When To Go

Vacations in Italy are always a rewarding experience, but one key that could significantly affect your stay is knowing when to go. From April to June, the weather hovers around the mid-70s, the humidity is mild, and the tourist crowds of summer have yet to descend. Since most tourists travel to Italy during the summer months, it is up to your discretion whether you want to fight them for space on the trains and in the hotels and popular attractions. This is especially important if your travel to Italy includes stops in the larger cities such as Rome or Venice, where the huge crowds that exist year-round swell to ridiculous proportions. If you can, try to avoid taking vacations in Italy during August, when many Italians take their own vacations. You will find a surprising amount of hotels, restaurants and shops to be closed down for an extended period of time. And cheap travel to Italy during is a near impossibility during the summer. But if you prefer to enjoy your travels with an assembly of your fellow countrymen, visit Italy during the months of July and August. Assuming you don"t mind the temperature climbing well into the 80s.

A large majority of Italy vacation packages are available year-round, though a few carriers will not offer any during the off-season. Although Christmas is an aberration, as you will find millions of people who want to spend their holiday vacations in Italy.

If you are looking for cheap travel to Italy, try to stick to trips between January and March when airfares dip significantly in price. But beware of the weather, the winters in Italy are surprisingly cold, complete with freezing rain and snow during the early months. Even as far south as Naples, the temperature rarely rises about 50 degrees during the winter. Cheap travel to Italy is also available for discount shoppers during the shoulder months of April to June, or in mid-autumn, and the weather is mild and pleasant during these windows of opportunity.

Though invariably friendly already, smaller towns in Italy are often more welcoming of visitors in the off-season. You will be waited on more closely and more likely to be engaged in lively conversation. The people of towns like Livorno, Perugia or Trepani seem genuinely honored that you would seek out their charming villages when the usual behemoths of tourism exist so close nearby. Their warmth is inviting and contagious, and will add color and texture to your vacation.