October vs. November in Italy

Lynne, I've never been in Italy in November, but I have been there in September and October. The weather is usually quite nice at that time of year, although there can be rain so be sure to pack for that. What have you found that's "cheaper" in November - flights, hotels??? While there's lots of historical weather data available, there is no way to predict what the weather will be like. If cost is a factor, travel in November is certainly possible but be sure you plan for rain and colder temperatures. Cheers!

Been to Rome first week of November and the weather was fantastic. A bit cool, but great for travel. Day light lasted until about 5PM Of course, southern Italy will be warmer than the northern part, but part of the fun of traveling later in the year is the option to see a country outside of "tourist" season. that being said, we did a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and it was PACKED in there. Cruise ship groups! If you plan and pack clothing appropriate for the weather, you should have a grand time. Do plan to have a few less daylight hours and some rainy days. If the savings is only a few hundred $$, go earlier in the year. If you feel like you will save a lot of money, go later. I know I booked the trip because the first week of November was quite a bit less expensive than the 3 or 4th week of October.

Assuming you want to do outdoor, weather-dependent things in central and/or northern Italy (Venice-Rome-Florence), then November is getting late in the season. Whether it's worth it, only you can say. Many experienced travelers go in November or later but they go to do indoor things in Rome or other urban areas. If you want to do weather-dependent things, the cost savings should be significant, before you decide on November. Even October can be a transition month, weather-wise, in much of Italy, with earlier in October giving you better chances than late in October.

The weather is not entirely predictable. I was in Italy last year (2010) late October to about 23 November. The last weekend in October was rainy in Ventimiglia. I went from there to Venice; the weather was ok, and there was high water every day I was there (not a problem for me). Then I took the train south to Sorrento for a few days. Good, mild weather and no rain that I can remember. Went to Cefalu in Sicily and had a week of fairly gloomy, sometimes rainy, weather. It was too cold for the beach. And last, I spent a week in Rome about 16-23 November. It rained every day, usually in the afternoon and evening. I was able to visit the Borghese without an advance ticket. That is the advantage of November travel; museums, etc are less crowded. If you are prepared for cooler, wetter weather and want to save money, November is ok. From my experience I would report that the weather was mild until the middle of November. Given the choice, I would visit Italy the entire month of October, then go home.

Hi Lynne, I live in Italy now (Parma in Emilia-Romanga) and October is definitely better but Nov. isn't bad. It can rain in October but the temps are warmer and skies are bluer than in November. This November was lots of grey skies and drizzly weather and fog. Some cold days, some not so bad but coat weather for sure. The interesting thing I have noticed is there hasn't been much wind so it was never bitter cold. I've only been here for a year though so I can't say for certain if that is typical. Italy is fantastic though and there is always plenty to do regardless of season. And if it is too cold for gelato, a lot of gelaterias will sell warm crepes with Nutella on them-- yum! This time of year, there are also stands set up in town with folks selling roasted chestnuts. Just charming. Have a great trip. Julie

The days will be shorter and sunsets much earlier (winter time) in November. That would be more of a consideration for me than the weather. If you are planning to spend most of your time in cities, it probably doesn't matter. But if you are going spend a lot of time in scenic areas with little to do after dark, it might make a bigger difference. I was in Italy a couple of years ago in February and I'm planning to go back this coming February. There were a few warm (55-60 degrees) sunny days in the north and Rome was mostly 60-65 degrees and sunny. I had a great time, even when it was cold and rainy, but I spent most of my time indoors (I am a museum addict). And after 8 or 9 hours of sightseeing, I was ready to have a short rest in my room and then a leisurely meal, so the short daylight hours didn't affect me.

I agree with Chani. I was in Italy 2 years ago right when the clocks changed in Late October and it made a big difference. We instantly had an hour less to enjoy things and a lot of sights close earlier (even indoor ones like churches and museums) as of Nov. 1 or even late October so you just have less time to do things. I compare that to this past may when it was light until almost 9 and I had like 1/3 more daylight time to sight-see. That's a really significant amount of time across a whole trip.

I just came back from 21 days in Italy during the month of November. We started in Sorrento and made our way north to Venice. The weather was amazing! Only one day of rain (the first day in Sorrento... perfect for jet lag recovery) Days were sweater weather and a light jacket in the evenings. I didn't need my wool coat I brought until Venice (Thanksgiving week). It was my first Italian trip, but I would never do it another way. We got hotel rooms in all the major cities that were half off their high season rates. I know the Novemeber weather can be hit or miss, but so can any other month.

Like Julie, I'm also living in Italy right now. Weather is unpredictable--some Falls you may have a lot of rain, others not very much. For this October/November, the difference was mostly just in temperature. It has definitely been much cooler, sometimes quite cold (and others fairly mild) in November than October. But similar here in Arezzo (Tuscany) on the sunshine/cloudy/rain front. Recently now in very late November and early December, it has gotten colder, cloudier and wetter, but until late November it was fine. The only time I really experienced rain was mid-November during our weekend in Venice. But even then, it was nothing too bad. It really depends on whether you value money, crowds (much fewer in November - I was in the Vatican last Wednesday and it was empty), or weather more. If you value weather, choose to go earlier. If money and/or crowds, choose early to mid November.

Wow, everyone is so kind and generous with your time. After reading everyone's comments and talking to my traveling companion - we are going in October. Thanks again for all of your interest and help!

When our kids were school age we always planned our trips to Italy during the summer months. I know it can be hot during these months but I loved every minute of those summer month trips--The long days of sunlight and the smell of jasmine coming through the window at our agriturismo! Now that those years are over we are more open to when we can go. My husband and I went to Italy in Mid Sept. 2010 spending most of our time in Tuscany and had beautiful weather the entire time. Oct. 13-24, 2011, I went with my sister to visit her daughter studying abroad in Rome. We spent a weekend in Florence and the rest of the time in and around Rome and had no rain the entire trip except for one morning, Thurs., Oct. 20, and boy did it rain hard! It just so happened that we were going to St. Peter's that day so we didn't have to change our plans and by the time we came out to climb the dome the rain was done. I would go in Oct. over Nov. as the weather starts to get rainy and sights have much shorter opening times. Buon Viaggio!

As others have commented, the weather is unpredictable so whatever you choose there will remain an element of chance. I was just in Italy for the week of the Thanksgiving and thru December 4...It was beautiful, not warm, but crisp and mostly sunny. Did not rain once, nor did we have high water while in Venice. We were in Venice, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Chianti, Rome and Milan...The coldest was in the high 30's, but again, no rain. There were many days where we just wore layers (a silk camisole, thin sweater and scarf for me...) and left our winter coats at the apartment... That said, I know we were VERY lucky!

We were in Italy mid-October to early-Novemeber. I thought the weather was ideal - not too hot. We had some light rain but not enough to keep us indoors. We also experienced a small amount of high water in Venice, but it looked like puddles from rain storms and didn't interfere with our plans - we probably wouldn't have known what it was if we didn't see the locals setting out raised walkways. That said, we were lucky to miss some bigger rainstorms before and after our visit - so it can get wet that time of year. I think the further North you go, the more the weather is going to deteriorate in November. So visit north earliest and work south.