Favorite month to visit Italy? Our travel experts’ answer might surprise you.

November is our favorite month to take advantage of low season rates and fewer crowds. We always go in November, have done for 10 years, and the first part of the month has mild, October-like weather that can last into the latter half of the month.

Mike from ItalyPerfect says “The best time to tour Italy is in November, hands down, the mild weather makes even the most ambitious itinerary possible. And goodness knows our staff has the most ambitious itineraries I’ve ever seen.”

The weather is great for walking about, warm in the day, fresh at night. Those open places like the Roman Forum and Pompeii where you wilt in the summer sun, are great outings. You might get some rain but usually it is a fast moving shower. If the forecast says rain, there are so many museums and churches to visit, you won’t be bereft of great activities. Of course we can’t guarantee the weather, but early-to-mid November is typically pleasant.

Pat says “A long-time favorite of cognoscenti is October when the weather cools off a bit. But now everyone seems to know about October so that month tends to be quite busy so we go in November.”

Air fares tend to be lower, vacation rentals have low-season prices and, best of all, the harvest is in! The peppery-tasting new olive oil is to be savored, mushrooms, fresh porcini and truffles. Special autumn dishes are on every menu: Pumpkin Ravioli, Pasta with Ragu made from wild boar meat, Porcini Risotto, Pasta al Tartufo (truffles) and the heart-warming aroma of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sold by street vendors in paper cones to nibble as you stroll along.

Lisa says “Chianti wine has had a rebirth in popularity in recent years. We really enjoy fall wine tasting in Tuscany’s Chianti region, especially the Chianti Nuovo, newly pressed wine much-promoted by local restaurants, similar to France’s rush for Beaujolais Nouveau during the first weeks in November.”

Photos by Matthew Mendoza (CC) and Francesco Sgroi (CC)

Posted on Monday, July 13th, 2015 at 1:10 pm in Archive, Florence, Rome, Tourist Information, Travel Planning, Venice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.