What is the most cost effective time of year to visit Italy?

Question

I am trying to plan a trip to Italy for me and my wife for this year. So far, the dates I'm checking seem to be somewhat pricy. Is there an ideal time to get the most out of Italy without dropping a ton of money?

Answer 1

my husband and i went early March last year.  comparitively, i know it was a lot cheaper than going in the summer.  our tickets roundtrip were 600 each.  we rented a villa in the country for the week and it cost 340 euros.  we did rent a car and were able to see so much thanks to having wheels and no fear of the unknown.  :)  i know if we had gone during the summer it would have probably cost double.  the only catch about the time of year we went is the weather wasn't perfectly nice.  thankfully it was cool outside, so walking around wasn't miserable.  we just dressed in light layers for the day.  some days were sunny while others were overcast and sometimes rainy.  i think there was only one really cold day during the whole time.  but from what i understand our crowds for sites were considerably less, and there wasn't as many tourists as summer time.  if my teaching schedule allowed for it, i would definately go at this time of year again.  but i know there are other great times too, maybe try the fall time or early spring.

Answer 2

My fiancee and I just went through the same process.

September to November or late March to June will provide the best combination of price and sightseeing/ambience. Trust me on this one. You want to travel on the cusp seasons of fall and spring to truly maximize the experience and minimize the cost.

While technically winter is the cheapest, it is very cold- even in southern Italy. Plus all the beauty of the country is somewhat dormant in this period.  Do NOT go between November and early March.

Also, if you and your wife want the "wine tour" experience that most tourists go to the Tuscany and Umbria regions for, keep in mind that late harvest is the best time to sample- so early fall is when the crop is bottled = much better prices for wine sampling and associated costs.

Answer 3

You probably checked out dates between end of June to Late August.!

These are PEEK times for travel to/from Europe and so the prices go sky high.

Try searching for dates out of the Peek Season if you do not care so much about the weather over there at the time since it can get coold and rainy.

Answer 4

I am an Italian wedding planner. There are two great periods to go to Italy. May/April and October. Both of these times have cool weather and less crowds.

Answer 5

I live in Italy and I find it at it best in May and September! It's not too hot although the sun shines and the prices are not considered as a high season prices. I would say not to come in July because it's really hot and in August(at least first 2 weeks) everything closes because it's the time the italians take their holiday. I suggest you come in either of these two months, not too pricy but very pleasant!