Biglar

I am currently researching a trip to Italy. This trip is about a year away from now. We would like some advise on the best time to go- Spring or Fall. We would also like to know the best months to be in Italy. WE are planning between a 3 to 4 week trip. Want to see the major cities but also want to see the non tourist Italy as well. We want to enjoy the country, the locals and to return with a real enjoyment of the country side. I know I will be posting additional questions as my research moves forward. THANKS!

Eloise

Arguments can be made for both spring and fall.

My personal preference is late spring, i.e., during the month of May. The landscape is green; flowers (and wild flowers) are in bloom; the days are becoming longer rather than shorter; the Italians who must deal with tourists in one way or another are not yet suffering from burnout.

SeaUrchin

I agree, but there are nice fresh ingredients in the Fall for special dishes.

But, I would rather have fresh locals too, instead of crabby ones at the end of the season.

monorailgold

Hello,
I am just the opposite. I prefer the fall when all the leaves are changing and the weather is brisk. Both times are great times to go. You won't go wrong with either.

Donna

Mimar

Either spring or fall is good. But the days are longer in spring. This is helpful for sightseeing and not getting lost.

Budman

We went in the Fall, the weather was great, but the rolling hills in Tuscany were all brown from the Fall harvest - plowed up to clear soil. I'm going back to Italy in the Spring, hoping things will be green and the flowers in full bloom.

bobthenavigator

May is the best for me---flowers are in bloom and the days are longer.

CRAZY4TRAVEL

I agree that the longer days and the beautiful wildflowers are good reason to travel in the Spring.

As far as the big cities go...I would rather travel in the fall when the weather is a little cooler and there are less people. We were in Rome in May and it was very hot and crowded. I have been twice before in early October and it was a much more comfortable visit though the days were shorter.

ppalette

I spent a month in central Italy in Oct and loved it! Harvest time can be quite beautiful. Esp in wine country!
If you are a painter like myself, it was nothing short of beautiful!

LoveItaly

Hi Biglar, my personal opinion is that it is rather six of one and a half a dozen of the other.

Good comments here regarding the advantage of both seasons, depending on the weather patterns are of course.

Also I think it depends on where you will be in Italy. I have found in NE Italy it is not uncommon to suddenly have cold weather, heavy rain storms along with thunder and electrical storms sometime after September 20th or so. So for that area I prefer spring. But I do love the food that is offerred in autumn. A problem, lol.

Having 3 to 4 weeks in Italy is lovely, I am sure you are really having fun planning this trip.

Will you be renting a car?

Biglar

We do hope to rent a car to see the country side. Everything I read recommends not to have a car in the major cities. As I continue to plan this trip I will be asking about car rental and highways and cities to see. THANKS!

JandaO

I love the fall when the grapes are being harvest. The weather is good and there arent huge crowds everywhere.

1artzmama

I just returned from a trip this July 2006. It was the hottest season on record for summer throughout Europe. Not a good time to travel even at a fraction of the heatwave we felt. However, judging from what others have said on this site...May or early June is the ticket. But no matter which month you choose, the beautiful way of Italian lifestyle will transcend your soul...trust me!!

jabez

I've been their in April,May,June,Oct.,Nov ,Jan. and Feb.
Overall, weather is unpredictable. What isn't is the hours of daylight. I really like having a longer day and eating dinner outside.
This generally means May,June or Sept.
Depending on how long you stay,I'd recommend Sept. (finishing in Tuscany for wine harvests) or late May/early June.
Sept. will most likely be warmer (especially early in the month).

MollyBloom

May is the best time to be in Italy, I think. But much depends on where you want to go. Where do you want to go?

JulieVikmanis

I've had the experience Budman is seeking. Went to Tuscany first in the fall. Thought it was the perfect time. Fields were plowed brown and there were sunflowers everywhere waiting to be harvested, etc. The picture of Tuscany I had always held. Then I went in the Spring and was totally enchanted by the fields of green with red poppies lining the roadways everywhere. Both are lovely but those poppies can't be beat.

ellenem

Yes, it DOES depend on where you want to go. On a trip to Italy at the end of April this year, we visited Lake Como. I had been there 15 years ago in late September. While it was very beautiful then, this April trip so much better for the beauty of the spring gardens in bloom. Visiting Villa Carlotta with all the spring flowers--rhododendrons, azaleas--in bloom was astounding at times. Sure, the gardens looked nice in September, but most of those bushes were just green, not overflowing with color.