We will be in Italy between June 26th and July 11th. I have read recently how hot and humid August is. I am wondering how brutal it will be during our time there.
We start in Rome, head as far south as the Amalfi Coast, and end up in Venice.
I know that I can look at standard temperature charts, but I'd like to get some feedback from those in the proverbial trenches.
How does it compare to Florida's heat and humidity? Is it worse?
Colleen: Maybe similar to Florida in the summer--I've been to Florida in the winter and summer, hard to compare: but one big difference is, every hotel room in Florida has AC, but in Italy you only sleep in AC comfort if you make sure your hotel has it (a surprising number do not, esp. the lower cost hotels). Another difference is, when you're at home in Florida you're not just getting off a 15-hour economy long haul flight and walking around with jet lag trying to "do" the things on your itinerary on days 1 and 2. That combination of factors will suck the energy right out of you those first couple of days of those Italian Julys and Augusts.
Oddly enought August has been the coolest of the three summer months for the past few years. Global warming makes it hard to predict. June was a killer a few months ago.
In Rome it will be a nice dry heat, just walk slow and stay in the shade and you won't hurt too bad. And Rome always has these wonderful breezes.
Along the Amalfi Coast it'shot but well ventilated.
Venice will be humid, as the North has a much more humid climate year round compared to the South.
Be prepared to be hot and don't count on things being air conditioned. And there is a reason why things close in the afternoons, it just gets too hot to be outside, so don't plan anything too energetic between 1 and 4pm. It truly is a great time to take a nap, and then that way you can stay up later at night, when more people are out anyway cause it is cooler.
I meant years ago not months ago when referring to June--excuse the error!
UH, well it's HOT - you will "perspire." As Kent has posted, make sure you have a hotel with AC. Also, carry a small bottle for water. The fountains in Rome act as "water fountains" for everyone and the water tastes great! You'll see folks filling up their water bottles at many fountains or water "faucets."
I'm not sure what to relate it to. Near the sea, with the wind it can be very pleasant, but I've also had hot (and I mean hot) days in July! Dress lightly, wear your sunscreen, drink lots of water, and you'll be fine.
To me, and I'll defer to Claire who has lived in Rome and now up north in Bergamo, August IS MUCH hotter than the period 6/26 - 7/11... but it could be because we're all so tired of the heat by August... but then, Nope - it's really hot in August!
Thanks for the feedback so far. All of our hotels do have air conditioning, and two are right on the water (Sorrento: La Tonnarella, with its own beach, and Vernazza: La Mala'). We will each (2 adults, 3 kids) be carrying a fanny pack that has 2 water bottle holders, so we're planning to keep those filled.
Several of our tours, however, are in the afternoon: Vatican (1:00), Pompeii (not a tour, but we'll end up getting there early PM), Uffizi (2:00), Accademia (2:00), Doge's Palace (11:35).
Will any of these places (with the obvious exception of Pompeii) be air conditioned?
August can be brutal. Temperatures can climb into the high 90's and stay there. There is a reason you will see date palms in Rome. For most of us from the west coast who think that a "mediterranean" climate is like that in California are in for a big suprise. Rome is like Washington DC most of the summer. June and July will be in the 80's and the North especially Venice will be even more humid. The nights will not cool down much. To stay comfortable during the heat of the day visit big museums and churches. AC is not common any where. If you are staying in an unairconditioned hotel ask for a fan when you first register. Most hotels don't have enough of them if you ask by late afternoon or evening. There is a reason I like to travel in May.
I wish we could travel in May, too. But, with 3 kids in school, it's not an option. All of our hotels are air conditioned, and all of our museum visits are scheduled for the afternoon.
I thought that I had heard that the Vatican Museums were not air conditioned, although I would agree with Kent's assumption that artwork cannot withstand extreme temperature and humidity changes.
On our last 6 trips to Europe during the summer months of 2002-2007 we experienced a variety of weather. Have been in Italy in June and it was incredibly hot and humid from the north to the south. We were in N.Italy and Umbria in August 2007 from the 2-22 (have never gone in August so wondered what to expect) and it was some of the best weather we have ever had over there! We even pulled out jackets one night in Bardolino on Lake Garda.
The Amalfi Coast and Rome was very hot in July 2006 but we just took more breaks throughout the day. Pompeii was extremely hot as there are no shade trees. Our hotel in rome, Hotel Smeraldo, had really good air c. which we greatly appreciated. I mean like the kind we are used to in the states. We actually got too cold and put on blankets but did it ever feel good after a day of sightseeing. On our visits to the Cinque T. we just do what the locals do--claim a rock and go for a swim! Of my 3 visits to Venice, the June visit was the hottest.
I'm glad to hear about the air conditioning at Hotel Smeraldo, since we're stying there for the first 4 nights of our trip!
It can be quite hot at times (we were there during a similar period and it went above 90F a few days). One other thing to be aware of is that even if your hotel has air conditioning, it is likely to be of the old school individual unit variety. These are usually quite loud, although in Rome this is good because it drowns out street noise. Humidity was comprable to the NE United States during the summer.
Venice cools down nicely at night because of its proximity to the coast.
We were in Rome at the end of July last summer, and it was very hot. We live in a place that is hot and humid in the summer (but its really nice now!) and we were still really done in by the heat. What surprised me the most was that museums are not air conditioned. My kids even commented on how bad that must be for the art. Of the parts of the Vatican Museum we went through only a tapestry room had air, and the Borghese had the windows wide open. So part of the problem is its hard to find places for a cool break-its hot inside and out. Our hotel had air, but as described above, more like a noisy individual unit, and the person who cleaned the room shut it off every day, so it was always very hot when we returned. None the less, we had a great trip and so will you. One of my favorite pictures is of my family overlooking the forum at the end of the day when we all look so hot and sweaty-and yet still happy-we are in Rome!
We are from Florida and it is very hot and humid here in the summer. We call it "The Wall" when you walk out the front door and you walk into "the wall" of humidity. Last July, we went to Rome, and there was no "Wall". Florida is definitely hotter and much more humid. I have favorite cities listed in my Yahoo.com's weather page and I believe it may post the humidity.
We left Italy about mid July and it did get very hot at the end of the month, where the news was reporting wild fires closing the highway in Southern Italy. They were saying that it was unusually hot due to global warming. The previous year, Paris was extraordinarily hot during that same time. You never know.
You might consider going without air conditioning at home before your trip, We didn't run our air much last summer, and we all got used to the heat and humidity. "The wall" that another poster spoke about isn't so bad if your house is about the same temp as outside.
Leslie
It will be hot, and yes you can compare it to Florida in summer. The main difference for Americans is that in the US when it is hot, we go from AC homes to AC cars to AC offices or stores during the day so we get accustomed to the relief of the cool between the hot. In Italy buildings, cars/buses and many trains are not air conditioned so you will often feel as though you have a hard time getting cooled off during the day. My advice is to dress as cool and comfortably as possible, drink plenty of water, walk and sit in the shade whenever possible, and take breaks and enjoy your trip!!
