Italy in summer--avoiding heat, crowds...
 

We have a dilemma--can anyone suggest some places to go in Italy for two weeks in mid- to late-August where we can avoid the heat and the worst crowds? Probably impossible, but it's the only time we can go and have our two young-adult daughters join us. We love Italy--the cities, the small towns, the museums, the food, the people, the art, the history--but prefer it in the off-season, as we don't tolerate crowds well and I tolerate heat even less. I'm not that familiar with the lake district and the north, and wonder if there are areas there or along any of the coastal areas where it would be more comfortable. (Our girls were there when they were younger, and will get their again on their own, so we're not worried about making the grand tour--just experiencing some smaller cities and towns and not subjecting them to my complaining about the heat!)Thanks for any advice.

August is when the Italians take their summer vacation, so I think the beaches are very crowded. Maybe somewhere in the mountains will be cooler?

The Dolomites, Alto Adige, Trentino, the lakes.

Sure there will be some crowds, but not as bad as in Rome or "the other big two".

Best wishes,

Rex

...and I guess I should clarify, as I realize August is vacation month for many Italians...Italian crowds are OK, it's the American tourist crowds I like to avoid (and I know I'm one of them!)

OK, then the beach is back on!

I also vote for somewhere on the mountains.
It is actually not true that in Rome or in the other big cities there are crowds during the month of August. On the contrary! they are empty (swarms of locals transmigrate to the seaside resorts) and mainly foreign tourists are left to discover the cities. Thus it is an occasion to see another side of a large city: empty streets, lots of parking places, and abated noises, other than the monuments and museums. True is that the heat is the main thing that puts you off especially in Milan, Florence and Rome, that's why the best solution would be going to the mountain or to the lake. I think that Lake Garda is the crowded one among the Italian lakes, so Lake Maggiore or Como would be preferable. But I also suggest to go a bit southwards, towards Lake Bracciano, lake Vico, Lake Bolsena. The hills and the countryside are a good alternative. There are plenty of agritourist hotels in Tuscany, Umbria, and upper Lazio, so check them out! No large crowds, the country hotels have refreshing swimming-pools, and there are plenty of possibilities to visit the beautiful tuscan or umbrian countryside.

elizhd, what about some of the smaller Italian cities or towns. I had just been to Bologna and this might be an erroneous impression, but I don't think they get too many vacationers. They may get a lot of business people, but when you're talking crowds, you mean other vacationing tourists, right? To give you an impression of how un-touristy Bologna is, when we flew into BLQ on BA, all the people on the plane were Italians. On the streets of Bologna, I found that some people spoke English but not all--I would say that more people spoke English in Florence and Rome, the more well-frequented destinations.

Hope this helps.

Lil

These are all really helpful suggestions. And yes, it is the HEAT that gets to me even more than the crowds. (I've looked at climate charts in travel books, and from those, ALL of Italy looks hot in August! so I appreciate the recommendations about specific areas) We do like the experience of small towns and less-visited cities and the countryside. We have distant relatives in a village near Campobasso who we've visited several times, and our original thought was to stay somewhere in the Molise area for a week, but we're thinking it would be too hot. Am I correct on this? The mountain lakes suggested sound great, too, and I appreciate the suggestions of some less-"popular" lakes to check out. I'll do some research on all of this, and appreciate the advice. Thanks.

elizhd--why do you want to avoid just American tourist crowds? How about Japanese, British, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Irish, Swedish, etc. tourist crowds.

I thought I might get flak for specifying American. (I've only posted to this board once before, but I 've seen the wrong wording can elicit that). The answer, though, is that although I dislike being in any crowd (a bit of clautrophobia and lack of patience at waiting), if I want to be in crowds of American tourists I can do that here in California. When I'm traveling, being exposed to different cultures and people--whether those of the county I'm in, or visitors from other countries--is part of the experience for me. Americans I can get to know at home!
Again, I thank the other posters for the info they've given me--I'm researching your suggestions today, and am open to any others.

May I put in aplug for the Abruzzo and Marches regions? The Gran Sasso and Mielle mountain area, the Abruzzo National Park have much to offer in scenic beauty and will not be crowded.

Then you can explore the wonders of the towns of Scanno and Sulmona in the hills and valleys. Continue west to the coast and work your way down from Ancona via Monte Conero and Grottamare to Pineto and Lanciano. You could even check out the Gargano Peninsula (the amazingly beautiful Vieste)if you enjoy seeing how Italian families vacation in style!

This area is vastly under-rated and offers antiquity, glorious food and natural beauty. You will not run into hordes of tourists from ANY nation and you will meet villagers and townspeople alike who want to try out their English.

Everywhere you go will be hot - it is unavoidable. Also, unlike other areas in the U.S. (say California), we found it did not cool down that much at night, esp in souther Italy (Naples, Salerno, etc). All the crowds are at the beaches, which are packed. If you can find a nice hotel in, say Viareggio or the Il Terrennia areas in Tuscany, or go further up the coast to Liguria region you can take trains into the interior to visit cities you would like to see. I recommend the Tuscan beach towns because more centrally located and accessible to Pisa, Florence, and other places around the area. Alternatively, you might consider a day or two on the lovely island of Elba. It is not too terribly crowded and easy to access off the Tuscan coast. That might be a different place to stay that is both charming and cool!