drm1418

My husband and i are planning a fall trip to tuscany, rome, the amalfi coast area and possibly umbria and wonder if the second half of september or some time in october is a better choice for optimal weather and sparser crowds? Also, if anyone could advise us of where in Rome and Florence to stay to best get around those cities to the main museums and sights, we would be grateful.

tuscanlifeedit

I think you are asking if the end of September is a better time, weather wise, than October. If that is your question, yes, September is better than October. However, it certainly depends on the year, and weather does vary from year to year.

Although they would be more expensive for airfare, I would take the middle two weeks of September if I had my choice. Even then, it isn't exactly summer everywhere in Italy.

I have had very warm and sunny weather in Rome in early October, and cool and foggy and rainy in Umbria just a day later.

We visited the Amalfi coast in mid September, and although there were some cool days, and some rain, there was nice, warm and sunny weather, too. But I still think September would be better than October.

Crowds will be thinner in October, if that is your main concern. I'm afraid you really can't match up optimal weather and thinner crowds. Ya gotta go for one or the other. ;-)

In Rome, most visitors agree that the areas around Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Condotti/Spanish Steps area are very central for seeing most of the city. These areas aren't really full of budget places... much more in the 175 E and up range, although there certainly are some choices for less. Plenty of upscale places in the Via Veneto area, and plenty of less expensive but good places in the Vatican area and the Forum/Colosseum area. None of these would be a bad location, and you might make your choice based on what you are most interested in.

In Florence, a compact and walkable city, any place in the center works. Everyone has their preferences, depending on noise, interests, budget, and more, but most central Florence hotels are convenient to just about everything.

Hope this helps.

ira

Hi drm,

Mid Sept-mid Oct is a great time of year.

Prices drop on the AC on Oct 1. The first week in Oct is OK. The weather gets iffy after the 2nd week in Oct.

knoxvillecouple

We were in Umbria, the Amalfi Coast (Positano and Capri), and Rome the last two weeks of September last year. The weather was fine - a day or two of occasional mist in Umbria - but that was it. There were "crowds" in Florence then, and Rome as well. But since I haven't been there in the dead of the tourist season I can't compare.

We only did a day trip to Florence (from our villa in Umbria) so can't advise you there. We stayed at Nicolas Inn (nicolasinn.com) in Rome - a popular B&B very conveniently located to Colosseum, Forum, Piazza Venezia - everything was walkable, althought we did take a cab to the Vatican and from Vatican to Villa Borghese.

drm1418

thank you to all of you for the very helpful input. Tuscanlife - you are correct in your assumption about my question and your answer is helpful, and also correct in focusing on the weather/crowds trade-off that we are weighing. We were assuming that we would spend around 250E a night for hotels, with perhaps a special splurge here and there. Additionally, we like museums, classical music and opera, historic sights and ruins, cafes, people-watching, food, wine and absorbing the local ambience. If anyone has suggestions that reflect those interests, we would appreciate reading their thoughts. Again, thanks to all of you.

sue_sorkin

Obviously staying in Rome or Florence will depend largely on your budget.
We recently stayed at the Hotel Capo D'Africa in Rome which is very near the Colliseum. We cannot recommend this hotel highly enough......it is really the best we have found in continental europe. We had breakfast on the roof in October, overlooking the Colliseum!!! The staff are very friendly and couldn't be more helpful. It is about a 30 minute walk into the centre of Rome but there are restaurants nearby plus taxis & the metro.
In Florence, if you want a decent, basic hotel, have a look at the Hotel Pitti Palace. It is right by the Ponte Vecchio and is surrounded by great restaurants. Although basic, the hotel is perfectly located for the sites of Florence and again they do a great breakfast on the roof.
Good luck

HowardR

That's a great time of the year to go. Good weather, smaller crowds. GO!

drm1418

thank you, Sue - we don't really have a budget; we do have a sense of value for price, so we don't as a matter of course go for the most expensive hotel in a city, although we have stayed at some spectacular places if we thought the location and ambience warranted it. As we won't be spending a lot our time in the hotels on this trip, we want something comfortable and reasonably spacious(one of us has a touch of claustrophobia). Since we walk A LOT, we do want a good location for getting around.

tuscanlifeedit

Now that I understand your desires better, I think you would be most pleased by staying in the Condotti, Pantheon or Piazza Navona areas in Rome.

I am not sure about the costs, but the Santa Chiara or del Senato in Rome might be in your price range. That's probably where I would go if that were my budget.

I have always wanted to stay at the Hotel d'Ingeleterre (tried to find the proper spelling and website, but failed; maybe someone here can help) or maybe the Inn at the Spanish Steps. I think for people watching, this area is tops. My favorite hotel in Rome is the Portoghese, and I would also go to the Nazionale Montecetorio. Please check all spellings. ;-)

We always stay at an apartment in Florence, so I can't help you there. There are a high number of hotels in your price range but I can't make a personal rec.

Eloise

The hotel in Rome is the D'Inghilterra:

http://hoteldinghilterra.warwickhotels.com/

Reviews I've seen have said that some rooms are small and that there is some street noise.

drm1418

we live in Chicago and are frequently in Mahattan, so some street noise is not a problem - great suggestions! please keep them coming. Tuscan, would we need to be in Florence for a week or more to rent an apartment?

MFNYC

I live in NYC, street noise in Rome is much worse. Many of the streets are narrow and the sound really travels. Most hotels do have decent windows, and when closed it's fairly quiet. Also some hotel rooms have different exposures, some noiser than others.