Best time for Florence & Venice
 

Fodorite;
Planning a trip to Florence & Venice. When is the best time to go Apri, May, or October?
Thanks in advance,
Greg

Can't go wrong with May or October. I've never been in April but that sounds nice too.

hi,

Mid-April to mid-May and Mid-Sept to Mid-Oct are the best times.

I recommend May. It's light much later at night and that's great for strolling after dinner.

The consensus seems to be May.

Now would anybody share a favorite hotel, restaurant, or site seeing advice for a trip to Florence or Venice?

Having lived an hour from Venice, I have found May to get more rain than any other month. September and October is my favorite time.

On average, May is tied for the 6th rainiest month in Venice. About average for all months at 2.7 inches. October averages 3.0 inches, September 2.6 inches. April comes in at 2.9 inches. November is the rainiest at 3.5 inches.

Florence gets slightly more rain than Venice on average. The rainiest months in Florence are October, November, September, and May.

Hi Vol,

Have you looked at the miniguide to Venice on www.fodors.com?

For hotels in Venice, we stayed in La Calcina. It was away from the crowds, close to an uncrowded vaporetto stop (if you don't mind walking a few blocks) and very close to all of the activity though we felt isolated in our little spot. It's on the Guidecca Canal - so a room with canal view was easy for us to obtain.

Sightseeing - aside from the basic touristy things, I'd suggest a gondola ride, a vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal (pick it up at the stop before St. Mark's to ensure a seat close to the front; take the #1 I belive -- whichever one makes the most stops along the canal). Also just take time to wander the streets. It's a very walkable city and everything is close. Avoid St. Mark's in the middle of the day -- hit the smaller cathaderals or visit Murano and Burano -- when the cruise boats release their day trippers.

Thanks hlphillips2, We considered La Calcina. It looked great from various web sites.

What about Florence, anyone?

ttt

October. As a former resident of Bologna I can tell you that there is lots of rain in the spring.

I tried reserving La Calcina five months in advance and they were booked! Reserve early...

I should append that, I lived only 1 year there and as we know in our current global climate, everything can fluctuate greatly from year to year. Either way, fall or spring, you can't go wrong. Personally I prefer going when the tourists are there above all considerations.