The land of the boot, aka Italy, is considered an attractive and highly desirable destination among tourists from all over the world, and of course among Israelis as well. After a relatively short flight, you arrive in a colorful, one-of-a-kind country, a country with an ancient culture, one that greatly influenced other cultures. You can go to Italy in any season of the year due to its comfortable and pleasant weather, compared to other European countries, one that is slightly reminiscent of that typical of Israel. Italy is in South Central Europe (but is actually considered part of Western Europe) and consists of a peninsula, surrounded by the Alps and has several other small islands. It is a large country, sharing land borders with France, Switzerland, Slovenia and Austria, the one that is in third place in the European Union in terms of the number of inhabitants.
Weather conditions in the different regions
Due to its location, Italy has a variety of climate systems. Its interior northern areas (such as Milan, Turin and Bologna) are relatively cool, while its coastal areas, south of Florence, enjoy a Mediterranean climate, familiar to us, as mentioned, also in Israel. Between northern Italy and southern Italy there may be differences in temperature, especially during the winter months. On certain days the temperatures in Milan drop below 0 and snow falls from the sky, while on those very days the temperature in Rome, for example, is 8 degrees and in Palermo it even reaches 20 degrees. At the same time, in the summer months, the temperature differences between the various regions throughout the country are less extreme, in contrast to those in the winter, and in most places it is very hot, especially at the peak of the season, between the months of June and August.
As for the division of the beaches, the eastern coast of the Italian peninsula is known to be drier compared to the western one, but it may be colder in the winter months. The reason for this has to do with being occasionally affected by the winds, which reach it, even during the spring. In the Tuscany region, the summer is generally stable, as far as the weather conditions are concerned, although mostly in the northern regions there may be occasional thunderstorms in the afternoon and/or night and some gray and rainy days. Therefore, while south of Florence the summer will usually be dry and sunny, in the north it will be more humid and cloudy. The weather during the transition seasons, as in other places around the globe, can be unstable with frequent changes. There may be warm and sunny weeks, and sometimes even high temperatures, reminiscent of those of summer. They can be followed by several consecutive cloudy and rainy weeks.
The summer months, as mentioned, in northern and southern Italy are relatively similar. The average temperatures in July range from 22 degrees to 24 degrees in the Milan and Venice area, while in the south they can reach 25 degrees. On the central and southern coasts of Italy, they range from 23 to 27 degrees in the summer, with August being the hottest month, when temperatures may exceed, in some areas, even 40 degrees. Although it is hot and dry in the summer, light rains can fall in the southern part of Italy between June and August, which requires flexibility in planning the trip as well as assessments in advance.
When should you go and where?
The weather in Italy is not extreme, as you can see, and is more or less stable throughout the year. This is also the reason why people flock to it every season, winter, summer and also during the transition seasons, and on any given day, and especially in the big cities, such as Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and Naples, you can see quite a few tourists. It is highly recommended to take into account the weather conditions typical of each region, if only to enjoy it as much as it can be used correctly. This is even more important if you want to travel in nature and spend time outside mainly, or if you want to spend time in museums and closed places.
If you ask the locals and those who visit Italy frequently what is the recommended time to visit Italy, their answer will be during the transition seasons – in the spring (between the months of April and June) and in the fall (between September and October). During these months the weather all over the country is pleasant and comfortable, the temperatures are moderate and above all – the number of tourists (relatively, of course) is low and the prices are not that high either (both for the accommodation and the flights). The summer months can be hot, very crowded with tourists and expensive. The winter months can be grey, wet and cold, especially in northern Italy, but more pleasant south of Rome.
The travel seasons in Italy
The travel seasons in Italy, and as in the rest of the world, are influenced, as you can guess, by the weather conditions, among other things. High season in Italy is from mid-May to July and September. It is indeed crowded in August, but since the Italians themselves go on vacation, the hotel rates are lower and the tourist places are less crowded. At the same time, and especially in southern Italy, it may be extremely hot, which can make the trip very difficult (unless you choose to spend time in closed, air-conditioned places). From mid-May to July, and again in September, the country is flooded with visitors and hotel rates and flights are extremely high. Expect very hot temperatures throughout the country with extreme heat in the south, and in fact almost everywhere else. It is highly recommended to consider, if you want to come to Italy during this period, to focus on the lesser-known areas, the small villages on the side of the road and avoid reaching the big cities, such as Rome, Venice and Florence. The intermediate seasons, which are in the months of March to mid-May, except for Easter, October and November) are the best time to visit Italy, with an emphasis on March and April. During this period you can enjoy the Italian Alps, the very first scents of summer and a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. In the autumn months, at the end of September, October and the beginning of November there are quite a few food festivals throughout Italy, the grape harvest is at its peak in October and in November there is a harvest of olives. Admittedly, the number of tourists will be large and the prices will not necessarily be so cheap, but this is definitely a compromise between the peak tourist season and the period considered to be less touristy (Low Season).
The low season, August and the winter months – December to February, is less busy and in August, when many Italians go on vacation, and except in the coastal area and the islands, restaurants, windows and also family-run hotels close for the vacation moment. Although, as mentioned, Italy is a very touristic country throughout the year, in the winter the relatively small amount of visitors is definitely noticeable and very prominent tourist places that were crowded with crowds of tourists in the summer, are less crowded. In addition, it must be remembered that in Italy there are several well-known ski resorts that attract crowds, both skiers, snowboarders and other snow sports enthusiasts. Even close to Christmas and the New Year we see an influx of many visitors to the big cities, to the colorful Christmas markets and also quite a few residents of Italy itself who want to experience up close the beauty and festivity of these cities.
