Fires and Heatwaves in Europe Change Summer Travel: What Tourists Should Check

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
27.07.2026 22:22

Fires and Heatwaves in Europe Change Summer Travel: What Tourists Should Check

The summer season in Europe is entering a phase of increased risk for travelers: wildfires, heatwaves, and local transport restrictions are already affecting certain routes in Spain, France, and Greece. This does not mean that popular destinations are closed to tourism, but trips in July and August require more careful planning, checking local warnings, insurance terms, and backup transport options.

The latest signal for the tourism market came from France: on July 21, the British Foreign Office updated its recommendations for trips to France due to a fire near Bordeaux Airport. The warning states that a large fire has broken out near Bordeaux Airport, flight delays are possible, and some roads around the airport have been temporarily closed. The airport itself is also informing passengers about delays of certain flights due to the fire near the airfield and advises checking the arrivals and departures boards in real-time.

This event occurred against a broader picture: in many parts of Europe, the 2026 fire season is already exceeding long-term average figures. According to the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, based on the EFFIS/Copernicus system, as of July 15, 167,326 hectares have burned in the EU since the beginning of the year, and the number of recorded fires has reached 1,083. This is less than in the record-breaking 2025, on the same date, but more than twice the long-term average number of fires. For tourists, this means that the risk is not limited to one resort or one country: it can change quickly depending on the wind, temperature, soil dryness, and the work of emergency services.

What Happened in Spain, France, and Greece

The most severe episode in terms of human casualties over the last week is related to Spain. Associated Press reported that Spanish authorities identified 13 dead after a fire in the Los Gallardos area of Almeria in the south of the country. Most of the deceased were foreign citizens, including from the UK, Belgium, France, and the USA. According to AP, the fire covered approximately 70 square kilometers of forests and agricultural lands, and its spread was aided by heat, wind, and drought.

The official GOV.UK travel advice for Spain was also updated on July 10 and contains a separate block about the fire in Los Gallardos, Almeria. Travelers are advised to follow the instructions of local authorities and emergency services, not to travel to or through the affected area, to monitor updates from emergency services, and in emergencies to call 112. Importantly, this is not a general ban on travel to Spain, but a targeted warning about a specific zone and a broader seasonal risk.

In France, current attention has shifted to Bordeaux. The official France travel advice page on GOV.UK as of July 21 specifically warns about the fire near Bordeaux Airport and likely flight disruptions. For passengers, this is a practical signal: even if the fire does not affect the city center, it can affect access roads, transfers, check-in times, connections, and plans for the first or last night of the trip. If departure or arrival is planned via Bordeaux, it is worth checking the Bordeaux Airport (BOD) page, the BOD online board, and having a backup plan for transfers from Bordeaux Airport in advance.

Greece has not yet had a transport episode as prominent as Bordeaux, but its official recommendations for tourists also emphasize the high risk of wildfires during the season from April to October. This is especially important for travel between islands, rental cars, mountain routes, excursions in dry natural zones, and staying in villas or small hotels outside large cities. If the trip goes through Athens, it is useful to check logistics via Athens Airport (ATH) in advance and have a clear transfer plan, especially for night arrivals or early morning departures.

Why This Is Important Specifically for Tourists

A wildfire for a traveler rarely looks like simple weather news. It can simultaneously change several elements of a trip: the route to the airport, the accessibility of roads to the resort, the excursion schedule, accommodation conditions, air quality, public transport operation, rules for visiting nature parks, and even the ability to safely use a rental car. That is why it is not enough for a tourist to simply check if the flight is operating. It is necessary to understand if the road from the airport to the hotel is safe, if local highways are closed, if evacuation restrictions have been introduced, and if the hotel is ready to help in case of a change in plans.

The EFFIS indicators are important also because they demonstrate the systemic nature of the risk. When over a thousand large fires have already been recorded in the EU since the beginning of the year, it is not an isolated incident, but a seasonal factor that must be taken into account just like strikes, airport congestion, or entry rules. The European Commission announced at the beginning of June the largest pre-positioning of forces in the history of the program for the 2026 fire season: 777 firefighters from 14 countries in high-risk zones, including Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, as well as 22 aircraft and 5 helicopters as part of the European reserve. This indicates not panic, but the expectation of a difficult summer.

For the tourism business, such events mean the need to work more flexibly with clients. Tour operators, hotels, airlines, rental companies, and transfer services must notify about changes more quickly, and travelers need to read cancellation terms more carefully. This especially applies to trips to rural areas, coasts with a limited number of roads, islands, national parks, and places where open fires are often banned in summer or access to natural zones is temporarily restricted.

What to Check Before Traveling to Risk Zones

Before flying to Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, Italy, or Turkey, it is worth performing several levels of checks. First — official recommendations from the country and local authorities. Second — flight status and airport notifications. Third — the road between the airport and the place of residence. Fourth — insurance and booking terms. If at least one of these elements is uncertain, it is better to have a backup route or additional time between transfers.

  • Check official warnings from the destination country and local civil protection services, not just news on social media.
  • Before leaving for the airport, verify the flight status, especially if flying via Bordeaux, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, Nice, or Paris.
  • Do not plan tight independent connections on a day when there are fires, heavy smoke, closed roads, or red weather warnings in the region.
  • If booking a car, check the rules for passing through closed zones, the policy for returning the car to another location, and insurance coverage terms.
  • Clarify with the hotel whether there is air conditioning, a generator, or an action plan in case of evacuation, smoke, or road closures.
  • Save offline maps, hotel contacts, insurer, airline, and the emergency number 112, which is used in EU countries.

Families with children, elderly people, travelers with chronic illnesses, tourists with asthma or cardiovascular problems should be especially careful. Heat and smoke can affect well-being even when the fire itself is dozens of kilometers away. In such situations, it is better to move active walks to the morning, avoid long trips without a water supply, check air quality, and not ignore evacuation notices.

How to Plan Routes via Major Airports

If the trip is through Spain, convenient entry points remain Madrid Airport (MAD), Barcelona Airport (BCN), and Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). But in the event of fires, one should look not only at the ticket price, but also at the distance to the final resort, the number of alternative roads, and the possibility of staying overnight near the airport if ground logistics suddenly change. For the south of Spain, it is specifically useful to check hotels near Malaga Airport and car rental in AGP in advance, but departing for rural or mountain areas should only be done considering local restrictions.

For France, special attention should be paid to Bordeaux this week, but the risk of fires in summer is broader. If the route goes through Paris or the French Riviera, it is worth checking the pages of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE), as well as leaving more time for the road between the station, hotel, and airport. Even when flights are operating, traffic jams, closed roads, or local restrictions can take more time than usual.

In Greece, the main thing is not to rely on a single route to the port, hotel, or island. In summer, fires can quickly change the accessibility of secondary roads, and strong winds affect both the fire situation and sea transport. For Athens, it is worth looking at transfers from ATH airport in advance and leaving a time buffer before ferries or domestic flights.

What to Do if a Fire Occurs During the Trip

The most important rule is to follow the instructions of local services, even if the hotel, landlord, or other tourists advise waiting. If authorities ask to leave the area, do not try to find a "shorter" road through forest or rural areas. Smoke can sharply reduce visibility, and the direction of the fire changes faster than it is visible on ordinary maps.

If a flight is delayed or the road to the airport is closed, first contact the airline or tour operator, then the hotel and insurer. Keep confirmation of expenses: receipts for an extra night, taxi, food, alternative transport. Not all insurance policies cover natural fires, evacuation, or missed connections equally, so terms should be checked before the trip, not after the incident.

Conclusion

Fires and heatwaves in Europe this July do not cancel summer travel, but they change the standard logic of planning. Tourists should think not only about the ticket and hotel, but also about the road to the airport, backup transfers, medical risks, booking flexibility, and official warnings on the day of the trip. The smartest strategy for the coming weeks is to book with the possibility of changes, avoid overly tight connections, check local restrictions, and not travel to areas where emergency services explicitly ask not to enter.

Sources: GOV.UK travel advice for Spain, France, and Greece; Joint Research Centre / EFFIS Copernicus; European Commission Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations; Bordeaux Airport; Associated Press.