These past few weeks, it’s been nearly impossible to look at a news site and not find at least one story about summer heat waves in Europe, including this item in the Wall Street Journal, where I was quoted on behalf of Villaggio Tours. Record-breaking, relentless heat is happening all over the Northern Hemisphere, of course, but it seems like everyone is talking about vacation hotspots (pun intended) like Rome. Barcelona and Athens. Even up here in Allerona, which is 1500 feet above sea level, we’re sweltering. Temperatures have teetered around 100F for a couple weeks in a row now, and who knows what August holds in store.
So if you’re thinking about visiting Italy in the summer (or anywhere in central and southern Europe, really), I don’t want to tell you not to come. But if you can avoid it, don’t come.
That said, I appreciate that people can’t always take their vacations in the off-season, and that’s especially true for families. If life dictates that your trip to Italy has to be during peak summer season, I’ve compiled these tips for staying cool in Italy in the summer.
1. Get an early start
When I say early, I don’t mean 9 am. If you can drag yourself out of bed by say, 6 am, you’ll be able to walk the city (any city) in cooler weather and without crowds. No, stores won’t be open, but free outdoor monuments, fountains and piazzas will be, and you’re much less likely to get photobombed by milling tourists. One of the best activities I’ve done recently, which I added to our Immersive Umbria with Rome tour, is an early morning walk with ArcheoRunning, which includes the major monuments and hidden corners of the centro storico, and has you back at the hotel in plenty of time for breakfast.
2. For attractions, book the earliest or latest entry
There are things you’re probably going to want to see in Italy, such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums or the Uffizi Galleries, and all those experiences have to be pre-booked. Especially for those attractions that are outdoors, it makes sense to book the earliest or latest entry times — I’m in favor of earlier, so as not to bump up against closing times. You’ll get there before both heat and crowds intensify, and get your “big event” done for the day so you can keep the pace more mellow for the rest of the day.
3. Wear a wide-brimmed hat
Baseball caps might be an American favorite, but a lightweight, wide-brimmed hat will keep you a lot cooler and keep the sun not just off your face, but off the back of your neck, too. Stick a soft, packable one in your bag, or buy a straw hat from one of the many street vendors set up all over Italy’s large and medium-sized cities.
4. Walk on the shady side of the street
There are things you’re probably going to want to see in Italy, such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums or the Uffizi Galleries, and all those experiences have to be pre-booked. Especially for those attractions that are outdoors, it makes sense to book the earliest or latest entry times — I’m in favor of earlier, so as not to bump up against closing times. You’ll get there before both heat and crowds intensify, and get your “big event” done for the day so you can keep the pace more mellow for the rest of the day.
5. Leave the jeans at home
I know a lot of people live in jeans, but seriously July and August in Italy are no places for heavy denim. Even in the evening, you’ll feel more comfortable in lightweight pants, a romper/jumpsuit, or a mid- to midi-length flowy skirt. I wrote a blog a while back about how to dress stylishly for an Italian summer vacation, but my packing list is also for dressing comfortably and staying cool.
6. Make use of Italy’s nasone
CNN published an asinine article earlier this summer about how Americans can’t find free water in Europe. I can’t speak for the rest of the continent, but in Italy, there’s free and free-flowing water everywhere. Most notably in Rome, water spigots (called nasoni) are set all over town, and offer cold, clean, perfectly drinkable water. You may not find as many of them in smaller towns, but almost everyplace has them — even Allerona has three!
7. Rest in the afternoon
My friend Rebecca was just in Florence for a meeting, and recalls seeing hordes of visitors, including families with young children, out sightseeing in the hottest part of the day and looking miserable. This is not the time to take a walk — it’s the time to take a nap! After lunch, head back to your hotel, shower and cool off, and rest in the a/c for a few hours before heading back out, no earlier than 5:30 or 6 — and later is better.
8. Verify that your place has a/c
In city hotels and rentals, air-conditioning is pretty much a given, but in smaller towns, that’s not always the case. Before you reserve, confirm that your hotel or apartment has air-conditioning. Because if you’re not comfortable in the place you’re staying, it’s going to taint your whole experience.
9. Have dinner after dark
Make your summer dinner reservations for 8 pm and later. Not only is it the most Italian thing to do in Italy, it also ensures that the sun will have gone down and temperatures will be more tolerable. On a sultry summer night, there are few better places to be than a sidewalk table in one of Italy’s pretty centro storico. Follow it up with a gelato and a lovely nighttime stroll, and you’ll make a vacation memory that will last a lifetime.
10. Visit in the spring and fall
We intentionally don’t schedule tours past early June or before mid-September, specifically because Italian summers are so tough to handle. Our spring and fall tours offer mostly sunny days, cool mornings and evenings, and bearable crowds in cities. (No worries about Allerona, where it’s never crowded!) I’m especially keen to book guests for our Springtime Immersive Umbria tour, which runs April 26 – May 3, 2025, as I need just a few more people to fill out that group. Grab a friend (or three) and join us, and I’ll give everyone in your party a $250 discount! Just use the code SPRING2025 when booking through our payment platform, WeTravel.
