Italy in August
 

I understand that August is the holiday season for Italians. Is it worth visiting Italy in August as I understand the country is on holidays and a lot of things are closed?

This topic comes up quite often and there are already dozens of posts relating personal experiences that you might find interesting (you may want to type Italy in August in the search box). The sights will be open, it will be extremely hot, there will be crowds still. A hotel with A/C and very centric (minimize walking) would be great; a hotel with all the above AND a pool would be ideal.

While lots of Italians will be on holiday abroad, many more will spend their holidays here in Italy. Your main problem will not be finding too many things closed, it will be findiemg them CROWDED! Yes, we do go on holiday in August, but the tourist stuff stays open in august for the very reason that so many people are on holiday, being tourists around Italy (and abroad)!

We will also be in Italy in August. The only word of caution is Aug. 15 is a major holidy in Italy and several museums/sites will be closed. Check your iternary and verify your plans on that day.

We vacationed in Italy at least partly in early August. We made certain our (mostly 3-star) hotels had A/C and private bathrooms. We didn't need to worry about anything else. There is NEVER enough time on vacation to see and do everything we'd like to do in Italy. You will have no trouble finding major sites open in August and you won't starve.

Having said that, if you have your heart set on a particular museum or tourist site or restaurant, you should check ahead of time to make certain it will be open. And, many theaters and opera houses close for August. But, to take up the slack, summer festivals are available at places like Verona, Macerata, etc.

Be prepared for heat and, in some places, crowds, and just enjoy. The only place I would recommend AVOIDING in August is Bologna.