Oct vs. Nov in N. Italy
 

My husband and I were planning a trip to Italy in early October (Venice, Cinqueterre, Florence, possibly Lake Como); now we're considering changing this to early Nov. <BR>Generally, how would the weather compare --<BR>rain and temp? Is there a real cost advantage to November as far as hotel prices?<BR>

There'll probably be a cost advantage at some hotels, but others reduce their rates after September, so either month would be OK for lower prices. The real problem when you get into November will be the weather. Statistically speaking, early October might be pretty good in general, but with late October and November, the fronts and the rain and the cool weather descend on places in northern Italy such as Milan and Como.

We were there for two weeks last November and it rained constantly the whole time. We met folks at the airport who said it had rained constantly for the preceding two weeks as well, and it was still raining when we left. I got the sense all that rain was not greatly unusual for November, so I'd strongly recommend sticking with your October plans.

Stick with your early October plans. Weather is better. And don't forget that going into November your days are getting shorter, less daylight hours for touring cities or trekking the CT trails. The big attraction for the Cinque Terre and Lakes area are their natural beauty. In my daydreams, I don't envision gazing out across the water in a downpour.

Based on my experience in both early October and early November, go in early October. There's a big difference in temperature. We were never comfortable sitting outdoors on our November trip. In October, however, we were able to do it all the time! Lake Como was especially beautiful in early October.

Thanks for all your input. We've definitely decided to stick with October