Best time to visit Italy
Early spring and autumn are the best times to visit and travel around Italy Like most of Western Europe. All tourists planning to visit Italy should be aware that the north and south feel and look like two different countries (and cultures). The main demarcation is an imaginary line connecting Rome on the west coast with Ancona on the east coast. The North has long been associated with Europe, while the south has associated with the Mediterranean. The North is said to be the powerhouse of the Italian economy while the south (Mezzogiorno) is less structured than its northern neighbor as the tidiness and relative order that you might find in Tuscany will not be found in Sicily. Although today more tourists visit Rome and the northern portion of the county than visit the south although Both regions have their own set of delights.
Northern Italy (Milan, Bologna, Verona and Venice) looks totally dazzling in spring, its winters are mild and sporadically very foggy, and its hot, dry and humid summers are tempered by sea breezes. Venice In winter in Venice a mist often descends and hovers over the city creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense.
Southern Italy has warm, dry weather with far fewer crowds in September. It has a typical Mediterranean climate, which is almost always sunnier than northern Italy. July and August can be unpleasantly hot and humid. But there is always relief to be found in the mountains, in the coastal areas and in the forests.
Italian Cities
The best months to visit the cities of Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Verona, Bologna, Naples and the Amalfi Coast (in Southern Italy) are August, November or March. The most crowded periods are Easter, May and June, October and Christmas. July and August have become less crowded in recent years, but the summer can be fun but also uncomfortably hot. In August, most Italians will be on vacation and it is amazingly easy to visit the cities. As most of Italians spend their holiday in this month, businesses will be closed for holiday, you will not find so much people around, the traffic will be acceptable and the cities enjoyable.
Most cities have all sorts of live entertainment going on every night right on the streets and squares. Rome has its "Estate Romana" (Roman summer) which has music shows and dancing in many historical places like Castel S. Angelo and near the Coliseum. There is also an annual Latin dancing festival at Fiesta near via Appia. One of the delightful things to do in the cities (or even elsewhere in Italy) during July and August is to have dinner in the evening when the temperatures have cooled, in one of the many sidewalk restaurants and trattorias. This also happens to be a favorite pastime of Italians, and you will find dining facilities until late in the night.
During July and August, all of the tourist attractions in the cities and elsewhere remain open. Many of the cities like Rome have organized evening visiting hours in the museums which allow tourists to enjoy the magnificent works of art in a suggestive and relaxed atmosphere.
How do the Tourists know about these events?
Either ask a local since most of them know, or take a look at the city newspaper (if you can speak Italian of course). These events are all publicized in the "city" section of newspapers. Or you could simply wander in the streets and squares of the city center, the "centro", and most probably you will stumble on some street entertainment. To be informed of the special events being organized during this period, or for that matter for any period of the year, you can obtain information from the local tourist offices of the city government. They are either called "Ente per il Turismo" or "Pro Loco".
Shopping
The biggest and most expensive shops in Italy are in the big cities such as Turin, Milan, Naples and Rome. They sell fashionable clothes, shoes and accessories by famous designers. Large, bustling department stores are also found in the centre of these major cities. For the shopping aficionados August might not be the best month because the big sales are mostly over in July, most retail outlets are closed, and the new autumn collections are not yet displayed. The one drawback to visiting in July and August is the hot, and possibly very hot, summer temperature. Shops are usually open from 9 am until 1 pm. Many close until about 4 pm and then stay open until about 7 pm. This is to avoid the heat in the middle of the day in summer, especially in the south of Italy.
June / September:
These are excellent months for the visitors to go to the seaside - not too crowded - and usually the weather is quite nice. These months are also good for city tourism since it is not too hot.
April / May / October:
These months are perfect for visiting both cities and countryside, in particular Venice (in August the water in the canals can be smelly in Venice…). Easter often occurs in April so check your calendar because late booking of flights might be difficult. Unlike the U.S., Easter is a very important holiday in Italy. Directly following Easter Sunday, "Pasqua", is Easter Monday, "Pasquetta". The long weekend persuade people to extend their days of vacation, maybe to the following weekend. Traffic can be pretty intensive at the beginning and end of the period.
November to March:
Visitors might find cold, rain, and dreadful weather or possibly pleasant and dry conditions, particularly if you keep south of Florence. These are good months to visit the Deep South, like Sicily. Cheap flight rates is the main advantage that this period offers
Christmas and New Year:
Plan your travel well in advance and also book the tickets since they fill up pretty quickly in this period - also expect to pay a premium. Family is of course the Christmas theme. In recent years all of the major cities and also smaller centers have Christmas decorations in the streets. New Year is also considered a major holiday in Italy as Dancing and being with friends is the New Year's theme. Various types of local celebrations are organized in smaller centers. For example in small towns in Tuscany, like Pienza, a huge fire is built in the central square and it burns all night long and into the new day so that the villagers and visitors can gather around, speak, and joke and celebrate the new year together. In the squares of many of the main cities, like Piazza Navona in Rome, are countless stalls exhibiting all kinds of toys which really excite the children.
