Weather

When to travel to Italy: weather and seasons

Italy doesn’t have one but several climates: in the north it’s cooler and wetter whereas in the Mezzogiorno, the bright, sun-soaked region of southern Italy, the weather can range from gloriously mediterranean to oppressively desert-like.

If you like sunshine…

But generally, if you like sunshine, Italy in summer is for you. However, the best seasons are spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October, even November as you go south). As in France, most Italians take their vacations in August, so apart from being rather hot and crowded in beach areas, many restaurants etc are closed in the cities.

Average monthly daytime temperatures in July are around 27 C (75 F), with the equivalent temperatures in May and October in around 20 C (60’s F). There’s not a lot of rain anywhere in the summer months.

Festivals are worth looking for

One important factor influencing your plans may be the festival calendar. Like Spain, Italy has a lot of festivals and saint’s days etc. and you may wish to co-ordinate your Italy travel accordingly.

Exhibitions and Events in Italy Calendar (opens in new window)

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Italy