Italy in July
 

We plan to visit Italy the first 2 weeks in July. Can anyone tell me how hot Rome and Florence really get?

Pretty hot, and A/C is pretty rare, but we are from Atlanta...and it was tolerable.
Remember, no shorts or sleeveless tops at the Vatican. You'll be turned away.

I don't think the issue is the acutal temperature - after all most of the US is quite hot in the summer. I think the issue is that as Americnas we are used to everything (hotels, restaurants, shops, transport, etc.) being air conditiond in the summer. In Europe many things are not air conditioned at all - and many hotels that have air conditioning have Eueopean style - which cools the room slightly but not to US standards. So its easy to become overheated becasue there are few places to find relief. Unless you really love hot weather I would make sure your hotel has real air condiitoning so at least you can sleep comfortably.

Hi

It depends a lot on the weather. My wife and I went to Milan and Venice last year in June and we ran into a heat wave. In Venice it got pretty hot and I remember that it was 35 degrees one day when I came back to the hotel at 6.30 PM.

Regards
Gard
www.gardkarlsen.com
Stavanger, Norway

We were in Florence and Venice last July and did not find it intolerable. We did, however, make sure to rent apartments with A/C. It was actually a bit cool during the early mornings in Florence, believe it or not.

When walking, we were typically in a shady alleyway or tried to stay on the shady side of the piazzas. It can be hotter, however, when you are in the direct sun, so just limit your time in those areas. The only time I remember feeling REALLY hot was at Boboli Gardens in Florence, and the Etruscan Ruins in Fiesole. There wasn't much shade in these areas, though.

I would prefer to visit Italy in the cooler months, but wouldn't hesitate to go back during July, either.

<<We plan to visit Italy the first 2 weeks in July. Can anyone tell me how hot Rome and Florence really get?>>

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Author: gard
Date: 01/27/2004, 03:05 am

Message: Hi

It depends a lot on the weather.

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How reassuring...

Sorry... I couldn't resist pointing out the wisdom of this reply.

I guess I better contribute something. Ordinarily, I would say "see www.weatherbase.com for staistics" - - gives you not only average high and low temperature, but also number of days above 90 degrees F. But I wonder if it comntains a typo... says 14 for Florence; and TWO for Rome. That seems surprising.

Best wishes,

Rex

Yes, I think weatherbase is off base for once. Florence is almost always cooler than Rome.

BTW, Vero, averages can be deceiving:last year here in Italy was brutally hot in August (same weather as France,you will recall the deaths of the elderly) but relatively cool and damp in July.

Unless you are terribly unhappy in the heat, July is a fine time to visit Rome and Florence both: just be strategic with your time, doing outdoor things in the cool of the morning, joining the Italians in the late lunch and afernoon nap habit and planning your church and museum visits for 5-7 pm as most of the sights to see have very civilized hours. Then cafes or strolling the piazza in the evening before a late dinner.

Have a wonderful time!

My husband and I, also from Atlanta, visited Rome in July a few years ago and stayed in a pension that was not air conditioned. We would take a cold shower in the morning, a cold shower before we went out for dinner, and a cold shower before we went to bed. We swore we would never stay in a hotel in Rome in the summer that was not air conditioned. Even though we're supposedly used to the heat, we were miserable as we couldn't escape and cool off. There are too many hotels to choose from that have AC to get one without. The next trip, we stayed at the Hotel Smeraldo near Campo de Fiori with AC. Reasonably priced and in a great location.

In the summer, Florence is almost always hotter than Rome. Because of its particular location in the river valley, it experiences frequent air/temperature inversions. This also makes it more humid than most of the rest of Tuscany. Florence can be OK--just hot and humid--or it can be a miserable convection oven. Sometimes you're lucky with the weather, and sometimes you're not. Definitely get accomodations with A/C just about anywhere in Italy in the summer.

By the way, temps of 100 F and above don't occur routinely in Florence, but they aren't unusual, either.

Get AC and you'll be fine! Many of the shops in Italy are shuttered from noon or 1 til 3 so during the worst heat you can escape indoors (museum) or to a restaurant.

One excellent way we found to make the heat easier to take is to get a "Camelback" (or any of the backpack-like water carriers). We would ask the hotel restaurant in the morning for a bag of ice. Once back in our room, we filled the Camelback with as much ice as we could, added water, and then had ice water through much of the day. Many of the tourist sites don't have drinking fountains, so it was a good way to stay hydrated in the heat.

Hi vero,

If you go to Italy in the Summer, you must think like an Italian.

There is a reason why they close up shop at midday and open in the evening, only "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun".

Follow LJ's advice.

It's not only hot but very humid. We were expecting hot but the crowds, lack of A/C, and especially the humidity made things very uncomfortable. Wear cool clothing, including convertible pants, stay out of the sun as much as possible, and eat lots of gelato!. Seriously, it is uncomfortable but we still had our best vacation in Italy. Enjoy.