There have been songs written about “April in Paris,” but April in Italy is just as worthy of a musical tribute. Spring has pretty much sprung by this time throughout most of the country, and while that means that the weather in Italy won’t necessarily be 100% reliably wonderful, it is still a great time to travel in Italy.
April is when the tourist season starts ramping up in Italy, although it is still generally considered part of Italy’s “shoulder season.” Even though it is not the height of the high season yet, however, you are likely to find higher prices in Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. If you are prepared to perhaps pay a bit more for accommodation and airfare, Italy in April is still a real treat - it’s typically not very hot anywhere and the onslaught of tourists hasn’t hit yet.
As with any other month in Italy, there are festivals and celebrations taking place all over the country - and as I’ve mentioned repeatedly, seeing a town celebrate something near and dear to its heart is an excellent way to create unique travel memories. Learning a new dance, tasting a new food or participating in a procession through town are all the makings of some of the best travel experiences any of us can hope to have - so be sure to check out what’s going on in April in Italy!
The patron saint of Venice is St. Mark, and his special day is April 25th - a great day to be in Venice if you like the idea of lots of live music and a big feast in St. Mark’s Square. And in the town of Sezze outside Rome, the last weekend in April is the Sacre del Carciofo - the Artichoke Festival. Artichoke lovers will get to sample the thorny dish cooked several different ways and served with local breads. To learn about these festivals and the countless others going on throughout Italy in April, check out this festival finder - just choose a region and a month from the drop-down menu and click “Search” and you will get a sampling of the kinds of celebrations you can make a part of your vacation.
Also note that April 25 is a national public holiday in Italy - it’s the Festa della Liberazione, or Liberation Day. It recognizes the liberation of Italy after World War II by the allied forces in 1945. Many Italians take advantage of the proximity of Liberation Day and May Day (May 1), both Italian public holidays, to take an extended vacation. Many stores and attractions will be closed on April 25, so keep that in mind when you’re planning your holiday.
Oh, and if you thought that you could escape the pranks of April Fool’s Day by going to Italy, you were wrong. Italy has their own kind of April Fool’s Day.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Very encouraging. I have to check my miles to see if it would cover the air fair in April.
I would like to know, how is the weather in the
places I’m going ro visit in the month of April/
Rome,13,Portofino14,Florence,15 Scicily(Messina)
16,Croatia 17, Venice 18,19 ,Naples/Capri 21,22
Thank you,
Miriam Kuntzmann
hi could you please let me know what part of italy to visit first( North or South). we are hoping to spend 4 months in italy. starting around april 2010. we would like to go south to sicily as well as north and into Austria and switzerland. We just wondering about what place to start at first depending on the climate
thank you giuliano
Wow, four months in Italy? Well, no matter what time of year you visit, it’s almost always going to be warmer the further south you go. So if you like the heat, start in the north and end up in the HOT south. If you prefer more temperate climates, start in the south and work your way north. You’ll find more general weather information for Italy on my weather page:
http://www.italylogue.com/weather/