Is it better to go to Italy in September or October? Or should I wait till next May if I can wait that long! This is my first trip. I'm trying to avoid the crowds and the heat but I want to enjoy sitting outside at cafes and seeing the landscape in all its splendor. Thanks

We nearly always go the last two weeks in September and have found that to be a perfect time. I have also been in early May which is nice and in late June which was warmer than we like.

We have been to Italy twice, to Tuscany in early-mid September, and Venice in late April-mid May. We had perfect weather in September and few crowds, but that was ten years ago and there were less people traveling to Italy then than now. It was chilly to pleasant in Venice a few years ago, but very crowded. Even though it was after Easter, there were many local holidays during that time, with extended weekend breaks, so it seemed people from all over decided to visit Venice when we were there.
I think you would be fine in either the spring or fall, just realize it will be warmer the farther south you go, and there is little A/C. Any of the popular places are likely to be crowded, so consider other areas. I hear Umbria is beautiful.

After 15 Sep--before 15 Oct

Thanks for your help....the fall it is!

My husband and I are going to Tuscany at the beginning of October.How is the weather at that time?

We prefer May for a couple of reasons:

The weather is usually not too hot yet (Sept can still be very hot)
The days are longer than in the fall - so you can see more in the evenings
It's towards the beginning of the tourist season and locals haven;t had to cope with 5 months of wall to wall tourists

We were in Tuscany the second week of October 2004 and it was lovely: warm days, cool nights, magical morning fogs, one drizzly day. Bring a light jacket and clothing which you could layer. Of course, weather is just about as predictable as the stock market but I would think early October should be nice.

"Best" is relative. For us, that would include fewer crowds, lower hotel prices and cooler weather.

We prefer to go in late October to early November. We enjoy the fall cuisine as well as well as the cooler days.

Of my 18 trips to Italy, more than half have been at that time of year. Weather has been all over the place - it is a crapshoot IME.

We are planning our next trip for 2012 and will go in late October again as that works well for us overall.

Agree with bobthenavigator 15th Sep to 15th Oct, which are my favorite times to go to Europe. Although, I’ve been there in March and June and enjoyed wonderful weather.

Happy Travels,

jdc