October or November

What is your itinerary? Some areas, such as the AC, start closing down in November.

It may be rainy in October as well. Just like March, October is an iffy month so I would look at the other benefits of going in November because it probably doesn’t make all that much difference, weatherwise.

The days will be a lot longer in October.

Rome monthly hours of sunshine:
October -- 200
November -- 150

Statistically speaking, one would expect a bit more rain in November (it's the wettest month of the year, with an average of 4.26") and average high temperatures about 10 degrees (F) colder than in October.

The numbers are naturally different but the pattern is similar in Florence.

You can find climate summare charts with monthly averages in the Wikipedia enrtries for most cities, usually in the "Geography" section.

I hate short days (to a truly abnormal degree, I admit), so I'd choose October. I spent mid-Feb to mid-Mar in Rome and Naples last year, and I found the latter half of the trip considerably more pleasant. The days were longer and warmer, and I didn't have to wait until noon for the temperature to climb to 40F.

We go annually to Italy (usually Naples) for Christmas and have never encountered more than a moment or two of rain. Also, we think Europe is beautiful in the dark, so less daylight is actually more attractive to us! November gets my vote!

We were in Rome the first two weeks of this past November - there was rain, but much of it fell overnight or early morning. We were caught in a cloudburst while entering the Forum, and there were puddles and a few sprinkles to contend with afterward. We encountered a torrential rainstorm while in Monterosso - got wet going out to find dinner the first night, then sun the next two days.

Statistically you may encounter more rain in November than in October - there are charts on the pages for the RS Italy tours on this website. But how would you know in advance which days will see rain? You just have to be prepared - waterproof shoes [not "water resistant"] and a poncho and collapsible umbrella in your daypack. I wore my waterproof ski parka. You'd be dressing for cooler weather anyway.

Which part of the country you plan on visiting may also be a factor.

Thank you all for your responses. You all helped so much the first time I went to Italy and that's why I came back with more questions.

We would be going to Florence and possibly other cities in the area (Sienna, for example) and Rome and surrounding areas of Rome.

We were in Bologna, Florence and Milan this past Oct 30 - Nov 10. Almost every day the forecast called for rain but we only had a couple of days where we actually got rained on when out and about. I had waterproof shoes, a raincoat and a very small umbrella. You just never know but be prepared and remember it's better to get rained on in Italy than to be at work. :D

We were in Italy this November until the 15th. It was definitely getting chilly, but we enjoyed it being less crowded. That said, we usually find reasonable hotels in October and November. But we typically don’t prebook until several days before we get to a location. Many hotels lower their prices if they are not full.

We were in Italy from late September through October 13, 2023. The days were long, we had beautiful weather, and in early October we even swam off the Cinque Terre coast on a sunset cruise. We ended our trip in Rome and Orvieto and a couple of those Rome days were really hot (10/8-10/10.) It was so hot when we emerged from the Vatican Museum at about 10:45 that we decided we couldn’t bear to stand in the sun in the long lines to get into St. Peter’s, regretfully. I remember thinking that this must have been miserable in the summer if I was this hot on the second week of October!!

Two weeks after we got home, the temps dropped quickly, and that big storm blew in with lots of rain and flooding…so dramatic to see it in the same places we’d just been, esp. the CT and streets of Rome.

We decided that if we returned to Italy that late September - early October was a good time to visit, and that we would plan on dressing for summer with a light sweater, and lightweight pants/shorts/skirts. It was still surprisingly crowded, even in the second week of October. Not much of a shoulder season any more.

Laurie

My husband and I spent 12 days in Siena and Florence this past November. I, too, was concerned about the weather and was encouraged by this forum to go when we did. It was great! It did briefly rain occasionally and it didn’t matter. What was wonderful was the lack of crowds compared to what we read about and heard about. Maybe your decision rests on what you want to see and experience, and also how you deal with crowds!