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Italy in October

Posted by (United States) on

Hi
We (2 people) are planning a trip to Italy in October (last two weeks). We need ideas/suggestions.

For this trip we are thinking of:

  1. Go to the dolomites
  2. Venice (we have been once before, but it was only two nights
  3. Tuscany region and set up a home base to visit wineries and enjoy the culture

I am trying to incorporate Sardinia on this trip. I would like to spend a good 4 nights there, but logistically I am having a hard time making this work.

Questions:
1. Is the fall pretty chilly in late October?
2. Where is the best region to set up a home base in the Tuscany region?
3. Thoughts on staying at a Agriturisimo?

Input appreciated.

Thanks

Posted by
865 posts

The Dolomites are brilliant, and there are many great places to stay. Many towns can be reached easily and cheaply by bus from Bolzano within an hour. Although RS seems to like Castelrotto I have loved Ortosei and Santa Cristina in Val Gardena. Check out Gillian Price's Hiking Guides to the Dolomites for places to go and see.

https://www.suedtirol.info/en

October is the shoulder season so expect variable weather... Maybe chilly, maybe rainy, it is the mountains after all.

We loved our stay at an Agritourismo in Tuscany, and there are a lot of them. We chose a rustic one with old farmhouses around a huge property, but it was self-catered and required a trip to the local market. There are others that offer meals, classes, tours, etc.

We stayed in the middle of the hill country southwest of Florence and loved it. But it was an hour drive to San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena, etc. You might prefer something south of Siena and closer to Montepulciano/Montalcino farther east.

I do not recommend anything from this website but it shows what you can come up with if you hunt around a bit.

https://www.agriturismo.it/en/farmhouse/tuscany

Posted by
16252 posts

The end of October is really late for the Dolomites. Many places will close for a break between summer and ski season. In 2016 the place we stayed in Val Gardena ( the village of Santa Cristina) closed the day we left, the last Sunday in September. Other places nearby had already closed. We moved to a small hotel in the town of Tiers which was open in October, but only until the 10th.

On the other hand, it is a good time for Venice, as the cruise ship traffic starts to drop off after mid-October. We spent the whole month of October in Venice and we noticed the difference.

Posted by
3161 posts

Sardinia is wonderful and few tourists in October make it better. Weather is still warm but not for swimming. Restaurants and hotels are very appreciative of your business at that time of year. You might find some resort-type places closed for the season but life on the island goes on. You can get direct flights from VCE to Olbia, Càgliari or Alghero on Easyjet.

If you decide on going to Sardinia, I’d go to Tuscany, then Venice and save the island for last. If you don’t include Sardinia (think about 2 weeks visiting Sardinia and Corsica in the future), visit the towns in the Veneto - Padova, Vicenza, Verona, Treviso. For a taste of the Dolomites take the train to Bolzano and the funicular Funivia Renon to Oberbolzen for some easy hiking, ride on the narrow gauge railway and views of the mountains.

Posted by
83 posts

For Tuscany, I would suggest setting up a base in Montepulciano. Rick Steves lists it as on of his favorite places to stay when exploring the Tuscan wine region. We travel to Montepulciano frequently and it's one of our favorite places. We are planning on being there at the beginning of October!

There are so many wineries to visit, you will certainly have a wonderful time! The weather in late October will be warmer during the days (50/60s) and cooler at night (40/50s). It could rain, so pack accordingly.

As for where to stay, I can suggest 2 of our favorite places. The first is in town and has apartment rentals (https://www.charminghomemontepulciano.com). The second is in the countryside, but about 5 minutes from town. It's a B&B (https://www.fontemartino.com/). I have stayed at many agriturismos, but found the comfort of these two places far superior.

Have a wonderful time!

Posted by
4375 posts
  1. Could be. I always check weather sites like wunderground if I feel I need more than a general sense of the season. Sounds like the Dolomiti season might be waning so that warrants more research. I always felt I would love fall in cities--if the nature thing does not work out, you could explore Emilia Romagna plus the Veneto.
  2. There are numerous options, depending on the day trips you wish to do. But note this will coincide with harvest season when the vineyards will be busy. But this could also be a great time for festivals--I would look at truffle season activities for example (maybe more in Umbria and Piedmont, but something to investigate).
  3. I prefer staying in a town but there are tons of options.

I think I would save Sardinia for an exclusive visit because otherwise you will have to insert a flight into the middle of an otherwise lovely trip.

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