Florence, Italy....are we mad?

[Hairydogmummy]

We're booked to fly to Tuscany on Thursday to stay in a lovely villa with pool belonging to a colleague of DH but there turns out to be no aircon and in this heatwave?!! I've only just found this out. I'm worried about the whole trip but especially all the sightseeing we've booked on Saturday in Florence. We could still cancel this day trip at least without losing money. I've never been to Italy and was so excited to see and do as much as possible. DH colleague has advised us to just stay around the pool. WWYD? My DSD18 and DS 19 are coming with.

You will regret not going. You have a pool you can dip into and if they use it a lot themselves you can bet they have fans. At least go and if it is too much come home.

Take some hot water bottles, fill them with cold water and freeze them during the day. I have a property in Southern Italy without aircon, just ceiling fans (which do cool you down) and when it is extra hot, we use hot water bottles. To be fair, I would like aircon but not sure of the value of it yet as we can manage well without it.

The houses are built for the heat and stay cooler than you would think.

We were in Italy last week in a trullo with no air conditioning and a pool.
it’s fine drink lots of water apply factor 30 at least and eat later in the evening when it’s cool. Keep shutters closed to stop sun coming in and air the house with the mosquito screens down.
High 30s are normal for southern EU in July and August and the houses are designed for this heat.
I would not bother the sight seeing in Florence though it would be hell.
Embrace the Italian way of life and have a siesta.

Without aircon I would 100% cancel.

@Bex000 will it actually be cool in the evening, some places will still be in the 30s at night, wouldn’t call that cool!

Yes, you will not be able to sleep.

25/26 at night with fans it’s fine. The Italian houses are designed to cope with the heat if it is an old farmhouse.

Same, and I like the heat but wouldn’t cope without AC in the evening.

Lots of people don’t like aircon. We live in Aus and rely on fans and regular dips in the pool when it is really hot (I will often swim just before bed which brings your core body temperature down nicely). I would cancel the sightseeing trip and enjoy lazing by the pool with cool drinks and books. Houses in hot climates are generally built to the conditions, you may well find the rooms have overhead fans but if you are worried maybe just ask if there are fans or if you should bring some as you are not used to such heat.

We are currently in a part of Spain where it is approx 36. We are in an old farmhouse type building as you say. We have no air con and to be honest I was so worried but it has been absolutely fine in terms of the heat. Obviously it’s hot there’s no way around that, but the buildings really are built for it. It feels probably the same indoors as it would in the UK in our flat when it’s about 25 degrees. There are ceiling fans in the bedrooms though which have been a lifesaver. Are there fans at the colleague’s place? I appreciate you may feel awkward asking him 101 questions when he’s offering you a free place to stay!

Ultimately, would you have the money to book into somewhere with air con if you get there and physically can’t cope? If yes then I’d definitely be going.

Downstairs in an old stone house might be cooler than you think, but keep the shutters and the windows closed all day and open up first thing. Careful in the evening opening up unless there are mozzie guards...

We were in a similar set up last summer, we did one day in Florence but took it very easy. Santa Croce was relatively cool, Uffizi full of hot zombies but fine for a day.

Just plan for lots of lazy lunches, enjoy the views and get up super early to do things and home by lunch and out again in the evenings

For sleeping, if you put a wet towel over you and direct the fan over you while sleeping it cools you down a lot, to the extent you actually get cold but you do need to keep re wetting the towel through the night

But you would need to make sure thre are enough fans for each person

I think I would be reluctant to be honest, I get really ill when Im too hot

I wouldn’t stay there, I used to live in southern Spain so was pretty acclimatised to the heat and even I found the summer months unbearable without aircon. The heat would just be relentless, there is nothing better than stepping into an air conditioned house from the heat outside. You can’t even have a shower to cool down as the water just doesn’t get cold enough.

Go into Florence in the early evening when it’s a bit cooler. It’s still magical to wander around, and shops will be open later (many close for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.

do as the Italians do - keep shutters etc closed in the day, and as you’re on holiday enjoy long siestas, and stay up later into the evening.

@crumpet but if places are going to be nearly 30 at night, not sure it will be much better sightseeing in the evening

We are in Northern Italy at the moment and the air on is the only reason I’m sleeping!! We do have a pool and it’s lovely but getting back into the air on is a relief.
Having said that you already have this booked so you might as well go, it might not be too bad. I wouldn’t be sight seeing though

I don’t know the evening forecast, but at that time even if hot there will be no glare of the sun, beautiful buildings to wander wound and look at, and plenty of gelaterie, places to get cold drinks etc.

plenty of Italians will be out having a passeggiata after the worst heat in the day, and there’ll be a nice buzz.

We live way down south on the Salento. We don't have air con. We do have 50 olive trees that bring the land temperature down, and trees planted around the house to cast shade. It's 38c today. Towns and cities in Italy get very hot, because the stone holds the heat, but a farmhouse in the countryside will be lovely. We are on the adriatic side, so get a cooler breeze, but it's always hot in summer. Get up early, take a nap through the heat of the day, stay up late enjoying the warm evenings. If its too much, ten minutes with a packet of frozen peas on your head makes all the difference. People have lived in Italy for centuries without Aircon. And it's topped 40c in the south nearly every year on record.

If the owners are wealthy but haven’t installed aircon that suggests the house may be good at staying cool.

Freezer block or frozen water bottle inside a pillowcase is a good trick to help you sleep. Like a reverse hot water bottle.

Agree with the advice to keep shutters and windows shut all day. Only open for an hour first thing and in the evening once outdoor temp is lower than indoor. Agree with visiting Florence in the evenings only, unless it’s a specific visit to somewhere you know has a/c.

Overall I think I would risk it. It sounds like a lovely place and a rare opportunity. If possible budget to buy some fans once out there if needed. Also budget for buying ready to eat food or eating out, to avoid cooking in the heat. Cancel any non a/c daytime sightseeing.

Thanks so much everyone. I think we'll go but cancel the Florence stuff. It was all booked for around the middle of the day. DSD is super pale redhead and is underweight. DS has Asperger's so will get too flustered with both heat and crowds I think. It was always going to be touch and go. We're getting some extra hot water bottles to freeze. There are a couple of fans apparently but we may have to buy more so there's one each. I was so excited to visit Italy having never been before and so fed up that it will be compromised. Who can really complain tho about a beautiful free villa in the Tuscan hills. I feel awful being worried about it!

My dad is in Tuscany at the moment (in a farmhouse with no aircon) and is ok - says it is Italy in summer hot, but not excessive. Florence is always hotter than surrounding areas as it is in a heat trap between mountains. Google the temperature forecast where you’re staying if it isn’t Florence itself. Consider taking cotton sarongs and drawing pins to wet and put over windows at night

I am Italian (from the North) and I am currently in Italy. I literally can't stand the heat, probably as a result of too many years living in the UK!
However, I would go. I assume the villa is on the hills in Tuscany, which will be cooler. And I also assume we are talking about an old villa with thick walls, and these types of houses are surprisingly cool at night. As many advised, you'll be probably ok with just a fan.
Sightseeing in Florence is another matter and I wouldn't do it. I was in Milan for work yesterday and it was hell!!!!

I agree. I have stayed in a similar property in a very hot August and it wasn’t bad inside. We lazed around inside in the afternoons, and went to the pool. I know it’s 40 degrees but I’d still go and I hate heat.

If there is an infinity pool and they're wealthy, no doubt they would have put Aircon in if they thought it necessary. Obviously it will be hot but do as the locals do, get up early, keep the shutters and windows closed on sunny sides of the house. Have a siesta and go out late in the evening. Have a lovely time 😊

It is, of course, exceptionally hot at the moment, but even so we have stayed in many villas, and family homes over the years in Italy, none have had air con. It's still not the norm there.

As others have said, can the midday Florence trip, even in normal temps that's not advisable. Go early morning, head for the churches, which are lovely and cool, avoid the museums. Head back for light lunch, nap, afternoon by the pool, and head out again late evening for dinner.

Sleep will be fine just with fans and naked on the bed.