When to go

Alex, Actually, to be a bit more specific the "best months" are the spring (May/June) and Fall (Sept./Oct.) shoulder seasons. AFAIK, Rick doesn't recommend travelling in July & August, which is not only peak tourist season in Europe but also the time when many of the locals take their holidays. I typically travel during the shoulder seasons, and should mention that it can even we "warm" during those months (that varies a bit from year-to-year). This year was a bit of an exception. I was in Rome and Tuscany in May and it was unseasonably cold and wet (started to clear up just as I was leaving). I've also found that it can be a bit "busy" during the shoulder seasons. On a trip to the Cinque Terre in late September, while having a refreshing beverage at a sidewalk Café, I watched a group of tourists spend over TWO hours trying to find a place to sleep for the night (they finally got the last room in town!). Part of the group stayed at the Café while the others looked, so I was able to keep up with their progress. Happy travels!

Thanks all, I realize now that by "best" Rick probably meant least chance of inclement weather. I'll definitely check the averages for the various locations.

Actually the best months are May and Oct and skip the middle. And it depends a lot of where you are going to go. There is off season and off season. North Europe can cold, limited sun light, and not as scenic as Spring and Fall. Obviously southern Europe is not as extreme with weather. The Greek Isles in the off season tend to shut down with limited transportation services, lodging, etc. Best is what really works best for you.

Thanks Frank but again I don't really understand as I'm just planning Italy and I can limit travel to mid-southern Italy if necessary. Is there any compelling reason to avoid say February or March in mid-southern Italy? Just want to be sure.

We've been to both Italy (Sienna, Florence,Rome) and France (Paris, Normandy, Brittany) in March and each time for three weeks. No crowds, definitely no heat! We wore layers and maybe we were lucky that although it did rain a few days it was either just showers or the one time it was a downpour it lasted less than an hour. On different days it was cold, chilly or warm. We were able to go to all the museums, churches, sites, etc with few crowds and had a great time. Such a great time that we're going back to Italy in March again. So go when you want to go and enjoy yourself!

An realistic expectation of potential weather at a given place and specific time of year helps the person who is considering winter travel to Europe, including Italy. A weather website that provides long range planning info, specific to your destination and dates of travel, is: http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

I've been to Italy in the off-season (Jan.-Mar.) and as long as you are focusing on the big cities and have an interest in the indoor sites I would encourage it. The museums and churches are all yours with zero crowds. Accommodations are all available at lower prices. But, as mentioned, the weather can be quite cold/rainy/possibly even a little snow (or a really brutal wind chill!); so, you won't get to have as many moments sitting outside, eating gelato, admiring the scenery, and getting in some people watching, etc....which is part of the memorable experience when going in-season. Also, Venice could be flooded in the off-season, which could somewhat hamper your visit, but on the other hand, it could also be a very unique experience. But, again, if you like the indoor sites, then it would be a great time to visit the big cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan. In terms of small towns, I wouldn't go in the off-season, especially if it's your first time visiting. With the cold, damp weather and lack of crowds, most of the towns seem nearly closed down in comparison to going in-season. I guess another advantage of going off-season would be if you'd like to go skiing up north...

We went in October (plus a few days of November). Next time I go, it will be the same time of year. The days are warm without being miserable and the nights are cool (but far from cold). We had a couple nights of light rain but not even enough to need an umbrella. I can't imagine visiting in the heat of summer, much better to visit Northern countries. There are some great festivals in the summer that you will miss, but if you don't like crowds, you probably wouldn't want to go anyway.

I was in Rome a couple of weeks ago (2nd weekend in November) and it was beautiful and most of the tourists where either Italian or European. From what I understand before I arrived it had been raining a lot (enough to close the Colosseum) and it was raining the day I left. And the northern part of Italy had been experiencing excessive rain enough to cause flooding. However, I would go at that time again because even though Rome was buzzing, it was relatively relaxing due to fewer tourist. Just keep in mind, during off season, that there is less day light which was my only disappointment. My next trip to Italy is planned for April in a couple of years.

Alex, the main variables are the weather & the crowds. If you don't mind varying amounts of rain, then by all means travel off-peak. My husband & I are amateur photographers and rain puts a huge damper on our photography so therefore we won't travel off-peak. In 2009 we were in Italy for the first 2.5 weeks in September & unfortunately rain put a damper on the Cinque Terre portion of our trip (so much so that I'm planning to return there on our next trip because we didn't get to hike the trails & take the pictures we wanted.). It was pretty warm in September but it's a tradeoff and I don't mind the heat. In places like Rome or Florence where there are many museums, rainy days just translate into more museum days but in places like Lake Como & the Cinque Terre where there aren't many indoor activities, it can really put a damper on the travel plans & the photographic opportunities. I did not mind the crowds in September which is still considered peak season. I did not find them to be unbearable but I made reservations for just about everything ahead of time so we didn't have to wait in long lines at all (i.e. Colosseum, Forum, Vatican, etc.). Happy travels.

We just returned from an October vacation to the big cities in Italy and I can say that the were congested with tourists. Lines at the Vatican and Uffizi were very long and there were huge crowds in Venice. Unlike Brad I cannot recommend October (sadly). Even though the weather might be dicey, I would go in November if I had it to do over again.