summer weather

If you are used to New York weather in July and August, then that is miserable enough to get you ready for Italy's summer weather. Pretty much same scorching temperatures. Maybe Italy is a few degrees more scorching (expect mid 90's every day, sometimes even low 100's). However New York is generally more humid, at least in my experience going to New York in summer a few times. Italy is drier and it rains very little in July and early August, at most some very short summer storms. But it's hot, no questions about that.

Kathy I have been to Italy three times, and always in summer ,,, and it is HOT as hades to me (hey, where I live anything over 80 is a heatwave ) BUT I wouldn't not go because of the heat. Just make sure that you get a hotel or apartment with A/C do not cheap out here, after a long day sightseeing in heat a/c is critical. I used to purchase frozen bottles of water in the morning from the street vendors and yes, half the time I walked around holding it to my neck area, it didn't take long to melt somedays. My daughter ended up buying a parasol from a street vendor on our last visit( don't laugh, try touring the Forum in the blaring sun , there is like no shade down there!) and we used it alot ( I find hats make my head hot) Dress in coolest clothes, I did sundresses and skirts I find shorts too hot and er, short, lol but wear whatever you consider cool, the gauzier the better . If you wear sleeveless( which makes sense in summer ) make sure you bring a lightweight shawl to cover your shoulders with to tour churches etc. I also brought a tiny hand held fan , seriuosly , found it at the dollar store, hey it helped. Good luck, go and never mind the heat , the sites are still amazing..

Think of Manhattan in August. Will be about the same. The country side will be a little cooler. But if that is your only time to go, time to go.

Hot, yes, but the others have given good advice. I would ad: Start early early early in the morning Rest in the afternoon, or at least plan a cool museum after lunch Many sites are open late so you can go back out at 18:00 or 19:00 and catch another site before dinner. Use the evening hours to your advantage.
Eat late, after dark, like the Romans. There's a reason "we" do that Buon viaggio!

A little more on just "how" hot. Florence is in a natural bowl, and once the heat gets in it tends to stay in. Sort of like a natural oven. Rome is not only hot but all the man made things like roads and buildings keep it hot. Tuscan hills can also be hot but hill towns are on the tops of hills and tend to catch what breezes are flowing by and also there tend to be pine trees and olive trees providing shade (not too much shade under olive trees) and you can usually find a shady side of the street of you are not out at high noon. The Ligurian coast may pick up a sea breeze.

I've taken one excursion into Italy, and here's what I leared... altitude can make a huge difference! My wife and I rented a chalet for the week in the Val di Rabbi, at about 1200 m elevation. Even in mostly sunny July weather, daytime temperatures struggled to reach 20° C, and dropped to near freezing at night. We ventured for one daytrip out of the Alps down to nearby Trento, at about 160 m elevation. The temperature was close to 35°! We stayed up in the Alps for the remainder of that trip... Heat waves are possible in Germany in August, but they tend to be short. Otherwise, temperatures are usually rather pleasant.

Personally we would NEVER go to Italy in July or August again. We were in Rome two years ago in July, for seven nights. It was beyond miserable. There are so many people and a lot of places aren't air-conditioned. Even when some of the places say they have A/C, they don't have it to comfortable temperatures. Americans are used to cool temperatures with their A/C. We were also in Florence Rome and Venice a long time ago, at the end of August. I stayed in my hotel room, without A/C, as I couldn't stand the heat outside. The Vatican was beautiful, but I would never do it again in the summer. There is no A/C and the people keep crowding everywhere. The heat and dirt of Italy do not make for a good mix in the summer. I would recommend a great hotel, if you need one in Rome though. It was called the River Palace Hotel. It was WONDERFUL and very convenient. We could walk a short distance to the Spanish Steps, the Fountain of Trevi, the Victor Emanuel Monument and the Pantheon. It receives high remarks on Trip Advisor.

July and August in Italy is definitely miserable, but not any worse than NYC. Yes the River Palace Hotel is very nice, if you don't mind spending $350-$400 per night.

I have had to make some trips in the summer as well, and while the heat is not always enjoyable...I just make the best of it. I typically have a car and tend to do more villages and seaside locations in the summer, but have been in Florence, Rome, etc. in the sweltering heat...I can definitely second the advice on a fan (I have a cute one I bought in Spain) Also, get up really early and try the afternoon nap thing. One bonus when it is so hot is, once the sun goes down it is usually really nice, and the mornings are so pleasant. I would not wait till you retire... but if you are really worried about the heat why not go someplace further north?

If the summer is the only time you can go due to your work schedule, then I would go and make the best of it. We were in Italy in late May nine years ago during a bad heat wave, and while it was somewhat uncomfortable, I don't regret making that trip. When I think back on the trip, I don't think about the weather...I think about how wonderful the trip was and how much gelato we got to eat due to the heat! You might pick up a "cooling bandana" for the trip. A lot of the warehouse workers where I live use them during the summer to keep cool (since the warehouses aren't air conditioned & it can get to be 110 degrees where I live during the summer). I picked one up at REI and haven't really tried it out but intend to take it with me this August on our trip to Italy. You just soak it in water in the morning and it's supposed to last most of the day and you just refresh it every morning by soaking it again.

Just be aware that even if the hotel has a/c, they do regulate it so that you cannot set it lower. Their a/c is also not as "forcefull" as here in the States. Electricity is extremely expensive for them, therefore, they monitor their usage very closely.

I want to thank everyone for their information and honesty. We have decided to do our trip to Italy next April 2014...it will be worth the wait! Better weather and we will now be able to enjoy Germany and family more since we will be more rested and have the extra time. We originally decided that we needed to do the two trips combined partly to save money on airfare but we even found cheaper flights to Frankfurt for August so that is the "sign" and bonus we needed to help make the right decision. Thanks again!