I know that there is no real predictor of weather but generally what should I expect? Of course I am packing for both cool and warm weather. Also, thinking of booking 4 nights in the Cinque Terre area for hiking, if anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Grazie!
You are correct. Difficult to forecast day weather in between seasons. Should be nice and could be hot.
Pack for warm weather and if you need warm clothes buy something there. I've been further north in Europe in late Sep and wore shorts and short sleeves the whole time. Furthermore, you can pack lighter.
We went on the Venice-Florence-Rome tour in 2015 right at the end of September/beginning of October. Warm days outnumbered cool ones at a ratio of roughly 5-4 (it was a nine-day trip). But even on the “cool” days I never needed anything more than a fleece vest. Both the hottest and coldest days were in Rome at the tail end of the trip. By hot I mean muggy 70’s. By the time we got to Rome in the first days of October they were getting rainy/windy spells and the temps would drop as well. And when the sun popped out it was muggy and warm. If you are from the East Coast or Midwest, you will know what to expect. Pack one light jacket or vest and maybe a loose, comfortable sweater and expect to have to remove and don them again frequently. I am not familiar with the Cinque Terre, though.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful responses. I will take your advice. I am from Hawaii and traveling to Europe for the first time. So Mahalo and Aloha.