Venice and Cinque Terra in March

Hi--we've been to Venice twice--both times in March. Since we are New Englanders, the weather in Venice seemed great! Mostly in the mid-50's, sometimes a bit warmer, sometimes not. Cloudy, but sometimes a bit of rain or sun. It was pleasant for us. I had an all weather/rain coat with a removable lining, a fleece vest--those were enough layers for the coolest days.

The crowds were sparse early in March, but toward the end of our visit--like on the 15th, suddenly the passageways were filling up with crowds! That might have been the Spring Break crowd.

Haven't been to C.T. yet!

Cheryl

Thank you for the information. I was just wondering what people thought of Venice when they visited in March. I know the weather will be cooler but I hope less crowds and a little cheaper if we decide to make this trip.

So I finally found an article confirming the trail would be closed. Should we still try and make this trip in March or wait until this summer?

I don't have my heart set on the trails, was just looking for some advice from others if it would be worth waiting. Then again my wife might have her heart set on the trails! I would just like to relax and soak in these little villages, and I hope to get lots of great pictures since that is a hobby of mine. Fewer people in Venice and the CT might be worth the so-so weather.

Hate to keep bothering you Steve, but have you ever been to Venice in March? I know we could get wet weather in March but would it be enough to "ruin" the trip? Is there plenty to do with the rain or will we just have to suck it up and get a little wet? Thanks for all your help!

We have usually gone to Venice in March. The weather is a bit cooler but there are not as many people around, so the crowds are less. We have stayed anywhere from four days to over a week.

Weather has in the past been generally good. Chilly in the morning and warmer around noon on. We layer, a fleece, longs sleeves and sometimes a rainproof shell over everything. We have run into rain a few times. Only once was it an all day steady rain, but there are plenty of things to do indoors in Venice.

One trip temps were into the sixties by the afternoon.

The only bad time for Venice is a time that you can't be there. So if March works out the best for you, GO!

Hi Gary,

We're going Rome-CT-Venice in March. We're definitely off season travelers, we hate crowds and are willing to put up with what will be balmy temps compared to Minnesota!

The way I look at it, the slight things that may be missing on the trip (perhaps some trails closed or the dueling orchestras absent) are made up for by not having to deal with herds of people. We hope to see more of "real" Italy and less of the tourism trade.

We plan to take layers and have not made ANY definite plans other than we have a few must sees. The rest we'll just wing as the weather allows us. So, some of the trails may be closed, well, then we'll take the train to the other villages.

I say Go for it! And if you see three people with very Minnesotan accents brutalizing the language and laughing with the locals, it just might be us!

Hi, consider that in March you can find good offers for hotel and B&B in Cinque Terre.
See for example this site for special offers in spring in Cinque Terre.
About the paths..
In my opinion it's possible that some paths will be open by that time ( for sure the Via dell'Amore and the high paths number 1, as well as the Levanto-Monterosso path) probably the most "risky" one is the part between Manarola and Corniglia which is usually more interested in landslides and more difficult to be "kept in safety" for the hikers.

Hi Gary,

We were in Venice and the Cinque Terre this past March. We were in Venice March 15-19 and Cinque Terre March 21-23. It was fantastic! Like others have said, we dressed in layers. A few days in Venice were cloudy and drizzly, but other days were just spectacular. Best part - no lines anywhere! The outdoor sections of cafes on St. Mark's Square were not yet open. That is the only downside I can see if that is important to you. Cinque Terre was considerably warmer than Venice. The trails were open except for Vernazza-Monterosso. I'm assume that varies every year depending on winter damage. We fell in love with both Venice and the Cinque Terre. For us, going when it was not crowded was wonderful. Have fun!

I plan on being there March 20 - 22 2010. Are hotels generally open and rooms available this time of year in CT? I'm traveling with my son and we're not making any reservations. Just going where we decide on any particular day.