Best shoulder season for Northern Italy?
 

We'd like to go back to Italy in 2003 and this time see more of Northern Italy. Venice and Florence for sure. Perhaps adding the Cinque Terra as time allows. What do you feel is the ideal season to visit these areas?<BR><BR>Many thanks in advance, the turnip

After 15 April in the spring, and that will be iffy in the Lakes. Or, Oct. in the fall--preferably before 15 Oct.

You can consult climate on the web, and surprisingly some (not all) of Italian tourist towns have drier springs than falls. Furthermore there seems better transatlantic airfare sales in the spring (talking late Apr vs early Oct).<BR><BR>On the other hand, I like the fantastic local fruit/veggie availability in the fall. And fall doesn't seem to have the minefield of holidays as the spring (easter, May 1, apparently Apr 25 and all days in between to some degree?).

Fall is a terrific time to go - we love it

We've done both spring and fall and the best is spring. Although both have similar weather, the hills are green in spring with plants and crops and brown in fall because everything's been harvested so you'll just see large expanses of dirt fiels if you go into the countryside in the fall