Dbacks

We are planning our trip to Italy the first 2 weeks of next April. One week in Rome, one week in a Tuscany Villa (30 min. south of Florence). Has anyone been there during this time? I know weather cannot be predicted, but what have you experienced? Also I am hoping the crowds will be less this time of year. (We will be leaving Italy the day before Easter so hopefully we'll be missing the Easter crowd). Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks.

Edward2005

My last trip to Italy started in late April and the weather was terrific and the crowds far smaller than in summer. The two exceptions to the crowds will be Easter weekend in Rome and May Day (May 1) in any resorty location like Monterosso or Portofino.

willit

I was in Lucca for a week in mid April, and it rained every day. Some days intermittant, for a couple of days torrential. I believe this was highly unusual - The television news had a nontage of shots of heavy rain, floods, snow storms etc with the caption "It is supposed to be Spring!"

I have been to Italy in March and April several times, and have usually been very lucky with the weather.

rex

Usually, the weather is usual for that time of year in Italy, and occasionally it is unusual for that time of year.

For usual weather info, see www.worldclimate.com or www.weatherbase.com

My springtime travel in Italy has only been in March, in May and in early June - - except for the generally predictable attractions which are well-known for long (and sometimes avoidable) lines (for example, the Uffizi), I have never seen them truly terrible.

Best wishes,

Rex

PJK

I was in Italy from mid through late April this year. In the Cinque Terre we had torrential rain a couple of times but also a day with perfect temps and sunshine for hiking. In Tuscany we had chilly temps and strong winds most of the time. Rome was warm. I didn't even use a jacket while we were there. Nothing was crowded in Tuscany, but in Rome, there were crowds at times. We were there during the time of the election and installation of the Pope. We also ended up in Rome over a weekend, so that made matters worse. In many places, I think April is an unpredictable month regarding weather. Take layers, be prepared for rain, and enjoy every minute rain or shine. PJK

BATUFFOLINA

Consider that from February (after carnival) to Arpil (before Easter) schools in Italy organize school trips to some Italian destinations, so its likely that you will see groups of children in the cities, but it is not that bad, maybe some hotels (especially the cheap ones that cater to school groups) will be fully booked.
Weather is always unpredictable but in April is tends to be pretty rainy. In Italy we say: marzo pazzerello, esce il sole ma prendi l'ombrello (march is crazy: there is the sun but it's better to take the umbrella). Well this saying can be easily be applied throughout april. I remember that on MOnday Easter when there is the traditional picknicking day, most of the times the weather was so poor and rainy that we often had to cancel out trips and pic nics on the meadows....
Again, weather is unpredictable...so who knows you can be lucky...

zootsi

We were in Rome, Tuscany & CT for 12 days in mid April a few years ago. The weather was basically mid 70's and mostly mixed sun & clouds. We DID hit a very brief ice storm in hills of Tuscany, but then the sun broke thru - very beautiful. CT was not quite beach weather, but pretty close! There weren't crowds to speak of, of course Rome is always hectic, as is Florence, and we did encounter groups of Italian school kids (nice kids!) in Sienna.

Shane

My last Italian vacation was in late April, 1996 and the weather was marvelous with the exception of one rainy day in Venice. The crowds were not too bad except for a 45 minute wait at the Uffizi in Florence.