Well, think of it this way - you don't work, you don't get paid. So, my answer is neither solution works. I don't have the luxury of having several months off without receiving a paycheck. The only one that gets summers off are kids having a summer break from school. If they are in high school, most have jobs during the summer.
My friend who works in a company belong to government has 2 months of holidays with payment as well in the Summer. In France, it depends on the company you work for, but at least you can have 1 month of holidays per year with payment.
Neither as , we all have seen it, its nearly impossible to get back into routine even after a long weekend, loneless months or weeks off. Majority of the people could not adjust to this in any good way and some may even not be able to handle it so not a good idea