It has to be Italy, It has to be August
 

I know this isn't the correct forum to post this but I trust you all the most.

We are planning a summer trip. It has to be Italy due to a variety of factors and we have to travel in August. Not an ideal time to be in Italy. Our little group includes me, my husband and our three teenage sons whose crazy sports schedule only allows us the first two weeks in August to travel out of the entire year. How would you structure this type of trip? I am thinking of starting in Rome and maybe forgoing a cute apartment in Trastevere for a big hotel with a pool. Then maybe set up camp along the coast somewhere and spend a couple days at the beach with a side trip or two and finish in Venice (everyone wants to go to Venice even though everyone realizes it will be miserably crowded and hot). Does this sound doable? Any advice (other than not to go to Italy in August.....)?

Thanks

I've been to Italy multiple times in August. In the cities, you might find cheaper hotel rates at that time. As for a hotel with a pool in Rome, there are some so you will have to search. Staying very central would be more important so you can go back to the hotel during the heat of the day and cool off or rest a bit.

FWIW - The hottest Italy trip I've had was in June 2003. That was the year of the infamous heatwave that killed a lot of people (most in August).

When I've traveled to the countryside in August (Tuscany/Umbria), I found many hill towns quite deserted. That wasn't true of the Amalfi coast as it was still crowded.

Instead of Rome and the Beach -- in Auguest maybe consider the Dolomites and Lakes?

Ot if Rome is a must Rome/Dolomites/Lakes

Beach resorts will be packed in August b/c that's when all of Italy goes on vacation, but they might be slightly better in the first half of August than in the second.

I like the idea of the lake area. The Dolomites are beautiful but they just didn't feel like Italy to me.

There are very few hotels in Rome with swimming​ pools. The Aldrovandi Palace has an outside swimming pool but the hotel is in a bad location for touring Rome. Same goes for Cavalieri Hilton, bad location.

Exedra has a pool but it is really tiny.

I was in Rome and Orvieto from October 19-27, 2017.

I have been to Rome in August/September and it can be extremely hot at this time of year.

Thin

PS
Look at Forte dei Marmi for a beach holiday.


Thin

ok. it has to be italy, it has to be August, it has to be Venice. but I very strongly suggest that you jettison Rome.

Venice, though it might be hot, would fit very nicely into an itinerary for a sports-mad family. There are campsites very near Venice [in fact a friend of mine has stayed at one which is right next to a vaporetto stop] or you could stay on the Lido and get beach time as well.

You could split your time between Venice and/or the Dolomites and/or the north of Lake Garda which is heaven for wind surfers.

Honestly, I would leave Rome for another time when it doesn't have to be August.

Venice will be PACKED with cruise ship tourists in August. Venice will resemble the Burning-of-Atlanta scene from Gone with the Wind. I am not exaggerating.

Better find a hotel or apartment away from Rialto Bridge or Piazza San Marco.

I would stay near the Jewish Ghetto or Arsenale, where it is quiet.

Thin

My DD and SIL went to Rome for a week at the end of August 2017. It was hot but they coped okay. Had a great time.

nelsonian - honestly I think that 2 adults travelling to Rome at that time of year is a bit different to a family with 3 teenage lads who are going to want to be active a lot of the time. Venice may be hot and crowded but we all know that there are ways of getting away from the crowds and there is always the lido for swimming, or even staying at the Hilton Stucky on the Giudecca which has a pool I believe:

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/ita...nericx6VCEHIHI

Thank you for all the replies. I hadn't thought of the distance to a hotel with a pool in Rome and how being closer without one might make more sense. I also appreciate those who suggest no Rome. It will be hard to get people excited for an Italian Lake as we live on a lake in a state full of them. The ocean has more appeal.

Thin, I will look into your beach suggestion as well as the section of Venice to find a place to stay.

I wonder, as much as I dislike them, if a cruise might make more sense. I hate the idea of going someplace amazing and being stuck on an impersonal boat eating generic food but there is something to be said for the comforts and amenities in terms of the guys.

Thank you again!

Before you jettison Rome (especially for a cruise) - consider this -
http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en...IWA/index.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...ome_Lazio.html

Fabulous pool. Panoramic views of the city. Fly in. Enjoy days at the pool. Go into the city for a night tour. Get a taste of Rome before you move on.

Get it some thought...

GIVE it some thought...

Also agree about looking at the Hilton Stucky in Venice -
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...ce_Veneto.html

This may be too quiet for your family, but for a base for a week in Tuscany -
http://www.letorri.com/villa.php
You must rent for a week but it is magical. Again, a great pool and you could explore the surroundings for a week. We loved it. Actually we LOVED it!

I was booked at the Aldrovandi Residence City Suites once. It had a pool and is centrally located just north of the Villa Borghese gardens and Bioparco zoo.

Hotel was nice and the staff very efficient.

I took my teen daughters to Rome in late spring once and we really struggled with the heat. Thankfully our hotel had good AC as the girls spent every afternoon there watching movies while I went out to art museums. We did our “touring” early in the day. But YMMV. Venice in the heat might be better? Are the boys wanting Italy?? I don’t think of Rome and Venice as an “active” vacation place - more art and history and shopping - but some families do better trekking around in 90+ degree heat than others. (Ours wouldn’t do well admittedly.) I think a cruise might be a better plan for an active family. TBH, I had plenty of meals in Italy that were just okay. I’ve been to Italy many times...But remember you can still eat out even when taking a cruise. IIRC, Seetheworld stayed at a new Marriott in Venice in the summer that had a pool and she had a good time??

The Aldrovandi is NOT centrally located in Rome.

Thin

I go to Italy often, and the past few years I have had no choice but to go in July because of work. Is it hot? Yes. Is it crowded? Yes (although some cities and sites in Italy are pretty much always crowded--it <i>is</i> Italy, after all, not Des Moines). I wilt in hot weather but have managed to enjoy all of these vacations. I book hotels or apartments with good a/c, keep my sense of humor and stay flexible. Granted, I have seen all the major sights in the major cities many times over by now, so that makes things a bit easier.

But I still think you can do it if everyone stays loose and you avoid forced marches in the afternoons. You know your family personalities best--keep those in mind when planning the pace.

If for whatever reason you find yourself in Bolzano, I can recommend the Parkhotel Laurin, which is a classic hotel right in the city near the train station with a beautiful garden and pool. I stayed there last summer on my way down to Tuscany from the Dolomites.

I have a pretty fabulous memory from my youth of getting off a train in Rome at dawn with my backpack & grubby clothes from train-sleeping & hosteling around Europe with a pal and finding ourselves a few hours later lounging by that gorgeous Cavalieri Hilton pool (rendezvousing with parents; Dad worked for an airline and that was our "airline discount" digs when in Rome). It's not a convenient location as Thin says, but a darn nice pool!

I really wouldn't stay at the Rome Cavalieri in your situation. I've stayed there and it is a fantastic hotel with a beautiful view but just not central. Instead I'd stay at the Albergo Del Senato, where we've stayed a few times with our boys. It's on the square with the Pantheon, completely central and so "Roman". Having access to a pool in Rome wasn't important to us though.

We also had to go at the end of August due to the kids' schedules. It was just fine. It was warm but not as bad as the 100+ degrees in Seville. The only thing I really noticed was the clerks, waiters, etc in town seemed to be a bit cranky in a few cases.

"Having access to a pool in Rome wasn't important to us though. "

It's definitely not central. By definition it's not central - but above - with shuttles to the center of Rome. I offered it as a solution to consider instead of the recommendation to skip Rome completely.

We were there in October and some of the sites were so crowded in mid-October I couldn't imagine summer when things were more crowded and HOT. Hence the recommendation for night tours and enjoying the pool during the day. Or going into the city during the day until the kids are just too hot and cranky and coming back to relax around the pool. It's a VERY different suggestion - by design.

Have you considered an agriturismo with a pool rather than the coast?

We have stayed here and it is very well located for visiting the Val d’Orcia area of Tuscany

https://www.santantonio.it

It will be hard to get people excited for an Italian Lake as we live on a lake in a state full of them. The ocean has more appeal. >>

Not so much ocean but there is definitely sea at the Lido Di Jesolo which is a big italian seaside resort with a beach.

Not knowing that you live near lakes, I suggested the northern end of Lake Garda which is beautiful AND has water sports activities for the lads. IME kids, especially teenage boys, need a lot of physical activity to keep them, and therefore you, happy; a cruise would be the absolute opposite of this and I suspect miserable for you and for them.

If it has to be Rome then I definitely suggest a hotel with a pool, even if it's not in the most convenient location.

OK, if you don't want lakes (though I'll wager the Italian lakes are nothing at all like what you're used to), maybe you should look for a seaside town (like Lavinio or Sperlonga or Anzio or Gaeta) south of Rome on the direct train line so you can enjoy the beach and still be able to zip up to Rome easily and inexpensively.

I have been to Rome twice in August and found it nearly unbearable, but I'm not fond of intense heat and humidity and crowds and traffic.

We clearly have different definitions of “central”.

As pointed out, the Cavalieri is really not convenient and I wouldn't stay there if the object is to visit Rome. Quite a few posters have stayed there only because they were using points. Every report I've read of people staying there said it wasn't convenient. I've stayed at a hotel on Via Aurelia with a pool (several hotels on Via Aurelia have pools) years ago (not as far out as the Cavalieri) and I wouldn't again. The Cavalieri, along with most of the other Rome hotels with pools, sell day passes to their pools to anyone.

If it's in your budget, a few of the hotels on Via Veneto have pools which would be a bit more convenient. There's also a couple of hotels near the train station and a couple fairly close to the Colosseum (the other side of the park). Of all those, I would prefer the Via Veneto area.

I can't imagine a pool being so important if you are only in Rome a few days, but there are a few public pools that can be reached by metro or tram if you must.

As for a cruise, if you enjoy spending time on a cruise ship that would be fine, but if you want to see Italy it wouldn't be convenient. Rome's port is an hour away from the city. Ditto Florence. Even if you stop in Naples/Amalfi you may be a long distance from what you want to see (depends if they dock somewhere in Naples or off the Amalfi coast and you have to tender in). I really don't see how a cruise would solve any of your issues though. Pools are tiny on cruise ships and it will still be August heat no matter where you are.

>>>Not so much ocean but there is definitely sea at the Lido Di Jesolo which is a big italian seaside resort with a beach. <<<

I've stayed on Lido di Jesolo before and it will take about 30-45 minutes to reach Venice (bus or taxi to reach water transport to Venice). It is a big family beach resort area with some nice beaches and many of the hotels have pools also. It has a lot of self catering options. At night they would close the main street to traffic. There were also a lot of nightclubs and teens were allowed in. Yes, it was mostly Italian families.

If I return to Rome in the summer, I will be staying at the Cavalieri. I wanted to stay there in October and had rooms held (not on points) but we decided to stay at a different hotel. We really liked our hotel and would be glad to share it, but it did not have a pool. The pool was not a factor in our decision making for an October trip.

We ended up taking a cab most of the time in Rome, vs. walking. For me, the free hotel shuttle would be a plus and a savings in costs. I really looked forward to that incredible view of the city from the room's terrace. If I go in summer, it will be where I will stay.

No, it's not centrally located.
Yes, the free shuttle deposits you in the city center, with
regularly scheduled trips back and forth.
No, you don't have to take the free shuttle - you could pay for a cab.
Yes, it has spectacular views of Rome from public and private terraces.
Yes, if I were traveling with kids or teens, it would very much appeal to me. Especially in the heat of summer, because of the fabulous pool.
Yes, if I return in summer it's the first choice on my list.
No, it's not for everyone.
No, personally I would not skip Rome. I'd go for at least two nights and adjust sight-seeing plans based on the heat of summer and the crowds as well.

I can give insight and encouragement to only one small part. I've been to Italy only twice, both times to Venice, both times in August... just how it happened to happen.

I LOVE Venice. I am one who finds it completely magical. Don't let August scare you off. I enjoyed staying at Pensione La Calcina which overlooks the shipping canal, so wide open views, and a tiny bit out of the fray. LOVED it! oh it was pretty darn hot -lol- so do have clothes for the heat and good walking sandals.

Wherever you go be sure that the place you stay has REAL A/C, not european type air cooling (which may bring the temp down 10 degrees instead of the necessary 30 to be comfortable).

Agree that I would head for the lakes (will be mobbed but you may gind places with apool and AC if you spend enough and it won;t be as hellish as Rome or Venice).

(We do Italy only in May or October since I cannot stand heat - would love it if the temps never went above 75.)

Frankly, if it were me I would fly into Milan, spend a few days at the Lakes and then head to Switzerland so I could enjoy the trip instead of running from one AC building to another (of the few that there are).

I went to Italy in August 2015. We arrived in Rome around the 14th. It was hot but we coped very well.
We stayed at the Albergo del Senato which has wonderful aircon and a roof top that is terrific in the evening. We did go back to the hotel in the hottest part of the day
We drove around Tuscany and had no problem with the heat.
We then went to Sorrento and stayed in a hotel with a pool which we used to cool off every afternoon.

You will be perfectly fine. Just make sure everyone has a good hat and lots of Sun screen.

<so I could enjoy the trip instead of running from one AC building to another>

I did not do that.

I don't even remember AC in Venice. I'm guessing my hotel had it because it was a nice 3-star I stayed at both trips, but I certainly was not "running from one AC building to another". I was mostly out exploring the city on foot and using the vaporetto system. Sheez.

Second the comment about making sure your accommodations have REAL air conditioning. On a family trip to Paris a few years ago in summer I "made sure" the apartment had air conditioning -- but that turned out to be two mobile units, one for each of the 2 bedrooms, that had hoses that had to be put out of the windows (and we frequently had to empty the units of the water that was generated). Those units provided sufficient cooling for people to sleep in those bedrooms, but the bedroom doors had to remain closed and the rest of the apartment was as hot as the blazes. We took cold showers and as soon as we were dressed, felt like we had to take another shower.

I would trade access to a pool for US-quality central air conditioning in my lodging. In fact, for those of us accustomed to air conditioning in the summer, the heat was even an issue at night when we were in restaurants without air conditioning. They would often put a fan in the open door of the restaurant, but it was never truly comfortable.

The other thing I'd suggest for your family is to book private tours/"skip-the-line" access to major sights you want to see, if possible. Luckily I had done that, not so much thinking of the heat but because on vacation I loathe standing in lines (I have limited vacation time). Fortunately, it turned out to be a Godsend, as we passed long lines of people waiting to be admitted to a place and got right in; my family would not have endured (at least without complaining) long waits in that hot weather to get in somewhere.

After several European vacations that happened to occur during severe heat waves, my family has decided to keep summer European travel to the north (maybe Scandinavia this summer), BUT I totally understand having to travel when and where job, school and other requirements dictate, and the desire to plan accordingly to maximize enjoyment. And I won't advise you to change your timing or location because I don't like posters who respond to questions like "How best to do A at B time?" with advice like "Don't go to A at B time."

Have a great trip! Post a trip report!

Yeah, suze, I was in Venice for a week this past July and it wasn't too hot. Arezzo (in Tuscany) was the hottest place I visited, hotter than Rome. The Dolomites were of course temperate.

Previous summer, a June-July visit, the hottest spot was Florence. Well, except maybe Naples. Rome was relatively comfortable except one blazing afternoon.

taitai, if you end up in Umbria, I stayed in a funky little hotel in Spello with my niece in 2016. It was in town so we could walk to restaurants but had a small pool for late-afternoon dips.

http://www.labastiglia.com/

Thank you again for all of the advice and suggestions. I am trying to plan a few different itineraries and suggest them to the family this weekend. I have been looking at the hotels suggested and trying to figure something out that will work. Bakerstreet, I appreciate your suggestion of paying for front of the line access. That could be a lifesaver.

You mentioned a cruise. Your kids would probably love it if you chose the right ship with good food, nice pools and an interesting itinerary. I have done several for the unique ports of call, from Spain to Italy, to Greece to Turkey and Israel. I enjoyed them a lot and loved spending a day or so at different archeological sites.

However, you also said it "has to be Italy, it has to be August."

There are not really any cruises that do a good job of letting you see much of Italy, much less in August.

There are many that do a good job with visiting some Greek Island ports and some that do a nice variety of ports and Northern European ports, even Russia, but none that do Italy well. So, unless the "it has to be Italy" idea is up for discussion, absolutely no cruise will work, and if that idea is negotiable, then you might as well consider other places too.

DH and I based in Sorrento for the Naples/Amalfi/Capri leg of a trip some years ago.

We often remarked that our hotel, Grand Hotel Vesuvio, would be perfect for families. Hope this link shows all the amenities:

http://www.vesuviosorrento.com/

Pool, views, restaurant, lounge and more. There was a jitney to downtown Sorrento and we rarely had to wait for it.

testing something

TDudette, I just looked at the hotel in Sorrento. How did you structure your time in this area? Thanks.

We took day trips to Capri, Amalfi (town), Pompeii, Naples (to see the Museum), and walked around Sorrento at night. We used all public transportation. We had planned 1/2 day in Pompeii with 1/2 to Herculaneum but were so enthralled with Pompeii, we stayed there most of the day.

We arrived late Wed. and left on Mond. so 4 full days. A car would have been faster for the Amalfi coast. I wanted to get as far as Vietri but there was no one bus from Sorrento.