Where to travel in July

Sommarstuga | Sweden

Sweden is top of our Good Trip Index, scoring top for sustainability and high for human rights, making Sweden a great choice for an ethical and sustainable summer holiday.

And our top pick this summer is to take a sommarstuga – that's a Swedish summer house by a lake, where most Swedes go for their own summer breaks. About 50% of Swedes have either their own summer house or easy access to one through family, so if you're lucky enough to be invited to one by Swedish friends that's the perfect way to do it. If not, there are plenty on Airbnb that you can simply book yourself.

Summer is, inevitably, the best time to enjoy a sommarstuga. In the winter, Sweden's cold, so unless you're here for the winter sports come when it's sunny instead. The outdoor cafe culture is in full swing, wild swimming at the beaches and lakes is popular (yes, we know no one thinks of Sweden for a beach holiday but the beaches here are great). You'll have missed the crowds here to celebrate the Nordic summer solstice at the end of June but still be in time to enjoy the wildflowers that mark the start of the summer season. Pretty much everyone speaks excellent English here, the food and hospitality are excellent and whether you start off with a city break or head straight for a lakeside retreat, one of Sweden's lakeside summer houses can be a great place to spend July getting away from it all.

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Hadrian's Wall | Northumberland

Celebrating its 1900th anniversary in 2022, the wall is one of the most impressive Roman monuments in the world, right here on our doorstep. You can walk the length of it in a week, or hire a campervan and explore the wilds of Northumberland as you go. Throughout 2022 you'll be able to take part in the celebrations too and if you're looking for a UK break with the family at the end of July, heading up to join in with the celebration of Roman history combines fresh air with learning. It might even pry the kids off their screens (at least some of the day).

Our vote is to start from Carlisle, take in the city's under-appreciated sandstone cathedral, then head out on foot to walk the length of the wall to Newcastle some 70 miles east. The record time for the route is a little over 16 hours, but we'd recommend a week for a slightly more leisurely pace.

There are Roman forts, towns and museums all along the route, and during 2022 the anniversary celebrations will include almost all of them. Highlights include Vindolanda and Housesteads.

Slightly off the direct route but well worth a look include Hexham with its abbey, about halfway along the route, and at least one night in Newcastle at the other end.

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Puerto de Morgan | Gran Canaria

A picture-perfect fishing village on Gran Canaria, Puerto de Morgan is our top pick for a beach holiday this month. The Canary Islands are ever-popular for weather that's practically guaranteed, uniquely matched with European standards of hospitality, and as July rolls around the sheltered harbour, gentle pace and compact, child-friendly resort make Puerto de Morgan the ideal spot to roll up with the family and start your summer holiday.

We've visited the Canaries plenty of times, so see below for our guides to what are consistently UK holidaymakers' very favourite destination.

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Uruguay

If you're looking for a more exotic destination that scores well on the Good Trip Index, look no further than Uruguay. Top 5 for LGBTQI+ rights, it's a great destination for gay travellers and Montevideo is rightly called one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Cosmopolitan Uruguay has something for everyone, and July is the southern hemisphere's winter so if you want to get away from the heat of the British summer somewhere mild, warm, welcoming but thoroughly exotic, we'd recommend heading here.

Fly into the capital, Montevideo, where you'll find some of the best steaks in the world and local markets such as Mercado de los Artesanos or Sunday's Feria de Tristán Narvaja where you can pick up local arts and crafts to take home.

Head out of the capital to Punta del Este to party, or José Ignacio for world-class seafood. Alternatively, two hours north of Montevideo you can hike out and see the Ombu, the local 'tree', actually a tree-like bush, many of which grows in spectacular isolation on the pampas plain and some of which can be seen in the Ombu Forest.

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Copenhagen | Denmark

Denmark is another northern European chart-topper in our Good Trip Index, scoring especially highly on freedom and quality of life. It's a great city to visit any time of year but especially suited to visiting with children, so if you're planning a city break with the kids this summer Copenhagen is our top tip. It's also possible to visit without flying – if you fancy a leisurely drive or cruise you can get ferries either direct or via various stopovers, or you can take the boat to Calais and drive.

Copenhagen is a famously child-friendly city. There are public parks everywhere that any other city would class as adventure playgrounds, children under 12 get in everywhere, including public transport, either cheap or free, and parents are accustomed to safely leaving babies outside in prams while they shop. And of course, while the Danish Legoland is right on the opposite side of the country to Copenhagen, Denmark is small enough to make that just three hours by car.

This year the Tour de France also starts in Copenhagen on July 1th, and winds through Denmark until July 3rd, giving you an extra chance to catch the famous road race (see below).

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Alpe d'Huez | France

The ski resorts that British holidaymakers flock to during the winter months take on a new lease of life in the summer as the snows clear and the mountains fill with wildflowers, sun and mountain bikers taking on the 21 bends at Alp d'Huez. The same facilities that serve skiers in the winter run all summer, so you've got access to world-class accommodation as well as lifts taking you up and down the mountains.

Why go in July? July sees the Tour de France come to the Alps just in time for Bastille Day on July 14th, which the mountain villages celebrate with spectacular firework displays, so if you want to catch a French holiday before the schools break up this is the last weekend to do so and there's plenty to see and do. Alternatively, if you're taking the family, a week in the mountains is the perfect alternative to the seaside – clean air, plenty of exercise and great food.

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Uluguru | Tanzania

The best time to visit Tanzania is from July to October when the country is dry and warm. The Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest cross the Serengeti plain will often (but by no means reliably) reach its visual highlight with the crossing of the Mara river by July, and is one of the highlights of any safari or wildlife-spotting trip, making July an even better time to go.

Tanzania scores relatively poorly on our Good Trip Index, with a poor record on LGBTQI+ rights and relatively low standrds of living and sustainability.

That said, it's still possible to travel responsibly here. For an alternative, sustainable safari adventure, try Tanzania's Uluguru Nature Forest Reserve or the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Most visitors to Tanzania come for the safari and head straight onto the Serengeti but give Central Tanzania a chance. It's close to Dar es Salaam where you'll land and includes some of the world's most diverse biospheres. Settle in and get to know the local wildlife and people rather than dashing around trying to catch glimpses of elephants and lions.

Many people go to the Serengeti for their first safari. For something a little different head down to the Udzungwa Mountains instead, where the 'African Galapagos' gives you the opportunity to see wildlife that appears nowhere else on earth. Waterfalls, monkeys and 400 species of birds are the highlights here. Or head to Uluguru Nature Forest reserve, where relative isolation and sustainable farming make for an equally unique experience.

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