Should i go to Italy in August?

I don't know much about Cinque Terra, but the other areas/cities are tourist locations and are visited en masse during August. I seriously doubt that you will have issues with closures during that time. It will be the height of the summer temps, so if you can insure that you have a/c in your rooms, you should be ok.

My daughter were there during the heat wave of a few years ago; the side walk stands all sold Gatoraid or Poweraid! Sun hats and electrolytes were all we needed to manage just fine. You should have a great trip!

We just got back from the heat wave of Italy. 104 in Tivoli! 97 in Rome. You can manage with water and gelato. I think I only saw 1 restaurant that said they were closed in August. I have a hard time believing that the restaurants would turn away all those tourist euros. All the museums and sites are open. Make sure your hotel has A/C. Wear shorts and sport sandals, everyone else is.

Mike - GO! Yes, some shops and restaurants will close but August is still high season for travel to Italy so there will be lots of options for you in the cities you want to visit. Hopefully fellow poster "Ron in Rome" will weigh in and tell you if there is anything to consider about travel in August besides the heat.

Yes, it will be hot - plan to take it easy, wear light clothing, carry water. You won't be going to dinner till 8:00 at the earliest anyway so do your sightseeing & lunch in the first part of the day, head for your hotel for a rest during the heat of the afternoon and then go out when it cools down.

I too left my kids with my folks when we traveled and it is great to be able to get away and relax - so enjoy yourself in Italy!

Right -- the key is to go out early in the morning, then return to cool hotel room during middle of the day for a nap and go out again in the evening. It should be lovely.

Thanks for all the replies. This really helps ease our minds.

I was in Venice, Rome and Florence last August and outside of the fact that it was extremely hot, mostly everything was open. We did not really see closed shops or restaurants anywhere. Maybe in the smaller cities and villages but not in the big cities. If you go in august, be prepared for the heat and crowds. Have fun!!!

An Italian lady at worl told me that in August many locations are closed, but I don't know if museums will be opene. Maybe some locals on RS can tell you for sure what's open in August.You can also look at tripadvisor.com. There are more locals on this site than here.
Keep in mind that August is a very hot month in Italy.

I wouldn't worry too much about closed shops or restaurants. There'll be enough open places for you to enjoy. But I would worry about the heat. You can do the big museums quite easily on hot days, most of them have to have a/c to protect the art. But hiking the Cinque Terre when it's 95 F is a whole different story. I cannot remember having sweated that much in my life ever as I did last week when walking from Monterosso to Vernazza. Still enjoyed the amazing views though!

I normally go in August and the place s you want to visit are wide open. make sure your lodging, car etc reservations are confirmed before you leave home. CT may be diff for reservations this late try Sta Margarita Ligure a beautiful seaside area close by and go to CT for a day trip by boat or train.

Venice may also difficult to reserve now as an option you could stay in next town Mestre (bus it to Venice train station) if Venice is all booked.