going to rome/florence in early july
 

Hi-
I'm going to rome / florence july 4-14. What type of weather/precipitation should I expect? Should I be packing for rain?
Also, I'm staying on the piazza dell'indipendenza in florence- anyone ever stay there b4? Is it safe to walk back to @ nite? Is it walkable to Piazza signoria, vecchio, duomo, uffizi, etc?
Thanks.

-Alan

Pack for HOT weather. Rome last year during that time was comfortable to hot 80's-90's. Florence was warmer. Two years ago it was much hotter into the upper 90's and up. It cools down at night and is very comfortable. We walked all over Rome, Florence, Milan, at all hours and did not have any problems.

Piazza della Indipenza is a great spot. You are convenient to everthing -Florence is a compact city - and I have never felt unsafe wandering around Florence alone day or night.

I was there in July 2004 and it was really hot. I am a Florida girl and it was as hot and humid as home. We did not have any rain. I have seen more rain in the winters in Florence than in the summers.

I would pack enough so you do not have to wash clothes. Khakis for at night and short sleeve shirts are good. Italian men are into capris and I think they are great! You will rarely see an Italian with shorts on except at the beach.

Both are two of my favorite cities in the world!

You can expect it to be boiling hot and humid during the day, both places, cooling off a bit at night. As far as rain goes, I hope you know to always carry an umbrella ("ombrello" in Italian-almost the same word).

As far as Florence goes, you can walk to all these places no problems, day or night, I've stayed out in that city to all hours of the night, walking by myself or with others, with no problems whatever-one of the great joys of Florence is that it is such a compact city, all the sights are so centralized, -the Florentines take back their city from the day-trippers at night by walking the Piazze-most enjoyable, taking a gelato, even lolling around at night on the steps of the Duomo, people watching...

However, both cities have very bad pickpocketing operations, so you must be especially diligent about your wallet/purse at all times.


And ayoldguy1-let me say one more thing, and this is for all the Americans who are going to Italy in the next few months: Try to be the best ambassador/representative of your country that you can possibly be, which means being culturally sensitive, because the relations between our two countries right now are rather tense, what with the conflicting reports issued separately by Italy and the US on the shooting incident in Baghdad of an Italian intelligence agent, and that's not all.

It has been widely reported today that the Washington Ballet abruptly pulled out of a cultural festival taking place in Rome and Florence this July-both of the directors of these festivals said they will NEVER invite the Ballet again, indeed, the Florence director said "if the situation were reversed, we would rather die than cancel a tour like this." The Ballet was to have been the centerpiece of the festivals in both cities, so both taken a great loss here, having planned this event for the past year.

The US Embassy, and the US consulate in Florence, having its hands full with smoothing relations on the Sgreza incident, is simply dismayed at this latest diplomatic stumble, which contributes to the Italian perception that Americans are "arrogant" and without sensitivity to others. There is a word in Italian to convey what the Washington Ballet has done here and indeed what was said - the Americans created a "figuraccia" in Italy (a VERY bad impression) and it will take a lot of work to repair this.

But with the very strong bonds this country has with Italy, with all the "amore" that Americans have for Italian culutre,, it can certainly be done-and tourists absolutely play a role in this-so please, do keep this in mind as you enjoy your travels there

thanks everyone.
spygirl, I agree 1,000%. I was in Paris last June and found that my time there was richer when I made a meaningful attempt to show respect and courtesy for different cultures-
that's kinda why I never really take vacations to disney world, busch gardens etc in the first place, They really only narrow your horizons.
Thanks.

How can going anywhere you've <b> never </b> been &quot;narrow&quot; your horizons????

It will be hot - very hot - and sticky. And many places do not have AC - or only very limited cooling. So bring very light weight clothing (not bare clothing - but light weight) like thin linens, silks or cottons.

Rain is always possible - but a lot is not likely.

Early July? You will wish it would rain! It can get quite uncomfortable during July in both cities. Seek refuge inside a church; the thick stone walls provide excellent insulation against the sun's heat. Wear sandals, clothing that &quot;wicks&quot;; i.e., carries off perspiration and drink lots of water.
Carol L