France and Italy in August

I won't speak to Italy as I was there over 20 years ago, ( but I don't remember any closings) , but in France August is "holiday " month. What does this mean to the average tourist, ??? Practically nothing. All cultural sites and museums remain open.
I have gone to Paris in August serveral times, even last year, so what I noticed it a few small restaurants and shops were closed, but , really this did not impact on my holiday at all. If one has heard about a special restaurant they wanted to try they could just google and find the restaurant website( and you would be surprised how many even small places have websites) and see if they are closed for your visit. For most of us tourists it won't matter at all as there are only hundreds of other places to eat still open.
I DO find I can get some good hotel specials in August though( I imagine business travel is down in August) so look now and look onsite for " L'ete Promotions"

Rome is HOT in summer. Paris can be , but not always!

I was in France last August, and as the previous poster stated the "holiday" month had very little impact on me as a tourist. The only businesses that were closed for the month were the very expensive 4- star Michelin rated restaurants in Paris. Another thing to note is that popular tourist areas are more crowded during August - such as Provence and the Riveria (especially Nice!). Many French (and other europeans) holiday in these destinations during that time. Many of the hotels recommended in "The Ricky" fill up fast, so make your reseverations as soon as possible. The trains are also more crowded, so I made reservations in advance for trains I did not want to miss - especially the TGV. One other bit of advice ... if you plan to travel in both North and South France bring clothes for hot and cool weather. Nice, Avignon and towns on the Cotes Du Rhone were very warm, but Paris and Normandy were cold and rainy (I was not expecting this in August!). Have fun!

Amy, wasn't last August awful . I have gone many times in August , and it has always been either hot or hotter, but this last year I took a friend for the first time, I told her to pack sundresses and lightweight clothes only,, LOL< and we froze and got wet alot,, and wore the same long pants day after day,, LOL

Note to self, never count on weather being anything but changable..

Pat - it was terrible. My husband and I went on the full day D-Day Victory Tour with Roel (recommended by RS, and VERY good) and we absolutely froze on the beaches. Thankfully Roel had a trunk full of extra coats for the unprepared! We also bought a cheap umbrella in paris with a ridiculous paris "logo" - it's a fun souvenier to remind us of dodging rain drops in such a beautiful city! I also agree about the heat in Italy. I was there in May 2005 and it was really hot, especially for a gal from the rainy northwest. Can't imagine what August must be like. :-)

Hello Helen. If your trip to ITALY must be in August, reserve the hotel rooms NOW ! And insist on getting a room that has air conditioning. In August Italy is very warm : go to the Mediteranean Sea Coast, or a northern Lake (I prefer the west side of Lake Maggiore). But it will be crowded : very many Italian people are on vacation in August : they go to the Mediteranean Sea coast and to the northern Lakes. Even the small island Elba can have a total of 1 and 1/2 million people in one month : August. In the Dolomite region the air should be less hot than in Florence and Rome. If you travel in trains in ITALY in August, reserve a train seat, in advance.

Thank you to all who responded.

Hi Helen - We went this past August to France & Italy (& some other countries) and it was AWESOME!! There was ZERO traffic - Italians & French go on holiday then, so we just breezed in & out of the big cities. There is only one national holiday (August 15: Feast of the Assumption, also known as Ferragosto in Italy) where the main museums, etc. are closed. Note this holiday applies to many places in Europe, including France AND Italy. So make sure to plan your itinerary around it.

Yes, it was hot in southern Italy (80s for the most part with a few low 90s), but I was fine with that to get a warmer France! We were able to walk around all of France (except for the mountains, of course) in lightweight capris & short sleeved t-shirts. When we went out at night, we would take a sweater. And I actually loved getting to sweat in Italy - it burned off all the calories from all the great food I was eating!! I was able to fit back in my pants!! ;) ha.