Many people reject the very idea of traveling to Italy during the cold months, because they associate their country exclusively with summer vacations, and it does not matter what price offers can be attractive. If you are one of them, but the “warmth” in your head is not so tightly connected with the word “summer,” then the idea of visiting Italy in spring may even be attractive due to a number of factors. But first things first.
Weather in Italy in spring
In terms of climate, only autumn can compete with the Italian spring. Although the latter is more predictable, especially if we compare it with early spring. However, a trip to Italy in the fall will cost a little more.
In the northern part of the country, March is considered the coldest month and, by Italian standards, very wet. However, from the first days of spring, the number of sunny days has been growing, and the thermometer column is confidently creeping up. In the south, spring has become a sovereign mistress from the first days of March. As it approaches summer, it becomes so warm that regulars in local taverns and cafes from stuffy rooms move to the open air.
If you plan your trip to the Apennines in the spring and want to get a more accurate picture of the weather in a given month, we recommend reading our post Climate and Weather in Italy, which contains information on average temperatures and the number of rainy days in the most visited regions of the country.
Spring in Italy is felt even in the heart of the "Eternal City"
Prices in Italy in spring
Depending on where you go, there may be a gradual increase in prices by mid-April, especially in the most popular destinations. By May, in many tourist areas, prices reach the high season level, and the issue of finding cheap alternatives is much more complicated. At the same time, outside of popular routes, price increases will be less intense, which will leave chances to fit the travel budget into an acceptable framework even in May.
Please also take into account that Holy Week and May Day are considered the high season for almost the entire country.
The best strategy for an economical traveler in April and May may be planning a trip to Italy in advance with the early purchase of airline tickets and hotel reservations. Sometimes low winter offers include spring dates, which allows achieving an adequate trip cost.
Festivals and Holidays
The most significant events that can significantly affect your trip across the country include Easter (a list of Easter dates from 2012 to 2025 can be found in our post Easter in Italy: dates, traditions and cuisine), Italy's Day from the Fascism (April 25th) and May 1st. These days, most shops and services are closed, but the main tourist attractions, as a rule, continue to work.
In addition to national holidays, many regions of Italy host a significant number of local events, which can also be very attractive to attend. So the example of VinItaly is international wine exhibition in Verona, which is considered one of the main annual events in world winemaking.
The sky over Venice in May amazes with its colors
Beyond the main tourist routes
If traveling through spring Italy runs away from the main tourist routes, you may find that many museums and attractions are still operating on a shorter schedule. At the same time, some of them can work only on weekends.
Although sea resorts and campsites open in spring, this is more likely a trend in the second half of April and May. Even in hotels that did not accept tourists in winter, but had already begun the season, the recent end of winter can still be felt in the form of indoor swimming pools. There are still very few visitors to the beaches at this time, and even these begin to appear here only in the second half of May.
Spring in Italy - and especially April and early May - this is a good time for planning hiking routes, and the awakening of nature from hibernation will allow you to take a lot of interesting photos. In the province, spring is a period full of numerous fairs and festivals, especially in terms of cuisine.
Spring in Italy - summary
Spring is a great time to plan a tour of Italy. The weather is improving every day, the time of flowering is in full swing, and the number of tourists is much less than in the summer. If you make a short summary of the advantages of this time of year, then it would look like this:
- Much less crowds at tourist sites compared to summer
- Mostly reasonable prices for flights and hotels
- A huge number of holidays and festivals
- Long daylight hours compared to winter
- It's time to bloom in the fields and in the gardens
- Very mild and pleasant weather without extremes in terms of temperature
