My 18 year old niece and I are going to Italy for three weeks this summer. I usually travel off season so this would be my first trip during the summer and although I'm weary of the crowds (ok, very weary), I am looking forward to hitting some festivals.
Is the overall ease of travel greater in June than July? I'd appriciate any tips you may have for summer travel and opinions on July festivals vs earlier June travel.
Grazie!
Paula,
My preference would be to travel in June, especially as you indicated that you're "ok, very weary" of the crowds. It will probably still be busy in June, but not as much as July.
Which month to choose may also depend on which Festivals you're most interested in seeing? One possibility would be to see the Palio in Siena (July), but lodgings may be hard to find at that time.
Happy travels!
I would opt for the June time frame as well. The crowds are little thinner and therefore accommodations are easier to get. If you try to hit some festivals you will hot the crowds - after all they are designed to be popular and crowded.
Do you already have specific festivals picked out or areas you plan to visit?
Thanks Linda ~ I'm planning to tweak one on Rick's 22 Day itins. Since this is my niece's first trip to Italy, I want to hit the basics. I may cut off the Dolomites and the lakes and add Sicily as I have friends who live there.
I'm particularly interested in the Festa Del Redentore which is held the 3rd weekend in July in Venice. Among other things, there is a regatta that weekend as well as fireworks and I'm a sucker for fireworks. St. John's Day on June 24th may offer some festival options too.
I feel like an idiot to be considering making this trip a month later for one or two days, but I also wonder if Italy in July is really THAT bad.
I'm hoping folks who have experienced Italy in the summer will share their insights.
Grazie!
I have been in Rome in July as well and it is VERY HOT. I know San Francisco can be warm but in all the times I have been there I have never seen it anywhere near as HOT as Rome. Oddly enough, or maybe perhaps because I am from upstate NY I like the hot weather. Crowds I can do without.
It would be easy for the uninitiated to under-estimate how hot/humid it can be in Rome in July.
Hi Paula,
I was in Italy this July, and while I loved every minute, it was definitely an intense experience. It was HOT, especially in Rome, so if you go then, make sure you have a/c in your hotels - I didn't because I stayed in hostels, and sleeping was a nightmare. Some days the heat wasn't too bad, but touring the ancient sights like the Forum, and Pompeii, were very loooong days because it was so warm and there was very little shade.
Also, the crowds were a big factor. Be prepared to wait in lines and get up early to avoid the mass of sightseers. I was at the Vatican an hour before it opened and got in right away, but it sure was early! Venice was probably the most crowded place, and the route between St. Marc's and the Rialto was pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder people.
Hope that helps - have fun!
Most of my trips to Italy have been in the summer. Yes it can get very hot, but it's Italy. There is never a bad time to go. The Festa del Redentore sounds fabulous.I'd plan my trip around that!
