I've been reading a lot about how hot it is in Venice & Athens in August. It will be our 15 yr. wedding anniversary and this is where we want to go.

We live near Houston and have summers of 100 deg. with humidity and the summers here don't bother us at all.

Anyone been in early August that can chime in on whether it is something to consider on whether to go then or not?

Hi, CIB,

we went to Garda in august about 4 years ago.

it was hot but not unbearably so.

but these places will also be very busy.

why not pick somewhere where the best time to go is August, and leave Athens and Venice to cooler and quieter times of year?

we're going to Iceland.



regards, ann

I used to live in Houston, and know what you mean. Athens will be as hot, but not quite as humid - more like San Antonio, perhaps.

As I recall, Houstonians spend very little time outdoors in summer, dashing from their air-conditioned home to their air-condtioned car to the air-conditioned office or shopping mall. In Athens you will want to see the sights, and that includes walking through the Parthenon, Plaka, etc, so you will spend more time outdoors.

I guess I should also say we are very active outdoors, even in the summer. We don't do cold well (cold to us meaning the 40's). It is hard to judge a climate based on just numbers though. The sea breeze, humidity factor, etc. also play a part.

I know this is the kind of question that is more related to personal preference, but then again, I guess most of the stuff on here is.

Thanks.

Well, if you are active outdoors in Houston during summer, you shouldn't have any problem in Athens.

I spend most of August in Greece every summer. The most important thing for me is to have a room with air conditioning. Most people have a siesta in the afternoon and stay up later at night. This is a good idea for the climate. I don't mind Athens in August. It tends to be quieter than usual as many people have gone away to the islands. There is less traffic than usual.
I would think that the same may apply to Venice (a lot of Italians also take their vacations at this time).

Heat doesn't usually bother us. We lived in NYC for 20 years, and also have visited Rome several times in July/early August. But the heat in Athens the last two Augusts actually made us feel sick.

Of course last summer's record-breaking temps and fires near the city didn't help the heat or air quality. But the summer before was bad, too. The air was quite stifling after the early morning hours.

I guess if you're used to this kind of thing, you might do OK. But if we had the choice ( we often don't due to business in Athens), we would definitely choose another time to visit Athens.

Actually, I think even if you can deal with the heat, the crowds are another factor!! Half of Europe is on vacation then, and lots of them love to go to Italy and Greece. Plus lots of Italians are also on holiday.

Athens is quieter in August than just about any other time. It is, however, very hot. A hotel with a pool would be a great bonus at that time of the year. The Greeks and Italians head for beaches, mountains etc. in August as do most of the other Europeans who travel at this time.

Our family of 4 was in Italy from August 2-21, 2007, and we had beautiful weather! We have to go in the summer months when our kids are out of school. This was our 4th trip to Italy and in the past we have gone in June or July but last summer (conflicting schedules) we couldn't go until August.

We, too, were wondering what to expect as we had read and heard people say don't go in August. We live in a suburb of Minneapolis and it gets very hot and humid here in the summertime and I can wilt very easily. Believe it or not, the weather was so nice we didn't even need to use the A/C provided in some of our accommodations.

We had a wonderful trip and wouldn't hesitate again to go in August. We flew in and out of Venice. After spending 1 night in Padova, we spent our first week in a beautiful agriturismo not too far from Verona. (www.cadelbaldo.com ) They had a/c here and we didn't even need it. This was the perfect location (we had a car) to explore the beautiful villages along Lake Garda. Verona is very nice and one day we drove up to Bolzano.

For the next week we headed to another agriturismo just outside of Assisi. Again, the weather was just picture perfect. The days were warm and it cooled off beautifully at night. There was no a/c here but we were very comfortable and we all slept very well.

From here we headed to Venice for our last 4 days and again we had perfect weather. We had a ground floor apt. here with a/c and did use it as we didn't want to open windows. This was our 3rd visit to Venice and contrary to what we had heard--Venice did not smell in August! I don't know if we just lucked out or what but on our previous trips during the months of June or July we had much hotter weather.

The only thing we experienced in August was a little more traffic on the autostrada but we were able to deal with it. We found nothing closed due to Italians on vacation.

We have never been to Greece so can't help you there but if you are tied to an August date, I wouldn't hesitate to go to Venice in August! Let me know if I can be of further help! Buon Viaggio!

Thanks everyone! We will keep our plans for August.

It looks like I will buy some sundresses and learn a little italian then. I think I'll skip on the greek lessons and just wing it there!!

Buon Giorno!

I lived in Paris for four years and travel extensively throughout the world these days, though we live in Los Angeles now.

I visited Venice first when I was 31, again when I was 45 and will visit again this summer at 48 years old. My husband, son, and our friend Dave will be in Venice from the 16th-20th August this year after returning from a cruise.

Here are my two cents for a great time in Venice in order to facilitate your packing and planning:

Take or buy mosquito repellent.

Try flowing shirts and skirts rather than jeans or tight shorts for your apparel. These will allow you to stay cooler in the day, keep the sun off your arms and legs and give you a light cover-up for visiting basilicas and for evenings when you may have mosquitos.

I always travel with two different pairs of sunglasses of different weights. I find my ears and nose get less sore when I change glasses daily and different tints on the glass are more restful on my eyes. A dehydration or glare headache can ruin an otherwise beautiful day.

Take comfortable flats...the streets are darling, but uneven in many places and your feet tend to swell more in summer. I am a firm believer in changing your shoes daily as well. Don't wear the same pair two days in a row and if you are a lady like me who adores heels, get some with wedges or cute square heels! I love sandals in summer which can take me from day to night.

Rise early if you can. Venice, Paris, Rome all are beautiful in the quiet, cool of the morning as the cities are beginning to rise and the campaniles bells are ringing.

The temperature will be very much what you are accustomed to in Houston. So, you should already know that water bottles, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are essential to a good time.

There may be times when you catch a whiff of the sea which seems a bit ripe. But no more so than any harbor in summer.

Psychologically, it is best to prepare yourself for crowds as you would anywhere in Europe in summer. It's vacation time, after all. Carry only what you need as any bags or large purses can feel heavier in the heat. Shoulder straps are great in summer. I prefer adjustable straps so that I can put my bag over my head in crowds...

Do be aware of pickpockets in large crowds and make sure your husband carries his wallet in the front breast or front pants pocket in crowds...we have had two colorful experiences with Gypsies in Italy...but neither time were they successful due to these two simple habits of purse and wallet carry.

Go out of your way to ask knowledgable locals in advance of mealtime which local restaurants are open in August; many locals take their holiday the entire month of August, and you DON'T want to be eating in the touristy places...very off-putting, overpriced and not representative of the Venetian experience I am assuming you wish to have.

Concierges, shop owners, college students for nightlife referrals, all can be great sources of restaurant referrals. I always do this in every country and have had fantastic experiences. Just say, "where would you take your family for a celebration or special night out?"

Ask if the restaurants take reservations or if you need to queue up prior to opening. One of the best places we ate in Venice the last time we were there was one that takes walk-ins promptly at 730pm. I will as I recall.

Take the vaporetto (water bus) to anywhere in Venice and just start walking and enjoying yourself. Walk everywhere...Wander streets, drink cappuccinos, maybe go to the island of Murano to see glass-blowing.

Be sure to go to Piazza San Marco and feed the pigeons there. It is delightfully picturesque and entertaining to feed or watch others feed the pidgeons. My son was 13 when we took him to Venice the first time and he fondly remembers those days. He is 16 now and is really looking forward to going back. There are A LOT of pidgeons in front of the basilica.

Be sure to go up to the top of the basilica on Piazza San Marco for the best possible view!! Don't miss the museum upstairs either.

Tour the Doge palace, (called the Palazzo Ducale 9-7pm).

Drink at least one glass of wine at the Quadri ristorante on the Piazza San Marco and just breath it all in...the people, the music, the history, the beauty...each other!

Have cocktails at the Hotel Danieli lobby. Yes, it will be $25 for a glass of champagne. And yes, I think it is worth it.

Have cocktails on the terraza of the Gritti palace too, looking across the Grand Canal at the palazzos and watching the gondoliers pole past!

Buy jewelry at Bravin at number 119 on Piazza San Marco. This was my splurge and I love what I bought there...Venetian mosaic in 18k gold.

There is an accademia to see here too...but we loved walking here so much that we never got to it!

We had good dinners in Venice at Taverna San Trovaso (simple and very cheap. It opens at 7pm and be there at 7pm because there will be a line of people waiting. It is hugely popular with locals and tourists alike. In fact, try to book a reservation in advance. We were there at 7pm as they opened the doors, it was March and there were probably 25 people in front of us. Some with reservations and some without). This is a family place and much loved by locals.

We also ate at Antico Pignolo one night. It was really great, fancy and expensive. IMHO If you decide to splurge on one truly great meal, this is the place to do it.

While visiting Venice, it is not the time to think frugally. Be sure your hotel has A/C and stop often to get a drink or enjoy the worlds best gelato and watch the people enjoying themselves.

Note: I found that in Piazza San Marco the cost of a cappucino was more than a pichet (small carafe) of wine, which gave me the better part of almost two glasses of wine. I felt this was far better value and went for the wine!

Venice is costly. If you want to save on lunch to have a fantastic dinner, don't hesitate to have a pizza or a Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, lovely and refreshing in summer.

Splurge and take a gondola ride and expect to pay 100e. for the privilege. DON”T take the gondola from Piazza San Marco but do take it from either Ponte Rialto or from any canal. Note: if you go closer to sunset it is possible to negotiate a slightly better price just as the gondoliers who are getting off work are taking their last ride of the day.

Evening walks will be a joy after dinner. Stroll the canals and drink it all in. It is more beautiful than I had imagined it would be.

I have now spent a bit over a month in Italy on two separate trips and both times I extended my time in Venice. It's worth every penny and I cherish every memory.

Hope this has helped! Have a wonderful anniversary!

Venice and Greece will not be any hotter than Texas.

The factor you're missing ins AC.

In Texas everything has AC. In Venice and Greece many places - including hotels, shops and restaurants will not have AC.

So - can you stand being out in high 90s and humid all day with no AC? And you need to be sure you pick a hotel that has full American style AC - versus european style air cooling - which lowers the temp about 10 degrees in my experience.

Venice has stopped the vendors from selling bird feed for the pigeons. I think the law has gone into effect. The City of Venice does not want the pigeons fed..but imagine visitors are still doing so anyway.

CIB, wearing sundresses is a good choice, at least in my opinion. I always find dresses or skirts so much more comfortable in hot and humid weather.

Wishing you a wonderful trip and a beautiful Happy 15th Wedding Anniversary!

Athens in August is wondeful.
It does get very hot.
My husband and I often travel to Greece in August and love it.

I would recommend staying at a hotel near the sights, this will give you the opportunity to stop in and take a quick shower in the late afternoon and then go back out again when it has cooled off for a nice walk in Plaka and for some souvenir shopping in Monastiraki.

I would highly recomend carrying bottles of water with you when you visit the ourdoor sights cause it does get hot. Cold bottled water is so cheap and as long as you keep yourself well hydrated you won't have any problems.

I would agree that if you like to be active outdoors when it's 100 degrees and humid in Houston, then you shouldn't have a problem pretty much anywhere in the world. Of course most people who live in those types of climates (like we did in Texas for 20 years) aren't active outdoors in those conditions, but if it doesn't bother you, go for it.

Thanks citallb4idie and LoveItaly for the well wishes on our anniversary.

Citallb4idie - thank you for the very detailed and helpful information you gave. It is the little details like that which make life easier on vacation.

By the numbers...

The average temperature in Venice in August is not nearly what one would call hot (or what I would call hot):

August 80.6° F 63.1° F 3.30 in

In contrast, the temps in Minneapolis in August are just as hot as Venice:
August 80.0° F 61.0° F 4.05 in

but more humid I think.

The average in Athens, Greece is warmer, but still not hot, considering the low humidity:

August 90.1° F 72.1° F 0.20 in

The average in Houston is:
August 93.0° F 75.0° F 4.54 in

So, on average, Houston has temps similar to Athens in August, warmer by a couple of degrees, but Houston is far more humid.

Now, the question is what happens if you happen to be there during a heatwave? Well, it's just as probable that you might be there during a cool spell as well. You can't predict the weather, but the averages tell you what you might expect.

Bottom line: It will most likely be cooler in Venice and possibly cooler in Athens than Houston. Go for it!