@cypresspat, hilarious! But also extremely tempting! (My mouth is watering, and not just about the food). Dangerous, too, because my daughter has a THING about shoes. Always has, since she was a toddler and found my one and only pair of heels in the back of the closet and put them on her tiny feet (I have the photo of the moment THAT light bulb went on). Thanks so much, I may have to pick your brain more!
Yes, @inthegarden!
I was just in Venice last month, August, and while I 100% prefer off season, the crowds were more annoying to watch (selfie sticks, big tour groups,) than being in the way (of me.) And it was terribly hot and humid. But the city is spectacular. Lol, I looked at the city, not the tourists.
But the reality is that, when trying to get into some site, there can be those lines. So in summer, plan what’s a “must” and what you can view another way. Eg, in multi trips to Paris, I’ve never been up the Eiffel, but we’ve watched the lights change color, at nght.
If you take a distance train, it’s sometimes better to pay for a reserved seat.
Since Thomas Cook has just gone bankrupt today, I thought I should mention their European Rail Timetable (which unfortunately stopped being published in 2013 https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/30/thomas-cook-rail-timetable-online-alternatives).
Back in the day, that was the bible of interrailing, with which you could spend many happy hours planning a trip anywhere in Europe. Many memories of reading that book, and sending self-addressed postcards to book youth hostels all over Europe, in the days before the internet and cellphones, then just disappearing for a month without feeling the need to call home 
@Twoin18 I remember those days too! Though my disappearing mostly took place in other parts of the world. Looking back, I don’t know how my parents stood it (though I was technically an adult by the time it happened, a naive adult in some ways, at that).
You can explore all these countries if you have time and create your own itinerary.
I wish! ^, but I don’t have the time to do it all in one trip, as I’d rather not rush from place to place but let one area “sink in.”
I pulled up a lot of photos of these places to show my daughter and asked her for her first gut reactions. Right now Loire Valley is running neck and neck with northern Italy and/orTuscany.
Poor Spain isn’t getting a lot of love. It would be better in spring anyway. Would love to see Andalucia covered in almond blossoms.
As far as your time frame goes, the earlier the better. I’ve been in Italy twice in the June 15-July 6th time period and it seemed to get hotter and more crowded each day.
Early in this thread there was a recommendation for Lake Garda. The residents there (business associates of mine) tell me they get many, many Germans in the summer. It might feel more like Germany and less like Italy if you travel then!