Seasons and holidays
Month by month, Christmas, Easter, Carnevale and the palios.
New Year's in Italy
Italians have a certain flair when it comes to most things, so it shouldn't be surprising that their New Year celebrations are unique as well.
Christmas in Italy
Usually, when travelers make vacation plans it's only after they've booked tickets that they look at a calendar for the destination and realize there's going to be a major holiday during their trip.
Everything You Need to Know about Spending the Holidays in Italy
Whether you're planning to travel in Italy during the winter holiday season or you're looking for ways to incorporate Italian holiday traditions into your celebrations this year, you'll find what you…
Halloween & All Saints Day in Italy
When holidays are so much a part of your life growing up, it's sometimes hard to remember that not everyone celebrates the same things you do.
Italy Roundtable: Fall Food Festivals & the Almighty White Truffle
This is the fifth installment of the Italy Blogging Roundtable I started with four amazing bloggers in May.
Easter in Italy
Sometimes when you're planning a vacation in Italy you aren't thinking about the list of holidays on the Italian calendar .
What to Pack for Italy: Winter Travel
While most people travel to Italy in the summer , serious budget travelers are more likely to take advantage of the sales available during the winter.
What to Pack for Italy: Spring & Autumn
There are many benefits to shoulder season travel - smaller crowds, lower prices, and usually decent weather. It's the "usually" part there that makes shoulder seasons tough to pack for.
What to Pack for Italy: Summer Travel
After you've bought your Italy airfare and sorted out an itinerary , the next stumbling block for many is what to pack for your trip.
A Prosciutto Festival in Pictures
One of the greatest joys of a fall trip to Italy - for me, at least - is the array of food-related festivals on the calendar.
Easter in Florence: Dove & Rockets
When you hear the words "Easter" and "Italy" in the same sentence, you might think you have a good idea of what the celebrations might be like.
When is the best time to visit Italy?
You can read about how Italy is a year-round tourist destination and when the high and low seasons for Italy are, but many people will still come out on the other side of that information with a…
Valentine's Day in Italy
Some places lend themselves well to romantic vacations - and Italy is definitely one of them.
Best Places to Do Holiday Shopping in Italy
One of the perks of traveling to Italy late in the year is that you can tackle some of your Christmas shopping while you're there - you'll not only get your shopping done early, you'll also be able…
Summer in Italy
If there's one thing you can count on, it's that no matter how many times travel professionals will tell people to visit Italy in the off-season, the vast majority of tourists will still go in the…
Spring in Italy
There are plenty of people who can't quite stomach the idea of a winter trip to Italy - no matter how good the deals are - because they want at least a little bit of nice weather when they're on…
3 Favorite Places to Celebrate Christmas in Italy
Just in time for the holidays, here's an opportunity to learn a little bit about Italian culture and perhaps win a gift suitable for your favorite Italophile, too.
Winter in Italy
There was a time in Italy when the so-called "shoulder seasons" of spring and autumn were replete with travel bargains just before and after the busy summer tourist season.
Autumn in Italy
No matter what you call it - autumn, fall, or the Italian autunno - this season is an excellent time to visit Italy.
Italy in August
The sad statistic about how little vacation time Americans get is regularly trotted out, so next time you hear it you can add to the misery by realizing that Italy in August is one big vacation for…
Italy in July
Summertime in Italy can be glorious, so it's no wonder that in the month of July in Italy it feels like the country is absolutely overrun with every last tourist on earth - despite the higher cost…
What to Wear in Italy in the Summer
When I travel in Italy, I like to try to fit in as much as possible and try to avoid looking like a tourist.
Italy in June
June in Italy is the peak of the tourist season, when crowd numbers and prices are at their highest point.
Liberation Day in Italy, April 25: La Festa della Liberazione
Keeping track of holidays in Italy can be tricky, since not only are there nationwide days of importance but also regional and local holidays which may not be celebrated 20 miles down the road.
Italy in May
Going strictly by the calendar, May is part of the spring season and would under normal circumstances be considered part of Italy's shoulder season.
Italy in April
There have been songs written about "April in Paris," but it's easy to argue that April in Italy is just as worthy of a musical tribute.
Italy in March
Italy, like almost every place on earth, has shoulder seasons between its high and low seasons.
Venice Carnevale
When you think of Venice , what do you think of first? Certainly, the canals and Venice gondolas come to mind quickly, but almost as quickly you'll get images of people in gorgeous and elaborate…
Carnevale d'Ivrea and the Battle of the Oranges
I say there's nothing like a good food fight to make you feel like one of the locals, and the town of Ivrea in the North of Italy seems to agree.
Italy Q&A: Train Travel on May 1, a Public Holiday
Here's another entry in my Italy Q&A series of posts. This one came in the form of a comment from Vivian, who says: Hope someone can help me. I have booked a trip to Italy April 20th to May 3.
Italy's Top Chocolate Festival: Eurochocolate in Perugia
There are few things I can think of that make travel more pleasurable than food - whether it's trying something new, or tasting an old favorite in the place where it was born.
What to Wear in Italy in the Winter
Having traveled in Italy both in the summer months and the winter (and several points in between), I can say that it's usually pretty easy to spot the tourists - no matter what season it is and what…
Italy in October
Italy's "shoulder seasons" have grown shorter as its high season has expanded, but October is still generally considered the start of the fall shoulder season in Italy.
My Favorite Florence Gelato Shop: Festival del Gelato
I've written in the past about arguably the most famous gelato shop in Florence , Vivoli - I felt it was my duty to you, my dear readers, to investigate whether Vivoli lived up to its reputation.
Italy in September
I know I'm not supposed to play favorites, but all things considered, September is - at least so far - my favorite month in which to visit Italy.
Italy Q&A: Traveling in Italy During Easter
I'm going to answer a few of the questions I've gotten via email here on the Italy Logue, so you can all benefit from the information. Here's the first in the Italy Q&A series.
CioccolaTÒ: Turin's Chocolate Festival
So, it's pretty well established that I like Italy. In addition to Italy, I'm also a fan of chocolate (like, what, 99% of the world population or something?), so when you put the words "chocolate"…
Living Chess Festival in Marostica
Even if you don't speak Italian, many games transcend language altogether so you don't need to speak to understand them.
Italy in February
Visiting Italy in February has its perks - namely in the areas of budget and crowd levels - but there are drawbacks, too.
Italy in January
Traveling in Italy in January is often a mixed bag - the weather can be dreary, cold, wet, and gray, but with prices (and crowd levels) at about the lowest point you'll find them all year it might…
Italy in December
While most tourists dream of visiting Italy during the summer, there are some who would visit at no other time than in December - and it's not just because of the Christmas holiday, either.
Italy's Oldest Palio: Palio di Asti
Siena's Palio is arguably the most famous horse race in Italy, but it is by no means the only - or the oldest - one.
Avoiding Summer Fashion Faux Pas in Italy
With hot summer weather here and lots of people visiting Italy, there comes the age-old question of what to pack.
Summer Fruits in Italy
Summer in my house means that I'm making gelato every week out of the fresh fruit available at our locals farmer's market.
Festival Finding in Italy Made Easy
One of the best ways to get to know a country is to get to know its festivals. While this often means braving crowds (something savvy tourists try to avoid), it also can mean seeing a city or region…
Palio di Siena: More than Just a Horse Race
The husband and I visited Siena in late July 2001, and - like many who visit the city - we loved it.