Italy in August....am I crazy?
 

I know that the Cote d'Azur will be packed during the month of August, but what about tourist spots in Italy? Specifically, we are thinking of Pisa, Florence, Rome(?), and Venice. It would be sometime in mid to late August. Would it be terribly crowded, or would stuff be closed?

Also, we are considering skipping Rome to shorten the trip/drive a bit. We have a 2-year-old, and this trip involves a LOT of driving....5 hrs to Pisa, 1 hr to Florence, 3.5 hrs to Rome, 6 hrs to Venice, then home - and I think that's at least 6 hrs. Lots of car time. I don't really want to skip Rome, but we are not Catholic, and my husband says "take it or leave it".

Just looking for opinions.

Thanks!
Mindy

Hi!
Well, Rome is not just for Catholic... it was the heart of the Roman empire... there is so much more than all the Churches!

If the problem is driving with your child, I understand it, if you think that Rome is only churches though, your husband will have a great surprise there!

Ciao,
Gloria

It will be very hot, but if you pace yourself and plan, you'll do fine. The places you're thinking of going to are fine as far as crowds. Everyone goes to the beaches and you get off season rates in the cities. Hmmmm Rome is just for Catholics? What about the large population of Italian Jews? What about all the history? I think your husband should do a little research before you go on this trip. I would suggest trains rather than a car.

Hi wesch,

If you are going to cities, it is easier to do it by train.

How long will you be there?

If that is the only time you can go, then press despite the heat and crowds. You will have lots of company.

Have you considered taking the train?

Rome is not just for Catholics. Do some additional research before you reject going to this great city.

I know Rome is not just for Catholics. : )

Let me put it in a little more perspective...we are living in France for a year (work assignment), so we're travelling ALOT and trying to see as much as we can in a year. Don't mean to sound callous by saying "take it or leave it"...obviously we'd love to "take" all of it! But we are here for work reasons, so we need to be careful about the amount of time we spend on the road.

As far as trains...it's a good idea...but we seem to have avoided them thus far. Would be ideal with just the two of us, but with my daughter and all her "equipment" in tow (stroller, suitcase, pack-n-play, etc) it seems a bit cumbersome. Plus there is no flexibility for stopping to play. : )

What are your favorite Rome must-sees (keeping in mind the 2-year-old, pls)??

Thanks!

Do a text search for this informative thread: 100 Best Things To Do In Rome

It really depends on how much time you have to spend in Italy.

There is a book you can buy on Amazon called Italy with Kids, by Barbara Pape. You might get some good advice there on hotels and locations.

When we thought we were going to Italy with our 2 young boys this August (now they are staying with grandparents) we were going to Venice, Rome & Sorrento. All the hotels I considered had cribs & babysitting services. The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittorio in Sorrento has 3 apartments for rent by the week, a pool, & playground in their garden. The rates were much more reasonable than their rooms, but you still get full use of their facilities.

While the Italians may be out of the big towns on their summer holidays, the tourists (Americans, English, Australians, etc) make up for the dearth. I was in Italy for 2 months (last August & Sept) and each of those cities mentioned (Pisa, Florence, Rome) were all crowded and busy. Not to mention, the weather was stifling hot - even the beaches didn't offer much reprieve. I was surprised that the temps didn't cool down that much at night so it was generally unpleasant. This time, however, I am going in September and I remember there being a distinct drop in the temp after Sept 1st -- I am hoping that will be the case again this year!

How long will you be staying in each location? Will you have a week or so to refresh/relax before heading on to next spot?

If you are in France for a year you might really want to consider saving Italy for another time of the year due to the heat. If it is the only chance you have I'd go for it, but if there might be another opportunity...

Unfortunately, our year is up at the end of September! We are really cramming a lot of travel in the next few months. Our first 4 months here consisted of nothing but illness for all 3 of us...so we missed out on a lot of travel time.

We will spend a day or two at each place (1 in Pisa, probably 1.5 in Florence, 1-2 in Rome, 1.5-2 in Venice). No, definitely not a week to relax!! (that would be nice, wouldn't it!?)

Maybe I'll try and save this trip for early September. The one good thing about spending this much time in the car is that the car is air conditioned, whereas our house here is not! Could be a good chance to cool down!

Thanks to all for your advice!

Mindy