Have you ever wondered what the best time to visit Italy is? We’ve often wondered when is the perfect time to go exploring through Italy and we decided to come up with a list.
BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY
To make things easier for you, we divided the best time to explore the map of Italy according to weather, high and low season, popular attractions, and other attributes!
The Weather
If your motive to visit Italy is to experience the perfect weather, then you should visit during spring or fall. Spring in Italy comes from April to June while fall is from September to October.
These two seasons bring with them nice weather, lesser tourists, and moderate temperature. Furthermore, the prices for activities during these two seasons are quite low.
On the other hand, if you think of the summer months as a good time to visit then be aware that there will be more tourists. Next, the summer months are hot and expensive.
Coming to the winter months, the days are wet and grey. The temperature to the south of Rome is moderate while that to the north is cold.
Sightseeing
Now, if you’re one who wants to explore the map of Italy and have fun sightseeing, then the best months for doing so is April and May. If you don’t want to use these months, then the other time months are mid-September through to mid-October.
The reason why these months are recommended for sightseeing is because of the pleasant weather but low crowds. When spring comes around, it is drier. If you wait to visit until mid-autumn, then you’ll be able to witness rain.
When August comes around, the heat rises which results with fewer people on the streets. In fact, a number of family run shops and businesses shut down.
One of the best ways to save money is going for sightseeing on a Sunday. Every state-run museum, gallery, gardens, and parks are free for a visit.
Roman Colosseum
You can visit a Roman Colosseum whenever you want to. Given that it’s popularly known as the symbol of Rome, you must definitely make it a point to visit when you visit Italy.
Now, since this is such a popular destination, you will rarely have the opportunity to visit it without the presence of a huge crowd. In fact, sometimes the crowd comes in thousands.
However, if you completely want to avoid crowds, then you can avail the night tour. This is when the crowds are down by half, and you can access the areas that are otherwise typically closed off to the public.
Next, you’ll be able to see the Colosseum against the backdrop of the beautiful night sky.
Finally, if you don’t want to or cannot take the evening option, then of course it will have to be during the daytime. The advice is to purchase the ticket in advance to avoid the length queues and try to arrive as early as possible to ensure you can enter before a large crowd tries to rush in.
Pompeii
Another one of the top attractions within the map of Italy is Pompeii.
It is nothing short of fascinating. The city froze in time during the 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted.
While walking through the streets, you will be able to understand how they used to live during the ancient times. You can see the remains of the baths, forum, amphitheater, and others.
The best time to visit is during the month of November and April, mid-December to Early -January. If you want the best weather then we suggest you go during the morning and arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to your scheduled date.
Venice Canals
If you’re one for the Venice Canals, and you should be, then the suggestion is to go during winters. It might sound rather unpleasant but you’ll be provided with blankets.
During December you’ll be able to avoid the crowds and even for the Gondola rides, the traffic will be low. The summer time comes with packed traffic and a sizzling temperature is an unpleasant add on.
However, if you cannot visit during winters, then we suggest you avoid visiting during sunset. Primarily because this is when almost everyone wants to go on a Gondola ride. The best time to go is between morning and early afternoon if you want to avoid crowds and the expensive rides.
Shopping
The best time to visit Italy for shopping is during the winter and the summer sales.
The winter sales hit after New Years Day and lasts until mid of February or as long as the stock does not deplete.
On the other hand, the summer sales come around July and August. The prices are incredible during the sale. However, towards the earlier time of the sale you’ll be able to avail discounts up to almost 50. There comes a point when you will be able to avail 70% but there isn’t a lot that you will be able to choose from.
High Season
The high season in Italy is usually the summer season. However, even then there are certain divisions.
If you consider the month of August, then it will be considered to be low season given that several Italians go for holidays during this time. Even the hotel rates are significantly low with fewer crowds. However, you will be enduring heat, especially if you travel to Southern Italy.
Now, coming to mid of May through to July, and then again in September, the season is known to be high. At this time, the country is buzzing with visitors and the rates will be at their peak. At the time, you can expect a warm temperature. If you travel south or inland, the temperature will be quite high.
Even though summer is the best time to visit Italy, if you want to beat the crowds then you should avoid the primary cities such as Rome, Florence, and Venice.
Shoulder Season
This is probably the best time that you can choose to visit Italy. In fact, March and April are the months that you should pick if you want the best vacation at Italy.
The temperature is comfortable and you’ll have the luxury of hiking through the green meadows of the Italian Alps.
Furthermore, the food festivals coupled with the upcoming grape harvest make it the absolutely best time to visit Italy.