Italy travel tips

Best time to visit Italy

Every guide's best months, checked against its own thirty-year rainfall: a filled month is recommended, a hatched one has over 250 mm of rain. Most of Italy agrees on Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.

PlaceJFMAMJJASONDIn words
RomeApril to May, late September to OctoberApril to May, late September to October
FlorenceApril to May, September to OctoberApril to May, September to October
VeniceApril to May, October to early NovemberApril to May, October to early November
Amalfi CoastApril to June, and September to October (August is full and hot)April to June, and September to October (August is full and hot)
SicilyApril to June, and September to October (July and August are 35°C)April to June, and September to October (July and August are 35°C)
Lake ComoMay to June, and September — the high summer packs the ferries and the lake road becomes one long queueMay to June, and September — the high summer packs the ferries and the lake road becomes one long queue
MilanApril to June, September to OctoberApril to June, September to October
Cinque TerreMay to June, and September to October — high summer is shoulder-to-shoulderMay to June, and September to October — high summer is shoulder-to-shoulder
PugliaMay to June, and September to October (August is 35°C and the whole of Italy is here)May to June, and September to October (August is 35°C and the whole of Italy is here)
SardiniaMay to June, and September to October — high summer is when all of Italy arrivesMay to June, and September to October — high summer is when all of Italy arrives
NaplesApril to June, and September to October — the summer is hot and the city empties in the holiday weeksApril to June, and September to October — the summer is hot and the city empties in the holiday weeks
BolognaApril to June, and September to October — high summer is humid and half the city closesApril to June, and September to October — high summer is humid and half the city closes
VeronaApril to June, and September to October — the opera season runs through high summer, when the city is also at its hottestApril to June, and September to October — the opera season runs through high summer, when the city is also at its hottest
DolomitesLate June to September for the walking, and the deep winter for the skiing — the huts and many lifts shut in the shoulder weeks at both endsLate June to September for the walking, and the deep winter for the skiing — the huts and many lifts shut in the shoulder weeks at both ends
Lake GardaMay to June, and September — the lake is at its fullest in high summer, when the resorts and the ferries are both packedMay to June, and September — the lake is at its fullest in high summer, when the resorts and the ferries are both packed
SienaApril to June, and September to October — the two Palio days in high summer fill the city completely and rooms tripleApril to June, and September to October — the two Palio days in high summer fill the city completely and rooms triple
SorrentoApril to June, and September to October — high summer fills the Circumvesuviana trains and the Capri ferries beyond comfortApril to June, and September to October — high summer fills the Circumvesuviana trains and the Capri ferries beyond comfort
CapriMay to June, and September to October — the island is at its most crowded and most expensive in high summer, when the Blue Grotto queue can run for hoursMay to June, and September to October — the island is at its most crowded and most expensive in high summer, when the Blue Grotto queue can run for hours
TaorminaApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot, full and priced for it, and the town stays open all yearApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot, full and priced for it, and the town stays open all year
MateraApril to June, and September to October — the stone holds heat brutally in high summer and the ravine has almost no shadeApril to June, and September to October — the stone holds heat brutally in high summer and the ravine has almost no shade
Cortina d’AmpezzoDecember to April for the snow, and late June to September for the walking — the town works all year, which is unusual for a mountain resortDecember to April for the snow, and late June to September for the walking — the town works all year, which is unusual for a mountain resort
Val GardenaDecember to April for the snow, and late June to September for the walking — the valley empties in the weeks at either end of the seasonsDecember to April for the snow, and late June to September for the walking — the valley empties in the weeks at either end of the seasons
PaduaApril to June, and September to October — the plain is humid and heavy in high summer and foggy in the depths of winterApril to June, and September to October — the plain is humid and heavy in high summer and foggy in the depths of winter
PisaApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot and the Field of Miracles has no shade on it at allApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot and the Field of Miracles has no shade on it at all
LuccaApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot on the plain, and the comics festival takes over the entire city in late autumnApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot on the plain, and the comics festival takes over the entire city in late autumn
AssisiApril to June, and September to October — the town is at its most crowded around the major religious feasts and emptiest in the cold monthsApril to June, and September to October — the town is at its most crowded around the major religious feasts and emptiest in the cold months
RiminiJune to September for the sea and the clubs, and late spring or early autumn for the old town without them — much of the beachfront shuts for the winterJune to September for the sea and the clubs, and late spring or early autumn for the old town without them — much of the beachfront shuts for the winter
PortofinoMay to June, and September — the village is at its most crowded and most expensive in high summer, and much of it shuts in the cold monthsMay to June, and September — the village is at its most crowded and most expensive in high summer, and much of it shuts in the cold months
IschiaMay to June, and September to October — the thermal parks and the island both fill through high summer, largely with Italian familiesMay to June, and September to October — the thermal parks and the island both fill through high summer, largely with Italian families
LecceApril to June, and September to October — the Salento is fiercely hot in high summer and packed with Italian holidaymakersApril to June, and September to October — the Salento is fiercely hot in high summer and packed with Italian holidaymakers
LivignoLate November to early May for the snow, and July to September for the cycling and the walking — the passes are shut for much of the cold half of the yearLate November to early May for the snow, and July to September for the cycling and the walking — the passes are shut for much of the cold half of the year
Madonna di CampiglioDecember to April for the snow, and July to September for the walking in the Brenta — the resort quietens almost completely in the weeks betweenDecember to April for the snow, and July to September for the walking in the Brenta — the resort quietens almost completely in the weeks between
BormioDecember to April for the snow, and June to September for the passes and the baths — the Stelvio road is shut for most of the cold half of the yearDecember to April for the snow, and June to September for the passes and the baths — the Stelvio road is shut for most of the cold half of the year
TurinApril to June, and September to October — the winter is grey and foggy and the summer is heavyApril to June, and September to October — the winter is grey and foggy and the summer is heavy
TriesteMay to June, and September to October — the bora wind blows hardest in the cold half of the year and is genuinely fierceMay to June, and September to October — the bora wind blows hardest in the cold half of the year and is genuinely fierce
BergamoApril to June, and September to October — the plain below is humid in high summer and often under fog in the coldest monthsApril to June, and September to October — the plain below is humid in high summer and often under fog in the coldest months
PerugiaApril to June, and September to October — the jazz festival fills every room in the city for ten days in high summerApril to June, and September to October — the jazz festival fills every room in the city for ten days in high summer
OrvietoApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot on the rock with little shade in the streetsApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot on the rock with little shade in the streets
ParmaApril to June, and September to October — the Po valley is humid in high summer and sits under fog for much of the cold half of the yearApril to June, and September to October — the Po valley is humid in high summer and sits under fog for much of the cold half of the year
ModenaApril to June, and September to October — the valley is humid in high summer and foggy in the cold months, which locals rather likeApril to June, and September to October — the valley is humid in high summer and foggy in the cold months, which locals rather like
RavennaApril to June, and September to October — the mosaics are indoors, so the weather matters less here than almost anywhereApril to June, and September to October — the mosaics are indoors, so the weather matters less here than almost anywhere
GenoaApril to June, and September to October — the autumn brings the heaviest rain on this coast and high summer is humid between the hillsApril to June, and September to October — the autumn brings the heaviest rain on this coast and high summer is humid between the hills
BariApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot and the seafront is the only place with any breezeApril to June, and September to October — high summer is hot and the seafront is the only place with any breeze

best month · over 250 mm · the letters are the months, January to December.

The guides in Italy

Colosseum arena photographyRomeItalyThree thousand years of history on every cornerwhite and brown concrete dome building during daytimeFlorenceItalyThe Renaissance, still standingVenice Grand Canal, ItalyVeniceItalyA city built on water, sinking beautifullyThe houses of Positano stacked down the cliff to the sea on the Amalfi CoastAmalfi CoastItalyVillages stacked up a cliff above the Tyrrhenian, on a road that should not existThe cliffs and sea below Taormina in SicilySicilyItalyGreek temples, Norman cathedrals, an active volcano and the best street food in Italywhite and brown concrete building near body of water under blue sky during daytimeLake ComoItalyA Y-shaped lake under the Alps, with villas, ferries and villages stacked up the mountainsidespeople walking near brown concrete building during daytimeMilanItalyDesign, fashion, and aperitivo cultureblue fishing vessel near houses on mountainCinque TerreItalyFive villages stacked on cliffs above the Ligurian Sea, joined by a footpath and a trainbrown rock formation on blue sea during daytimePugliaItalyWhitewashed towns, conical stone roofs, olive groves to the horizon and two coasts to choose fromA cove on the Gulf of Orosei, white pebbles between limestone cliffs — Sardinia, ItalySardiniaItalyCaribbean water on a Mediterranean island, with a stone-age civilisation inland that nobody talks aboutUrban landscape with a bay and distant mountainNaplesItalyThe loudest, oldest and best-fed city in Italy, with Pompeii on one side and the islands on the othera view of a city with tall buildingsBolognaItalyForty kilometres of arcades, the oldest university in the world, and the food capital Italians actually namea large circular structure with people around itVeronaItalyA Roman arena that still fills for opera on summer nights, a pink-marble city around it, and Venice an hour away without Venice’s pricesbrown rock formationDolomitesItalyPale limestone towers that go pink at sunset, a network of huts you can walk between for a week, and two languages plus Ladin in the valleysgreen trees near body of water during daytimeLake GardaItalyItaly’s biggest lake, with lemon houses and olive groves at the southern end and a fjord between cliffs at the northern one — two different holidays on one body of waterCrowd gathered in a large, historic italian piazzaSienaItalyA medieval city that stopped growing in 1348 and never restarted: a shell-shaped square, seventeen districts that still hate each other politely, and a horse race twice a summeraerial view of city buildings near body of water during daytimeSorrentoItalyA town on a cliff facing Vesuvius, with lemon groves behind it and Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast all within an hour — which is why everyone bases herea group of boats floating on top of a body of waterCapriItalyA limestone rock an hour from Naples with two towns, a blue cave, and a day-tripper crowd that arrives at ten and leaves at five, which is the whole trick of visitingbrown concrete structureTaorminaItalyA Greek theatre on a terrace above the sea with Etna smoking behind it, in a town that has been letting rooms to foreigners since the 1800sbrown cave with over-view of cityMateraItalyA city of caves carved into a ravine, abandoned as a national disgrace in the 1950s and now a UNESCO site with hotels in the same roomsThe campanile over Cortina d’Ampezzo, with the Dolomites behindCortina d’AmpezzoItalyThe Dolomites’ grandest town, in a bowl of pale limestone towers, hosting the Winter Olympics again in 2026 having first done it in 1956A Val Gardena village and its steeple, under the Dolomite wallsVal GardenaItalyThree villages in one Dolomite valley where the first language is Ladin, the wood carving is a real trade, and the Sella Ronda circuit starts at the doora fountain in a courtyardPaduaItalyGiotto’s chapel, the oldest botanical garden in the world, and a student city that has been arguing in the same square since 1222white concrete towerPisaItalyEveryone comes for four buildings on a lawn and leaves in three hours, which is why the rest of a real Tuscan university city on a river is emptyUmbrella pines on the rampart of Lucca’s walls, with the town behindLuccaItalyA walled city whose ramparts were turned into a park you can cycle right round in half an hour, with an oval piazza built inside a Roman amphitheatreView of the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, in the town of Assisi, Umbria, Italy, decorated with frescos by Giotto and CimabueAssisiItalyA pink stone town on the side of Monte Subasio, built around the basilica of a man who wanted nothing, and visited by five million people a yearThe grid of parasols and sun loungers on Rimini’s beach, seen from aboveRiminiItalyFifteen kilometres of sun loungers and Europe’s loudest clubs on one side of the railway, and Fellini’s Roman town with a bridge still carrying traffic on the otherColorful villas on rocky cliffs overlooking the blue sea in Portofino, ItalyPortofinoItalyA fishing village of about four hundred people that became the most expensive harbour in the Mediterranean, with a free walk through a nature reserve behind ita castle sitting on top of a cliff next to the oceanIschiaItalyThe volcanic island Capri’s crowds do not reach: thermal gardens cut into the hillside, a castle on its own islet, and a working population of sixty thousanda church with a lot of pews in itLecceItalyBaroque carved out of soft golden limestone until the whole city looks iced, at the heel of Italy with two seas twenty minutes awayA snow covered mountain with a village in the foregroundLivignoItalyA duty-free valley at 1,800 metres, cut off by passes for half the year until they bored a tunnel, with cheap petrol, cheap drink and reliable snowa house by a lake with mountains in the backgroundMadonna di CampiglioItalyAn elegant resort in a saddle between the Brenta Dolomites and the Adamello glaciers, where the Habsburgs came to ski and the town still dresses for dinnera full moon rising over a mountain rangeBormioItalyA Roman spa town with thermal baths still running, a World Cup downhill dropping into it, and the Stelvio Pass and its forty-eight hairpins starting from the edge of townAn aerial view of a city with tall buildingsTurinItalyBaroque arcades under the Alps, Italy’s first capital, and the city that invented the aperitivoBuildings reflected in a calm canal on an overcast dayTriesteItalyAn Austrian port city that ended up in Italy: Viennese coffee houses, a Habsburg square open to the sea, and a wind that can knock you overThe domes and towers of Bergamo’s Città Alta, seen from the lower townBergamoItalyA walled Venetian city on a hill above the plain, reached by funicular, with a lower town nobody bothers to visit and mountains behind itPerugia’s roofs on their ridge, with the Umbrian hills behind themPerugiaItalyAn Etruscan hill city with escalators running up through a buried medieval quarter, a jazz festival in high summer, and chocolate the rest of the yearbrown and beige concrete buildingOrvietoItalyA town on a slab of volcanic rock with a striped cathedral that has no business being this big, and a second town of caves cut underneath ita group of people sitting at tables in a courtyardParmaItalyThe town that gave its name to a ham and a cheese, with a Correggio dome, a Farnese theatre made entirely of wood, and no crowds at allA tall church spire seen between buildingsModenaItalyBalsamic vinegar aged in attics for twenty-five years, Ferrari and Lamborghini within half an hour, and a Romanesque cathedral that is the best in northern Italywhite and green floral ceilingRavennaItalyEight buildings on the UNESCO list, all of them lined with fifth- and sixth-century mosaic, in a quiet provincial town that was once the capital of the western empireThe pastel houses of Boccadasse, the fishing cove inside Genoa, at duskGenoaItalyA republic that ran the Mediterranean, squeezed between mountains and port into the densest old town in Europe, and still not really on the tourist mapFishing boats on the quay of Bari’s old harbour, the Teatro Margherita behindBariItalyA working Adriatic port with a walled old town where women make orecchiette in the street, and ferries to Greece, Albania and Croatia from the quay