When is the best time to visit Italy?

The best time to visit Italy is to carefully consider the period with the most pleasant weather, the fewest tourists and the prices of accommodations. Of course, your personal preference also plays a major role in this. Actually, any time is a good time for Italy, if you ask us! Yet we often get this question and that's why we devoted a blog article to it. This way you can form your own opinion about which period you would like to go to Italy.

August: Italy is flat

It may be assumed by now that August is the month when all of Italy is flat and many shops and businesses close and other – tourist – companies charge increased prices. Italians have gone abroad or the mountains or the beach in their own country. Some families have a summer house by the sea where the hottest months of the year are spent.

On the other hand, August is also the month in which the fun Ferragosto parties take place (and various others feast e sagre in towns and cities across the country) and which you should participate at least once. Ferragosto is an important holiday and therefore automatically a large part of Italian culture.

????Reading tip: Closed for holidays – Italy in August.

As for the climate

With regard to the weather, it is not so easy to indicate a certain period. The climatic conditions within Italy vary enormously. Southern Italy has a truly Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Northern Italy is generally cooler, but also more humid. As a result, it can feel stuffy in heat, just like with us.

You will find special circumstances in the Alpswhere the winters are harsh and long. From november it snows there and it lasts until April.

March to May

The period of mid-March to the beginning of May the weather is often nice but not too hot. A great time for walking, cycling or active sightseeing. The chaos of summer holidaymakers is still missing and yet there is plenty to do in the form of markets and festivals.

It is best to take into account cold nights and rain during this period (especially in the north and center of Italy). It is often still too cold for the campsite in April or May in the north of Italy. On the other hand, it is nice and cheap, because it is still low season.

Are you a beach lover? Then is June your month: usually great beach weather, but the biggest heat and crowds are yet to come. Please note that June in Italy is often a high season month, precisely because of the excellent weather conditions.

Do you come for museums? April!

Do you like visiting monuments and museums? Then a visit to Italy during the Settimana della Culture recommended. This is a ten day period that usually occurs in April. During this 'week of culture' you can visit all kinds of museums and monuments for free, even those in Rome.

Find out in advance if and when these 10 days are exactly, because in recent years this manifestation did not take place due to the economic crisis. Cultural visits to Italy are also fine in September or October, when most of the tourists have disappeared.

The late season

September and October are becoming increasingly popular to travel to Italy. In September you have the weather of summer, but without the often unbearable heat that you find in July or August. Moreover, the schools have started again and the Italians are back to work. Despite this, there are still many parties and festivals in September and the whole country is still full of summer atmospheres. An additional advantage: many tourists have returned home, so that a visit to Italy in September is a smart alternative for high summer.

Also oktober is becoming more and more popular. For example, during the autumn holiday period, when many people want to enjoy good weather for a while before entering the dark time in the Netherlands or Belgium. In October it is a lot quieter in Italy, although that also depends on where you go. For example, it will not be much quieter in Rome, Venice and Florence than in the summer months. Precisely because normal life has started again in September and October for most Italians.

In the south of Italy, as in Sicily or in the heel or sole of the boot (Apulia/Puglia is recommended, but also Basilicata and Calabria), you can still lie on the beach at the end of October. In the north it is already significantly cooler and wetter and in the middle of Italy the weather can also be less in October. But in general Italy in October a good idea, if you have that option.

The Amalfi Coast

De Amalfi Coast should be avoided in July and August due to the heat and busloads of tourists. The best time to visit is from April to June. But keep in mind that the summer season really starts in June these days.

After the summer are also september en oktober fine months. You can still swim and enjoy the sun, the flowers and all the beauty this part of Italy has to offer.

If you like symbolic festivals, September 19, the Saints Day of San Gennaro, is a must. On this day, Neapolitans gather at the great cathedral of Naples to watch the saint's clotted blood liquefy again (or not, and disaster strikes the city).

Visiting Rome: when is the best time to travel?

Are you planning to visit Rome and do you want to avoid the crowds as much as possible? That won't be easy. In Rome (and to a lesser extent in the other major Italian cities) it is fairly busy with tourism all year round. However, you do see a decline in the period after Christmas.

The best time to visit Rome seems to be the period between January and the beginning of April. After that (and especially at Easter) the large throngs of tourists flock again. You can also give it a try at the beginning of autumn. It is busier than in early spring but usually also very nice weather. For example, we were in Rome again at the end of October and it was 25 degrees. If you want to visit the Vatican, you are best off in January or in November. But keep in mind that these are also the months with the least good weather in Rome.

Italy month by month

Traveling to Italy is possible all year round, but depending on your wishes and preferences, there are more suitable and less suitable months for your trip.

Below you will find links to articles with tips and recommendations for traveling to Italy from January to December.

• Italy in January
• Italy in February
• Italy in march
• Italy in April
• Italy in May
• Italy in June
• Italy in July
• Italy in August
• Italy in September
• Italy in October
• Italy in November
• Italy in December

Conclusion: when is the best time to travel to Italy?

So when is the best time to visit Italy? The short answer: spring of early autumn. Go for it and book a trip today in the spring or the May holiday or a city trip for October or November! You will have no regrets.