Italy in August: if you must go, here’s what to know

It’s October and I am already working on two August 2014 trips. The month of August is probably not the best month of the year to visit Italy, but I understand: it’s the only month that you can take enough time off from work or school. I get it. But Italy in August takes a little more advance planning and some important expectation-setting. So, before you go, here’s what to know.

Enjoying a Bellini poolside, photo by Italy Beyond the Obvious clients

Italy in August is hot.

You could frankly get a heat wave anytime between about May and the end of September in Italy, but in August you are pretty much guaranteed to feel scorching heat. All this means is that you should prioritize accommodation with a pool, or spend some time at the seaside. If your itinerary absolutely must include cities, make sure you have hats, water bottles, and carry a light scarf in your bag to throw over your shoulders when visiting churches. Check that your accommodation has air conditioning, and try to avoid visiting outdoor sights like Pompeii or Rome’s Colosseum right in the middle of the day. Maybe include a nice, cool visit to an underground cave in your itinerary.

Italy in August means crazy busy seasides.

August is the month that most Italians take their summer vacations, and they usually take several weeks and head to the coast. This means any seaside destination – the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre or Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily, Puglia, or basically any coastal destination is crowded. It means the good restaurants are booked every night – so you need to book ahead. It means all the loungers on the beach are booked in advance – so you need to book these in advance, too. It means that during the late afternoon passeggiata hour, there is some fabulous people-watching to be had (all those good-looking, relaxed Italians on vacation!) Italians return from their Christmas holidays and start planning their summer vacations, which means that for travel in August, you should book your accommodations before Christmas.

Italy in August means empty cities.

With all those Italians on vacation, who is left in the cities?, you might wonder. While the major tourist centers will always make sure enough is open so travelers can see the main sights and eat well, many of Italy’s smaller cities empty out or at least feel that way, especially on and around August 15th, which is the country’s major summer holiday, Ferragosto. If you are traveling on the day of Ferragosto itself you should actually ask your hotel whether the train / subway / bus / taxi you need to take will be available.

Italy in August equals expensive.

You’ll feel it first in the price of the flights and then when booking hotels: high season is more expensive than low season, and August is the most expensive time of high season.

Italy in August means worse customer service.

This is probably common sense. The people running the hotels and restaurants and attractions have already been in high season for months and are getting tired. While others are on vacation, they are working their tails off to make sure all their guests are happy.

You can plan around all of this, just make sure you have your hotels booked early, your must-eat restaurants booked a week or two ahead of time, check that places you want to visit are going to be open, and plan activities around the heat. And equally important: set the expectations of your fellow travelers. Now, you’re all set for a fabulous vacation! Yes, really.