Italy When To Go

The country is generally hot and crowded. You won’t be able to move in the streets of Venice and you’ll be stuck in long lines to get into top attractions in Rome and Florence. Prices everywhere will be higher. Many shops and services will be closed and Italians away on vacation during the second and third weeks in August, so you'll hardly be able to get a real feel of the place.

As long as you don’t mind bundling up a little, you’ll have access to museums, palaces, and top archeological sites. Finding reasonable hotel rates shouldn’t be a problem, though you may miss out on seeing the richly varied Italian landscape at its best. December to March is the time to go skiing in the Alps. Fashion bargain hunters may want to wait for the winter sales, running from early January to early March (exact dates vary).

The best time to go to Italy for value, weather, and crowd control. Throughout the country you’ll experience wine festivals in the fall and flower festivals in the spring. As an added bonus, two major events allowing free entry to national museums and archeological sites – the Settimana dei Beni Culturali (one week in Spring) and the European Heritage Days (one weekend in late September) – both happen during these months.