Originally Posted by Gargoyle
Keep in mind that Italy and Spain are on vacation for the month of August (well, it's supposed to be for two weeks, but they turn it into a month). I think France is on a similar schedule.
So the locals will all be crowded at the beach or on the trains, and the cities will be filled with tourists.
Absolutely correct -- except that this applies to most of western Europe, not just the countries you listed. Do not even consider road travel unless you fancy spending long hours in a motionless car.
If you would like to see something of Europe, I'd recommend going to cities that are not yet high on the tourist radar, such as the Baltic states.