Where should we go in Italy in August?

[TriggersBroom]

Two DC - 15 and 12.

A couple of years ago we went to Rome for a couple of days, then to a villa near Sorrento, which worked really well as we like a mix of down time by pool/beach and culture/trips out - e.g. did Rome sightseeing, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri etc.

We would like to go back to Italy for a similar mix of sightseeing/downtime. (Also DS is a big fan of theme parks.)

Any recommendations appreciated. Ta

Venice/Verona then Lake Garda ? Florence then a Tuscan villa or Riviera ?

I second lake Garda.

Thanks Lizs. I have a slight preference for a bit of beach. I know Rimini is a big beach resort, but does anyone have any resort recommendations near Venice?

There's a theme park near Lake Garda though, isn't there. DS isn't a big fan of the culture side, so we'd be more likely to get him to trapse around Venice/Verona if there's the carrot of a trip to a tacky theme park.

Tuscany - there's a great beach resort at Lucca, you'll also be in easy reach of the hill towns like San Giminano and Volterra and able to visit Florence and beautiful Siena.

Many villas have their own pool. Bliss.

There's a resort called Caorle a bit further along the coast from Venice than the Lido. Theme parks and waterparks near Lake Garda though plus watersports ?

I thought Venice was supposed to be quite smelly in the summer months.

I was going to say Naples/Sorrento because Pompeii/Herculaneum/Vesuvius are fantastuc but I see you have already done that. Florence is very nice and you can get the train out to Pisa which is near the sea and to Lucca.

Was going to suggest Lake Garda. There's a huge theme park at the south end. Loads of water sports in riva at the top. Very family friendly. The trains are handy for Verona & Venice plus there's the Vitorale in gardone which kids love. Nice gardens with a random half a boat stuck in a hill, a lounge with a fighter plant suspended from the ceiling. Definitely worth a visit

Sicily. Eolian islands. Syracuse. Favignana.

Just googled Lucca and Caorle. They look so beautiful.

Busy googling other suggestions. Is Sicily unbearably hot in August?

Lake Como?

Not far on a train to Milan for touristy stuff, plenty to do around the lake too, also not too hot at that time of year. You could even drive over to Switzerland for a day.

The islands (Eolian, Egadi) in Sicily are lovely in August.

All great suggestions. Many thanks. Need to go now but will have a good look at them all and will be back later.

Ta muchly.

Tuscany is lovely and there is so much to see there; Pisa, Florence, Sienna, San Gimignano, Lucca, Volterra etc. we loved it there.

Lucca isn't a beach resort though...

Have you been watching 'A Trip to Italy' with Steve Coogan & rob Brydon on the beeb ATM? It has some wonderful locations in Italy you may not have thought of. I think we're going to have a weekend there on the back of watching it, beautiful country.

Caorle is very nice. My inlaws have a flat just along the coast from there. Lots of lovely little restaurants and little old streets with shops. The beach isn't great, mainly private beaches attached to hotels and the public beach will be pretty busy in August. Venice will be very very hot in August and there will be very few Italians there as they all go to the beach in August.

Florence then fly down to Sicily (about 1 hour by plane )

Another vote for Lake Garda. DD is 13 and loves it. We do a mixture of pool and exploring. It doesn't all have to be indigestible cultural stuff. Getting a ferries to different towns round the lake is a nice way to spend a few days exploring. Ditto going to Gardone.

We stayed in Garda the first time round and Sirmione on our second visit. You can swim in the lake, although there isn't a traditional sandy beach. You can hire a boat, and Im pretty sure you can hire bikes. I just love lake Garda.

Ischia is magical