Temps for Europe Sept/October

[drcandon]

Hi..this has probably been asked a lot berfore. We are ready to book either the Mariner Rome to Venice August 29 or the Voyager OCtober 23 Rome to Venice. I would like to know what you folks found for real world temperatures in those two time slots.

 

Also one other odd question. I am heavily into architectural photography and of course the churches etc in that area are one of the draws for me. In the churches do you see anyone in shorts. I don't mean the ones that are well, revealing, I mean longer ones. I know enough not to wear sleaveless shirts.

 

And I also know not to use flash, higher ISO's

 

Please and thanks

[Threechicks]

I was on the Mariner last September going in the opposite direction. Sailed out of Venice on September 6. Weather was fantastic for the whole cruise. Temp was 75F - 80F with blue skies.

 

A trip that includes Venice in October is simply the luck of the draw. The temp will probably be ok but there could be flooding in St.Marks. Doesn't happen every year but was bad last October.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Like any cruise you go on the weather is unknown. Perhaps another poster who has been there at that time can give you some info.

[UUNetBill]

It's been my experience that in Central Europe, August is usually beautiful, September can go either way, and October is generally cool with the potential for colder temps. That said, I've never shied away from touring even further north in December - it's all about what you personally can deal with! LOL!!

 

One negative about later in the year is the light is generally less accommodating for exterior photography. If the majority of what you want to shoot is indoors that shouldn't be a problem.

 

As to dress codes in churches, I've noticed a big difference in what's acceptable based on the denomination, whether it's still an active church, whether there are services being conducted, etc. My wife and I generally wear light slacks (me) and at least capris (her) to be safe. I'd prefer to be a bit overdressed and be allowed in than to be totally comfortable and told to wait outside. Always a good idea to take a large scarf or two to cover head/shoulders in the more traditional churches. My recommendation would be to see which churches you wanted to visit and check their websites directly.

 

Have fun, and good shooting!!

[Travelcat2]

Agree that you will not be allowed in some churches in shorts but it is okay if you wrap a scarf around your waist. IMO, it's better to wear pants and not have to be concerned about it. Also, Venetians tend to dress up -- they look much better than the tourists:-)

 

The weather is a crap shoot. After landing at Heathrow in April (last week) in the snow, I would not predict weather anywhere in the world. The best bet is to look at the 10 day forecast online before you go.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I can only imagine how dreadfully hot it must be in Rome in August--I would definitely choose October, although obviously the days will be shorter and the light more of a problem for a photographer.

 

I wouldn't wear shorts or even capris in most churches in Europe.

[Travel2Learn]

DrCandon, August can be unbearably hot and unpleasant. October can also be warm. I was in the Med on Voyager from late September until early November in 2012 and focused on architecture. You are welcomed to email me at desine345@aol.com for more info. Weather.com can provide average temperatures for each city.

[Keith1010]

I would try to go in late September and it is a very nice time to visit both cities because the temperature is milder and although there are still a number of tourists it's better then in the summer months. As you get into October you begin to have flooding in Venice.

 

In many churches shorts are not permitted.

 

For women, pants, capris or long skirt is appropriate.

 

Keith

[Emdee]

We were in italy a couple of years ago in late october and it was freezing.

I think with changes in Global weather it pays to be prepared for all eventualities.

 

I wouldnt wear shorts in Church. In fact my 9 year old D was not allowed in church in Padua because her shorts were above the knee. I wouldnt wear sleeveless either.

[drcandon]

Thanks all for the replies...yes October is a crap shoot as I wondered, I thought perhaps the moderating effect of the Mediterranean would keep it a bit warmer then my "neck of the woods" Ontario, Canada.

 

I had no idea of the flooding in Venice until I was browsing the various tourism info sites this morning...I could not believe in one site showed a young couple swimming in St. Marks square...

 

And of all the short sightedness, it never occurred to me shorter hours of daylight in October...wow, and I am a self proclaimed photographer...better go back to photo school!!...

 

I have "zip-off" pants that are from our adventure outlet..Tilley, I think they would be a good choice...and thanks for the warning of the head covering..I will make sure DW brings a large scarf or shawl...

[pingpong1]

DrCandon - Greetings! We are booked on the Oct. 23 Voyager cruise from Rome to Venice and are very much looking forward to it. We've been to Italy many times - just not on a cruise before. The itinerary for this voyage is what drew us in, along with the particular time of year. If you have a choice, you really don't want to be in southern Europe in the summer months. This past summer (July/August), Sicily reached 100 degrees for nearly a full week! We're thinking that by late October, the temps should be delightful (as opposed to late August) and tourist crowds should be on the wane. But as others have said, expected weather conditions are oftentimes a "roll of the dice". Venice flooding in October? Perhaps - it has done so before. But the Oct 23 itenerary reaches Venice the first of November, so who knows? And Mt. Etna could errupt, as well! I sure hope Vesuvius doesn't - that could really spoil things! We're arriving in Rome 3 days early and staying in Venice an extra day at the end. I agree with TC (as I oftentimes do :)) - Just don't plan on wearing shorts in a church. Italians take their churches seriously. All of the churches are absolutely stunning - from the smallest village chapel right on up to St. Peter's Basilica. If you decide to take the later cruise, you'll be quite comfortable in slacks or jeans. I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy whichever cruise you decide on. Regards.

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha DRCandon,

 

Here is a brilliant recommendation for a website that gives accurate information about average temps in the ports we will visit. This comes from a post by DaveFR last year on the main Regent forum, and I found it to be extremely helpful. Mahalo to Dave for the information:

 

An excellent resource for getting a good idea (not a guarantee) of the weather in each port is to use the Trip Planner function on wunderground.com. (http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp) Just type in the name of the city or town, and the dates you're interested in. I usually add a day on each side of the dates I want. You'll get average weather data for your dates as well as individual data for the last 15 years or so.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mark

[FPJC03]

I will give you several reasons to book your cruise in October:

 

1. There will be more tourists in August, school is usually still out and Europeans still might be on holiday. So more kids and more crowds.

 

2. The weather in August in southern Italy is HOT (as said before), so October is definitely better for sightseeing. Maybe not for swimming, but I'm not going to Europe for that.

 

3. I am a wedding photographer and having autumn light is preferrable to harsh summer light. Use a higher ISO number and get those beautiful sunset shots at 5 or 6pm.

 

4. Prices on cruises in the Mediterranean are definitely lower at the end of October than in the summer months.

 

Will be on the Monte Carlo to Venice Mariner for October 24th. Have fun.

[shuguley]

Some (but not all) of the churches do not allow interior flash photography. Since most churches are large a flash is usually of little value anyway but be prepared to shoot at high ISO. An IS lens is also helpful.

 

As I remember, St. Peter's does allow a flash but again, it is so large the flash is not helpful very often.

[adoctor]

Cruise companies love to market this period as a great time to cruise the med.

It isnot.Yes you could be lucky but this period is prone to strong winds and rain.

The best time to go is May, June when the crowds are light and its warm and dry.August is generally good but can be hot and crowded

[Travelcat2]

If I may quote our Regent tour guide, Venice in August is "hell". She was describing both the weather and crowds. We were there last May --it was already getting crowded and was quite warm. I cannot imagine being there in August. Even if you can stand the heat, I doubt if you could walk in St. Mark's Square.

[LoonCall]

I was on Venice to Monte Carlo in late October when Venice flooded.

The temps IMHO were perfect for touring. Other than one day of rain we had mostly sunny days and temps in the high 60's - 70's. Light jackets/sweaters were all we needed and crowds were much lighter than summer. Enjoy!

[phillipahain]

We have had lovely weather during Sept /Oct in the Med

Cant think of a nicer place to be than on a cruise rome to venice or vica versa

[Hambagahle]

I agree with Jackie - I would do anything to avoid Venice in August. And generally here in southern Switzerland and our neighbouring parts of northern Italy (45 mins away...) October is a fantastic month. Not for nothing is the grape harvest in early October! But - and a big one - you can never, ever be certain about the weather. Jackie flew into LHR in a snow storm. Today here we have 25°. Friday it will be 13°. (centigrade that is!) You just can't have a guarantee any more... but chances are that the weather in October will be lovely.