welch

We're stuck traveling the first 2 weeks of August and I'm trying to make the best of it. I know this area will be very crowded and expensive but the alternative seems to be very hot cities! I've thought of perhaps a few days in Puglia or flying northward to the Veneto afterward.
Am I being foolish to brave the crowds?

Huitres

Well, if you have to be anywhere, might as well be in bella Italia! I am going end of August/first part of September and will be there with all the other vacationers, but that is the only time I have to go now. Yes, there will be crowds but I would take a coastal area over being in the interior of Rome or Florence. There are spots on the Amalfi Coast that you can go to that aren't as heavily touristed, say further south like Salerno, Minori, etc. Also, there is Calabria and the town of Tropea to consider too.

Contrary to what you might think, Venice is quite hot during the summer too so not really "escaping" the heat, per se.

welch

I wasn't thinking of staying in Venice, but the Veneto. Maybe in the countryside. There's a hotel in Asolo that intrigues me. Hotels are my "thing".
I know Florence is not to be visited in the summer because of it's bowl like setting, but is Rome worse than I might expect for a reason?

nessundorma

The Veneto is notoriously humid.

If weather is really a concern to you, you might consider a rural retreat in the mountains of Piemonte or the hilltowns of Liguria -- both of which have such easy access to the beach and where the humidity is low.

I think the suggestion to look at the area around Salerno is a good one.

welch

Thanks so much! I had no idea. My husband would be particularly miserable.
Should I ditch Italy altogether and head to Turkey and Greece? They're countries I've yet to visit.
Flights are not an issue because of my business.