Cortona, CT and Florence in September,are we taking a chance with the rain? Would the first part of the month be a better choice than later September?
Rain is hard to predict but I will say that we were in the region the last 2 weeks of September 2009 and it was much warmer than we expected. I packed too many layers that I didn't need expecting it to be cool--we had very few rainy days. I'd just plan your trip for the time frame when you can get the best airfare.
The FAQ on this board takes you to a site that will show you the average weather conditions anywhere for a two week period. That will be more helpful than someone telling you what their experience was in one particular year.
Hi Trish. We were in Italy from Sept 4-19, 2009. We started in Rome & worked our way north to Lake Como. It was very warm in Rome & as we traveled north, it got a little cooler but the days were still warm. We encountered about 3 days of heavy rain & thunder/lighting (which really spoiled the part of our trip in the Cinque Terre). I should add that my husband & I are really into photography & because there's not much to do indoors on the CT & we wanted to be outdoors taking pictures, the rain put a damper on that part of the trip. I would suggest going early Sept if you are trying to avoid rain. In general, the later you go, the more chance of rain.
Thanks for the replies I'm really torn between safer bet on weather vs. cheaper airfare after Sep. 15th.
Hi Trish. Personally I would choose weather over airfare cost but that's just me & it's simply because I'm into outdoor photography & the rain ruins it. But, some people don't mind the rain. If it were to rain in Florence for example, it wouldn't be that bad because there are a lot of indoor museums there but on the CT, you really want to be outdoors so the rain would put a damper on it. There's obviously no guarantee even if you go in early September that it won't rain but generally the chance of rain increases towards the end of the month. If the difference in cost isn't that big, I'd go early Sept but you're only talking about a difference of a few weeks which in reality may or may not make a huge difference in weather. Have a wonderful trip.