Italy in August

[Welbru]

Would I be totally mad to visit a city in central Italy in August. I know it will be hotter than ideal and that Italians flock to the coast and mountains to avoid the heat, but I can't move my holiday and I can have a cheap room there at that time as someone I know will have a place there.

I'm not a siesta type person - can't sleep in the afternoon so getting up early and staying up late because I'm sleeping in the afternoon isn't really an option. I'd be happy to sit and rest rather than sightsee all the time, but I won't have a pool.

I don't have excellent tolerance for extreme temperatures, but I'm better with heat than the cold. I do tend to feel a bit uncomfortable if it's in the 30s and I haven't had time to acclimatise though.

YABU- no, go somewhere cooler
YANBU - go anyway

Hi it depends on where in Italy really. South will be very hot, Roth, more bearable.

Most Italian cities have great museums and cathedrals/churches so you can go inside in the afternoon mostly when it’s very hot. Big shops too will have air con, what a good excuse!

If you’re in your own apartment if there’s air con you can read, shower etc then and go back out later. Get up early, go for your breakfast/buy your drinks when it’s cooler, go to the parks like l’acquadotti in Rome where there’s a lot of space and a bit out of the centre, just take your own sandwich. Most cities have goodish trains, you could go a bit out of the city for a day, if it’s at the sea you have that option. Things are open later, so sightsee the squares, streets more in the evening.

It will be quieter in later August after ferragosto (15th) in the Italian visitors but foreign tourists will be there, I think it’s still pretty quiet compared to normal so might be a perfect time to go if you get to see things before they get too crowded.

Have a lovely time!

Best of luck. Have you looked at the travel restrictions? Obviously these may change.

"Hi it depends on where in Italy really. South will be very hot, Roth, more bearable."

Middle.

Not sure about aircon in the apartment. It looks quite old so I wouldn't really expect it, but the photos are also quite dark so it might be shaded.

@VeniVidiWeeWee

Best of luck. Have you looked at the travel restrictions? Obviously these may change.

I'm in the EU and I'll be fully vaccinated plus two weeks by the time I go there so no restrictions at the moment. The only risk is that this changes or that my home country changes its rules and makes me quarantine once back.

It will be hot hot hot. I would say it's the ideal time to visit churches. I love historic buildings and churches are always lovely and cool especially if they have a marble floor and a crypt

I spent all my summers in Italy as a child/teen.
The heat was horrendous. If you don’t have air on it’s pretty miserable. This was in the North.

It will be hot. Very hot. I wouldn't go without access to a pool, tbh. We used to visit Tuscany in the summer and it was too hot in the afternoons to do anything - it was regularly 35 degrees or more.

Also, I would be aware that many places close or have limited opening hours in August. The tourist attractions may be open but bars/restaurants may be shut for a fair amount of time. I would have a look at the area you're planning to visit to see what will actually be open.

we went to the Venice area a couple of years ago in august (so north italy) we went to Venice for the day and it was something like 35 degrees and the buildings just emitted heat, it was almost unbearable!!
The other days we were beach/pool/airconned mobile home/water park which broke up the heat during the hottest part of the day

I would not go this year because of possible travel restrictions. Next year I suggest.

@newnortherner111

I would not go this year because of possible travel restrictions. Next year I suggest.

I'm not banking on everything being OK next year. If I don't go to Italy I will go somewhere else in the EU anyway so my problem is the heat really.

@Mousetown

I spent all my summers in Italy as a child/teen. The heat was horrendous. If you don’t have air on it’s pretty miserable. This was in the North.

This is what I'm worried about. Internet says average high of 30, which is fine, but people have told me of bad times when they've been there and it was 35-40 and not able to do anything.

I've just checked the forecast for the next two weeks and 35 is the highest it goes. I'll be going the week after though.

I went to Venice in August and I may have been lucky, but it wasn't too hot for me. Travelled into the foothills of the dolimites and that was lovely.

We went a few years ago and it was our worst holiday ever! (Including a week in holy island when it rained constantly).
It was so hot by 9am we all had headaches. Average temp was around 38.
Go somewhere else.

We went to Rome in august. It was bad. There was a reason the flights were so cheap.

I went to Rome in may and it was too hot!
Surely you can find out if there is air con or not?!
I'd go anyway because I love Italy but it will be unbearably hot!!

Go in Autumn.

I went to Rome one August and it was too hot to enjoy anything. Had to leave the Colosseum and Forum after half an hour each because I felt like I was going to faint. In Summer the pickpockets and scammers come out to get the tourists.

I love the heat and I’ve done Rome in June and July several time. August I think would just be too hot.

I'm not really qualified to comment as never been, but I'd thoroughly research indoor tourist attractions, and make sure you can actually get in them ie not closed due to pandemic restrictions. That's the problem just now, we don't know how things will be in this country, never mind Italy, in a few weeks time. If you optimistically booked, would you lose much if you had to cancel? If not, I would plan but brainwash myself into thinking, no big deal if have to cancel, but hurrah if I don't. The heat would not stop me.

I will be in a flat in Italy without a pool in August because I live here and can't afford to go away for a whole month. Yes, it is hot but it is the humidity that makes the difference. Hot and dry is not too bad. We never have siestas during the rest of the year but it really helps in August. There is a lot going on in my city, open air concerts, cinema etc and a nap in the afternoon means I can stay up late and enjoy the slightly cooler night temperatures.

Get up early and do lots, have a long lunch somewhere and then read a book for an hour or two (you'll need a rest anyway after a busy morning) and then head out again later in the day. I'd go for it as I love Italy. We've been in July/August before with a young child. It was very hot but I certainly don't regret going.

I went to Rome and Milan two years ago at the end of July. The forecast was 36-39 Celsius in the shade every day. It was HOT, absolutely relentless and no way could you stay somewhere with no air conditioning. I say that as someone who already lives in a hot country year round.

I went to Lake Garda in July last year, go to the lakes people said, it'll be cool and there'll be a nice breeze people said. Like fuck there was. Only time we felt cool was when we were on boats in the lake. The town (Riva) was scorching, the A/C in the very expensive hotel was shite, stunning though it was I was glad to leave

Late July

Well I've been to Italy when it's been over 35 degrees and I've still enjoyed myself!