Rome in November - Crowded? Cold?
 

Most guide books speak of November in Rome as a "low" season. However hotel prices are actually higher than they were in July (I was there just this past July and am staying at the same hotel in November and it's more than it was last summer). That usually indicates more crowds. So - those of you who have been in November, or who live there - should I expect the same kind of crowds that I experienced in July? Lines at museums, etc? Just trying to plan.

Also, the "historical" weather sites mention temps in the lows 60s but say it's the rainiest month of the year. Is "rain" typically the pouring down don't want to go out in it variety or more like lots of drizzle (like England tends to be). Obviously no one can predict actual weather, and I will check the forecast but trying to get a sense of what to expect.

I was there in November for our honeymoon several years ago. It rained every day, all day, and all night - not a deluge, but not a misty rain either. In fact, we were in Rome, in Venice, in Milan, in Pompeii, in the Dolomites, for two weeks in November - it rained constantly, everywhere, all the time. I can't comment on whether that's normal, but that was our experience. On the positive side, we had the Forum and pretty much every other outdoor attraction all to ourselves - nobody else was stupid enough to go out in the rain, rain, rain.

I have been in Rome a few times at the end of November and have experienced cool (but never cold) weather, rainy days (only one pouring, some overcast), sunny days . . . it didn't matter to me—I was in Rome! (The first time I visited Rome it was early September and it rained for three days . . .)

Many fewer tourists at the end of November We walked right into the Vatican Museums without a line when we went at midday. We had the Raphael rooms to ourselves and four other people.

I was just in Rome earlier this week and rain meant anywhere from light drizzle (misty) to heavy drizzle. We had what was supposed to be 3 days of rain but it was very on and off, mostly off. Some of the wider sidewalks (eg.Via Corso) have slippery smooth stone pieces rhythmically arranged every third piece, so we just avoided stepping on those. The cobblestones were not a problem for guys but my wife switched from her long heels to flat shoes. We wore water resistant jackets but never bothered buying the 3 euro umbrellas that all the Indian youths sell all over Rome.

The difference in hotel rates is because there are fewer business travelers in July versus November.

I have been in Italy in November...early to mid month and a light jacket....cool evenings...not so bad...no rain the times I have been very pleasant walking like a fall day here in North Carolina. Sure beat the sweltering heats of the summer months that Italy/Europe can bring and with reduced AC availability
go enjoy!

I have been a number of times in early to late November. Though there have been some rainy days, there have been more than were sunny and pleasant or overcast and comfortable. I shop around for hotel deals and find that the same hotel is often priced dramatically different on multiple sites. And I have a few hotels I prefer so those are the ones I focus on finding the best prices for.

I choose November to March for my travels to Europe to avoid heat and crowds of summer. I am happy to trade off the potential for rainy days.

Thanks for the replies. WillTravel - yes that makes sense, although I don't think my hotel is especially business oriented that could account for the prices.

So I might be safe not booking things ahead of time? I know you have to book the Bourghese but - St Peter's, Vatican Museum, Capitoline Museums - those might be safe to just show up?

I have never booked anything for St. Peters but if you are interested in the Scavi Tour, definitely contact them well in advance.

For the Vatican Museums, I have had good luck showing up after 2 when the lines are not long. Just confirm opening times.

Dear isabel, it is mandatory that you make a reservation on www.vatican.va for vatican museums admission. It will save time. Otherwise, if you do not want to pay for the extra 4€ per person (which sounds kind reasonable), just go there between 2 and 4.30 pm, last entrance. You will just buy the ticket and get in. You cannot book the admission to the Basilica. If interested you could book a Vatican Museums + Vatican Gardens visit. Buy Roma Pass (25€ per person) to avoid cues in all of the monuments and museums (with the exception of Vatican Museums, of course).

We're frequently in Rome during November, and I'm looking forward to our next visit - very soon now!

As to being busy - although based on 2006 figures - this count of monthly "presences" is probably about typical...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/126202609

I generally try to avoid snapping the crowds, but you'll perhaps get some idea from the photos here...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/lazio

Our hotel is charging exactly the same as we've paid since 2006, but not impossibly there was a bit of a panic earlier in the year - or maybe you just got a particularly good deal?

Weatherwise, all over Italy 2010 seems to be in a class of its own: we arrived from Ischia in February to find the city under a layer of snow, the first to fall for some quarter of a century, and autumn has been quite grim this far - so who knows what we'll be getting?

Usually however we're able to sit outside for lunch, but then have to hunt around for one of those big gasburners in the evenings...

Peter

I have no idea where A Brit in Ischia has been this autumn in Italy, but on the Italian Riviera, autumn has been spectacular, including today -- which is simply everything you could ever want in a beautiful day.

We have had the occasional howling storm between -- but unexpectedly violent and brief storms are what made the region rich and famous (even today the locals are the world's best shipwrights and navigators) and of course drowned the poet Shelley (but that was in the middle of July).

I've been in Rome in October and gotten SOAKED by downpours. I drove into Rome last November to thrumming lightening and thunder that disappeared the next day. I got a sun tan walking around Ostia Antica.

As for crowds, the tourists pack into the Forum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, the streets around the Piazza Navona year round (I guess the Spanish Steps too). The rest of Rome to me just feels like a normal busy city. Romans like to take to the streets for their evening stroll, so it can feel "crowded." But there are dozens upon dozens of areas of Rome of fantastic historic and artistic interest that tourists don't seem to know about.

Hi Ann,
I've been to Rome twice in November--both times we had days (although not every day) in the 70s and the second time in 2008 it was quite humid as well (ask Ginny about it.) Bring layerable clothing and a raincoat.

Patti

Hardly anyone's business but this year I've mostly been on Ischia - our home since 2003 - except for brief trips to the Amalfi Coast, Rome and the UK... and of those eight autumns this is already by far the most untypical.

Not sure quite what you're trying to hide, or why, but a count of the articles here may give an indication of how odd - and savage - the weather has been recently...

http://news.google.it/news/search?aq...=it&q=maltempo

Indeed, there's even a fair amount of coverage in the English language press - for instance...
http://news.google.co.uk/news/search...flooding+italy

Peter

I haven't been in November but both of my trips to Rome have been in December. My first trip it rained for about an hour one day....it was more like a mist and we didn't even need an umbrella. The temp however for the entire trip was absolutely freezing at the beginning of December.

My second trip (also in December) had a few days of rain that was kind of hit and miss. Never caused any problems. The temp was a lot more mild this time around. There were several days where I didn't even bring a coat along because it was so comfortable...then again there were a couple days where I thought my fingers were going to freeze off.

Just back from our latest visit and we were fortunate with the weather: dry and sunny, plenty warm enough to eat outside at lunch - though for dinner it did depend on finding one of those big gas-heater mushrooms!

A few pictures...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/rome1110

Over the next week or so it looks like being wet - here's one view of the "Rain risk" from today onwards...

55 % 65 % 30 % 45 % 55 % 55 % 55 % 45 %

or so they say, here... http://preview.tinyurl.com/39bzrbe

On Ischia it's bucketing down again today, though in comparison with some areas we've very little to complain about!

Crowds-wise, Rome was generally OK and certainly we saw no huge queues anywhere, however as Saturday night progressed the Campo de'Fiori became less and less fun: it was packed with kids, and the restaurants seemed very keen to shut up shop and clear off home!

We've been going there for at least a decade and, even when the pub crawls were at their height, haven't seen it quite so bad before - so we'll be finding somewhere else to spend that evening in future.

Peter

I visited in late November on my first trip to Rome. I wore a sweater under a light jacket every day. It didn't rain much for the 4 days there - anecdotal only of course.

We were the October 26th -29th. It didn't rain but it was certainly cooler, in the mid 60's day time. We like to walk around and I find it great for walking. A brisk walk around Rome will certainly warm you up. I do not like rain, but the cooler weather would be more preferable than steamy hot weather. Novemeber does begin the rainy season, but it is hit or miss with rain. It can occur at any time of year. We did start out with coats scarves, after walking we were peeling them off late p.m.

Come to think of it, my friend took a photo of me sitting at an outdoor cafe with only a short sleeve sweater on. When the sun was out, it was great. Evenings were nippy.