Italy in July: Should I, Could I?
May 18th, 2017, 08:03 AM
#23
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There's a big mountain chain running down the center of Italy. Any place that's high altitude will not be hot and muggy in July. We spend part of every summer at our summer house in the foothills of the Sibilline mountains, which are on the border between Le Marche and Abruzzo, in the southern part of central Italy. We sleep under a wool blanket there even in August.
Speaking of the heat wave of 2003, that was the worst I've experienced since living in Italy. Our summer house still hadn't been reconstructed after damage from the earthquakes of 1997-1998, which were in the same general area as the earthquakes of 2016-2017. The damage to our house with those earthquakes was quite extensive, with part of the roof caved in. It took forever to get approval for the repairs, which is why, five years later, there were still holes in the roof, with buckets under them to collect rain.
In 2003, I really couldn't bear the heat, and we didn't have an air conditioner. I tried sleeping on our terrace, but the insects and the kids on scooters kept me awake most of the night. Finally, my husband said, "Let's head to the hills, and not worry about the condition of the house. So we slept peacefully under the stars, which we could see above us from our bed.
Even in our regular house, at a much lower altitude, it's rarely very hot in the summer. We now have one air conditioner, in our bedroom, but most years we use it only once or twice. Some years we don't use it at all. We also have fans in every room in the house in the summer, and there have been a few years where we never needed even a fan. The part of Italy to the east of the Apennines is generally cooler than the rest of the country.
For practical purposes, any time spent above 500 m of altitude would have little risk of unbearable heat. The Sibillines are a great destination, with wonderful scenery, a bearable level of tourism (mostly Italians escaping the hot cities), great food and pleasant temperatures.
Speaking of the heat wave of 2003, that was the worst I've experienced since living in Italy. Our summer house still hadn't been reconstructed after damage from the earthquakes of 1997-1998, which were in the same general area as the earthquakes of 2016-2017. The damage to our house with those earthquakes was quite extensive, with part of the roof caved in. It took forever to get approval for the repairs, which is why, five years later, there were still holes in the roof, with buckets under them to collect rain.
In 2003, I really couldn't bear the heat, and we didn't have an air conditioner. I tried sleeping on our terrace, but the insects and the kids on scooters kept me awake most of the night. Finally, my husband said, "Let's head to the hills, and not worry about the condition of the house. So we slept peacefully under the stars, which we could see above us from our bed.
Even in our regular house, at a much lower altitude, it's rarely very hot in the summer. We now have one air conditioner, in our bedroom, but most years we use it only once or twice. Some years we don't use it at all. We also have fans in every room in the house in the summer, and there have been a few years where we never needed even a fan. The part of Italy to the east of the Apennines is generally cooler than the rest of the country.
For practical purposes, any time spent above 500 m of altitude would have little risk of unbearable heat. The Sibillines are a great destination, with wonderful scenery, a bearable level of tourism (mostly Italians escaping the hot cities), great food and pleasant temperatures.
May 18th, 2017, 05:35 PM
#25
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Bvlenci is right and at that time of year my family and I keep to the high altitudes or the coast. I do notice that more and more hotels and apartments these days have A/C; it wasn't always like that and we used to carry tiny portable battery operated fans...and we lived.
Slovenia sounds like an intriguing idea I should maybe hit on my next trip! Generally during the height of summer I beach myself for at least a month in Marche (specifically Civitanova and Porto San Giorgio) and enjoy the one place on God's earth where I'll actually eat fish and not pretend I have allergies to it. I enjoy the beaches in Porto San Giorgio since they are very clean compared to the ones in Chicago. Sure, it costs a few euros per person to get on in the daytime but you get an umbrella and chairs or if you pay a few more a beach lounge bed and they rake the sand daily so your chances of getting stabbed with a used needle or anything else gross are quite low. It's not hard to get to from Venice or Rome by train and definitely the thing to do if you want to just relax at a low altitude instead of a high one.
Como is another place I truly love with all my heart, I just can't say I remember it being particularly cool in summer, but it's certainly not Rome.
I hope you enjoy your trip!
Slovenia sounds like an intriguing idea I should maybe hit on my next trip! Generally during the height of summer I beach myself for at least a month in Marche (specifically Civitanova and Porto San Giorgio) and enjoy the one place on God's earth where I'll actually eat fish and not pretend I have allergies to it. I enjoy the beaches in Porto San Giorgio since they are very clean compared to the ones in Chicago. Sure, it costs a few euros per person to get on in the daytime but you get an umbrella and chairs or if you pay a few more a beach lounge bed and they rake the sand daily so your chances of getting stabbed with a used needle or anything else gross are quite low. It's not hard to get to from Venice or Rome by train and definitely the thing to do if you want to just relax at a low altitude instead of a high one.
Como is another place I truly love with all my heart, I just can't say I remember it being particularly cool in summer, but it's certainly not Rome.
I hope you enjoy your trip!
May 19th, 2017, 03:22 AM
#27
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I thought Trieste was "OK" but I only had one night there and that was enough for me.
Cividale del Friuli was a pleasant little town worth half a day and so was Udine which you more or less need to go through in order to get to Cividale. I did the two of them on a day trip from Venice, longish day but certainly doable.
Heading towards the Dolomites we spent a couple days in Bassano del Grappa and Asolo, also really enjoyed them.
Since you don't like hairpin turns then a driving trip in the Dolomites might not be right for you. But the cities in the region are wonderful - Bolzano and Trento. And there were no hairpin turns or difficult roads from Bolzano to the Val Gardena and there are numerous lifts from the towns there up to the mountains with great views and lots of hiking. So point being you don't need to do the more difficult drives in order to see the 'best' of the Dolomites. There are also some lifts right from Bolzano but I didn't do those so not sure if that the 'best'. But we did drive all over the region and the 'best' views/hiking can be found with a short drive from Bolzano (probably even by public transportation).
On lake Garda if you stay in Malcesine there is a lift right from town to the top of Mt Baldo which has great views and hiking (though not as spectacular as from Val Gardena).
And of course Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Treviso all wonderful.
You really don't need to take a flight or long train ride from Venice to fill way more than two weeks even if you spent no time at all in Venice itself. I was there last July and it was incredibly crowded (huge difference from 8 years previous) but on the plus side the weather was delightful, not at all hot (which it can be in July as you know). But overall your chances for cooler weather will be better if you stay in this region than if you go south.
And as mentioned above, Slovenia would be a great option.
Here's my photos of the Dolomites, Bolzano, etc. - http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p484153363
And of Verona, Padua, Trieste, Cividale, etc. http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f176319487
Cividale del Friuli was a pleasant little town worth half a day and so was Udine which you more or less need to go through in order to get to Cividale. I did the two of them on a day trip from Venice, longish day but certainly doable.
Heading towards the Dolomites we spent a couple days in Bassano del Grappa and Asolo, also really enjoyed them.
Since you don't like hairpin turns then a driving trip in the Dolomites might not be right for you. But the cities in the region are wonderful - Bolzano and Trento. And there were no hairpin turns or difficult roads from Bolzano to the Val Gardena and there are numerous lifts from the towns there up to the mountains with great views and lots of hiking. So point being you don't need to do the more difficult drives in order to see the 'best' of the Dolomites. There are also some lifts right from Bolzano but I didn't do those so not sure if that the 'best'. But we did drive all over the region and the 'best' views/hiking can be found with a short drive from Bolzano (probably even by public transportation).
On lake Garda if you stay in Malcesine there is a lift right from town to the top of Mt Baldo which has great views and hiking (though not as spectacular as from Val Gardena).
And of course Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Treviso all wonderful.
You really don't need to take a flight or long train ride from Venice to fill way more than two weeks even if you spent no time at all in Venice itself. I was there last July and it was incredibly crowded (huge difference from 8 years previous) but on the plus side the weather was delightful, not at all hot (which it can be in July as you know). But overall your chances for cooler weather will be better if you stay in this region than if you go south.
And as mentioned above, Slovenia would be a great option.
Here's my photos of the Dolomites, Bolzano, etc. - http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p484153363
And of Verona, Padua, Trieste, Cividale, etc. http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f176319487
May 19th, 2017, 07:49 AM
#29
I haven't been back to Venice in over ten years, so insane crowds or not, I do plan to stay there at least a few days.
If I were to rent a car and go to Bolzano &/or Trento, where it would it make the most sense to pick the car up? Mestre, in Trento...?
I should say that I was in Italy, including the South, last late-June. For me it was hot but bearable.
If I were to rent a car and go to Bolzano &/or Trento, where it would it make the most sense to pick the car up? Mestre, in Trento...?
I should say that I was in Italy, including the South, last late-June. For me it was hot but bearable.
May 19th, 2017, 08:12 AM
#30
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You just don't know what you are going to get. I have seen hail storms in northern Italy in July, bracketed by perfectly nice warm weather. I have experienced heat waves so sticky it might as well have been the tropics, and it was impossible to be outdoors for even 15 minutes without sweating through one's clothes. Some July heat waves are hammers that make it near impossible to be outside in midday. Other July days are abnormally cool and ruin crops. You can use historic records to see how varied it was in previous years
https://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/archivio-meteo/Trieste
I would like to point out I've experienced hammering 100F+ heat waves in July in London, Amsterdam & Paris and Berlin, not to mention everywhere in the US, including places like Oregon.
I think you need to set a baseline for what temperature you think is too high for you to continue to do the things for which you picked the destination. Presumably you don't want to go to some destinations and just end up in your hotel room because it's the only place you can find air con.
As for where to pick up a car, it's easy to do it in Trento and it is a nice place to spend a night if you want to see the sights of Trento. But another possibility is to go straight to Bolzano for a few days before you rent a car. If you want to see Trento, do it as a day trip from Bolzano by train.
https://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/archivio-meteo/Trieste
I would like to point out I've experienced hammering 100F+ heat waves in July in London, Amsterdam & Paris and Berlin, not to mention everywhere in the US, including places like Oregon.
I think you need to set a baseline for what temperature you think is too high for you to continue to do the things for which you picked the destination. Presumably you don't want to go to some destinations and just end up in your hotel room because it's the only place you can find air con.
As for where to pick up a car, it's easy to do it in Trento and it is a nice place to spend a night if you want to see the sights of Trento. But another possibility is to go straight to Bolzano for a few days before you rent a car. If you want to see Trento, do it as a day trip from Bolzano by train.
May 19th, 2017, 08:15 AM
#31
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One more note about the south of Italy: Despite the higher temps, the heat can be more bearable if it is dry heat coming from African deserts. The heat one experiences in Venice, Trieste, etc is "wet" heat. It's filled with moisture. The exception is the high mountains of the north, where the air stays dry even if the temps rise. But if you go to ports or river valleys in north Italy, the heat is humid.
May 19th, 2017, 08:51 AM
#32
I suggest you book a place for your first few days and then not try to pretend anyone has any idea about how hot it will be anywhere. Well, maybe a week or so in advance but, though you may not get your first choice of accommodations last minute, one person can always find something decent, even at busy times.
Decide where you'll go after you get there. Surprise yourself. It isn't as if this is your first visit, and not your last, and you may find yourself with a recommendation for your best ever destination from someone you chat with over morning coffee. Some of my very best days have been spent in places I'd never heard of.
Decide where you'll go after you get there. Surprise yourself. It isn't as if this is your first visit, and not your last, and you may find yourself with a recommendation for your best ever destination from someone you chat with over morning coffee. Some of my very best days have been spent in places I'd never heard of.
Jun 7th, 2017, 07:11 PM
#33
Thanks very much for all the suggestions!
<b>Update and a question:</b>
I've resigned myself to hot weather for this trip. A few years ago I went to the Czech Republic and Poland in late July in hopes of cooler weather (okay, that was stupid; I've done many stupid things and undoubtedly will do many more), and it was swelteringly hot AND humid AND very few public buildings/museums had AC.
So I have given up on trying to avoid hot hot hot. I'm going to stay my first week in Venice because I haven't been there in so long and it's Biennale. Then to the Dolomiti. Then...not sure. Plan to wrap up in Rome.
Thinking about Ferrara for three nights; is that too long?
My reasons for considering Ferrara:
- I've wanted to go there since I saw Il Giardino dei Finzi Contini
- I study Italian and probably should go someplace where people will not immediately respond to me in English when they hear my atrocious attempts at Italian.
- It's sort of "on the way" by train from Trento to Rome.
<b>Update and a question:</b>
I've resigned myself to hot weather for this trip. A few years ago I went to the Czech Republic and Poland in late July in hopes of cooler weather (okay, that was stupid; I've done many stupid things and undoubtedly will do many more), and it was swelteringly hot AND humid AND very few public buildings/museums had AC.
So I have given up on trying to avoid hot hot hot. I'm going to stay my first week in Venice because I haven't been there in so long and it's Biennale. Then to the Dolomiti. Then...not sure. Plan to wrap up in Rome.
Thinking about Ferrara for three nights; is that too long?
My reasons for considering Ferrara:
- I've wanted to go there since I saw Il Giardino dei Finzi Contini
- I study Italian and probably should go someplace where people will not immediately respond to me in English when they hear my atrocious attempts at Italian.
- It's sort of "on the way" by train from Trento to Rome.
Jun 8th, 2017, 02:33 AM
#34
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I'm not sure you will get the immersion in Italian language you're hoping for in Ferrara. Might get easier if you can find an AirBnB away from the castle, in one of the more residential parts of town, more in the direction of the Volano river. I believe that is also where you would find most of the garden district.
I know you said you are resigned to heat, but I can't help but say that Ferrara is notorious for its humidity. It has thick and beautiful fog in the winter, but in the summer that "fog" settles in as a New Orleans-style, swampy humidity. That is because Ferrara's location is at the edge of the extensive swamps in that part of Emilia-Romagna that extend to the coast. This is the Po river delta. (Like New Orleans is the Mississippi delta.) At a minimum you will need a guarantee of air conditioning, and pick up some Autan mosquito spray while you are in Venice if you like to sit outdoors in the evening.
If you find that daunting, Bologna is 20 minutes away and somewhat less humid, and its streets are covered in porticoes, which make it shady and breezy even on hot days. Fewer moskies but you still need air con.
I know you said you are resigned to heat, but I can't help but say that Ferrara is notorious for its humidity. It has thick and beautiful fog in the winter, but in the summer that "fog" settles in as a New Orleans-style, swampy humidity. That is because Ferrara's location is at the edge of the extensive swamps in that part of Emilia-Romagna that extend to the coast. This is the Po river delta. (Like New Orleans is the Mississippi delta.) At a minimum you will need a guarantee of air conditioning, and pick up some Autan mosquito spray while you are in Venice if you like to sit outdoors in the evening.
If you find that daunting, Bologna is 20 minutes away and somewhat less humid, and its streets are covered in porticoes, which make it shady and breezy even on hot days. Fewer moskies but you still need air con.
Jun 8th, 2017, 03:46 AM
#35
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Here's a guide to the places mentioned in The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which might also help you find a place to stay & shop & eat that is outside the main tourist zone where most non-Italian tourists concentrate, and thus locals running businesses there are likely to move things along in English if they are busy
http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/...i2019s-ferrara
By the way, the same intense humidity that settles into Ferrara is the reason it was able to develop flower gardens. So much of Italy is dry and the sun is so withering, showy flowers and ornamentals just burn up or die of thirst. The moist air of Ferrara (and Lucca) makes it possible for the kinds of flower gardens one more typically sees in England. If you like to bicycle, that's one way of catching a breeze in flat Ferrara even on the clammiest days when no other breeze is stirring.
http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/...i2019s-ferrara
By the way, the same intense humidity that settles into Ferrara is the reason it was able to develop flower gardens. So much of Italy is dry and the sun is so withering, showy flowers and ornamentals just burn up or die of thirst. The moist air of Ferrara (and Lucca) makes it possible for the kinds of flower gardens one more typically sees in England. If you like to bicycle, that's one way of catching a breeze in flat Ferrara even on the clammiest days when no other breeze is stirring.
Jun 8th, 2017, 04:44 AM
#36
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so this is a lovely place with air con in Ferrara, right in the area that was the imaginative setting for the garden of the Finzi-Contini. Website entirely in Italian, so maybe that's a good sign for you.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1039550...aly&s=1bDKkxBv
Cheaper places elsewhere in the city.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1039550...aly&s=1bDKkxBv
Cheaper places elsewhere in the city.
Jun 8th, 2017, 12:20 PM
#39
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There is a great book set in 16th century Ferrara by Sarah Durant (Sacred Hearts). I read it before I went there an felt it added a lot to my trip.
I was there in July and there was a really dramatic thunder storm but other than that I don't remember it being especially hot and humid. Of course anywhere in that region I'd probably want AC where I was staying.
Here's my photos of Ferrara - http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p711913581
I was there in July and there was a really dramatic thunder storm but other than that I don't remember it being especially hot and humid. Of course anywhere in that region I'd probably want AC where I was staying.
Here's my photos of Ferrara - http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p711913581
Jun 8th, 2017, 12:46 PM
#40
Dayle, I am definitely going to the Dolomiti after Venice; you and others convinced me. I love hiking so plan to spend several days doing that.
Great photos, isabel! I can see the thunderstorm coming on in the dark sky in some pictures.
Great photos, isabel! I can see the thunderstorm coming on in the dark sky in some pictures.
