Urgent - would you go to Italy Aug/sep?
 

I was just about to book a trip to Venice for end of August into September (31 Aug would be our arrival date there) and am wondering whether it will be TOO hot and sticky?

I know it's hot and we'll want AC but I;m trying to assess (really FAST) whether it's bad enough to change dates.

These dates would encompass our wedding anniversary, hence the choice but it's my birthday later in the month so we could go for that instead...

Would a week or two make much difference?

There is no guarantee that you won't get a heat wave two weeks later, but you will certainly get fewer crowds once you get past summer vacations.

I would pick the later dates, and hope for the best weather wise.

Thanks ND,
I guess I'm wondering how much of a difference there will be in heat and crowds and whether either will be enough to make it worth missing the actual anniversary...?
Only I can decide really!!!

Hi, Kavey. Your b-day must be near mine--is yours the 24th, by any chance? :-)

I second the vote to go later, mainly for the decrease in crowds.

We're going in August, but we have no choice of time. If I had a choice, I'd go later; almost every guidebook says avoid Italy in August if you can.

Mine is 30th! :D

But I just booked the seats and did indeed delay dates by a fortnight -
I decided reduced hotel prices and crowds were worth the delay even if heat wouldn't drop much!

Thanks for the input everyone!!!

Kavey! Good for you! Did you by any chance get any decent airfares? I've got to book my trip soon, too. Thanks.

Kavey, my sister's b-day is the 30th!! :-D She's a couple of years youger, but of course, I LOOK younger!! heehee....

Here's to the Libras!! ((D))

Enjoy your trip. :-)

Libras rule!
My sister has the same birthday too (different year) so it's quite the important date in my family!

We booked with airmiles - 900 airmiles per person plus taxes (I think £50 per person) for return from Gatwick to Marco Polo.

Thanks, Kavey. Have a great trip.

Kavey, we should compare notes when we get back. Our 10 year anniversary is Sept 1 and my birthday is Sept 15. We decided to brave the heat and crowds to be on a special trip for our anniversary. We arrive in Venice on Aug 25. Somehow I think you will come out ahead.

I dunno, it's a <insert your rude word of choice here> trying to find hotels with availability and affordable prices!

OH MY GOD!

Let alone worrying about location, room size, airconditioning!

I've contacted LOADS with price/ availability requests so will wait and see.

The place we stayed last time is just too expensive...

I have been to Italy many times in August and July. Yes it is hot. But I just enjoy the fountains, the gelato and passagiate. Italy is beautiful year round in my opinion.

I've also been in late november and been freezing, especially in the veneto region

Personally I'll take the heat over cold any day.

Gutted!
I wrote to the owner of an apartment I loved the look of, recommended here on Fodors, and it's booked for our dates though available on the dates on either side!
Not only that but the owner sounds so NICE!
Goshdarnit!!!!!

I've been only to Venice, but twice, both times in August as it happened. I loved it. Sure it was hot and sticky... I just think of Venice as being that way! Didn't spoil our trip one bit.

Kavey:

What is your hotel budget?

I've been to Venice in May and in late July. You did the right thing! Not only was July really really hot, 98 degrees one day, but all the locals had fled the city and it lost a lot of its charm. The glass factories on Murano all shut down during August and the canal at night was so dark because everyone was gone. You will enjoy it much more in September.

NessunDorma
Well... ideally, 130-150 Euros a night!

BUT for that I'm wanting either a hotel room that's of a good size, elegantly decorated, in a good location... blah blah blah OR a small apartment, studio would be fine, again, well furnished and located.

Oddly, I am finding options on Veniceby.com that look good and am finding their own sites and emailing for availability, prices and further information but nothing good yet.

We CAN go higher if need be but obviously, would rather not...

I cannot for the life of me see why some properties are 1* and others are 3* when both look of similar standard! But then that's always been a mystery to me in both Italy and France!

PS Thanks Suze and Kellie for the reassurance!

Kavey,

Glad to hear you are finding options. Double check what you see on Veniceby against reviews on venere and tripadvisor, and you should be able to zero in on a winner.

Slow Travel also lists a lot of rentals in Venice. Just make sure you get air conditioning wherever you book.

The star system in Italy often takes account of whether or not a hotel has elevator or a restaurant. Or private baths or a lobby (many 1star don't have either).

I've stayed in some lovely 2stars and some mediocre 3stars, so it's best to get reviews.

PS: I don't think there are any bad locations in Venice proper, unless you have the misfortune of a particularly smelly canal out your window or a restaurant underneath your window that kicks up smoke or something. But that is seldom the case. One of my fave neighborhoods in Venezia is the Arsenale, just because it is so very quiet.

One of my least favorite is directly on the Grand Canal.

But anywhere is walkable.

Hello Kavey, the hotel star system in Italy is predicated upon the services offered and has nothing to do with the decor of a hotel room etc. I learned this from a friend in Italy who was a manager of a hotel in the region of Veneto for several years.

He also said that the higher the star a hotel has the higher the percentage of tax the hotel pays the government so some hotels do not wish to provide services that would give them say a 3 star versus a 2 star and so forth.

LoveItaly, I've heard the same thing so I'm not so concerned about star rating... but I do want some kind of independent review of the hotel - something by which to judge it other than it's own website or it's listing on veniceby.com...

NessunDorma, whilst I agree there are no really bad locations, there are some that are just a little too far out towards the edges for my tastes... as I have arthritis I'm not up to walking lots and lots and lots everyday so would prefer if hotel is in a reasonably central location... not near St Mark's as much as near a vaporetto stop and so forth...

Yes, Kavey, you are right. I was in Venice once with a bum knee that has since gotten completely better, but minimizing climbing stairs and over bridges became a priority.

Yeah I bet!!!

I'm definitely finding a few places that are looking like contendors and are at or below 150 a night.

Some of the apartments look great but it's so hard to know as reviews aren't available for most of them...

Some have their own website but others don't.

Has anyone booked through venere.com or veniceby.com?

I've used Venere several times, never for Venice, but for Rome, Milano and other places. No problems whatsoever and really liked their search capabilities and ways to narrow down the search, depending upon location, size, etc.

I narrowed it down to about 50 yesterday and contacted most for availability and prices.

Having heard back from nearly all of them now, several are full, many are too expensive, others have been ruled out for various reasons and DH has declared that he's not really keen on an apartment after all.

I have written back to every place we're not booking with to let them know - I don't want them to hold a room off for me because I am too rude to write back.

I have narrowed it down to two and am dithering like only a Kavey-planning-a-trip can dither.

My DH loves apartments. He likes the space. He wakes up early, so he goes out into the living room and reads or watches TV while I slumber on. We don't do a lot of cooking in an apartment, just breakfast (light for me, more for him) and snacks, but he gets his coffee first thing in the morning.

My main reason to suggest an apartment is the living room space and additional luggage space. It would be nice to have space for our luggage away from the main bedroom and to be able to easily find power outlets to recharge camera gear, tables to leave guide books and maps on and so on.
Having a kitchenette would just be for drinks/ snacks.
We did enjoy it a lot in Bordeaux in 2004 but we stayed for 2 weeks back then. He doesn't feel it's worthwhile for 5 nights only.