Practical info for a trip to Italy

When to go

The months we recommend going: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

• January

  Cortina d'Ampezzo-1°C

  January brings reliable snow and blue skies to the Dolomites, with slopes quieter after the holidays.

  Novoli13°C

  On 16 January the Fòcara, a giant bonfire for Saint Anthony, lights up the night in this Salento town.

  Turin6°C

  Low season in January means empty museums, cosy historic cafés and snowy Alps framing the city.

  Abruzzo National Park3°C

  Fresh snow makes January ideal for snowshoeing through beech forests and spotting chamois and wolf tracks.

• February

  Agrigento16°C

  In February the almond trees blossom white and pink among the Greek temples of the Valley of the Temples.

  Ivrea8°C

  Its Carnival, usually in February, ends with the Battle of the Oranges, three days of fruit-throwing in the streets.

  Sanremo13°C

  Every February the Sanremo Music Festival turns this Riviera town into the capital of Italian song.

  Cogne1°C

  February cold freezes the waterfalls of Gran Paradiso for ice climbers, while flat valleys are perfect for cross-country skiing.

  Venice - Carnival8°C

  World-famous Carnival with masks, canals and history.

• March

  Livigno4°C

  March brings long sunny days and still-deep snow, ideal for spring skiing and duty-free shopping.

  Matera15°C

  Mild March weather makes it easy to wander the Sassi and rock churches before the spring crowds arrive.

  Syracuse18°C

  By March Ortigia already feels like spring, with warm sun on the sea walls and quiet baroque lanes.

  Pompeii16°C

  March is mild and still calm, perfect for exploring the ruins on foot before Easter and summer heat.

• April

  Rome20°C

  On 21 April Rome celebrates its birthday with historical parades, while spring sun warms the piazzas.

  Cinque Terre18°C

  April is ideal for the coastal trails: mild, green and still far from the summer crowds.

  Val d'Orcia18°C

  In April the wheat fields turn bright green and the cypress-lined hills look their most beautiful.

  Alberobello19°C

  April paints the Itria Valley with wildflowers among the trulli, with mild days before the summer heat.

• May

  Gubbio21°C

  On 15 May the Corsa dei Ceri sends three giant wooden towers racing through the medieval streets up to Mount Ingino.

  Cagliari22°C

  On 1 May the Sant'Efisio procession fills the city with traditional costumes, and the beaches are already warm enough.

  Val d'Orcia22°C

  In May the hills are still deep green, poppies dot the wheat fields and the cypress roads glow in the soft light.

  Lake Garda22°C

  May brings warm days, lemon gardens in bloom and lakeside towns that are lively but not yet packed with summer crowds.

  Florence20°C

  Renaissance art, mild spring weather and Tuscan countryside.

• June

  Pisa27°C

  On 16 June the Luminara lights the Arno with thousands of candles, and the Gioco del Ponte follows at month's end.

  Alpe di Siusi18°C

  In June Europe's largest alpine meadow turns into a carpet of flowers under the Sciliar, and the mountain huts reopen.

  Salento28°C

  June has a warm sea, long days and beaches with plenty of room, weeks before the August crowds arrive.

  Spoleto27°C

  Late June opens the Festival dei Due Mondi, with opera, dance and theatre in the squares of this Umbrian hill town.

  Cinque Terre23°C

  Coastal hiking, colorful villages and sea views.

• July

  Siena31°C

  On 2 July the Palio sends ten horses racing bareback around Piazza del Campo after days of contrada celebrations.

  Venice29°C

  On the third weekend of July the Redentore lights the lagoon with fireworks, watched from hundreds of boats.

  Aeolian Islands30°C

  July has the warmest, clearest sea and steady ferries between islands, plus night hikes to watch Stromboli erupt.

  Gran Paradiso20°C

  In July high pastures are full of flowers, ibex graze near the trails and the valleys stay cool while cities swelter.

  Amalfi Coast29°C

  Dramatic coastline, colorful villages, and Mediterranean cuisine.

• August

  Gulf of Orosei31°C

  In August the sea is at its warmest and boats run daily to coves reachable only by water or long hikes.

  Favignana30°C

  August is perfect for cycling between coves and swimming in Cala Rossa, with fresh tuna and granita every day.

  Campo Imperatore19°C

  In August this high plateau stays cool, and its dark skies are ideal for the Perseids around 10-12 August.

  Ascoli Piceno29°C

  On the first Sunday of August the Quintana brings knights, a Renaissance parade and jousting to the travertine city.

• September

  Valdobbiadene23°C

  The Prosecco grape harvest fills the UNESCO hills with pickers, open cellars and golden vineyard light.

  Venice24°C

  On the first Sunday of September the Regata Storica fills the Grand Canal with historic boats and rowing races.

  San Vito Lo Capo28°C

  Late September brings the Cous Cous Fest, with chefs from around the Mediterranean and a still-warm turquoise sea.

  Abruzzo National Park19°C

  From late September the red deer rut echoes through the beech forests, and the trails are quiet and cool.

  Naples24°C

  Authentic pizza birthplace with Vesuvius and Pompeii nearby.

• October

  Alba17°C

  The International White Truffle Fair opens in October, as the Langhe vineyards turn red and gold.

  Val d'Orcia20°C

  Mild October days, misty dawns over the cypress hills and fewer tour buses make it the ideal time to go.

  Merano18°C

  The Merano Grape Festival fills the town in mid-October, while vineyards and chestnut trails turn golden.

  Casentino Forests16°C

  October turns the beech forests red and orange, and the villages hold festivals for the chestnut harvest.

• November

  San Miniato14°C

  The last three weekends of November bring the National White Truffle Market to this Tuscan hilltop town.

  Cremona11°C

  In mid-November the Torrone Festival fills the squares with nougat stalls, tastings and historical parades.

  Itria Valley17°C

  November is olive harvest time: mills press the new oil and the trulli villages are calm and mild.

  Ortigia, Syracuse20°C

  With days still near 20°C and the tourist season over, Ortigia's baroque lanes and markets feel local again.

• December

  Bolzano6°C

  Italy's best-known Christmas market fills Piazza Walther with wooden stalls, mulled wine and Alpine crafts.

  Gubbio9°C

  On 7 December the world's largest Christmas tree lights up across the slopes of Monte Ingino above town.

  Turin7°C

  The Luci d'Artista light installations illuminate the streets, and historic cafés serve bicerin against the cold.

  Lecce15°C

  In the run-up to Christmas the Santa Lucia fair fills the centre with papier-mâché and terracotta nativity figures.

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