Always dreamed of visiting the Bel Paese? Want to take advantage of lots of sunshine, plenty of summer festivals, more daylight hours and maybe some lazy time on the beach?
Then these summer months are perfect but here are 5 things you should be mindful before get to Italy in August.
Crowd: Italian “Citta’ d’arte” (art cities) are full of tourists year-round but the summer months coincide with the school vacation and, specially during the two mid-weeks of August (the 15th is a major bank holiday in Italy “ferragosto”), most offices and business close and the workers are at home too leaving no much leeway in choosing their holiday absence. Tourist + mass of holiday makers= hard time. Major sightseeing can get easily, terribly overcrowded in August. Thinking to retreat to the beach? Would you really fancy sunbathe with someone else feet right in front of your nose? That’s as packed as it can get.
Heat – August in Italy is boiling particularly in the cities ("average" 84°F/29°C but so is July!) where there is no chance to have some sea breeze to refresh the air or the cool temperature of the Alps. But it’s not just hot, it could get unpleasantly muggy. June and September are yet generally sunny but without being stifling.
Prices – recession or not, prices of accommodation from middle July to the end of August skyrocket. Even so, rooms fill up quickly both in the art cities such Rome, Florence and Venice than in the seaside towns.
Hassles – that’s the last thing you want when traveling but more tourists/travelers means more work for the tourism-related workers (bartender, waiters, shop assistance, hotel staff..) which moods are put to the test: the heat, lots of work, a bit of jealously (everyone else is having fun while they are stuck at work) could turn their day into a bad one and your unpleasant too.
Traveling – during the summer getting around Italy can sometimes be… not so much fun. Flights, trains, buses are packed. Opting of getting a car and exploring around at your own pace? Think twice. Italian highways are famous for endless, stillstanding traffic jams especially during the summer week-end and the bank holiday.
If money is not your issue, you are fine to be sweaty hot on a typical August sweltering day and enjoy be among a crowd of people or simple just because that’s your only choice, I don’t see a reason to forgo beautiful Italy.
Have you been to Italy during the summer or at Ferragosto? How was it like?
Source: http://www.atravelaroundtheworld.com/2010/07/travel-to-italy-in-summer-5-things-you.html