Italy in winter

It sounds like Italy is becoming incredibly busy. I will watching responses to your great question for ideas for winter travel

Where do you plan to go in Italy?

I'm planning on Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. Also considering Naples and Amalfi Coast.

I visited Venice for a week last January. There were no queues at any of the main attractions, but daylight hours are short, some attractions have more limited opening hours, but the biggest impact that we found was that many restaurants are closed for the month and several of the guided walks weren’t operational. We were lucky with the weather, which can be dreadful.

Thanks. Yes I've heard about restaurants closing down and stuff. That's why the doubt.

Is your time frame flexible? Once I asked on a Sarah Murdoch blog for a good time to visit Venice for those (like myself) that are frustrated with crowds. She recommended March.

Not really. Since it depends on my leave, it has to be January :(

I've never been to Italy, but I would guess its nice enough depending on what you are used to. I had an absolutely lovely time in Barcelona/Catalunya in January. We loved the weather. It was high 50s low to mid 60s, perfect temps for walking around and sight seeing. Keep in mind that I live in MN.

I've only been to Italy in May and September, so no personal experience. But you may recall that last February, Rome and Naples got snow. Daily Mail headline read, "First Rome... now Naples is blanketed in snow as the Mediterranean city is 'whitewashed' by its heaviest downfall in 50 years". But it sounds like that was very unusual.

It would not stop me, but my wife likes the sun and heat. Northern Italy is in the Alps, Southern Italy is near Africa, so there could be a wide range of weather. Check out the monthly weather averages for each city and hope for the best!! I'd suspect that all the sites and businesses in cities will be open as usual.

I have been to Venice at least 5 times in Dec, Jan, or Feb. Sometimes it has been down right mild (low 60's F), others drizzly mid 40's F.
Rome and Florence, also mild weather.
Your mileage may vary.

I too am planning a trip last two weeks of January 2019 for a milestone birthday. Curious what other comments will be. I plan to go to Florence and Rome only.

We lived in Italy and traveled extensively in every month. There are always restaurants and shops open in the cities you name except the Amalfi Coast gets very quiet. Stick to Rome and North where you will have indoor options (museums and churches) if the weather is poor. It seldom rains all day and the temps are moderate, not usually freezing. Layers, a good winter coat, and boots are helpful.

I was in Rome in January of this year, and I can recommend it. We had lovely weather (daytime highs in the 50s and 60s, no rain), although that's always a matter of luck. I didn't notice any restaurants or sights being closed for the season. Some of the sights (Ostia Antica, Capitoline Museum) we had almost to ourselves, while others (Trevi Fountain, Pantheon) were busy but not too obnoxiously crowded.

We were in Tuscany two weeks before Christmas. We had a wonderful time. The temps were comfortable, we had only one day with some drizzle and little or no crowds.

Italians gotta eat too. I imagine most of the restaurants that would be closed are touristy places anyway. We ate twice at La Cantina in Greve. It was just us and the locals. The staff and the locals adopted us and we had a great time seeing that little part of Italy through their eyes.

Not January, but spent a week in February 2017 in Rome, and a week in February 2018 in Venice. In both places, no problems with sights being open, and they were much less crowded than when I had been to both places before during busier times of the year. I loved that part of both trips.

The weather for the week in Rome was fine--highs in the 50's F the whole time, just a bit of rain here and there, all very comfortable with appropriate clothing. The weather for the week in Venice--oh my, it was cold, rainy, and WINDY! Highs well below average (around freezing) and the wind (some days a steady 30mph, gusting to 40) made it feel like it was in the low single digits. I had brought many layers of appropriate clothes and wore 'em all, but extended time outside just wasn't possible. I know I was unlucky--the BBC even named this weather system The Beast from the East--and I absolutely love Venice, but the weather that week was challenging. So, yes, look at historical averages and know that you'll probably have a good idea of what the weather will be like, but also know that the weather gods can have a wicked sense of humor.

Congrats on your upcoming trip to Italy! You will have fun any time of the year.

I have visited Rome and Florence twice in the winter, specifically in late February/early March. In 2017, Rome & Florence temps and conditions were in the 50s/low 60s during the day, and down into the 40s in the evenings. I layered up with fleece pullovers and a down puffer jacket, and was fine. Conditions varied from sunny to overcast, with 1 day of rain.

2018, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. Like Eric, I got caught in the Beast from the East Arctic blast that came down through Italy from Siberia. I was in Rome and Florence on both occasions when it snowed. A unique experience, but snow in these cities is so rare that it made travel grind to a halt (very similar to how cities in the Southern US shut down in such conditions). When it didn't snow, it rained buckets in Rome. Florence was bitterly cold - again, this was late Feb/early Mar. I packed the same mild winter wardrobe as the 2017 trip, and regretted not packing a warmer coat.

To disclaim, Eric's and my experiences with the bitterly cold temps and wintry precipitation tend to be the exception in places like Rome and Florence. Pack layers, and following Laurel's excellent recommendations, plan more indoor activities. Most importantly, this year's challenges with the winter weather taught me a greater degree of flexibility with my plans. I did tons of research before the trip (that's normal as I enjoy that activity), and doing all that research enabled me to pick different activities when weather conditions prohibited what I had planned originally. For example, I had plans to visit Palazzo Pitti on what turned out to be Florence's snow day. Palazzo Pitti was shut the entire day, but other museums I wanted to visit that were included on the Firenze Card were still open. Switched to those other sites while walking around taking pictures and videos of Florence in the snow, and was delighted with the alternate experience. One of my favorite memories of the trip!

Let us know if you have additional questions, and happy planning!

It is a good choice in January and February. I have been 3 times during that time and coming from Chicago it is nice because the winter there is a lot milder. All the major sites are open. And the airfare and lodging will be cheaper

Call me a masochist, but I prefer to travel to Italy in the winter as opposed to high season.

Twice we've done it, both in Late February/early March. In 2015, in Florence, Salerno and the Amalfi Coast, temps ranged from 40's to about 60. Nicest two days, high 50's, we took advantage of Pompei and Amalfi, both very few tourists and quite wonderful. In 2017, we spent first a week at an apartment in Rome, which was fabulous. Spring-like, about 60 during the day, little rain, plenty of people but seemingly not that many tourists, more locals.

Then we took the train down to Sorrento on the A.C. peninsula, 100 miles south of Rome, mind you, and the weather turned nasty. Low 40's, driving rain, wind, yecch! We did a lot of inside stuff, like taking the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Naples to the Archeological Museum--fantastic! The last day, it semi-cleared up, long enough for us to take the SITA bus over to Positano--pretty much deserted--for a nice day among the shopkeepers, fog and sun. Very enjoyable nonetheless.

I think if you prepare for inclement weather, so you're not cold and/or wet, travel at will in the winter. In the major areas, plenty of locals restaurants will be open, which are the ones you want to frequent anyway.

Enjoy your planning!

Thanks a lot guys!

We went there in February 2016 (Rome, Verona, Milan), and I liked it. Not as crowded as summer, and the weather was ok. Daylight hours are shorter, though. Also, maybe try to plan some days with indoor attractions like museums or churches in case it rains too much. Or consider some culinary experiences, Italian cuisine is incredible! I would also suggest reading some info on seasonal experiences in Italy in January to get a clearer picture. Some of my favourite ones were rove.me and the Independent, actually it convinced us to travel in February back then as we were hesitating. Buon viaggio!