Weather

Italy’s climate is one of the most hospitalble in the world, it’s usual to have warm, dry summers and mild winters. There are, however, marked regional variations, ranging from the more temperate northern part of the country to the firmly Mediterranean south. Summers are hot and dry along the costal area, especially as you move south , cool in the major mountain areas - the Alps and Apennines. In Rome and in the south of the country, winters are mild, but in the north they can be at least as cold as anywhere in the northern hemisphere, sometimes worse, especially across the plains of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, which can be very in-hospitable during January.

As for when to go, if your planning to visit fairly popular areas, especially beach resorts, avoid July and August, when the weather can be too hot and the crowds at their most congested. August is generally when the Italians choose to go on holiday, so expect the crush to be especially bad in the resorts and the major cities - Rome, Florence, Venice - to be slightly artificial as the main inhabitants will be tourists.

The best time to visit therefore, in terms of both weather and if you’re looking for fewer crowds, is April to late June, or September and October. Though if swimming is to be a feature of any excursion it is worth bearing in mind that only the south of the country may be warm enough outside the May to September period.