garden Room within the Fasque Castle Estate in Aberdeenshire. Wonderfully ornate in places, the one-bedroom cottage is built within turret and is surrounded by huge expanses of land filled with deer and other wildlife. If you’re looking for a romantic bolthole, this is the place. Ramblers can follow the Rocks of Solitude Walk for a pleasant 10-mile walk. Available through Cottages and Castles, it costs £854 for four nights from 11 August. One dog is welcome for an extra £20.

Finland

Finland’s largest lake has a seriously stylish waterfront (Getty Images)

Get to know Finland’s Lake District on this Best of Finnish Lakeland self-drive holiday offered by Best Served Scandinavia. After a night in Helsinki, you’ll pick up your hire car and head to Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake and home to stylish waterfront spa resorts, manor houses and boutique boltholes where you can laze, swim, paddleboard, cycle, hike, relax in the sauna and take in mind-blowing August sunsets. Prices start at £1,720pp for a nine-day tailored self-drive holiday and include flights, car hire and B&B accommodation.

Canada

Explore the forests and lakes of Canada’s national parks on four wheels (Getty Images)

The majesty of the Rocky Mountains is just as impressive in summer as it is in winter, when its mountain lakes sparkle in the sun and gondolas continue to ferry people to the peaks for hiking and cycling. On this 10-day tailor-made self-drive Vancouver, Whistler and the Rockies holiday run by Wexas, you’ll be driving through jaw-dropping scenery amid the forests and lakes of Banff and Jasper national parks. It’ll be a road trip like no other. Prices start at £2,195pp and include flights, eight days’ car hire and accommodation, gondola rides, lake cruises and a ride on the Athabasca glacier.

Wales

Book a romantic long weekend near Welshpool (Getty Images)

Treat yourself to a romantic interlude in the Welsh countryside in Hafan Hedd Dingle, a shepherd’s hut two miles from Welshpool. The cosy hut has a shower room as well as a log burner in case the nights cool down. What you’ll fall in love with will be the four-acre garden filled with waterfalls and lakes. Booked through Sugar & Loaf, the hut costs £417 for a three-night break from 5 August.

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk