This forum has been such a source of joy and information for me, and now I have a planning quandary that could really benefit from all your expertise.
I am starting to plan a weeklong trip for next spring to Venice and Florence—my first time going. I can go in late March, mid-April, or early May. One problem is that in 2026, Easter is April 5th. I assume that traveling to either city the week before Easter is a non-starter in terms of crowds, high prices, etc. But the week before that includes March 25th, which I’ve learned is a major holiday in Florence, being both Dante Day and the Florentine New Year. If I were to arrive in Florence on, say, March 27th, would the crowds (and high prices) from the holiday have dissipated, or would they still be going strong? And what does Venice tend to be like around that time?
If I were to go in April, I would go April 13th-April 20th. This is, however, the most personally inconvenient, though potentially still doable.
If I were to go in May, I would go May 4th-May 11th, hoping that would help me avoid the crowds around the May 1st holidays in both cities and the April 25th holiday in Venice (Liberation Day and the Feast of St Mark).
Which of these three possibilities would you say are most likely to be the least crowded and the least expensive (and the most enjoyable for weather, activities, what’s open)? Conversely, are Dante Day and the Florentine New Year—or Liberation Day and the Feast of St Mark in Venice, for the matter—unmissable cultural experiences or just a source of miserable crowds?