Weather in June

Might be able to offer suggestions if I had a clue where you will be.

Much as I would like to help it is like throwing darts in the dark.

You posted this question in General Europe, which could be anything from Iceland and Greenland to Bulgaria, from Portugal to Finland and Russia.

Your weather options will vary depending on where you will be.

You mention Italy. Piedmont to Bari will have plenty different.

What part of June? It is June now.

And don't believe long term forecasts, especially those which paint Europe as one place.

I have certainly found that in Italy during the summer months the rain tends to be in thunder storms rather all day persistant rain.though once when visiting Pompeii it did rain for most of the day. take a light rain coat a just hope for the best.

Yes it matters where you will be.

Some places are like England - four seasons in one day. You never want to be out of arms reach of your umbrella or rain-shell no matter how nice it looks right now.

In many maritime environments, most of the northern coasts and lowlands such as Normandy or Amsterdam it rains regularly pretty much all year, so it's always a good idea to be prepared for rain.

In other areas, June can get rain regularly but it's not the worst time of year.

How to be prepared:

I like a rain-shell more than an umbrella. If it's windy, an umbrella may not help.

A good rain-shell IMO is waterproof (rather than resistant) has a hood and is long enough to cover your bottom (so the rain runs off you rather than down your pants). Good options in a rain-shell include zippered vents (in case it's wet but not cold), zippered pockets (to keep things dry), adjustable hood (so you can still see when you have your hood on), and a waist cord (to keep the wind out on colder days).

You should also think about footwear. Bring two pairs (in case one gets soaked). Bring shoes that are comfortable walking shoes but give at least some protection against the water (not a mesh running shoe). Water-proof shoes are nice (but not absolutely necessary) if you're going to the British Isles, maritime climates or Benelux. Pack non-cotton socks (either wool, synthetic or a mix), cotton loses both it's cushion and it's ability to insulate when it gets wet.

from my reading of the post they are going to Italy that's why I have only mentioned Italy in my reply. If coming to Scotland bring every waterproof you can find and an extra few layers of clothes,we get a lot of rain.

Any advice on how to handle the rain?

Sure, it is easy
1. Stay Inside
2. Buy umbrella locally from street vendors
3. Wear rain jacket and bring umbrella from home.
4. Personally find waterproof shoes to be very useful.
5. Avoid all cotton clothes, especially pants. If you get wet, very slow to dry.
6. If afraid of rain, stay home.

A good quality travel umbrella helps.
Should be compact.
But not discount price quality.
Each traveler should have her/his own travel umbrella, since a travel umbrella really will not protect 2 people.

Forgive me... but I really don't understand this obssession with rain I sometimes read about on this website. I'm going to keep these comments within my geographic experience (north of the Alps)... but seriously, rain is not a big deal. Check the daily forecast. If it's going to rain, bring an umbrella or schedule something primarily indoors. Don't plan a mountain hike without the benefit of a short term weather forecast. When the rain falls, except in the mountains or sometimes on the coast, it generally doesn't last long and usually doesn't fall particularly hard. After 15+ trips and 4 years of living in Germany (taking almost daily outdoor walks), I can count on two fingers the number of times my shoes were soaked through- once when I had jump into a stream to rescue my dog, and once when I got caught in a heavy mountain squall. But that's it.

You're not going into a monsoon or hurricane belt. You're going to a place that receives frequent but, for the most part, light rain showers.

Have to agree with Tom... why worry about it? Aren't the forecasts wrong about half the time? I guess I have been in rain on a number of my trips, but I think of it as a slight annoyance. I don't carry an umbrella... but have a number of them from street vendors that I bought when I needed one. The lighting just before the rain can be spectacular, so make the best of it and have your camera ready.

Remember, the poster is from California. And as the song goes, "It never rains in California...." Once you've lived somewhere with very predictable weather you can be thrown by variable weather. Our poster might have an easier time in Scotland where you can count on the rain coming at at least some point in your stay. :)

I'm in between the two camps on this. I agree that forecasts are often wrong and not worth worrying too much about, and that you can certainly find things to do in most places if it rains.

That said, I really don't like travel in the rain. It means I can't see through the bus window to see my stop (foggy windows plus the rain itself really reduce visibility). It means I can't look at a map or guidebook without it getting damaged. Since I wear glasses for distance vision, I need an umbrella if it rains more than a drizzle, so that's an extra bit of hassle. And, there's the fact that many places just don't look as good, or feel as pleasant, in the rain. The one place that was as good or better was Edinburgh - the view of the castle from Prince's Street really was dramatic in the rain. But rain certainly made Warsaw dreary.

I know Rick says that there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. But I don't agree. When it rains a lot, for me that is bad travel weather (which is why I haven't been to Ireland - I know it rains there when it rains there, and you have to accept that from the get-go).

If it doesn't rain heavily, just light drizzles, I'm sure you can still continue with the trip. You can try to bring hats and bring sweaters in case it gets cold. And wear sneakers and your feet can easily get cold during a rain in Europe. And also I think it will still be a bit cold in June with the wind etc. So make sure you bring a small daily backpack with essentials such as a disposable poncho, hat, and jacket.