Venice and Florence in August - To Go or Not

I know the way I respond to heat, I couldnt go.
It would be too miserable.
I cant afford to go when Im not comfortable.
I would wait.

I/we have been to Florence and Vencie at different times of the year including Florence in July and Venice in August. It was definitely warm and fairly crowded, but on our trip I wouldn't call it unbearable. While August wouldn't be my first choice, I'd go then rather than not being able to go at all. Both are wonderful destinations. I'd get hotels that have AC. And maybe with the recession, they won't be quite so crowded this year!

Maybe I'm over thinking this but it's my first time and I want it to be special.

This last sentence tells me that you're setting your expectations really high and you probably will be disappointed.

You didn't say where you live - are you used to hot weather?

In terms of costs, do you have to pay any penalty fee if you cancel your FF tickets and deposit the miles back to your account? Have you prepaid for the hotels? Is it refundable? Or if it's not prepaid, will you have to pay a cancellation fee?

Would you consider going to other parts of Europe that's not as hot in August?

I think the fee to redeposit the miles is $100 per ticket and my $300 deposit for Florence hotel is non refundable unless my insurance covers it (have to check - it may only cover medical cancellations). So, I may be out $500 just to get out of the plan. I live in NY so I'm used to hot and humid, but I have a low tolerance, and always prefer to be on the colder side. Husband has very high tolerance for heat and humidity, so it's really my issue. He's worried the canals in Venice will be dried up and the city will be smelly if it's very hot, which of course is a concern of mine as well. Honestly, I never thought about that when I booked. Delta had ff seats available for their lowest amount of miles (100,000 for business class), and I grabbed them because they were the last two seats.

On the other hand, we are dealing with job worries and aging parents, so we are feeling like maybe we should seize the opportunity now while we can.

You've got the tickets, so just go and have a good time. And yes, it most likely will be crowded. You've picked summer.

I was in Venice two months ago and it was crowded, but the friend I was with, and who lives half an hour away, said that it was no where near as crowded as it would be in summer. I've also been in Florence in summer, and it was crowded.

As for the weather, my friends and I took the train to Venice, from Treviso, two days straight, and one of the days in Venice, it was stifling hot, but the other day it was cool. In Treviso, it was cool/cold and raining off and on for 4 days. The weather was very different in Venice.

I'm used to heat as I'm from L.A. County and it can reach 118F, as it did in summer of 2006, in the Valley. So, although I don't like stifling heat, I can survive it. Happy Travels!

The canals will not be dried up. Venice is on the ocean. During the one time we were there in Aug, the city was not smelly.

Go and have fun in two wonderful cities.

Our three trips to Italy were all in August - two stays in Venice, one in Florence. We're going back for our fourth at the end of this month just to see what the difference is between the time frames. The first trip to Venice was during the 2003 killer heat wave in Europe. And, yes, it did color my view of the city but the canals were not dried up and nothing smelled, and the crowds were not impossible especially away from San Marco. So we went back a couple of years ago. Still hot but not unbearable. In Florence, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it got so cold one night that my sweater couldn't begin to keep me warm. And as for shop closures, they're negligible. You might see one or two very small shops closed for holiday but the vast majority are open. Another added bonus is that August can be considered the low season, so hotel rates can come down considerably.

Have never been to either in midsummer just because of the weather. Have been to both in May and late September - and that was plenty warm - unpleanstly so some days.

But - if that's the time you have go ahed. Just be sure your hotels have strong AC and plan on taking a rest in the middle of the afternoon.

I was in Venice the first time in May, the second time in August. May is better of course, but Venice is still Venice no matter when and always magical.

I thought the crowds were the same in May and August. All the locals were gone, so the extra tourists didn't seem so bad.


The cons of August
Yes, hot and humid. It was 98 degrees when we were there and there wasn't much air conditioning. But it was Venice! We ate lots of gelato and drank lots of water and beer. It was bearable.

The locals are gone, so cruising the Grand Canal at night isn't as cool since all the palazzos are mainly dark.

Murano shuts down entirely, so if you are heart set on a glass factory, it won't happen.


I would still go and just plan to visit again at another time of year. You've already had to cancel once, I wouldn't do it again. Venice is a must!

It will be hot. You say you live in NY - in NYC ? If so, it will be similar.

Central Florence is always crowded. Certain parts of Venice - St Mark's Square and the main drag between there, the Rialto bridge and the railway station - are always crowded; however it's easy to get off the beaten track to quiet alleys and squares with few other tourists. I would still go but I'd make it 4/5 days in Venice (where I think I could stay indefinitely at any time) and 2/3 in Florence (which I find exhausting & unpleasant after 3 days). I suppose your Florence hotel booking is a problem, but not as much of a problem as cancelling the whole trip presumably.

Venice. Some of the canals will be a bit malodorous. It's a fact of life. Regarding the crowds -- most of them will get bussed back to where they are staying (outside of the actual city) for the evening, as they will be going there on day trips, from places as far away as Croatia. Wandering around in the EVENING is like being in a different city.... much more pleasant.

Yes, it will be smelly, hot and crowded. It may not be the dream trip. Hopefully the hotel really does have a.c. But at least you will be able to say you were there in August and lived to tell the tale Take photos to document the heat. like eating gelato & fanning yourself, and you will laugh about it in years to come.

You have definitely picked the hottest and most crowded month to go. As owner of a travel company that specializes in Italy, I counsel my clients to avoid July and August if at all possible. It is, as noted many times above, HOT and Humid as well as overcrowded. That being said, you seem to have gotten a good deal, which may make it more palatable for you. If it's August or nothing, I'd go. Just be sure you are in a reputable hotel with A/C that works and be prepared by buying tickets to the museums, etc. you plan on visiting in advance. You can do it all online and avoid at least some of the hassles. And, remember that while you will want to dress as lightly as possible, you do need your shoulders covered and appropriate dress to enter most churches.

Take the trip - but do your homework. Do the "must" does and have backup-plans for getting out of the city crowd when you have had enough. Take a boat-trip, go to areas of the city that are outside of the worst tourist-track, find a park to relax under the shade with a picnick basket, take the train to neighbouring small towns - Italy has a lot to offer in the area around Venice and Florence. Relax, drink a lot of water, eat a lot of icecream and enjoy!

Why not think about going someplace else with the same tickets? Fly into Venice but head for the Dolomites, for example.

Then train down to the Tuscan or Ligurian coast, maybe near Lucca, and on to Pisa. If you choose the right base, you could do a daytrip to Florence from a base outside the city on the train line.

"You've got the tickets, so just go and have a good time."

Sounds like good advice if you ask me.

I dislike July and August in NYC but I have access to a rooftop pool which helps. Venice is on the water and the Lido beach is not far so I could think of worse places to be in August. Although, IMO, two nights in Venice is a complete waist. I'd add a few more nights.

Florence is very hot and humid in August and just thinking of all the bus/moped exhaust fumes in the city center would make me run naked to Sardinia. However, for a first time trip (one has to start somewhere), I would find a way to make the best of this very special place. And in August, the way I would do that is book a fabulous room in either Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo or Grand Hotel Villa Medici. Both have glorious pools and gardens, the best escape after a long, hot day scraping the ancient pavement. If one must travel in August, the key to ulitimate enjoyment is to find a way to treat yourself better.

Thanks for all your advice and suggestions. I'm going back and forth but leaning towards going. If I had to do it over again, I'd be more careful with my choice of dates, but since it's already set, I'm thinking about staying with the plan. I have already locked in Florence for 5 nights but am looking into whether I can switch it to 4 (I think the 5th night might have been free with the purchase of 4)and whether my hotel in Venice is available for an additional night. That way I would do 3 nights in Venice and 4 nights in Florence.

I would most definitely cut down the number of nights in Venice. Two at most. I did a trip last year with 2 in Rome, 2 in Florence and 3 in Venice. I wished I had more time in Rome and Florence and could really have been okay with 1 night in Venice. It will probably be hot and remember that a/c is sketchy at best in Europe. It is usually cool at night in Venice, though.

P.S. I have been there in late June and again in early November - the canals did not smell either time. And when I was there in June, they were experiencing record breaking heat - 400 year old record! It was wretched for the heat, but not normal.

Dear Jeangail,
Go.. absolutely.. as a matter of fact, I am going with my husband mid to end August...Roma, Florence and Venice..
The good think about traveling in August is that actually the Italians will be basking int he sun, on the coast...so not as crowded as you think.. but since they are " touristy" cities , there is always crowd.. go to Museums mid- day.. walk early int he morning and late afternoon, enjoy a siesta as the Italians would do..
If I may , I would recommend less days in Florence .. add a coupe, days in the beautiful country side of Umbria or Tuscany-

Jeangail,
I agree. Go to Italy. My husband and I were there for the last 2 weeks in August last summer and had a great time. We also had a May trip canceled so took August since that's the only 2 weeks we could get our farmhouse. And yes, most of the Italians are on the coast in August so you'll have the hill towns to yourself. We rented a farmhouse in Umbria and took the train down to Rome 3 times. It was hot there but no huge crowds. Florence & Venice won't be as hot as Rome. I have been in both Venice & Florence in summer and it is not so bad because at least it's not raining. Spring and fall bring lots of rain. The only drawback besides the heat (which we really didn't mind) was the fact that many of the restaurants in the countryside will be closed in August. Many of the city restaurants were open, though. I wouldn't mind going back in August. Be sure you get out into the countryside!

I am leaning towards going in spite of the less than ideal conditions. A few years ago I went to Paris in May when the weather should have been at its best and there was an unexpected heatwave where the temp hovered around 95 degrees the whole time, and we still had a great trip. So there's never a guarantee.

However, I am seriously considering changing my plans (based on advice received here) to do 3 nights in Venice and 4 in Florence, instead of 2 and 5. Both hotels can accommodate the change.
My husband is very interested in a 1 day train trip down to Rome. Seems like a big undertaking, but he figures whatever he can see in a day is better than nothing. I want a day in Siena. Question is: is it doable to do 2 days in Florence with these 2 side trips or are we looking at burnout? Would keeping the 5 nights in Florence be better if we were going to do these 2 trips, or can the 4 nights handle them, leaving 2 full days in Florence proper.

Not sure - bear in mind 4 nights only = 3 full days.