VirtualCher

Can y'all weigh in on how hot/uncomfortable it is in Tuscany and Venice in mid-July? I live in Georgia and don't mind the heat that much, but my traveling companions DO! Thanks for your opinions!

Statia

We were in Florence and Venice in July, 2003 and although it was warm, we didn't find it unbearable. Of course, we live in the tropcis, but we are also somewhat used to humidity having lived in Houston for many years prior.

So, in our opinion, it wasn't as hot as south Texas in the summer and there are always alleys, calles, campos, piazzas, etc. that you can find plenty of shade in when walking or sitting.

RufusTFirefly

Even if you're from a hot climate, it's one thing to be going from A/C house to A/C car to A/C office and vice versa, while it's entirely another thing to be out in the heat and humidity trying to sightsee.

Italy can be very hot and humid in the summer. Florence is a real hot spot--100 F. temperatures are not uncommon in July and August and the way it is positioned in the river valley gives it higher humidity than most of Tuscany.

But we've been to Italy in the summer and managed to survive, and I do not manage heat and humidity at all well.

Here's some things that helped us:

1. Accomodations with good A/C. Nothing worse than being out in the heat during the day and then being unable to sleep in a stuffy, hot hotel room all night. And good for a siesta during the hottest part of the day.

2. Do outdoor things early and late. Indoor sightseeing during the heat of the day.

3. Wear lightweight clothing and a hat--not a cap, a hat. Even shorts as long as your not going to a cathedral or a fancy restaurant--you are on vacation, not headed for an A/C office.

4. The good old "drink plenty of fluids," and not of the alcoholic kind.

5. Move slowly.

6. At the first signs that the heat is getting to you, head back to your A/C hotel, or find some other shaded or A/C spot for a bit of a sitdown. Don't try to tough it out and turn a sightseeing day into a death march.

7. Avoid the crowds--it's one thing to be hot and sticky, and another to be shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of other hot and sticky people. See the most popular sights before daytrippers arrive and after they leaave.

Living in Georgia, you're probably familiar with such strategies already, but it might ease the minds of your traveling companions.

francophile03

It can become pretty hot even in May so July it's worse.

Intrepid1

As others have indicated, it will be hot and humid and IMO A/C in accommodations is a must just as heat in those same accommodations is a must, rather than a "nice to have."

Open the windows in some places at night in italy and get ready for two things; HUMID air and mosquitoes!

suze

I have been to Venice twice, both times in August, and it was HOT, very hot!

nevertooold

We are contemplating being in the Arezzo area in mid-July at Villa I Bossi, and were advised that this hotel without air conditioning would be fine as the nights remain "comfortable"

Are we deceiving ourselves, or can someone confirm that air-conditioning is not necessary in this particular area.

We do have alternatives, but this hotel sounds quite nice.

Please help with any comments.

livvie

We were in Italy from 7/6/05 to 7/21/05 and depending on where we were the conditions varied.

In Sorrento and Sicily the weather was hot but you had great breezes and were able to swim in the afternoons. The day trip to Pompeii would have been miserable if we had not brought water bottles with us. But the trip to Capri was wonderful.

In Rome at the end of the trip there were no breezes and we had to find inside activities in the afternoons because it would become unbearable. I live in South Carolina and thought we would be able to handle the heat; but we needed the AC in the hotels.

I would go again in July and probably will in '07. Just be prepared and plan accordingly. I would also strongly suggest booking hotels with AC.

travel52

We were in Italy June-July 2003 during the heat wave. It was very hot. The coliseum in Rome was deadly. I carried a little battery operated fan that sprayed water, and I probably could have sold it for a lot of money ! We went from the very southern tip of Italy to as far North as Florence. We hit record breaking temperatures everywhere. That said, if July was the only time I could go, I would still go. We are going again in May 2006. We'll see what May brings !

RufusTFirefly

Arezzo averages a bit hotter than Venice during the day--low to mid-80s F. But it's cooler at night, averages in the mid-50s. But you never know if you'll actually encounter the average.

nevertooold

Rufus - thank you for your quick response.

"50's" does sound more than acceptable.

One last question - our other choice is Villa Scacciepensierri (still not certain of the spelling) just outside Sienna. Either location would be acceptable as we have a car, except that this property is air-conditioned.
Do you have any comments or recommendations?

TarheelsInNj

We were in Florence in June, and it was very hot. One thing to keep in mind is that the hottest part of the day is later than it is in the US. As a fair-skinned person, I always run away from the sun at noon, but there, 2:00-4:00 is hot hot hot! Just something to think about...that becomes an excellent time to stop for lunch!

Weadles

Definitely book places with air conditioning. You need it to keep out heat and the bugs ( there's a lot in Tuscany- don't mean to scare you!) in case the windows aren't screened!

ira

Hi nevertooold,
>We are contemplating being in the Arezzo area in mid-July at Villa I Bossi, and were advised that this hotel without air conditioning would be fine as the nights remain "comfortable"<

Will your trip be ruined if your room doesn't cool down to about 75F until after 1:00 AM?

Does the room have a fan?

wtggirl

Virtualcher, I really think that the comfort level is totally going depend on each person's tolerance of heat. You can follow many suggestions here, but it's going to boil down (no pun intended) to the fact that some in your party will be more uncomfortable than others. It sounds like you will be fine! I am a GA girl too, and I actually survived two pregancies in Charleston SC heat with my kids being born labor day weekend both times and LOVED it! I am sick with cold at temps below 50F- very cold natured. I don't think your friends will be as happy in Italy in July, though!

flanneruk

Why are you going to Italy?

If you're working in an office all day, then commuting back to an a/c flat or hotel, fine (well, OK-ish). But few people do that in Florence or Venice.

You can't seriously avoid the crowds, the public squares and churches aren't a/c'd at all, and a/c in museums rarely makes things much better when they're full of people.

If you, or one of your party, is sensitive to heat, simply say No to most of inland Italy or Venice in July and August. It's awful (though Rome looks nice when it's traffic-free, since the Romans all have the sense to get out in August).

With 10 other months in the year, what on earth is the point of going there when it's unbearable? Even last week, when its slopey streets were solid ice, San Gimignano was infinitely more pleasant than in mid-summer.

Personally, I find even the inland lakes grisly in midsummer. Anywhere other than the seaside or the top of an Alp (or at a pinch, the top of one or two Appennines) is to be avoided at all costs till September.

nevertooold

Ira - I have never been to Italy in the middle of Summer - does a fan make that much difference? I think that you are suggesting that I should just "bite the bullet", and go with the air conditioning.

By the way, the air-conditioned Siena hotel, although it does cost somewhat more, appears quite lovely as well, so it's quite an acceptable alternative.

Ira, as a person who fell in love with Il Ritrovo last May as a result of your suggestion, can you give a brief list of suggested restaurants, in the similar vein of I.R.(not too expensive, but having a "European" ambience) for any, or all of the following:

Paris, Rome, Cannes area, Siena-San Gimignano area, Venice, and Rapallo-Santa Margherita area.

Please try to respond as my wife is convinced that you are the last word on all matters Italian and French!

wren

We have friends who visited Rome at the end of July last summer and reported temps of 103! My hairdresser, who is Italian, never goes home in the summer b/c beause she says very few things are air conditioned there. She said it isn't like you can always just duck into a shop to get cool air.

We want to visit Italy again also, but are waiting until we are able to go in the fall or spring (I am a school librarian and my son is still in high school)

Zeus

I HATE hot weather and really dreaded the thought of going to Italy last July. I was uncomfortable most of the time but thanks to bottled water, cold beers and lots of gelato, I survived. Don't count on A/C giving you any relief. Most of the hotels I stayed at claimed to have air conditioning, but they didn't work nearly as well as ours in the States. Yes I was miserable, but months later I tend to forget how stinky and sweaty I felt and am ready for next July's trip to Italy AND Greece.

VirtualCher

Based upon all of y'all's comments and some other research, we're going to keep our trip scheduled for early June. (We were thinking of moving it to try for upgraded seats with Delta. But on second thought, we're sticking with our plans to hit Venice and Tuscany earlier in the summer!)

WTGIRL, you're right: Being a Southerner I'll be fine, but my best friend is from Chicago and hates the heat!

TarhellsinNJ -- thanks for the tip on the fair skin -- I'm a late luncher anyway, and that sounds like the perfect time to sit in the shade and people watch!

Weadles -- my last trip to Europe was to Provence where the bugs seemed the size of chihuahuas! Being a girly girl, it was the only thing I didn't like about the South of France (shudder from the memory). We're definitely in hotels with AC and closed windows!

Thanks again everyone!