em_axo

Hi all,

My husband and I have had to move our first trip to Europe from May '07 to later in the summer (after the bar exam in July). We have no idea what hubby's job situation will be, but it would be nice to be able to go on the trip reasonably soon after the bar so he can just start working after we get back.

We know that August is bad, so we definitely won't be going for the first few weeks of August at least, but my question is - how much difference is there in the last week in August and the first week in September? Should we be pushing for mid-to-late September or is early Sept OK? Do the crowds and heat start to dwindle toward then end of August or is it pretty much the same?

As you can see, I'm really stressing myself out over this! Oh, and we're planning on Paris, Provence, Venice and Rome - either in that order or reversed. (Probably reversed if we start at the end of August to avoid the Paris closures) Help!!

Eleni

Everyone has their own take on this, and the bottom line is you will have a good time no matter when you go! So go when it is most convenient to you.

That being said, my favorite times to travel in Europe are May and September. Early September is wonderful. The August vacation period that many Europeans take is over, but the weather is still beautiful and allows you to enjoy outside dining, or even beaches if that is the kind of thing you like.

grantop

If you decide to go late August, I would reverse your plan and end in Rome. Rome in late August is still very hot.

BTW great way to celebrate, best of luck to your husband on the bar & job search.

TexasAggie

Hi em,

"we're planning on Paris, Provence, Venice and Rome"

Do you have at least 2.5 weeks for this trip? That is the absolute bare minimum for a trip of this scope.

I have not traveled in September but I have been in Venice and Rome in late August. The weather was hot, as expected, but there were actually fewer crowds in Rome than I've experienced in my trips occuring in April, May, and June. My hypothesis (and that is all it is) was that many of the locals had vacated the city to enjoy a seaside resort town as August is a very popular vacation month for Italians.

Michael

I have been told by friends in France that crowds disappear after August 20--which might not be true in Paris since those visitors tend to be non-French in the majority. The explanation is the following: The <i>fermeture annuelle</i> that lasted a month is a thing of the past. The French now tend to spread out their vacation time. Two or three weeks in the summer, and the rest at Christmas, Easter or in February for a ski vacation. So crowded times tend to be between July 14 and August 20. If you prefer warm weather, you might want to start your vacation at the end of August.

Girlspytravel

Since this the period I like to be in Europe (late August) I can give you first hand experience as to what it's like. I will be in Rome, Venice and Florence in a few weeks, just as I was last year. I can tell you, that not only is it delightful, not only is everything open, not only is the traffic vastly less, but your hotel rates go down drastically-you can stay at a 4 star instead of a three for example, in Rome or Venice particularly, or get an incredibly good deal on an apartment, like I have, for August (two bedroom, actually, for the rate of a studio).

Not only that, but the humidity clears out in Venice by the end of August-Venetians tell me that, and I found it to be true last year-it was freezing the last week in August when I arrived, and then warmed up. As for Rome August 2005? It was delightful-little humidity, between 85-88 degrees-could NOT have asked for more perfect weather-it was like this everywhere.

So you see, there are some advantages to not believing everything you hear, and just finding out for yourselves what a pleasant time it is to be in Italy in late August, first of September, particularly.

missypie

A couple of things to consider:

1. Some large law firms have started to require their new associates to start on a cetain date - perhaps a month or 6 weeks after the bar. This enables them to efficiently provide computer training, etc. to all of the new associates at once.

2. Some law firms base seniority for things like office size and parking spaces on when you show up for work. I needed the money, so I was the second person in my class to come to work. Fast forward 6 years later, and the guy who waited until October to come to work was wondering why we all got our bigger offices before him!

If it were me, I'd face Europe in August rather than planning a late September trip that might have consequences down the line. (My own post bar trip [and first trip to Europe!] was Frankfurt, Rhine/Mosel, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Paris and London, from about August 7-August 21. The weather was cool [the days before global warming?] and nothing seemed unbearably crowded. I wouldn't plan such a hectic trip now, but we had a great time!)

enzian

I'll agree with Missypie. You don't want your husband's future employment compromised by a trip lasting into late September. Suppose he is offered a job with a start date of September 15. Some firms might understand if he says he's on vacation and can't start until later . . . and some may not.

Also, for his relaxation and well-being, the sooner you leave after the bar exam, the better---he's going to need the vacation.

I have found, at least in northern Italy, that prices and crowds drop significantly the last week of August anyway---that must be when families return home to get ready for school.

missypie

Plus, if you go within a couple of weeks after the bar, you'll run into others on THEIR post-bar trip to Europe, probably even people you know. (I ran into one of my best friends from law school in the dressing room of a store in London!)

Girlspytravel

Em-don't go in July, whatever you do. Do go at the end of August as planned-for the reasons I stated above, it's the best time to go if you want to avoid the worst of the heat, the crowds, the traffic, and particularly the high season rates. I'm sure your husband can work things out with his prospective employer-most law firms I know give a bit of latitude there with the post-bar vacation-as they know he'll be slaving away at those billable hours with little vacation time in the future once he does start.

em_axo

Thanks so much for your input. I think we will shoot for end of August-beginning of September. We will have somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks to make the trip, and we are only planning on spending a couple of days each in Provence and Venice. We want to spend at least 4 (preferably 5) days each in Paris and Rome.

I agree about the future employment situation - pushing it to late September really wouldn't be an option, I was just curious when in September the weather starts to change.