Her advice: Arrive as early as possible for your international flights. 'Airlines are rescheduling or canceling flights with little, if any, notice to travelers.' 'Airlines are struggling to keep up with the demand,' says Valentina O'Kane, a travel advisor with Incognito Global Travel. There's even some discussion about importing foreign workers to ease the labor shortage. 'It has led to many canceled flights and delays.' 'We have summer holidays in some federal states, and all the airports and the airlines are completely understaffed,' he says. Michael Stalf, who runs a car rental company in Germany, describes the situation as a 'horror story.' That's still happening, and it's making air travel in Europe one of the least desirable modes of transportation. You've probably seen the images of the mountains of luggage in London's Heathrow airport or the lines out the door in Amsterdam's airport terminals. What you need to know about flying in Europe this summer August could be chaos in Europe if the predictions are accurate. Plus, many local businesses, such as restaurants, cafes and gift shops, may be closed for the month. So in addition to the foreign tourists, you'll be sharing your hotel with locals. If you like quiet vacations, this is definitely not the time to be in Europe. But everyone else wants to be here, too, which means prices are higher. If you like warm weather, this is the time to be in Europe. Is it a good time to travel to Europe now? Also, if you hear of a transportation strike or an airport that is particularly overcrowded, stay away if you can. It was overcrowded with foreign visitors. For example, I spent last Saturday in Paris' 1st Arrondissement.

You'll avoid a headache if you can steer clear the most touristy areas on the busiest days of the summer travel season.

The Travelers Within by Daniel Mode