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Our Top Tips For Traveling to Italy in Low Season

By November 19, 2024February 2nd, 2025No Comments

Italian summers are a wonderful time to visit Italy, filled with long days lounging by the beach, endless gelato and late night dinners outside in busy piazzas. However, this is peak season in Italy which brings crowds, higher prices and difficulties getting into major attractions or popular restaurants. We love Italy all year round but the visitor experience out of season versus high season is very different! There is a lot to enjoy about Italy off season – read on for our top tips for traveling to Italy in low season to start planning your trip:

venice rialto bridge italy in low season
Venice is just one of the many places in Italy that have a totally different feel off-season

Learn About Italy’s Tourist Seasons

First of all, let’s talk about when is the Italy low season? What is the shoulder season?

The answer to this varies depending on where in Italy you’re thinking of visiting, but as an overview:

  • Peak season is mid-May to September
  • The shoulder seasons are March to May and September to October
  • Low season is November – March

Popular destinations like Rome, Florence and Venice however have much less defined seasons. Rome is busy through to November, and then gets very busy again around Christmas and New Year for example. Off season travel to the Eternal City has a much smaller window than the northern regions of Emilia-Romagna and Piemonte do, given how many people want to visit!

st peter's basilica rome
Rome never really gets completely quiet but the crowds do reduce in winter

It’s important therefore when planning to visit Italy off season, or during a shoulder season, that it will be what you expect. If you want to see incredible churches and museums with fewer crowds, deciding on the right time of year is crucial – here are our insights:

Northern Italy

Major cities like Venice, Turin, Bologna and Milan are popular year round but visitor numbers definitely start dropping off in October. You can expect cooler weather and smaller crowds through to April, with the exception of the holidays in December and Carnevale in Venice.

The northern lakes (Como, Maggiore and Garda) are primarily summer destinations, so many hotels and restaurants close completely from the end of October through to March. Ferries also run a much reduced service during the off season so getting around is more difficult.

lake como italy in low season
Lake Como is very quiet in low season, with many businesses closed and limited boat services

If your focus is the tall peaks of the Dolomites, their seasons are slightly different. The summer months see huge numbers travel north for hiking, biking and exploring the small towns that dot the mountains, and then when the snow is heavy enough for winter sports, the ski resorts open and get very busy. However the shoulder seasons of the fall and spring are much quieter.

Central Italy

The regions of Tuscany and Lazio, home to Florence and Rome respectively, do not really have a shoulder season anymore. Seeing a huge number of visitors each year, as soon as the pleasant weather starts in March/April it is busy through to the end of October when the weather shifts. The cooler and wetter days that we get from November through to February puts off a lot of people, but this means that you can get cheaper accommodation and there is more availability for places like the Colosseum and Uffizi Gallery.

For us, early fall is possibly the best time to visit the Tuscan hills and the neighboring region of Umbria, as the vivid fall foliage is absolutely stunning. Plus, the vines and olive groves have just been harvested and there is no end to the tasty produce on offer!

tuscany olive groves in the low season
The Tuscan countryside in the fall is just stunning!

Southern Italy and the Islands

Heading south in Italy makes for a very different trip, but one that we love! During the summer months it sometimes feels like the entire country is headed to the beach, which to be honest is the best way to handle the high temperatures. While many people do visit in the summer season, this is mainly to visit Italy’s beaches, as it is just too hot to do much else.

If you want to relax in the sun then high season is July and August, where you will find Italians and visitors all doing the same thing. The Amalfi Coast and Sorrento are incredibly crowded and accommodation prices are at their peak. These beach-focused destinations get much quieter once the weather changes, with most hotels and businesses closing from November to March.

italy in low season palermo cathedral sicily
Seeing the beautiful city of Palermo in Sicily is much easier in the winter when there are less people and the temperatures are far more comfortable than in the summer

In places like Naples, Bari, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, you will find a lot of visitors for what is normally thought of as Italy’s shoulder season. This is because the weather in spring and fall in the south is still beautiful but not scorching hot, and you can comfortably enjoy many more of the sights on offer. Only in winter are these places truly quiet, but the weather is still much milder compared to the rest of Italy.

Confirm Opening Hours and Dates

One of the most important things you need to do when planning to visit Italy in the low season is to check the opening hours for attractions, transport and accommodation for the specific time you are traveling.

Many Italian historic and cultural sites are open-air in some way, and therefore their closing time changes as the days get shorter later in the year. When planning out your itinerary, don’t forget to look at the closing time and last entrance time (usually an hour before closing but not always) to avoid being disappointed! There are also many national holidays that take place between November and April, which can affect whether a site is open or not.

When it comes to transport, schedules for the trains and ferries do change. Ferries generally run less often, both because the demand is lower and weather conditions make it more difficult. Train and bus schedules vary according to need, so you should always confirm the timetables for your chosen route even if you’ve used it before.

Finally, while this doesn’t apply everywhere, in some especially seasonal locations like the lakes or Amalfi Coast, hotels and restaurants are not open year-round, or facilities like swimming pools are seasonal. This means that your options are more limited and could impact your overall trip if you’re looking to go somewhere specific.

Think About Your Packing

Most people think of Italy as a super sunny, hot destination, and while this is the case a lot of the time, we do see cooler temperatures, rain and even snow.

Wearing the right clothing and footwear can have a huge impact on any trip so take a look at the average temperatures, rainfall, humidity and wind speeds for the location and time of year that is relevant to your travels, and then plan your packing accordingly.

Italians do not heat (or cool) their homes or businesses to extremes so even when you’re inside in the winter it generally will not be very warm. Make sure to bring layers that you can add to or remove as needed, comfortable shoes and a scarf or two.

Research Local Festivals and Events

This is a good tip no matter when you plan to visit Italy, but it is particularly relevant during low or shoulder season. Most local events do not take place during the summer, and there are a lot more in the fall and spring.

In the fall a lot of festivals are tied to the harvest, so you will find entire towns taken over when the first wine is ready or the new olive oil has been pressed. Some festivals are dedicated to a particular product such as a local cheese, apples, nougat, truffles, artichokes and much more. These are so much fun, bringing together communities to celebrate their efforts and giving people a chance to try lots of different things.

There are also much bigger events that take place, such as the Venice Film Festival, marathons, Christmas markets and more. These events are a lot of fun to get involved in, but they can also impact local transport or access to sights. We recommend checking with your hotel or apartment owner about events happening locally during your visit, so you can find out what you can add to your itinerary or what you might need to work around!

santa croce florence christmas market stalls
The Christmas market in front of the Santa Croce basilica in Florence is a fun addition to a winter stay, but may impact your stay if your accommodation is near the piazza

There is so much you can experience in a different way if you’re thinking of traveling to Italy in low season. We’re here to help you explore Italy in the way that is right for you so if you would like to talk to us about how to fill your time or how to see the best of this wonderful country, get in touch today!

 

traveling to italy in low season pin

 

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