WHAT'S HAPPENING
While southern Europe melts under record-breaking heat waves, a new travel trend is booming in the north: "coolcations."
Coolcations are vacations to deliberately cold places. Not "skiing in winter" cold. Summer cold. Scandinavian cold. When temperatures in Paris hit 44°C (113°F) and Madrid breaks all-time records, Europeans are booking flights to places where summer means 13-21°C (55-70°F).
This isn't a niche thing. It's a documented trend. And it's exploding.
WHY NOW
June 2026 was the hottest June on record for Western Europe. Spain, France, UK are 3-12°C above normal. Cities are closing schools. Infrastructure is failing. Flying north isn't a luxury anymore, it’s now becoming a method for survival.
TOP DESTINATIONS
Gothenburg tops the leaderboard. Iceland is booked solid. Norwegian fjords for hiking. Scottish Highlands for escape. Hotels report unprecedented summer bookings. Airlines are adding Nordic routes.
IF YOU'RE GOING
Book now, flights are expensive and limited. Get a Europe eSIM before you travel so you have data everywhere without roaming charges. You'll need it to navigate, coordinate, and send smug 18°C photos back to people melting at home.
— Globie Team