Best Time to Visit Italy

Spring and autumn are the sweet spots

For most of Italy, April to June and September to October work best. Rome, Naples, Florence, Bologna and Pisa all land in those windows. Days are warm enough for the Colosseum or the Uffizi queue, and you won't melt on the walk between them.

The south and islands start earlier. Catania is best in April and May, before it hits 36°C in July. Palermo is pleasant from April to June, then again in September. Cagliari in Sardinia is the easy one, with a long good stretch from May to October, and its beaches stay comfortable all that time. Venice is also forgiving, with June to October all working well.

Summer is hot, busy and shut in places

July is the hottest month in most cities, including Rome, Florence and Bologna. Naples, Palermo and Cagliari peak in August. Midday in Florence or Rome can feel heavy, so do your museums then and save piazzas for the evening.

August is the big one. Ferragosto, on 15 August, is a national holiday, and many Italians take the whole week off. Beaches fill up, and some small family restaurants in cities close for a break. Milan feels half empty, which is nice if you like quiet streets but less so if you want shops open.

Winter, holidays and low season

November is the wettest month almost everywhere, from Rome and Milan to Naples and Florence. Verona is the exception, with its wettest month in May. Palermo and Catania are wettest later or earlier than the rest, in October for Palermo. Expect grey days and fewer tourists, which means easier museum visits and shorter lines.

Low season runs roughly November to March, apart from Christmas, New Year and Easter. Those weeks are busy, and Easter Monday (Pasquetta) sends Italians out for picnics and day trips. Other public holidays include 25 April (Liberation Day) and 1 May, and both can create long weekends with crowded trains and sights. Travelling with kids? School is out from about mid-June to early September, so the coast gets full.

If you want the best mix of weather, space and open doors, aim for May or late September.