Air conditioning needed in September

Generally no, but it depends entirely on where you are going and what you are accustomed to. In the big cities, yes. Along the coast or in the hills, probably not.

How heat tolerant are you? You've not got a home location listed so it's hard to guess if you might be OK with sleeping in hotter temps. I, personally, am not heat tolerant and need AC that time of year in Italy.

One thing to know is that many (most?) Italian hotel rooms don't have screens on the windows so if you leave them open you may have to deal with mosquitoes. I found this to be especially true in Venice.

You will need AC almost anywhere south of Milano. In September.

It all depends on things we don't know:

• Where exactly in Italy you're going (Dolomites? Palermo?)
• The dates you'll be there (September 1? September 15?)
• What the weather will be like on the day you're there (you can look at historic patterns, but that doesn't tell you how hot it will be)
  
• How you do in the heat - everyone has a different comfort level/tolerance/preference
• Exactly what the place you're staying at is like, how it was built (thick, stone walls and plenty of shade trees and in a breezy location all to help keep things cool, or a metal-roof building fully exposed to sun all day with no screened windows)

Any of these things are possible.

Personally, being built for the northern latitudes (my Viking heritage) and used to cool temperatures (where I live in Seattle), and preferring to be able to sleep in a fairly cool environment, I usually seek out places with AC if there's a chance of hot weather. Often its completely unnecessary - but when I do need it, I'm very glad I have it!

If your travels include Venice, Florence, Rome then yes. Towns in the countryside and higher elevations maybe.

Simply, if in doubt, request it. Sep can be hot to very hot depending on location. Remember the first half of Sep is not to far removed from August and the weather gods are not good at noticing the change in months.

Rental homes and apts in most of Europe do not usually have air conditioning. You may find some, but the majority do not have it.

One reason we always seek out AC except perhaps Nov thru Apr or in the mountains is that with AC you can block out street noise and mosquitoes. If you want to sleep soundly, insist on it.

I suggest getting the AC. Even if it's not super hot, after walking around most of the day, AC will be very welcome. Also, you can keep the windows closed to keep mosquitos and noise out. Most places don't have screens in the windows. In Florence, I found several options on AirBnBfor an apartment with AC. In Rome, we had an apartment that had AC in the bedroom only, which was doable for us.

Depending upon where you are going and when in September, it can still be warm and air conditioning is welcoming after a long day of touring. I have rented flats in Venice and Florence with air conditioning and I did not regret having it.

I can't help but chuckle quietly at the question. I grew up in Macon, Georgia. We didn't have air conditioning until I was 17, back in 1968. Macon is at a significantly more southern latitude than any place in Italy. There's more to temperature than latitude, but keep in mind that Florence and New York city are at roughly the same latitude.

I just booked 3 Airbnb homes (Venice, Florence & Rome) for July and had no trouble finding homes with AC. There were plenty to choose from.

You might check that the A/C can be turned on for the dates you are there. Fortunately when we were in Venice ( in late May ), we were there the first day that they allowed the A/C to be on for the season.

I like A/C. I don't like places without A/C. For that, I carry a small fan. Works wonders when placed on the nightstand. It won't cool down a room but it will cool me enough for sleep.

Fan

When I booked by Airbnb rentals I reviewed the comments carefully to make sure that the AC was available when I was going to be there, for mid-July it wasn't a problem obviously, but for later in the season you can always message the host to find out. I find that all top hosts on Airbnb answer questions quickly and are very helpful in answering all of your questions.

Hard to provide advice without any perspective on where you're going. You did notice that Italy is a long country that crosses multiple latitudes?

Early Sept, getting AC might be a good idea, the more north you travel, the less it's a priority. I've been in Venice late Sept and it rained the entire time. Florence can be muggy but, again the later in the month the nicer it is; the closer to October the more pleasant and enjoyable the days are. Rome and everything south can warm up fast, just depend where you're at. Along the Amalfi, open your windows and let the off-shore breeze in.

@DougMac I grew up in Milledgeville around the time you were in Macon and what I remember is how hot school was in Sept without AC. The first time we went to Italy, it was August and we laughed about our British guide talking about how hot it was-it was 89 and to us, that was on the low side for August! So OP, I would definitely get AC for Florence and Rome and Venice in August. And now that we've fessed up, we will never be able to talk on this forum about walking to school in 2 feet of snow!

@cala, my family is from Milledgeville and my wife is the Director of Nursing at GCSU (GSCW for us). We had a big attic fan that helped, but in the summer you didn't go to bed until after 11:00 when it had cooled down a little.

OP, you might be comforted in the knowledge that your accommodations had A/C in case of a warm spell. We tend to stay in more rustic agriturismos and B&Bs that are less likely to have A/C. If having A/C means staying in more generic accommodations, I'd prefer to be a little warm.

Italy has been experiencing very hot summers which stretch through September. If no A/C, buy an electric fan when you arrive and take it everywhere you stay. Lack of window screens make things even more challenging. After walking/hiking all day, you will probably be grateful for A/C. More options are available for A/C only in the bedroom - which works out pretty well if you are not going to be cooking evening meals in your rental. Enjoy!