Well after all of your good suggestions yesterday my husband and I have rethought our priorities and our entertaining the option of doing Rome and Venice in August to give when we have a little more flexibility with days off and may be able to add a few extra days and add Florenece in. My question for all of you is how is Italy in August. I'm concerned because I have read that it shuts down because everyone goes on vacation. Is this true? Can you still have the full "Italy" experience in August?

Thanks

In August, the main tourist areas of Italy will be VERY, VERY busy, and packed with people. Many hotels rooms will have gone already and what is left will be expensive. The schools are on holiday and so is everyone else including the Italians. If you want a suggestion, go in early September. Nice and quiet, the weather will have cooled to just plain hot and a much better experience all round.

We were in Venice and Rome in late August last year, and everything that we wanted to see was open. Some restaurants in Rome were just reopening, but most were open all summer. The city was busy, but not uncomfortable. Venice was very crowded but easy to get around and all the restaurants were open that we wanted to try. I did make reservations ahead from home but it really was not necessary. We seem to always be in Italy in August, this year we are going in July and I have no idea what to expect as far as crowds are concerned. All the tourist places are always open so I'm sure you will enjoy Italy in August as we have.

I believe the hotels in Venice consider August to be 'low season'. I could be wrong, but if I'm right, the reason surely has to be because it is so hot and humid at that time.

Can't you go in April? That would be ideal!

I lived in italy for 5 years and worked in the tourism industry and I strongly recommend that you don't visit in August - or at least not the cities. You'll find that many restaurants are closed (except for the awful tourist places where you'll overpay and eat badly), shops are closed and for the most part, the only other people around are other tourists. This is especially the case in the art cities like Rome, Milan Florence and Venice. Museums and hotels are, of course open. But I say, what's the point of visiting a place if you're not really going to get the real experience b/c all of the people who actually live there are away on vacation?

If you must go, you could try beach places - Sardinia, parts of Sicily, parts of Apulia. There are are some lovely parts of Tuscany (southern part of the region toward the coast) that you might consider. Beware though, those places tend to be very crowded b/c they're filled with all of the Italians who've left the cities to go on vacation! if you can, I would postpone the trip until Sept or at least go in June/July.

"Can't you go in April? That would be ideal!"

Wish I could. I work for Congress and can only vacation when they vacation. Bascially that is a week in Feb, two weeks around Easter, July 4th anytime in August or right around Christmas.

I would go at Christmas.

It will be very hot and very humid and very crowded.

And many places (hotels, shops, restauratns, museums etc) will not have AC AT ALL. And most that do have AC will have european style ( cools a little) versus US style (to keep the room at 72 - which we do).

It can be VERY enervating - and you need to be sure to drink lots of water, rest in the shade - and if it's esp bad consider ia siesta in the afternoon.

It's true that some family businesses (shops and restaurants) will close - but that's not the issue. It's relaly the 24 hour per day heat and the crowds.

(I me someone from Dallas who went to Italy in the summer - thinkig it couldn;t be any hotter. It wasn;t. But she also wasn't going from AC house to AC car to AC mall or AC restaurant or office as in Dallas. She said never again.)

forget about the crowds - maybe, forget about places being closed - maybe. But you cannot forget about the heat. It will be really, really HOT. Add to that - most places are not air conditioned. Those that do have a/c don't have cold forced air a/c like you are probably used to.

Unfortunately, the poster above - Janisj- doesn't have a clue as to what she's talking about (not unusual). I've spent the last two summers in Italy in August, and I could not have wished for more beautiful weather, but if everyone who doesn't know wishes to perpetuate the myth that Italy in August is just SO HOT -aye, so be it. Those of us who have worn sweaters in Florence and Venice the last weeks in August, however, can tell you differently...

and when I've been banned and forced to find a new screen name for personal attacks (twice, no less) maybe I'll bow to your superior knowledge . . . . .

Uh, Janis-I think, you DID have to change screen names, no? And as far as that goes, so have over half the people on this board...

But that STILL does not cover up your total ignorance about Italy, and what you said in the post above-and by the way, when WAS the last time you were in Italy, huh? Do you have any knowledge about Italy whatsoever in the past few years, let alone before that? I don't THINK SO!

nope - I was janis. Then changed server/isp and my old logon would no longer work - fodors tried to work it out for me but they suggested I just choose a new name. So I became janisj so folks would KNOW I was the same person.

Whereas Fodors editors actually pulled the plug on your old screen names and you had to sneak back on w/ a new name.

My point is - WHY can't you simply participate in the discussions w/ a civil tone w/o all the personal attacks?????

Again, Janis-I think you need to take a look in the mirror, and ask YOURSELF that question, not others! (smile)

And as for my knowledge on matters Italian and other places around the world, yes, I absolutely accept that.

Spygirl,

I've been on Fodor's both as a user and an advisor since LOOONG before registration days. I've seen a lot of posters come and go. It' so good to have an ultimate authority join us!

Thanks, Dayle! And I'm sorry when you can't handle an opposing viewpoint!

Hi again Italyorbust,

I've visited in March, May, and Sept. from north to south. How about handling an August trip this way?

Spend the majority of your days in the countryside. Spend a little time in the major cities to get a "taste". We all know you will return, so think of the cities as a scouting trip.

If I was going in August, I would do something along these lines.

Venice - 2 days
Lakes or Dolomitmi - 3 days
Tuscan or Umbrian countryside - 5 days, with a day trip into Florence
Rome - 3 days

Venice and Rome will probably be very busy, but you aren't taking them in too large a dose and you have lovely, relaxing time in between.

I loved Venice (March and May) and Rome
(March and Sept.). Both were significantly more busy in May and Sept. My theory is that the major cities are great to visit in low season because there are lots of indoor possibilities and hotel rates are much less. Maybe save more of the major cities for a February trip?

People are more spread out in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside during summer. Hopefully, it won't seem as crowded. You might also consider Le Marque, must less visited. I have not been there yet myself.

Italy is all so wonderful, you can find options that will work! Hope this gives you some ideas!

Italy is by no means shut down in August, and I ought to know, since it is without question, my favorite time of the year to be there-it is LOW SEASON-meaning you will pay sometimes hundreds of euros LESS for a hotel room and an apartment then you would in the highest of high seasons-September or May.

In the last two summers when I have rented an apartment in Venice in August, I have not needed to turn on my a/c once. And not to worry, Venice has PLENTY of a/c in its restaurants, as does Rome and Florence-there may be a few days there where it gets humid, but by and large (and particularly in Venice) it's delightful.

I've posted at least twice on my experiences in Florence this past August 2006, the weather was GORGEOUS. Cool breeze, low humidity, all the palazzos gleaming-I thought, this is the perfect time to be here.

And as for events, all of the cities mentioned plan August events, there will be some restaurants to close during this time period, but not enough to make a difference. If you are in Venice, you can go to Verona and take in an opera at the ancient Roman arena-this is all through the month of August, but ends in September.

It's a wonderful time to be in Italy, it's low season (although judging from the crowds, it doesn't seem to be). The weather, for the last two Augusts, has been wonderful, I don't think you can go wrong here, with the lazy last days of summer.