I'm traveling to central Italy in August (don't have a choice re the time of yr) besides there being alot of tourists, is it true that many places (stores and restaurants) may be closed because owners are on holiday? I assume public tourist attractions remain open with their usual hours.

It is definately harder to find an OPEN<BR>restaurant, even in Rome...

Bologna shuts down. A lot of Milan does, as well. Rome is not so bad. Always plenty to do, though some spots close. Verona is booming - it is arena festival time. Venice is mostly open. Coastal areas are booming. If you are travelling by car, check to see which towns along the way may be having festivals - musical or otherwise - which indicate more things are likely to be open. Ferragosto (Aug. 15) is THE BIG holiday.

what about Florence? and the small towns of Tuscany?

luvitaly: I didn't get to Florence this summer so cannot speak from first hand recent experience. Perhaps someone else here can. But, I would think "the big 3" would be fine even in vacation time. Checking festival times would be one way of checking the small towns in Tuscany and elsewhere. Guidebooks of the area, and websites for Tuscany, should help too.

Whenever you are in Italy, check ahead for the times that various attractions are open.<BR><BR>We visited in March. I can't tell you how many churches we missed because they closed so early. We will have to see Moses on our next visit.<BR><BR>Also, most shops close for a few hours in the afternoon. If the sign says "back at 2:00, don't take that literally. They actually mean "sometime around 2:00."<BR><BR>So I would check times for everthing that is a "must see."<BR><BR>Have a great time.<BR>