In numerous trips to Italy I have still not been to the Amalfi Coast and would really like to try to go next year. My problem is I can only travel in March or July/August (although this year I am squeezing in a trip to France in November). Neither March nor July/August seems ideal for the Amalfi Coast - summer is crowded and March the weather is iffy and some things may not be open and boat rides may not be possible. I did just read somewhere that in recent years summer has become almost a shoulder season with more people opting to go in May/June or Sept for less heat and crowds thereby making summer not that awful. Any truth to that? I do know that is actually the case in Venice and I have been to Venice three times in July and the crowds were something you could deal with. But don't know if that holds true to the AC. By the way, heat doesn't bother me so that wouldn't be a factor for summer travel. Rain and crowds are my worries.

So have you been in either July or March and if so would you go again at that time? Which would you choose? Thanks

We had a trip to Italy where we visited the Amalfi Coast in early March and it was late March when we reached Venice. I would visit at that time of year again, it would probably be my preference if choosing between July and March. July would be much busier, though you would no doubt have much better weather.

We had fairly good weather in March, it was cool and sunny on the Amalfi Coast and in 6 days, we had about one day of light drizzle. Venice was quite cold, especially at night but it was full of atmosphere and not that crowded. We didn't have any rain in Venice but of course that will vary year to year.

On the Amalfi Coast we stayed in Sorrento and did day trips to Amalfi, Ravello, Positano etc. I don't remember things being closed, we had no trouble getting around by bus and finding restaurants etc though some places were much quieter than they would be in peak season. Nothing seemed to be closed in Venice either.

If rain and crowds are your main worries, check www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp this should show you average temperatures. Both places will be more crowded in July.

Kay

If you want any beach/sea time at all, come in July. Yes, it's crowded and hot, but "alive" with much happening. Many hotels and restaurants have not even re-opened for the season in March, and boat service is very limited. If sightseeing and relaxing are enough (and for many that is!), then March works, but i suggest staying in Sorrento that time of year (more open, more going on). Have a great trip!

Thanks for your replies. It is a tough decision. I guess it would be fine either time but I do tend to like a place like that more when it's warm and flowers are blooming and I do really want to take a boat trip. I just had heard such horrid stories of crowds. I'm just wondering if it's not any more crowded than other parts of Italy, the Greek Isles, etc. in July.

More opinions welcome.

personally you couldnt drag me to Italy in July.
HOT and Crowded... NOT

March! I was in the Amalfi coast in mid-March (also Venice, Cinque Terre and other parts of Italy), and the weather was beautiful. There were flowers blooming in the Amalfi Coast area(I took photos), and I also took a boat trip. It was cool and clear, and everything seemed to be open. Maybe you don't mind heat, but it will definitely be much more crowded in July & August, as summer is the only time some people can travel.

I agree with Jetsetj. It can be miserably hot. We usually go to visit family in Ischia in March/April or September/October. One year we had to go in June. We changed clothes twice a day it was so hot.

At the end of July and all of August you not only get tourists, but you get the rest of Europe. I remember watching tv when we were in Florence on the 31st of August. There was a steady stream of bumper to bumper traffic from Amalfi to Rome.

isabel,

The Amalfi is all about being outdoors and enjoying the sybaratic life of al fresco dinners and lounging on a terrace with an eye-popping view, plus enjoying the sea. You can get lucky in March with clear skies, but you run a higher risk of fog, mist and rain obscuring the views, or cold driving you indoors for lunch, cocktails and dinner.

If you really loathe crowds (and I do too) try booking yourself away from the worst of Amalfi's tourist destinations. Choose for a base points south of Amalfi, or between Positano and Sorrento. Try Atrani. Avoid Capri unless you mean to spend several nights in Anacapri. Look at booking yourself above Positano, or down in Minori. Or on Procida.

I prefer the heat to chilly weather in the Amalfi, but then again, I don't spend all my time touristing. I go to the Amalfi to relax on a private terrace.

All that said, if a big part of your plans is to visit Pompeii, or spend all your time climbing stairs and taking buses and boats from one famous Amalfi destination to another -- rather than swim and relax in the sun -- then you might want to go in March.

I totally second stepsbeyond's comments and advice. I have also been in both March and July. We did more touring in March, but wore jackets much of the time. In July, we walked more in the mornings, enjoyed the view while lazing about the pool in the afternoon and stayed up late. We even did tour Pompeii and Naples in July and walked up and down all the steps in Positano. It was terribly hot, but no one else was brave enough for Pompeii in July, so it was not crowded, and I enjoyed it very much. I loved taking boats down the coast in summer. I guess, I would choose July over March because I like it very warm and don't mind crowds unless they are really awful. In March, I felt like a tourist in a scenic place. In July, I felt I was on a luxurious vacation in Paradise.

The only thing I disagree with stepsbeyond is that Procida and Ischia are as crowed in the summer as Amalfi is. Our family is in the tourism business in Ischia and we never visit in the summer. The traffic is horrible, the beaches are crowded and the family works around the clock. We had to visit once in June... never again.

Thanks for the replies. As I feared, kind of a split opinion. As a photographer, sunshine is important to me so I'm willing to battle a bit of heat and crowds if the trade off is better chance of sunny weather. So far in many trips to Europe in July, including places like the Greek Islands and Sicily, I have not been disappointed. I do realize early July is better in terms of crowds than August so I'd go then. I'd just read so many horror stories of extreme crowds (buses so crowded you couldn't get on them, etc)that I wondered if the Amalfi Coast was worse than other parts of Europe in July. So I guess I need to do some more thinking about it.

The last time we were in the Amalfi coast was October and it was cold...really cold. It was overcast and rainy. The buses were packed then, too, so don't go by that in your decision. If you don't mind the good possibility of brutal heat and crowds, and you want sun for photography, definitely go in the beginning of July.