What would Milan/Lake Como be like in July?
 

Have London wedding in July, 2015. Am thinking of a week in Milan and the Lakes, as I finally have a good chuck of Marriott points to use for 5 days in Milan. Would stay 2 nights in Lake Como as well. But, to make the trip work, I'd need to go in mid-July, with probably Lake Como on a Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday. I'm wondering if this is madness because of the crowds and/or the heat?

Milan can be very hot in July. The lake will be slightly cooler, but still hot. At Lake Como, you will spend a considerable time on boats (water taxis). It will be hight season, but not overcrowded. I assume that the Marriotts will be air-conditioned, so it will be bearable.

It is July right now and here is the weather in Milan

http://www.ilmeteo.it/meteo/Milano

It is also the weekend, and here is a live webcam for the busiest part of Lago di Como

http://www.albergometropole.it/lake-como-webcam.php

Could be different next year. Could be different next weekend. Nobody knows, but generally Lago di Como is more crowded and warmer in July than other months. Staying in a hotel away from the crowds with air con is one solution, but if the only experience you want of Lago di Como is serenity and mild temps, then skip it this time until you can make a mid-week trip in spring or fall.

<i><font color=#555555>"if the only experience you want of Lago di Como is serenity and mild temps, then skip it this time until you can make a mid-week trip in spring or fall."</font></i>

Dear, considering you never hesitate to remind people that you "live" in Italy, you sure don't know much about some of its well-known destinations. I'm beginning to think you make a lot of stuff up just to have something to do.

July is Lake Como's "hot" month for sure, but that all depends on weather patterns. Lake Como weather, especially around mid-lake, is very difficult to predict because it's a large body of water surrounded by mountains and it's proximity is close to the Swiss Alps. The abrupt weather changes I have experienced have always come from the north. Sometimes, you can experience 90&deg; weather/high humidity for an entire week, but there's almost always a breeze. Sometimes, you can get absolutely gorgeous, dry, 72&deg;, sunny days, with a slight chill in the air. Sometimes, it's 80&deg; and raining, but the cloud cover on a rainy day in Lake Como can be mesmerizing. Rain storms are often like Florida, they blow in and quickly disappear.

July is Lake Como's most popular month with weddings. It's just a statistical fact. Expect to see quite a few bridal parties running around being photographed.

I live in New York City, so my impression of the word "crowd" is skewed. We're not Bangladesh, but my downtown office near Union Square is often wall-to-wall people at lunch, but you can still find a seat on a park bench. The Farmer's Market is always packed in the summer, but I never have to stand in a long line at any vendor and wait for service.

I have NEVER had difficulty finding serenity on Lake Como in July. But I'm not a fool, so I don't go looking for serenity near the ferry boat docks of Bellagio. Bellagio tends to be Lake Como's busiest port, so if Bellagio is experiencing a crowded day, you're going to feel the crowds mostly at the docks. You can take a just a short walk to Villa Melzi and suddenly find yourself alone in paradise, yes, on a Saturday in July. Been there, done that.

Whenever people talk about crowds on a travel board, they talk from their own perspective. If you live life on a street that sees no people, you're probably going to find Bellagio busy in July. From my perspective, one of the most quiet places to be in the summer is on Lake Como.

If you do go, you will regret staying only two days. But I don't think your Marriott points will do you much good on the lake.

NYCFoodSnob,

You are insane.

I have been to mid-lake Como several times in mid-summer and enjoyed it. Bellagio seemed to be more "crowded" that either Varenna or Menaggio. I would definitely advise staying in a hotel which is air conditioned as it can be quite HUMID which, as much as anything, is what can make you uncomfortable.

Whether or not you spend much, if any considerable amount of time on boats obviously depends on whether or not you wissh to travel around to the various sites/towns. Once you get out on the water of the lake it can seem cooler.

JoeTro,

I doubt you have the reading difficulties that NYCFoodSnob does, but just in case you missed it in my post, I never said it was hot in July in Milan. I said it was totally unpredictable. I gave you the links to the weather site and the webcam precisely to show you that today it is fairly cool on the lake due to the cloud cover, and you can see from the webcam that it is not very crowded in Bellagio, which is typically the most crowded part of the lake. That all could change tomorrow or next year.

In a recent thread, I provided a traveler with some details abut Milan which caused her to assume I lived in Milan, so I corrected her misimpression and explained I live elsewhere in Italy. I actually do, and NYCFoodSnob doesn't, and she has less interest in being helpful to you in this thread than in stalking me and just generally making an ass of herself on message boards.

As I said, if you book a hotel away from the crowds with air con, a 2 day stay can work well even in July. Nice as the lake is, most Italians do it as a daytrip for lunch and no reason to regret a brief stay there.

I didn't misread you to say you were looking for a Marriott on Lago di Como and I doubt anyone else will either.

Have an enjoyable trip whatever you decide to do.

Since anybody who has actually been to Lago di Como and looked beyond their own nose knows there are no Marriotts there I think that isn't any issue.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say "unpredictable" or not: Milan in July it is going to be hot and humid.

Milan will be uber hot but probably NOT uber crowded since it is primarily a business city. Yes, there are things to see and do - but the heart of the city is business - especially fashion.

Lake Como will be as hot as it gets (which can be quite hot) and MOBBED with people looking for cooler weather inside Italy.

We have done Lago Maggiore - but at the very beginning of June - and it was warm but pleasant and while crowded not yet elbow to elbow. I would not do it in July/August - then we do Switz, Scandinavia or Ireland/Scotland - but then we both hate really hot weather.

In summer, in northern Italy and the Swiss Ticino region (also the alps), some amazing thunderstorms can pop up, usually late afternoon into the evening. Not so great if you happen to be out on the water or hiking at the time, but pretty spectacular to watch from a safe place.

Of course, the weather at any given week can't predicted, esp a year in advance. It could be mild as milk, boiling hot (think back to the summer of 2003) or wildly stormy.

<i><font color=#555555>"You are insane."</font></i>

I really do take that as a compliment. LOL.

I guess I got Sandra D-List all up in a tizzy. Reading difficulties? I read you loud and clear, sweetie.

<i><font color=#555555>"she has less interest in being helpful to you in this thread than in stalking me and just generally making an ass of herself on message boards."</font></i>

LOL. Sweetie, you're on a roll. Don't stop. Better yet, "Don't speak!"

No one on this board knows more about Lake Como in the summer than I do. I'll let the OP decide whether he/she thinks the information and actual experience I provide is helpful.

But by all means, ramble on, dear.

Correction: Flygirl is very knowledgeable, too. But I think I learned first. :-)