Sam

My wife and I are planning a trip to Italy in mid October and would like to know the general climate of Sicily, as well as Venice and Tuscany, to help us make our decision where to travel.

Rex

At the risk of stating the obvious, Sicily will be warmer than Tuscany, Tuscany will be warmer than Venice - - at least statistically speaking.<BR><BR>And the latter half of October has been the season for some dramatic flooding in Italy - - but not as much as early November.<BR><BR>The website www.worldclimate.com is a good resource for the actual facts and figures.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex

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Carol

<BR>I was in Tuscany in October for two weeks a few years ago and the weather warm good--unseasonably warm for much of the time, with only one heavy rain and a few days of brief drizzle. I think fall is unpredictable there as it is at home (my home, that is).<BR><BR>I've heard that October is a good time to go to Sicily, but I think most times of year except July and August are good in Sicily. I have heard that October is still a good time for swimming in the sea. The south coast might even be hot. The mountains in the interior will probably be quite cool and maybe even cold. Just an educated guess, though, since I've never been to Sicily in October. see the book On Persephone's Island by Mary Taylor Simeti for an account of life in sicily (mainly in province of Palermo) including details on the seasonal changes.<BR><BR>Maybe GAC will see this question. He/she seems very expert re Sicily.

GAC

October weather is usually very unpredictable, but one could hazard the following: Venice and Tuscany will be cool, and there is a good chance of some rain. Sicily could also be cool and rainy, but there is a much greater chance of enountering a few mild days as well. Weather in the mountains (e.g. Enna at 930 metres altitude) will be colder than along the coast.

Alice Twain

Often mid October in Sicily still has a couple of days fit for swimming, although this year the sea will probably be too cold for it. Yet, in Sicly OCtober is still early Fall. Florence, unlike what Rex thinks, is not much hotter than Venice, on the other hand it can be cooler in winter since Venice is on the sea while Florence is pretty close to a meduim-height range of mountains, which gives the city very cold winters, colder than, for instance, in Milano. In COtober you can expect it to be more or less like Venice: you will probably need a jacket and sweather, although certainly not a wintercoat. If you decide for Florence, I would spend at least a few days travelling the countryside by car. Fall gives the hills of Chianti or Colline Metallifere or the Amiata area incredible colors.

Rex

I'll be accused of being defensive, but I don't understand the point of the comment "unlike what Rex thinks".<BR><BR>I didn't say "much hotter". I said that Tuscany would be warmer than Venice, and I cited a leading world website.<BR><BR>Florence: October<BR><BR>Avg max temperature: 69.1 degrees F<BR>Avg temperature: 59.5 degrees F<BR>Avg min temperature: 49.8 degrees F<BR><BR>Venice: October<BR><BR>Avg max temperature: 64.2 degrees F<BR>Avg temperature: 56.7 degrees F<BR>Avg min temperature: 48.4 degrees F<BR><BR>Siena: October<BR><BR>Avg max temperature: 65.5 degrees F<BR>Avg temperature: 58.3 degrees F<BR>Avg min temperature: 51.1 degrees F<BR><BR>How many other data points are needed to answer this question? Perhaps there is some place, at some elevation in Tuscany that averages lower temperatures than Venice in October.<BR><BR>And maybe there are some colder months in the winter compared to Venice. But mid October is not winter!<BR><BR>This seems to have become a parlor game, to suggest that I don't know what I am talking about.<BR><BR>Why?<BR>

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Alice Twain

Rex:<BR><BR>Allright, let me phrase it differently: Florence is a damn cold city!!! It n&igrave;may be south of Venice, but I feel so much cold everytime I go to Florence in Fall/Winter/Spring that I feel like my hands are going to fall off and break in frozen shards on the streetfloor. And luckily (or unluckily) I go to Florence or nearby Florence twice a month, on average!!!

Tom

Hands frozen, fallen off and broken into shards. In mid October! What an image. No doubt about it, Sam and wife better plan on going to Sicily!<BR>