If you like walking and dining with locals, visiting museums and sites without crowds then off-season Italy is for you. I’ve visited Italy in November, December and early April and found it to be more of a true experience in Italian life. While you may deal with cooler weather and some rain, being prepared for that you can have some wonderful experiences in Italy. Some locations are more favorable than others for off-season. For example the Amalfi coast is much prettier in the spring, summer and fall while cities such as Rome, Florence & Bologna can be enjoyed with their many museums and without crowds. Bologna has a huge network of arcaded streets so you can walk from one side of town to the other without getting wet. Popping into the quaint cafes throughout the cities can be a great way to sip coffee, wine and slow down and enjoy your surroundings. I remember on a trip in November stopping in Florence for a night on the way to our rental villa in Umbria. It drizzled for part of the day, cleared up and we sat on our balcony with an incredible view of the Ponte Vecchio and a rainbow emerging at sunset. For cocktails, we headed to our favorite spot, Harry’s Bar chatting with the infamous Leo the bartender as he made me the perfect martini and treated us to bruschetta . The walk back across the Ponte Vecchio was enchanting with no crowds allowing us to linger and take in the views of the river and bridges. Something you can’t do in the summer months!
The rates at many hotels and villas/apartments are often reduced in the off-season months (exception for holidays) and will give special rates or upgrades if you stay 4 or more days. Nothing better than unpacking your bags and exploring from a base to take full advantage of all a city and their environs can offer. I’ve had clients stay in Rome for a week in November at an apartment and they explored the riches the city has to offer off season going to Ostia Antica ruins and Tivoli and Hadrian’s Villa. See how they lived like Italians.
Airfare prices is another big advantage of traveling to Italy in the off season. Here’s a great site to compare pricing on most all airlines. This is not a booking site so you need to book with the airline directly.
http://www.itasoftware.com/
If you want to explore off season Italy, email me at: ginger@designingitaly.com
