When temperatures rise in Europe, not everyone is comfortable with skin-searing sunshine and clammy humidity, particularly if you want to enjoy some active outdoor pursuits. However August does not have to mean tropical heat if you plan your summer getaway carefully.

While the northern hemisphere looks forward to its summer from June through August, the southern hemisphere is in winter mode. It may be the perfect time to visit New Zealand's North Island, Australia's New South Wales coast or beautiful Cape Town in South Africa.

August is a great time to visit Iceland as the exchange rate makes this a very affordable destination in the current economic climate. This unique island-country offers great city culture in the capital Reykjavik with excellent shopping, dining and museums. Iceland also has some incredible natural phenomena, not just the troublesome volcano which has hit the news recently.

Pack for a cool 13°C (55°F) and expect to see some great snowscapes as you explore this rather barren landscape. Take an Arctic Jeep tour up the glacier and see the strange black lava fields along the way. Warm up in one of the many hot springs where natural lagoons of surreal blue water steam into the air as you relax in the therapeutic waters, surrounded by hillsides covered in blue lupins.  

On roughly the same latitude, Scandinavia offers plenty of cultural cities and natural scenery. Spend a weekend shopping and dining in the old Gamla Stan in Stockholm in the summer sunshine with highs of 22°C (72°F). Oslo, Norway's capital, offers a chance to experience the "Land of the Midnight Sun". Take a cruise along the Oslofjord or visit the Viking Ship Museum where 9^th century ships have been recovered from the silt and make a fascinating exhibit.

Denmark, home of Legoland and Hans Christian Andersen, has some excellent family attractions and is not as expensive as you might think. There are castles, the Crocodile Zoo at Eskilstrup, Knuthenborg Safari Park and the North Sea Aquarium at Hirtshals. Denmark also has some top quality beaches if the weather is warm.

Scotland offers glorious late summer sights as the bracken turns a warm rust colour and reflects in the still loch waters. It is the best time to enjoy hill walking and mountain biking in the cooler summer weather.

If you have dreams of visiting Alaska or Canada, the only time to go is during their short summer, although snow is not unknown even in July. Calgary in Alberta hosts "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" during early July at the world-famous Calgary Stampede. See professional cowboys ride bucking broncos and wild bulls, enjoy chuckwagon racing, barrel racing and a host of other ranch-related races in this exciting event. Just an hour's drive from Calgary is the Banff to Jasper Icefields Parkway, one of the most stunning road trips in the world. The high Rocky Mountains with their snow-covered peaks and countless glaciers dwarf you as you drive this fantastic route.

Alaska is best visited on a cruise which effortlessly carries passengers from one small port to the next with every conceivable activity on offer from glacier hiking and heli-skiing to husky-pulled sleigh rides. 

Altitude often equates to cooler fresher temperatures, making it a good time to visit the beautiful mountain scenery of Austria or the Swiss Alps. Best of all, there are plenty of holiday rentals available in what is actually the down season in popular ski resorts. In Austria, Salzburg and Vienna are wonderful places to visit.

In Switzerland consider Lake Lucerne where typical daytime highs in July and August are 14-19°C (57-66°F), about 5°C lower on the mountains than in the valley. Enjoy visiting the lovely lakeside city of Lucerne, take a trip on the scenic Swiss Federal Railway to Interlaken, laze on the Lido beach or take a relaxing boat trip. The Old Town with its many museums offers plenty of art and culture and the city makes a great base for exploring the other major cities in Switzerland.

A trip to Florida may be far too hot in the searing summer heat, but there are plenty of other US cities that enjoy pleasant summer temperatures. One of the most popular is San Francisco which has an average temperature of 21°C (70°F) in July and is mainly bright and sunny. Families can see the sealions on Fisherman’s Wharf, cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and see marine life in Monterey Bay Aquarium. Couples may prefer the upmarket shopping, tours of the Nob Hill mansions and trips to the Napa Valley for wine tasting tours.

As you can see, August does not have to be unbearably hot – it's just a matter of choosing where you want to take your next "cool" holiday!

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