macs122

Hi, my family and I are going for Italy for 11 days in the middle of August. We are going to Venice, Lake Como, Florence, and Rome. Do you guys have any tips for how to deal with the weather in August? I heard its miserable. This is my kids first time to Italy and I want to make sure we still have a good time even with the heat.
Thanks

greg

Organize visits requiring being outdoors during early in the morning (or well into the evening, if accessible.) In Rome, Palatine Hills, Forum, and to less extent Colosseum, leave you walking in the sun with little access to water or shade. In Venice, if you visit outer islands in the middle of the day, you will get hit both with having to walk around under the sun and with the mass of tourists.

Travel over water during the hottest part. Boat over Venice lagoon and Lake Como would fit this.

Find accommodations with A/C. Visit museums with A/C during the hot part. The A/Cs in Italy are set just low enough. They may still feel too hot for you, however.

Travel during cool time, in a train with A/C (long distance express trains have A/C).

Depending on where you are coming from, the UV factor may be significantly higher in Italy. You might need more sun protection than you are used to. Also constant sweating stresses laundry consideration. Over the years, I have converted all the clothes to the type with high SPF factor, wick moisture, and dry fast after washing (hint = helps travel light.) Some people love to travel heavy with many changes of clothes to deal with heat. Some need/likes to carve out time to visit laundry. I just wash them quickly spending scant less than 5 minutes every night washing all I used that day to wake up everything clean and dry with no foul smelling clothes.

I sometime travel with others who want to sleep in, but complain about having to walk around under the high sun. I cannot do anything about them....

RonZ

Aside from the heat, I suggest you drop Lake Como. Train time maybe 3.5 to 4.5 hours from Venice, 3.5 to Florence.

PalenQ

Venice, Lake Como, Florence, and Rome>

take trains for sure if going mainly to cities-cars are a complete albatross around your neck in cities - trains are great and getting better.

I would substitute Lake Garda for Lake Como and for just 2 days -kids will love the lake and depending on their ages Garda Land -one of the most popular theme parks in Italy -so take a train to Pechiera de Garda (sp?)-just a few hours from Venice and base there - Sirmione, one of Italy's stellar archaeological sites is just a short boat ride away - boats ply the lake constantly in summer. Do a circular tour - again kids should love.

But Lake Como yes is way out of your way and IMO Garda is just as neat or better! and again smack on your way Venice to Florence.

You want the most time in Rome - say 4 days -Florence - 2 days - Garda - 2 days - 3 days in Venice. (Florence may be a bit tedious for younger kids unless into for them boring museums and churches.

For lots on trains check www.trenitalia.com -easy to book your own tickets there - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

StCirq

My first thought for a tip is, just don't go in August. Is there no other time you can go? It IS generally miserable.

We just got back from a week in Venice, and it was absolutely teeming with people even at Christmastime (maybe because it was Christmastime). It was annoying as all get out in places. I can't even begin to imagine it in August with all the cruise ships, which weren't there in December. The narrow alleyways were filled with Asian tour groups swinging selfie sticks everywhere and families with huge strollers holding up traffic, and every bridge (and there are hundreds of them to trudge up and down) had a clump of people standing right at the top blocking traffic, completely unaware that "foot traffic" means people moving out of the way. It must be virtual hell in August. Still, it's Venice and beyond beautiful, so we took it all in stride, so to speak, and had a wonderful trip. But August? I'd never venture there in August.

Why Como? It's out of your way by a fairly long shot.

ElendilPickle

Since no one else has mentioned it, how many actual nights do you have for your trip? 11 days isn't much time for four destinations.

Lee Ann

bilboburgler

wear linen, travel 1st class on the trains (the air con is better and the people density is lower), try and get a pool with at least one stop and drop a place (Como is the obvious one)

Then,,,,, ask everyone why they want to go to a hot damp place at the hight of the tourist season and then try to go to some other places.

For instance Siena is on the top of a hill while Florence is in a valley bottom. Siena will be cooler.

Venice will be packed, I'd stay somewhere with a pool near Chioggia and just visit for a lunch. It is not a big as Venice but still interesting. Padua might do, but so would Bologna, or Ferrara or Mandova.

Rome is difficult to dodge so stick with it.

TDudette

Other than Garda (per info from Pal above) for Como, I'd say start early in the day. Then take a long lunch and siesta. Then go back out after the tourists have returned to the ships.

Question: do the churches still have dress codes?

bvlenci

Some churches object to very short shorts or skirts. A few also object to sleeveless shirts or tops. Shorts below the knee are accepted almost universally. There will usually be a sign on the door outlining the restrictions. St. Peter's Basilica (and the Vatican Museums) in theory object to any kind of trousers shorter than ankle-length on men, while women can wear anything that covers the knee. This rule is often not enforced, especially at the Vatican Museums, but it's up to the individual guard.

The churches that are more likely to have dress codes are usually not parish churches. In parishes, the priests are usually happy to see people in the pews and don't care how much of their skin is exposed.

Men are supposed to remove their hats in all churches.

bvlenci

Christmas, especially the time between Christmas Day and Epiphany (January 6th) is a very busy tourist season in Italy. We were in Rome last week, and it also was very crowded. I would say that it was about the same, as it is in July and August, maybe marginally less.

On the high-speed Frecciarossa trains, the air conditioning is usually fine in all the cars. If it's not working, it's as likely to be broken in a first class car as in second class. These are the trains that are normally used between major cities, such as Milan, Venice, Bologna, Rome, Naples, and Salerno. I believe the same is true on the slower trains, but I've never been in first class on a slower train. I ride first class only when some discount brings the price down considerably, to the range of second class prices. Usually the extra expenditure is just not worth it. On the regional trains there is never any discount, which is why I've never ridden in first class on these trains.

To be honest, it's years since I've been on a train where the air conditioning wasn't working.

Jean

macs122, your first thread on this trip indicated you were arriving in Milan. Is that still the case? If so, I think you have too many destinations for an 11-day trip. If you include either Lake Como or Lake Garda, I'd skip Venice (for Como) or Florence (for Garda). Yes, you can haul yourselves to all four places, but you won't have enough time anywhere to appreciate them, especially IMO the lakes. Also, you may find the temps and humidity make it hard to pack as much into your sightseeing days as you hope.

Edward2005

As a Floridian, I am an expert on Italy weather in August. Leave your jeans at home. Linen slacks and shorts. Ignore the idiots saying it's a war crime to wear shorts in Europe; in August everyone wears them. Do outdoor stuff early or late. Afternoons are for gelato, naps, and air-conditioned museums.

mjs

You are going to too many places in too short of time when its going to probably be quite hot and very crowded. You will not be able to accomplish as much as you think because of this. Going at another time would be best.

suze

I've been to Venice only twice and both times happened to be in August.

It was HOT but still wonderful. Just make sure your hotel or apartment has air conditioning, and let the kids dress casual (shorts and tshirts), and don't march them around all over the place touring 24/7. Maybe fry to find a beach &/or pools along the way.

Everyone says differently but I loved Venice in August & would do it again in a heartbeat!

suze

If you are cutting itinerary I'd keep Venice and cut Rome.

TDudette

"Ignore the idiots saying it's a war crime to wear shorts in Europe"<<<be careful about calling folks idiots, please Edward. The question was about shorts in churches and it is still applicable.

suze

Well if I were traveling with kids in an August heat wave we probably wouldn't be spending a lot of time in churches (said with humor). I was serious about finding a beach or pool a few times on this trip.