Italy is a country located in South-Central Europe that makes up the Italian Peninsula that cuts far into the Mediterranean Sea. Aside from its picturesque towns that draw millions in every year, Italy has a deep world and religious history. Its capital, Rome, is over 2,000 years old and dates back to its founding in 753 BC. Rome is home to many historical monuments like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and many others. Located within Rome is the world’s smallest country known as Vatican City. The Vatican City is home to many historical attractions like The Sistine Chapel, Raphael Frescoes, St Peters Cathedral, and more. For those looking to venture outside Rome, Italy has something for everyone. They have an extremely diverse landscape from coastal Mediterranean towns to the Tuscan hills rolling with vineyards all the way to the Italian Alps. Getting between all these destinations is easy as Italy has a very well-established train and bus system to connect you between all of its towns. You can also rent a car to get between destinations easily as well. However, be prepared for some narrow streets and crazy driving if you plan to drive through some of Italy’s major towns like Rome or Florence.

Currency:

The official currency of Italy is the Euro. The currency code for the Euro is EUR and the sign is €. You can find ATMs commonly throughout Italy at airports, transportation centers, and in most towns. Also, many shops and restaurants accept credit cards as well making it easy to pay with your card.

Language:

The official language in Italy is Italian. In some of the major cities and more touristy locations, you will find that you can get by simply fine speaking English. When you get into more rural and less touristy areas, it is good to know some common phrases or use a translator app to communicate as English is not as commonly spoken as it is in the main cities.

Italy receives over 60 million visitors a year. This can make deciding when to visit a bit daunting. Below is a guide to a few of the different seasons in Italy and what each means if you visit during them.

Shoulder Season: March to May and September to November

The shoulder season in Italy is the arguably the best season to visit. The weather is warming up in the spring and still warm in the fall time to explore all Italy has to offer. The crowds are also not as crazy as it tends to get during the peak season. The shoulder season in Italy is generally the Spring months of mid-March to mid-May and mid-September to mid-November. I have visited Italy twice in early October and found this to be a beautiful time to visit. Keep in mind the farther you go north in Italy, the cooler the temperatures will be during these months. Nevertheless, these months bring great weather to sightsee, go for hikes in the Alps, or relax in a coastal town overlooking the beautiful sea.

The Peak Season: May to September

The Peak Season in Italy brings the warmest weather in Italy, but also brings the highest number of crowds. The higher number of tourists visiting Italy’s popular cities can make visiting major attractions a bit difficult with overwhelming crowds. If you visit during the peak season, be prepared to travel at a bit of a slower pace as you will not be able to get as much packed into your day as you would in the other two seasons. The Peak season is generally from mid- May to mid- September. Sometimes this peak season can get extend into early October, but for the most part crowds tend to die down the later into September you get. One exception to the peak season is the month of August. During this month locals tend to take a vacation of their own. You may not notice it as much in major cities or some of the countries popular coastal towns, but if you get into less touristy regions, you can expect a lot of small hotels, restaurants, and shops to be closed down during this time.

The Low Season: November to March

The low season in Italy brings the lowest number of tourists to Italy’s major cities. During these months, you can expect to find some of the best flight and hotel deals of the year with the tradeoff of much cooler temperatures. If you do not mind the cooler temperatures and potential for rain, this can make for a great time to see the countries popular cities without the major crowds that the peak season brings. The exception to the low season in Italy is the countries mountain resorts in the country’s northern region. Many visitors and winter sport enthusiasts opt to visit some of Italy’s popular mountain resorts making this the peak season for these resorts.