Anyone here travel to Italy in early April?

I want to revisit Florence but I am getting more and more crowd averse lately and I want to avoid them as much as I can. So I figured that right after Easter (which is the first weekend in April in 2010) would be pretty good crowdwise.

Also, is the weather good that early in April there?

Thanks for anyone with a tip on this!

If you could manage to get there before it (end of March,) I think you would have way less crowd. The weather might be even better than in April, so I really suggest this. :hi:

I see your point. I made the mistake of thinking early May was a good time to go to Venice and was fleeing San Marco's Square in an utter panic. Ditto St Peter's in Rome in November...I had to pick the day when the pope was gonna do his wave thingy from the balcony. I was outta there fast...

all the tourists pour in here and the tourist season really starts. So I personally would avoid it and choose March for Florence or late September/October. The weather is no different from April, in fact it might be a tad better. We had the hottest days in March, only topped by a few in July/August.

MissHoneychurch was recently in Florence. May want to shoot her a PM, since it looked like she had a great vacation and not this much crowded.

Last time I was in Florence, I didn't even had to walk, I was just pushed along. Not nice. So early Spring and Fall is probably best. And the nicest season, anyway, there.

Did you get the aftermath of the Venice Carnival? Oh my!

Maybe the last 10 days in March would be good. I always fear trying to fly in late March here in CT because of early spring snowfalls which tend to be very heavy and wet. But since I'd be flying out of JFK it might not be so bad...

thanks for the tip on this.

Oh, and the reason Venice was so packed was because the Italian school kids were all out on bus trips to museums that week. Horrid! Plus, San Marco's floods at noon every day in the spring so there you are, ankle deep in water if you don't want to take off your shoes and wade in pigeon shit filled water...no thanks...I just got myself off the square and into the little vicoli, which were more interesting anyway...

for several years in the mid-80s. My recollection is completely consistent with what Call Me Wesley is telling you. If you have a choice, go in the spring or fall. Avoid tourist season. Personally, I prefer fall, because you can also hit the wine festivals in Germany in early fall, and then head south as the temps begin to drop. But that's just me ....

...and we had to make our way across Oxford St every day on the way home from work. In June, it was so bad, we detoured thru the Park and past Bayswater Road to walk to Marleybone.

30 years later, I bet it's so much worse it makes my days look like no one was there! But I wouldn't know because I haven't been to Europe in summer for many, many years.

As for Italy, crowds or not: It's just amazing 365 days of the year, and 366 each leap year! LOVE that country!