Help with Italy Please
 

We are planning our first trip to Venice and Florence for Spring of 2004. Easter falls on April 11th and Liberation Day and Labor Day are April 25th and May 1st repsectively. Our goal is to avoid crowds (particularly school children!) but to have decent weather. Should we go in March to avoid all the holidays in April? Or will Venice be all fog and mist in March?? Should we go in May, or is that going to be crowded with tourists? Advice appreciated.

I've been in late March, early May, mid-June, June 30-Jul 2, mid-September - - and I think that the day of the week may be more important than the month of the year. There are always crowds in Venice, and they are always worse on weekends compared to Tue-Thurs.

If May works for you as well as April, I bet you will be happy with a decision to go then.

Best wishes,

Rex

Personally speaking I think that by going in Easter, Liberation Day and Labour Day you are very much likely to find lots of crowds. I live near Rome, so I know how crowded a touristic city can be during these days and I try to avoid it in fact (I avoid going to Rome on Labour's day in particular because there is a concert in front of San Giovanni Basilica that lasts all dy and there are hords of people for this purpose). School trips are not usually done in these festive days because the prices are higher and there is the rule that italians school trips must avoid to include national holidays (unless the school master decides otherwise). So I believe that you will find a much crowded Venice in that period. May would be better, because if you go in March you could find the high tide phenomenon for some hours of the day in Venice (there is a very good post written by Federico regarding that, he lives in Venice so nobody better than him knows the situation). Venice anyway tends to be one of the most touristy cities in Italy, so expect to find lots of tourists in May too... I suggest this months though

We have gone all months of the year because our family is there. One holidays of April 25th and May 1st residents usually do what they call "Ponte". They bridge the two and have almost a week holiday. We went to Assisi during that time and literally couldn't get into the city. Every parking space (parking lots are outside the walls) was taken. Then when we arrived at our family home (which is near a vacation area) we couldn't drive the streets. They were packed.

May is a great time of the year to go. Most crowds start to arrive in the middle of June. Unless you go in the middle of the winter, you'll have some crowds.

I've been to Venice in March and it can be iffy. The fog and mist in Venice is really quite nice. It adds ambiance. The problem, though, is the flooding in March. I've never hit it, but when we go back, it will be in a time that doesn't usually flood.

I also vote for May.

We visited Florence and Venice in May this year (I avoided May 1 as it is a holiday) and the weather was warmer than we expected but still quite pleasant. While both cities were crowded, we were never inconvenienced by the crowds and were able to see whatever we wanted. I don't know if it happens regularly, but in Florence in the first week of May we found many attractions were having free days. We walked by the Accademia and didn't recognize the entrance because there was no line, so we went in, and it turned out it was also a free day.

Both cities are always crowded, but being there on a holiday (or 3) means you'll likely to see more Italians out there in those crowds. I'd say go, and celebrate the holidays with the Italians.

We always try to go the last two weeks of May or the last two weeks of September. We have been very lucky with great weather and manageable crowds.

Well, we are facing the same problem and decided to just go with the flow. We'll be in Venice on 1 May. Tap the person next to you in line - it might be me and we can pass the time chatting. : - )

Thanks everyone, May presents more difficulties for us so I was really hoping you would all say to go in March. Anyone out there vote for March??

Hi Ivy,
Since you asked.

Go last week in March and 1st week in April. You will love it. Weather will be variable. Dress in layers and bring an umbrella.

Venice in the fog and mist is beautiful. In Florence, go up to Fiesole (no. 7 bus from train station) and watch the mist rise above the city.

Have fun.