These holidaymakers visited northern European countries this summer, and here is their assessment

Three degrees in the middle of August? These morning temperatures were nothing unusual in Iceland, a country that Clémentine and Damien crisscrossed for ten days this summer. This couple is among the French who, for several years, have decided to go to northern Europe during the summer, to escape the heat and crowds, or simply take the time to travel against the grain. In 2023, this small trend has been confirmed. Norway, for example, set a record month of August, with 22% more overnight stays by foreigners; Sweden recorded +11% over the same period.

These holidays far from the Mediterranean coasts and crowds even have a name, the “coolcation”, a contraction of the English words “cool” and “vacation”, or cool holidays. On the program: intermittent sunshine, yes, but anthology road trips through raw and wild landscapes. Ireland, Norway or Iceland… Three pairs of vacationers share with The Figaro their holiday stories are almost completely fresh, since two of them went to Greece or Italy too. Just to make sure they see the sun in summer.

In Ireland: “She told us that no one comes on holiday here”

Kimberly and Damien visited Ireland for 11 days in August.

Inspired by photos of panoramas and a shared attraction to the “Green Island,” Damien and his partner Kimberly flew to Ireland this summer. First heading to Dublin, to begin a ten-day road trip to Belfast, in the north of Ireland. “OHe changed locations every day, alternating between town, countryside and seaside village. All this under the sun“, smiles this 51-year-old communications director. “The vastness of the landscapes that fall into the sea» seduced the French couple.On the hills, the grass stood out fluorescent green and we often stopped to go hiking.“, explains Damien.

They are charmed by Dingle, a small town on the Atlantic coast, in the west of the country. Even if the water was too cold to swim, the Celtic tranquility won over Damien and Kimberly.The view took our breath away, and the locals were very welcoming.”they say, also delighted by the freshness of the place.We went during the heatwave days in France, so we were quite happy“, they added, happy to have enjoyed mild temperatures most of the time, with a maximum of 25 degrees. The atmosphere was perfect for admiring the Connemara lake: “It really is as magical as you imagine.“, Damien recalls. Favorite moment of the trip? Enjoying Guinness beers in country pubs. “We liked the typical atmosphere. Once we spent the evening chatting with an Irish woman, who was surprised to see tourists in the area. She told us that no one came here on holiday“i,” Damien confided.

Between Sweden and Norway: “I dreamed of seeing Lapland, but not in winter”

Laurianne and Elodie visited Sweden and Norway for 14 days this summer.

Lapland is a dream destination for the crowds in winter, but also in summer. Élodie, 44, and Laurianne, 37, explored northern Sweden in August.We are fleeing the heat and the countries popular with tourists at this time. I dreamed of seeing Lapland, but not in winter“, explains Laurianne. A successful bet for the two friends, who keep in mind the experience of a lunch in a restaurant “almost empty” in Swedish Lapland, near the IceHotel, the largest ice hotel in the world. “To get there, we rented a camper van for two weeks, which allowed us to extend our itinerary and continue to Norway and Finland.“, says Laurianne. In total, they covered nearly 4,500 km, in temperatures reaching up to 26 degrees in Norway, but mostly fluctuating between 10 and 23 degrees during the day. “Wearing big jackets in summer is not a real problem“, they assure.

Their list of favourite places includes the colourful town of Sigtuna, 50 km from Stockholm, and the rivers of the Swedish Abisko National Park, located in the north of the country, near the Norwegian border. They also remember the bright red of the houses in Bönhamn, a former fishing village spread out on the Swedish High Coast.We were just a little disappointed with the food, because we love discovering new flavors, but Scandinavian gastronomy was not to our taste“, shares Laurianne, mentioning high prices, but not so far removed from those in France. “It was expensive, but with the increase in prices in France, the difference is less noticeable. It is never attractive to leave at the beginning of August, but by booking the plane tickets and the truck in advance, we saved money” concludes Laurianne.

In Iceland: “The fragility of the icebergs moved me”

Clementine and Damien visited Iceland for 10 days.

If the Parisian couple aspired to discover summer Scandinavia, it is finally Iceland which conquered them for this month of August 2024.The country is smaller and more concentrated, which allowed us to visit the entire territory in a short time. The trip was also more affordable than in winter.“, describes Clémentine, a marketing manager in the food industry. The other advantage? The little difference in altitude, ideal for driving the camper van rented by the two thirty-somethings. On the agenda: swimming in the hot springs of Blue Lagoon, a boat trip to Húsavík (in the north of the island) to observe whales, and their favorite place: the iceberg lagoon of Jökulsárlón. “I had never seen ice in this form, it was impressive. The guide told us that they will disappear within 40 years with global warming, we felt so lucky to have been able to see them… The fragility of the icebergs moved me” confides Clementine.

At the moment, the temperature is between 3 and 13 degrees, feeling cooler with the icy wind: “We left with hats and scarves“. A cold “compensated by beauty” of the Icelandic horizon, according to the couple, already tanned following a previous stay in Italy. The only shadow on this Nordic picture: the cost of living. “We paid 80 euros for two burgers, fries, and a piece of cake. And it wasn’t even that good. “, laments the Parisian. The alternative? Cooking in their van, for a budget of 100 euros of groceries for 10 days (in addition to the provisions brought back from France). “This suited us, as long as we could enjoy the wild places on the island.e”, confirms the one who remains marked by this feeling of disconnection.There were no billboards on the roads, just wide open spaces of nature, with no people. It was so exotic.“, whispers Clementine, before adding: “especially when you live in Paris».

In video – Dazzling Northern Lights in Lapland.