Are you wondering when is the best time to visit Italy? Each season is unique, but autumn in Italy has something special. As the temperatures drop, so do the colors. The best produce of the season hit the markets. The best part is that little towns, from Puglia and Lombardia, are filled with festivals. It’s important to plan ahead if you want to visit Italy in autumn. These are 8 reasons to visit Italy in autumn
1. Select your temperature
It is a beautiful time of year in Italy’s early autumn. Even further north, Venice can expect temperatures to reach the 70s or 80s in September. This is a far cry from the August heat and sweltering temperatures. Things are looking up. It’s usually warm enough to swim in the ocean in September, and October in Italy keeps temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. You can expect rainy days to mix in with sunny ones around late October and early November, especially when you visit northern cities like Trieste. It is the best time of year for autumn in Italy. You can choose your temperature depending on where you are going. For cooler and more “autumnal”, temperatures, head to the north. It is usually a little warmer in the middle of Italy than in its northern neighbors. The south, however, will remain balmy until November when it turns pleasant mild.
2. Go to the harvest
It has been celebrated in Italy for hundreds of years that Autumn is a time when we harvest food and celebrate our harvests. Autumn brings a bounty of delicious produce from the rich soils that have blessed the peninsula, particularly olives and grapes. Some vineyards and olive oil orchards now allow visitors to harvest the grapes. I can attest that it is rewarding to pick grapes from the same fruit again, and then enjoy the wine from years gone by. This is a true slice of traditional Italian culture that the whole family can enjoy if they plan well. You don’t have to pick the grapes in order to drink wine. You can also visit Umbria Tuscany and Umbria in the fall, which is a great time to go to the vineyards to taste wine or take an organized tour.
Almonds, chestnuts white truffles, and vegetables like arugula and potatoes are some of the other foods that can be harvested between September-November. Fall is a great time to visit Italy, and enjoy some of the most delicious seasonal food.
3. Celebrate at a local Sagra
Sage (or festivals that celebrate a local wine or food) are popular in the autumn. It will be the highlight of your trip if you are able to catch one. Don’t forget your appetite! There are festivals for all tastes depending on where you live in the fall. There are many Italian food festivals that celebrate wine, chestnuts, and chocolate as well as truffles, chocolates, truffles, porcini mushrooms, and fish. Sagre is another great way to get to know the culture and produce of a particular area. Often, there are very few tourists. Chestnuts in Piacenza, mushrooms in Torino and Putignano, truffles from Gubbio, Umbria, or sausage in Messina in Sicily.
Check out Sagree Ditorni to find out what fire and sagre are being celebrated in Italy. You can also contact the local tourism office in the area where you are staying to get a complete list of sagre taking place.
4. You can take advantage of smaller crowds, and lower prices, but not too soon.
Fall in Italy is a great time to enjoy lower prices. It is not difficult to see the decreasing crowds. Lower prices start to creep in the country around the end of August and continue through the winter with the exception of a small rise around Christmas. Locals are less likely to be on vacation as schools and businesses that closed in August open again in September. While fall is the best time to travel for a budget, timing is very important.
Remember to not jump the gun. High season prices can be found in high-trafficked areas like Rome, Venice, and Florence. Prices rise through September and into October. This is why we love Rome in autumn. You can take advantage of September’s lower accommodation costs by traveling to areas such as Puglia or Abruzzo that aren’t visited as often. You can still visit the most popular places while staying away from crowds and paying lower prices. Think October or November if you’re looking to travel to Italy’s classic destinations. More money-saving tips: How to Get Cheap Flights to Italy and How to Find Cheap Accommodation in Italy.
5. Admire the variety of colors
Italy’s autumn is a continuous color explosion. Enjoy the changing leaves and escape the city to explore Italy’s parks, trails, and parks. You can also enjoy traditional Italian adventures such as hiking in the Apennines, Abruzzo, and Umbria or just driving through the Tuscany countryside. It is October when Italy’s deciduous tree colors are at their peak, but it could change depending on the year. If you are unable to or unwilling to leave the city, visit a park like Florence’s Boboli Gardens or Milano’s Parco Sempione. You can also see the stunning Borghese Gardens or the Appian Way in Rome.
6. Do not get caught up in Calcio
Calcio, the Italian word for soccer, is the country that is most obsessed with the game. Italy’s soccer season begins in August and is accompanied by the same fanfare as other countries’ national holidays. Seeing a match or even just watching it in a bar can be one of the most exciting cultural experiences in Italy. We recommend it to everyone, even those who aren’t big sports fans. Tickets can be bought online for most matches, except when you’re trying to attend two opposing teams. You should plan your journey to and from large stadiums accordingly. You can still watch the game in your hometown pub if you don’t manage to get tickets.
7. Enjoy the beach
Autumn doesn’t mean beach-lovers have to give up a dip. Some parts of Italy like Sicily or Puglia have warm weather that continues well into fall. This allows sunbathers and swimmers to still enjoy the beach. Although most Italians living in the north tend to put away their swimsuits by September, beaches are still a popular place for relaxing on the beach and taking long walks. It’s possible to swim in the south even though it is likely to be warm enough for December. Even Christmas Day is a good day to take a dip! Our blog about the best beaches in Italy will help you make a decision on which beaches to visit.
8. Enjoy the beginning of the ski season
Or maybe you are just counting down the days until winter. The Italian Alps have a long ski season. It usually starts in December and can go on until April. Although you will need to travel high up into the mountains in order to find natural snow, most resorts will have both man-made and real snow. If you’re looking for more power, temperatures will be much warmer than usual. It is also worth noting that Italy has some of the cheapest skiing in the Alps. There are few better resorts in Italy than Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco if skiing is something you have always wanted to do.
