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Postponing our trip- question about weather in April?

Posted by (Gettysburg PA) on

We have sadly decided to postpone our trip til next spring. We were scheduled to leave 9/10- and just realized we have too much on our plates right now to really enjoy the trip.
The postponement is not really COVID related although that did play a role in our decision- lots of other things going on here.
I am bummed but I will get over it. This is the third trip we have canceled/postponed. Grrrr.

So- my question is this:
We were originally going to Stresa on arrival to Milan then on to Verona-Tuscany- Rome.
If we move our trip to late April should we stick with Stresa - is it too chilly/rainy? Date would be around 4/22-4/23.
I have looked at historical weather data, etc and just wondered of anyone has visited Stresa at that time of year?

We could stick with Tuscany and points south- we have no problem going back to Sorrento and visiting Naples instead (we can fly home direct from Naples)- save the north for next trip- hopefully next Sept. when we could actually give the area more time. (Milan, lakes, Bologna, Padua, Venice again etc.)

Changing the direction of the trip going Rome to Stresa doesn’t really work out as well- car rental, transportation etc.

Should I be concerned about the Italian holidays- April 25, May 1?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Posted by
4699 posts

I'd definitely avoid Easter weekend, as many shops and wineries are closed, and pre-Covid, the cities were crowded on Good Friday and Easter Monday.. I don't know about the other dates you mentioned.
Safe travels!

Posted by
6054 posts

Thanks Pat
Easter is 4/17 so we’d avoid that
Wouldn’t start trip til end of Easter week

Posted by
23268 posts

It is always hard to forecast the weather. The data is always an average. And as an old math teacher once said -- we live the extremes to have an average. Our experience with traveling in Italy in April around Florence was slightly rainy and cool. Always light jacket and perhaps a short shower but not everyday. The country side is pretty as everything is turning green. It was fine but always a little concern for rain. Since we had a car we could keep the umbrella and rain jackets in the car.

Posted by
847 posts

I would push it to May - weather should be better, and it is still pre summer rush...

Good luck.

Posted by
32752 posts

I had a fabulous visit to the Borromean Islands, Stresa, and Baveno (stayed in air conditioned (needed it) room in a nice small simple hotel in Baveno) which are all linked by boat. That was April, mid April, 2019. I didn't have enough sunscreen on, and bought a new hat on Isola Bella.

I wasn't the only one there in April. It was shirtsleeve weather there, and I left 3 feet of snow in Mürren the day before, and as we drove our British car over the Simplon Pass there was snowploughed 10 foot high drifts along the road. An hour later we were in the summer weather.

South of the Alps makes a difference.

Posted by
32752 posts

May 1 in Rome is great fun. One year we were there then and were near the Pantheon when we heard a brass band striking up the Italian National Anthem and everybody singing along. We loved it.

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