The Very Best Time to Visit Italy

Spring in Italy

March, April, and May

Spring in Italy means warmer weather but plenty of rain. All around the country, the weather will be warming up but do know that in most places in the Italian Alps, you can still hit the slopes throughout spring, it'll just depend on the exact weather that year.

As a rule of thumb, Southern Italy will heat up first with Northern Italy following slowly behind. We live in Northern Italy and can attest that it stays pretty chilly until around May. I've visited Southern Italy in March and April and there the days were much warmer but the nights cooled down quite a bit.

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Spring Travel Tips

You'll see my recommendations of where to visit if you come to Italy in the spring but before I dive into that, there are a few tips for traveling in Italy in the spring that are worth knowing so you can make the best decision possible:

1. It'll likely be too cold to swim. Even as Southern Italy heats up by May, the water will be frigid. On a particularly hot day, this could be refreshing but in general, it'll be too cold.
2. Most mountain trails will be closed. In the spring, it'll either be ski season or off season. Unless you're at a low elevation, snow is likely to still be on most of the trails making hiking dangerous even if it's melted too much to ski. Likely everything will be closed in the Dolomites in May.
3. The chance of rain is high. You know what they say, "April showers bring May flowers" and that mantra rings true in Italy, too. The spring flowers are stunning but you might have to face some rainy days to get them.
4. Insulation isn't great in old buildings so inside might be colder than outside. You might not be able to use the heat outside of winter (it'll depend on the building) and even if the weather is warming up, inside the buildings tend to be colder.
5. You can expect less crowds and a more intimate travel experience. In general, people don't start visiting Italy until May so March and April are pretty quiet months to travel.

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Best Places to Visit in Spring

While there are so many wonderful places to visit in Italy in spring, I made some tough decisions to narrow down my top recommendations:

• Matera: This is easily one of my favorite places to visit in Italy. I visited mid-spring and the weather was perfect, albeit a bit colder at night than I was expecting. There were few other people here, adding to the cool atmosphere that I was back in time.
• Puglia: Puglia is a region next to Matera, making it really easy to combine the two into one trip. Puglia is famous for it's coastal cities and while it might be too cold to swim in March and April, the crowds are far less, giving you a better chance to explore the cute towns before the alleyways get too full of people.
• Venice: I for one love Venice but do think off season is a much better time to visit than in the summer months. If you want to experience something really unique, visit for Venice Carnival. We went last year and it was rainy (as is the norm in Venice) but really fun seeing people in costumes. If you visit for Carnival, do your part and at least wear a mask! Just know that based on the year, Carnival could be in February or March.

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Summer in Italy

June, July, and August

If you're itching for a beach trip where you'll enjoy long days under sunny skies, you'll love visiting Italy in the summer. Or, if you want to go hiking in the Dolomites and have the best chance of trails being open, July and August are ideal.

If, though, you're visiting Italy to pop around the big cities and visit hot spots like Florence, Venice, or Rome, I would highly suggest planning your trip for a different season if possible. Yes you have more daylight hours but you'll have to fight bigger crowds, hotter weather, and more expensive accommodation.

Summer is peak season in Italy so come prepared for all that entails.

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Summer Travel Tips

Here's what I recommend you keep in mind when deciding if a summer trip to Italy is right for you:

1. Ferragosto closes a lot of the country down. This is a holiday in August that most take off work for. Businesses close their offices for a few weeks and even shops, restaurants, and cafes will take up to the entire month off. In more touristic areas, most things will still be open but in small towns this is the norm.
2. The summer crowds in Italy are real. If you dream of roaming the canals of Venice, admiring the Duomo in Florence, or seeing the historic sights in Rome, you'll have to share the space with thousands of others who have the same idea.
3. Not everywhere in Italy has air conditioning. In the summer, it does get really hot in Italy so having air conditioning makes a big difference, especially if you're used to having it while you sleep. If you're visiting in the summer and need air conditioning, be sure to book your accommodation well in advance.
4. It's a fantastic time to be outside...usually. Hiking in the Dolomites is really wonderful, especially in late summer. It's also the best time to go to the beaches throughout the entire country.
5. Prices might be more expensive. Everything from renting a car, booking a place to stay, and even your train tickets might be more expensive during the summer than in any other time of the year.

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Best Places to Visit in Summer

In general, summer is a great time to visit Italy if you're seeking beaches. Just know that super popular places like Amalfi Coast that have small beach areas will be very crowded. Instead, I recommend visiting these two spots instead:

• Sardinia: This is an island off the western coast of Italy. It's absolutely stunning and a joy to visit. The best thing about Sardinia is its beaches so coming in summer will allow you to fully explore those. We visited mid-June and faced little crowds compared to what we've seen in July and August.
• Dolomites: I'm a sucker for the Dolomites any time of the year but summer is perfect here. The temperatures don't get too hot, making it the ideal weather to hit the trails. Just know that in June many trails will still be closed thanks to snow but in July and August everything should be running. You might face four seasons here, even in the summer so come prepared. I hiked in hail both summers I've been here. See for yourself the best time to visit the Dolomites.
• The Big Lakes: I'm combining Lake Como and Lake Garda together in this one because really, dealer's choice. They're both great! I visited Lake Como in May and while we had a great time exploring, it was too cold to swim and there were still large crowds. I've been to Lake Garda in both May and October and again, both times were really cold. While there will be more people, if you want to enjoy swimming in the lakes, summer is the best chance.

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Fall in Italy

September, October, and November

I adore fall. Not very original of me but it's true, fall in Italy is wonderful. In Southern Italy it's still warm enough to swim in the sea usually throughout October so you can stretch those beach days out as far as possible. In Northern Italy it typically cools down sooner (I'm in a sweatshirt and sweatpants in my house in September right now) so while you won't want to swim, it's still a nice time to be outdoors.

Fall is also the grape harvest season in Italy so if you have your eye on visiting a vineyard or two, this is certainly the most exciting time to visit Italy.

Just like spring, fall is shoulder season so while the weather might be a little unpredictable, you can expect smaller crowds.

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Fall Travel Tips

Want to visit Italy during my favorite season? Keep these things in mind:

1. The weather might change drastically from north to south. If you're planning to travel a lot of the country, pack layers as the average temperatures will range a lot. This is the same recommendation I'd give anyone visiting in spring, too.
2. Trails and lodges close in the mountains in October or November. Snow starts to steadily fall by around that time so if you want to visit the Dolomites, you could be in for a fantastic fall treat or things might already be closed gearing up for winter. My suggestion is to come late summer until early October for the best chance. For reference, last year we had perfect temps in the mountains late September but this year, it snowed a few feet early September.
3. It's the perfect time to visit Italy for wine lovers. You'll see more about this in my recommendations of where to visit below but harvest season is the best time to visit the vineyards.
4. Typically the weather is really good. It of course depends on the year but in general you can expect blue skies and less humid conditions by visiting Italy in the fall.
5. The sea is likely warm enough to keep swimming in the fall. At least in Southern Italy. In Northern Italy it's hit or miss.

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Best Places to Visit in Fall

As I said, fall is my favorite time to visit really anywhere in the country but if you want to narrow down the most unique recommendations, I suggest:

• Tuscany: Now it's time for Tuscany to really shine. There's no better time to enjoy the Tuscan hills than in fall. We've visited various small towns in spring, summer, and fall and I can say with confidence that early fall is ideal. I recommend staying at a vineyard or agriturismo to get the full experience.
• The Prosecco Hills: When we first moved to Trieste, we thought the small town next door named Prosecco was where my favorite drink came from. Confusingly enough, this isn't correct. Instead the Prosecco Hills are outside of Treviso, in between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. I recommend this area for fall for the same reasons as Tuscany - to enjoy the harvest!
• Bologna: If you're ready to dig into the best food in Italy, Bologna has to be on your travel list! There's really no bad time to eat your way through the city but the fall is the most exciting time since the students are back in town for the new semester.

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Winter in Italy

December, January, and February

Before moving to Italy I wasn't really a winter girlie. I grew up in the South of the US and weather in the winter is grim there. It's not cold enough for winter sports but not warm enough for anything else either.

Winter here is like winter in Colorado - it's actually one of the best times to visit Italy. That is of course if you're chasing winter sports and the Christmas spirit.

While the best winter atmosphere is found in the mountains in the northernmost part of the country, you can even ski in Abruzzo, the province just east of Rome, and in some cases even as far as Sicily.

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Winter Travel Tips

I adore winter in Italy but only because I can snowboard just a few hours from my apartment. If you want to fall in love with winter in Italy, I recommend you keep these tips in mind:

1. You'll have to drive to most ski resorts. There are some buses and trains but the easiest way to arrive at most of the ski areas is by car. Legally, you'll have to have chains in your car in case you hit a snowy or icy patch on the road.
2. The buildings can get really cold. I've mentioned poor insulation before but I wanted to double down on it. If you go to Southern Italy for winter, see if they have heating or be prepared to need more jackets inside than outside.
3. While Southern Italy will be warmer than most of Europe, it still gets cold. It doesn't snow everywhere but you can expect a humid chill that somehow feels colder than the mountains.
4. The Christmas spirit is high here. You won't find Christmas markets to the extend of Germany but most cities and towns have a Christmas market up from late November through early January. It makes for a really nice environment.
5. Unless you're at a ski resort, it's low season. That means fewer crowds, giving you many popular places to yourself. Just keep in mind that some small towns will close up for the winter. It can be a bit of a catch 22 but things in big cities tend to stay open year round.

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Best Places to Visit in Winter

Lean into your winter trip and enjoy snowy landscapes, cozy fires, and the Christmas spirit. While you can find this throughout the country, the best area is in the north, like:

• Dolomites: Here I go again with the Dolomites but can you blame me? For those itching for winter sports, there's really nothing quite like snowboarding here. I've hit the slopes across the US and in Eastern Europe but this region has my heart. Just be prepared for more falls, thanks to being distracted by the landscape.
• Italian Alps: OK, technically the Dolomites are part of the Italian Alps but most locals call the northeastern mountains the Dolomites and the Northwestern mountains the Alps, and that's the pattern I'm following here. The Dolomites in general have more slope variety but you can still enjoy great skiing and snowboarding throughout the Alps.

As an alternative, if your idea of a great trip to Italy means exploring museums and eating at local restaurants, you'll get the best prices and fewer crowds in the cities during winter.

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When Will You Visit Italy?

As you can see there's no real best time to visit Italy. The time you choose to plan your trip will depend on what you want to see and do while here and how many other people you want to share the experience with.

Ferragosto, lack of air conditioning, and seasonal closures need to be part of the plan, if you have some flexibility when planning your trip.

Either way though, I think no matter when you visit Italy, you're in for a real treat.