availability of audio guides?

You are smart to be considering this issue now. I know I saw a notice about suspension of audio-guide availability a few months ago, but I couldn't tell you whether it was on a northern Italian museum's website or during an in-person visit to one of the Smithsonian branches here in Washington, DC. I wouldn't assume museums have updated their websites if they are not currently offering audio guides.

This article is discouraging:

https://www.nubart.eu/blog-en/2020/03/23/devices-audioguide-hygiene-coronavirus/

Those of us who like audio guides may need to start carrying robust portable chargers around; I don't think my phone's battery would make it through the day if it was used constantly to access museum Wi-Fi.

acraven, you bring up a good point about portable chargers. I plan to carry one anyway--it will likely be more necessary than in previous (pre-COVID) trips.

I was in Italy last month, and audioguides were still available in the places that have them, but Covid has pushed places to provide QR codes for what was paper literature, maps, and short guides. Some places have developed apps to use as guides, the Pompeii site, for example, has "My Pompeii" with several tour routes, but it is not really an Audio Guide, just a route and icons you can open to read more about each point of interest. They still had the audio guides for rent though.

Not to be cynical, but providing electronic versions of what were free paper handouts makes sense...it saves money. Audio guides however interfere with what is a revenue stream, the balance sheet that says to pay to develop and maintain a "free" app vs. maintaining some type of pay for use model, is a tough one

I’m in Puglia now and the trend seems to be — at least for the churches and basilicas here — to offer a QR code through which you download the audio guide to your smart phone. So bring ear buds! Also, contactless credit cards, no signing of receipts. Just as an aside, (and I don’t know if this is a requirement as it is in Germany), people are wearing KN95 or surgical masks, not cloth masks.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks @Deidre - must admit I never use earphones - maybe I should find some! Sounds a much better system than audioguides anywhere.

That's an interesting comment about cloth masks - I've finally found something that works without fogging up my glasses - a neck gaitor/buff - are they commonly used in Europe?

We almost always use our own earbuds when using an audio guide foregoing the somewhat more cumbersome and awkward headphones they supply. We just find them so much more pleasant to use.