Help with Italian Heat!
 

Because we are only able at this point in our lives to travel in late June and July, we try to choose places that are fairly moderate in temperature. Next summer we are thinking of going to Italy and from there possibly Germany, or France. Because I like to use Frequent Flier miles, I have to plan the flights early...like in the next few weeks. (Details can be filled in much later!) I can handle mid-80's at the most, but when the temp starts to creep toward 90, I get cranky. What are the furthest points south in Italy you experts out there would recommend before we reach boiling at that time of the year? I am thinking that Tuscany is too hot in early July, but what about Venice? Perhaps Venice, Cinque Terre, Lakes and head north from there?

Have you begun your research by looking at the temp history on some of the weather websites?

Dear wren,
In the Lake District, the sun can be very direct, but I find it not very humid there during the day. I was in Venice in June one year, and it was not bad. Have not been to the CT, but I think if you're close enough to water, where a breeze can blow in, you'll be in pretty good shape. Having lived in Florence, I can tell you from lots of personal experience that it can be hot AND humid there in July, and most uncomfortable; I imagine points further south would be like that, too. I've only ever been to Rome in September, October, January, February, March, April, May and June. When I arrived this past May it was hot and muggy; when I returned to Rome from the Lakes in June, it was less humid, but still pretty toasty.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

I've been to Venice twice in August and it was broiling both times as it happened. Definitely was mid to high 80's maybe even hit 90 degrees F. I never saw a temperature while I was there but it was hot enough you broke a sweat just walking around.

With school-age kids, I understand about having to travel in high summer....and believe me, my DH gets less and less D as the temperature rises!

You never know for sure, but this year in mid to late June, it was very hot in Florence, Cinque Terre, Portofino, Bellagio AND Venice. Being on the water didn't seem to help at all. And ironically, the heat wave was more intense in the northern areas of Italy than it was in the south. I think it reached 36 degrees Celsius even in Bolzano! Granted, that was somewhat unusual for June, but it just goes to show that the weather is not predictable. Checking the weather history for your travel dates is informative, but no guarantee that "typical" conditions will exist on any given day. Air conditioning, swimming pools and a breeze are the saving graces, two of which you can arrange for :)

Do the Munich route--ones of my favs.
Start and end in Munich, and include Bavaria, Lake Garda, Venice, the Dolomites and Salzburg. A nice compact route that includes a wide variety of pleasures for a family.

Hi Sandi, yes I played a little last night and found a site that gives temps for the major cities, but I am not sure how to find the temps of areas such as Cinque Terre or the Tuscan countryside. We live in South Florida so we deal with the heat...with AC and swimming pools. That said, we LOVE getting out of the heat and humidity and going places that have a moderate summer climate. I am wondering if we should postpone Italy until we can visit it in the spring or fall.

Bob, that certainly might be a good plan. I have read several of your itinerary suggestions, and that one had caught my eye. Why Lake Garda rather than Como...just because it is geographically more logical, or do you prefer it? I was also thinking of beginning in Venice and ending up in Munich. What do you think about that?

Hi wren,

I have been in Venice and the Cinque Terre a couple of times in June. The temperature and humidity were high. As we did not plan a lot of sightseeing, we traveled slowly and managed to enjoy our visits.
I have been to Venice in October and the temperature was in the 80s. So, I don’t plan based on what is expected anymore. I just prepare for whatever comes along.

Lake Garda is an easy drive to/from the Dolomites --- I think Bob's made a super suggestion that lets you see some of Italy and some of Germany. We did Verona/Dolomites/Venice as part of a longer trip a few years back and loved the area...as we were in the mountains we thought it would be cool to head on up to Germany, but we stuck to our planned itinerary :)

Garda ONLY because of geography--much less driving. If you did Como then you would drive back via St. Moritz and the Engadine to Bavaria--not a bad deal. Starting or ending in Venice adds the car drop charge. See Bavaria on the way down and Salzburg on the way back---both are 2.5 hours from the Munich airport. We have done this twice and I have sent several others on this trip--it works.

Bob, I like the way you think! If we went with your first plan, what towns in Bavaria and Dolomites do you suggest?

Have been to Venice in late May and it was hot as hell. Don;t know the exact temps - but it was very hot and humid as well - walking even a block or two would make you break inot a sweat (and I live in NYC and walk everywhere).

If anything above mid 80's is going to bother you I don;t think it's safe to do Italy at all (except for the mountain lakes) in the summer.

Car rentals are much less in Germany--I would start and end there. As for locations, I prefer Oberammergau for Bavaria because of centro location, but Garmisch is also good. But, if you do Bavaria last[ ala Como/Engadine] then consider Reutte, Austria. As for the Dolomites, I love Castelrotto. However, Ortisei in the Val Gardena is close and also excellent. If you do Garda, stay at the north end---Torbole or Riva del Garda. For Como, Varenna is hard to beat and will be closer for you. These are all great destinations--hard to go wrong.

FWIW we just returned from the Lakes region (July 7-20) The temperature was consistently in the 90's. One the day we went to Verona it was 35C(95F). The best way to beat the Italian heat is to do as the Italians do: go out in the early morning or late afternoon, and avoid the midday sun.
BTW, you can get the annual average temperatures for almost any place in the world at: http://www.weatherbase.com/

rbrazill...thanks for the great news!! We were just had in Paris this month and it seemed they are really not prepared for the heat. The (friend's) apartment we stayed in was not AC'ed. A couple of the restaurants where we ate were downright hot!!! Are the northern Italians a little more prepared (i.e. AC) for the heat other than changing their lifestyle?

Do what the Italians do. Rest in the heat of the afternoon. Get out early, sightsee til noon or one, have lunch, then go back to the hotel for a siesta. In your case, make sure your hotel has air conditioning. Then you can go out again around 5 or 6 o'clock, when the stores open again.

This must be why Italians discovered gelato! Enjoy.

Hi wren, just had a long talk with a friend who lives in the region of Veneto this evening. Hot, hot and hot with 80% humidity describes the area. Not pleasant.

This year I was in Venice the 3rd eeek in June & on the Amalfi Coast the week after. I think the temperatures were about the same - c.28-30 degrees C - but I found Venice more uncomfortable because it felt very humid; plus there was sometimes a bit of a breeze right next to the sea on the AC.