When do Italians take their August holiday?
May 16th, 2012, 12:34 PM
#1
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When do Italians take their August holiday?
I'll be travelling in Italy for most of the month of August and I was just remembering reading this on another thread:
"One year we were in Tuscany at the end of August. We were watching television. There was a solid line of bumper to bumper traffic from Salerno to Rome. Everyone was going home from their month vacation. "
Are there set days that Italians, for the most part, start and end their vacation? I don't know if it's a four week Saturday to Saturday thing, or is it August 1-August 31st? I'm sure some people will vary their vacation days, but it does seem like there's one day that is worse than others.
Our rentals are Saturday to Saturday and we depart on a Saturday, so I'm guessing the day everyone returns from their vacation will affect us one way or another. I'm just wondering which day it'll be. On Saturday, August 25th, we depart from FCO in Rome at 12:55 p.m, so perhaps we will leave for the airport early enough to avoid the worst of the traffic.
Thanks in advance!
"One year we were in Tuscany at the end of August. We were watching television. There was a solid line of bumper to bumper traffic from Salerno to Rome. Everyone was going home from their month vacation. "
Are there set days that Italians, for the most part, start and end their vacation? I don't know if it's a four week Saturday to Saturday thing, or is it August 1-August 31st? I'm sure some people will vary their vacation days, but it does seem like there's one day that is worse than others.
Our rentals are Saturday to Saturday and we depart on a Saturday, so I'm guessing the day everyone returns from their vacation will affect us one way or another. I'm just wondering which day it'll be. On Saturday, August 25th, we depart from FCO in Rome at 12:55 p.m, so perhaps we will leave for the airport early enough to avoid the worst of the traffic.
Thanks in advance!
May 16th, 2012, 12:45 PM
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The answer to your topic question is: the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar.
One solution is to leave way early; another is to drive to Naples and take the train to Rome and transfer to the train to Fiumicino; a third is to stay in Rome the night before and not risk it considering that Salerno to Rome is a 2:45 drive and you need to be at Fiumicino at around 10 am.
One solution is to leave way early; another is to drive to Naples and take the train to Rome and transfer to the train to Fiumicino; a third is to stay in Rome the night before and not risk it considering that Salerno to Rome is a 2:45 drive and you need to be at Fiumicino at around 10 am.
May 16th, 2012, 12:53 PM
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I'm so sorry Big Russ, I cut and pasted a quote out without giving enough explanation. We will be in Rome for the entire week leading up to the 25th, so we will only have to get from within the city to the airport. The person I was quoting just remembered watching traffic on TV that happened to be coming from Salerno.
And I DO see the humor in the topic of my question.
Should have worded it differently.
Isn't there a term for the weekend they all return to their cities? I feel like I heard that mentioned on the Europe board, but I don't remember if it was a french term or an italian one.
And I DO see the humor in the topic of my question.
Should have worded it differently. Isn't there a term for the weekend they all return to their cities? I feel like I heard that mentioned on the Europe board, but I don't remember if it was a french term or an italian one.
May 16th, 2012, 12:56 PM
#6
Your flight out of Rome is the same day your rental ends? In Salerno?? Google estimates the drive from Salerno to FCO at 3-4 hours, and I'd say the longer estimate is more accurate for a Saturday in August.
IMO, there are too many opportunities for delays. I'd stay at the airport (or in Rome without the car) the last night. But I'm an admitted Nervous Nelly. You may feel lucky.
IMO, there are too many opportunities for delays. I'd stay at the airport (or in Rome without the car) the last night. But I'm an admitted Nervous Nelly. You may feel lucky.
May 16th, 2012, 12:58 PM
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hey cboris,
hehe i when i saw your thread title i was worried that people would come back with the obvious response but glad they haven't too much. I totally get what you mean, although unfortunately cant shed any light on the answer
hope others can help....
hehe i when i saw your thread title i was worried that people would come back with the obvious response but glad they haven't too much. I totally get what you mean, although unfortunately cant shed any light on the answer
hope others can help....
May 16th, 2012, 02:28 PM
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StCirq, that's exactly what I was thinking of! My topic could have been, "does the Italian version of la rentree occur gradually or all on one day and what day would that be this year?"
Jean, again I'm sorry for the confusing nature of my first post. I was quoting someone who had watched the Italian version of la rentree on tv, and what she watched happened to show traffic from Salerno to Rome. While I did consider visiting the Amalfi coast or thereabouts, it was never going to be right before our flight out of Rome. We were always spending our final week in Italy in Rome, and always flying out of Rome.
Thanks again.
Jean, again I'm sorry for the confusing nature of my first post. I was quoting someone who had watched the Italian version of la rentree on tv, and what she watched happened to show traffic from Salerno to Rome. While I did consider visiting the Amalfi coast or thereabouts, it was never going to be right before our flight out of Rome. We were always spending our final week in Italy in Rome, and always flying out of Rome.
Thanks again.
May 18th, 2012, 12:52 AM
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These may give an idea of just how busy the main tourist areas here in Campania get during August - try the notes underneath if not self-explanatory!
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/130860386
On our little island, while hotels tend to work in weeks, the many many apartments and villas are mostly rented in whole months - with some families coming for July as well - at the end of which they then leave in scenes like these:
1st September...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/102489851
31st August...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/137681822
Second-guessing their departures isn't easy... for some it depends when the weekend falls that year, on when work starts again, however the weather - and attempts to avoid the traffic - also play their part!
Peter
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/130860386
On our little island, while hotels tend to work in weeks, the many many apartments and villas are mostly rented in whole months - with some families coming for July as well - at the end of which they then leave in scenes like these:
1st September...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/102489851
31st August...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/137681822
Second-guessing their departures isn't easy... for some it depends when the weekend falls that year, on when work starts again, however the weather - and attempts to avoid the traffic - also play their part!
Peter
May 18th, 2012, 01:40 AM
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Ferrogosto (our Lady of Assumption day which falls on 15th August) - around that time many Italians take their vacation. It is around that time that you encounter many Italian holidaymakers not only in Italy but in many other neighbouring Europeon countries.
August is certainly vacation month for Italian, it reaches the peak around a week before the 15th of August to the week after, but can go to the end of August.
The Saturday you are departing from Italy I would presume would certainly be the busiest weekend to travel as many holiday makers would be returning home from their vacation, whether by car, trains or plane. Also bear in mind that August is a peak tourist season for holidaymakers to Italy from all over the world, considering that many Europeons have work shut-downs in August.
I would definitely stay as close to the airport as possible on your last night in Italy, preferably even choosing a hotel or B&B or whatever in Fiumicino. There are many lovely ones on the coast of Fiumicino (if you still find availability that is), and it would make a nice stop. If that is impossible for you then allow more time than usual to arrive to the airport, the very earliest that you can, to be on the safe side. We did get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic jams in Italy quite a few times, especially on the Strada del Sole that connects Milan to Naples, at one time it was in September close to Bologna, there was a major traffic accident and the traffic jam literraly lasted for hours on end in the heat of the sun, and also last December during Christmastime, we were stuck in the traffic for at least a couple of hours. You can very easily get in the middle of it as it is common that one encounters some car accident, it does not have to be a major one, as the police then make deviations in the roads. We avoid August holidays as much as possible as we prefer to travel out of the peak tourist travel season, but others actually prefer it.
August is certainly vacation month for Italian, it reaches the peak around a week before the 15th of August to the week after, but can go to the end of August.
The Saturday you are departing from Italy I would presume would certainly be the busiest weekend to travel as many holiday makers would be returning home from their vacation, whether by car, trains or plane. Also bear in mind that August is a peak tourist season for holidaymakers to Italy from all over the world, considering that many Europeons have work shut-downs in August.
I would definitely stay as close to the airport as possible on your last night in Italy, preferably even choosing a hotel or B&B or whatever in Fiumicino. There are many lovely ones on the coast of Fiumicino (if you still find availability that is), and it would make a nice stop. If that is impossible for you then allow more time than usual to arrive to the airport, the very earliest that you can, to be on the safe side. We did get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic jams in Italy quite a few times, especially on the Strada del Sole that connects Milan to Naples, at one time it was in September close to Bologna, there was a major traffic accident and the traffic jam literraly lasted for hours on end in the heat of the sun, and also last December during Christmastime, we were stuck in the traffic for at least a couple of hours. You can very easily get in the middle of it as it is common that one encounters some car accident, it does not have to be a major one, as the police then make deviations in the roads. We avoid August holidays as much as possible as we prefer to travel out of the peak tourist travel season, but others actually prefer it.
May 20th, 2012, 02:34 PM
#12
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Anna and Peter (and everyone else), thank you very much! These are the sort of details I was looking for. The numbers you listed, Peter, are hard to comprehend! Mind boggling! I'm not sure that we can cut our apartment rental in Rome short at this point, but it's something to consider.
May 20th, 2012, 10:36 PM
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In case, by "cut our apartment rental in Rome short", you meant so as to stay out at the airport for the last night, because of the traffic on that Saturday morning, I'd really not bother!
But if it would save you three months of worry, instead of going by road, plan on taking one or other of the trains....
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Peter
PS: We've found August visits to Rome most pleasant - photos from the last one here....
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/romeaug08
Not a spare room in that apartment, I suppose? ;-)
But if it would save you three months of worry, instead of going by road, plan on taking one or other of the trains....
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Peter
PS: We've found August visits to Rome most pleasant - photos from the last one here....
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/romeaug08
Not a spare room in that apartment, I suppose? ;-)
