Agosto in Italia

It's no secret that Italians go on holiday in August either to the beach or to the mountains. This August, more Italians are coming to the U.S. taking advantage of their favorable exchange rate. Americans too, are still enjoying visits to Italy in more creative ways in response to our not so favorable exchange rate. We look more now for smaller family-owned places to stay in the country instead of larger hotels in the heart of the cities. Places where we can cook a few meals for ourselves instead of dining out every night allowing us visits to the local markets where we interact more with the residents. Travel itineraries include more walking and cycling than driving. We tend to enjoy more educational programs versus general sight-seeing vacations. The result? A richer experience that is still affordable where we bring home so much more in addition to our photos and souvenirs.

And traveling in August is warm, yes. And many places such as stores are closed for the month, yes. But the traffic is lighter, the museum lines are shorter, and there is still much to see and do in Italy in August. Besides, with the dollar as it is, we do less shopping anyway! And we enjoy more just being in Italy in the summertime.