At one time, many songs were written about April in Paris, but April in Italy, in fact, no less deserves the poet's pen. April is one of the best months for organizing a trip to the country, because it allows you to combine off-season prices with full enjoyment of the delights of the Italian spring.
Weather in Italy in April
As the saying goes, "April rains bring May flowers," however, April in Italy is much more often associated with the sun than with rain. Of course, exceptions are possible, and the April weather is still much less predictable than, say, July, but sunny and warm days are still more characteristic for it.
As we have repeatedly emphasized in other posts on traveling the Apennines in different months, the thermometer grows as you move south. For example, if in the north of the country April can still be damp and with very cool nights, in the south it is already warm enough for local residents aloud to complain about what hot summer awaits them.
April weather is still not warm enough to provide a full beach holiday, but it is very sunny in order not to part with dark glasses and devote most of the time to walking, including outside the city. Just do not be surprised if an unexpected thunderstorm requires an urgent purchase of an umbrella or seek refuge in any of the local cafes.
Temperature in Italy in April to a large extent determined by the region of residence and can fluctuate over a fairly wide range, however, in the general case, the framework can be defined as follows:
Temperature in Rome in April: +8 + 17С
Temperature in Venice and Milan in April: +5 + 16С
Temperature in Palermo in April: +13 + 18С
Holidays in April
Easter in Italy, as in other Orthodox countries, from year to year falls on different dates. Sometimes it is celebrated in March, but often a bright holiday falls on April (a list of Easter dates from 2012 to 2025 can be found in our Easter post in Italy: dates, traditions and cuisine).
Since Easter on the Apennines is one of the most important holidays of the year, it always makes sense to find out about its expected dates in advance. Indeed, in addition to positive impressions, celebrations can bring additional difficulties, especially if your tour involves frequent trips between cities. The roads during this period are crowded with transport, because most Italians go to relatives out of town, and public transport operates in a reduced mode.
April weather in Northern Italy is still unpredictable
Another important holiday in the April calendar of Italy is the Day of Liberation from Fascism, which is annually celebrated on the 25th. On this day, parades and demonstrations take place in many cities, which can make your trip especially memorable during this period.
If your Apennine tour is planned outside of Easter and Liberation Day, this is a good reason to learn more about other local events in the area where you are going to travel. For example, April 25th -St. Mark's Day and the patron saint of Venice. For this date, the Venetians always prepare holiday events. Another remarkable day - April 21st - foundation day of rome. In the "Eternal City" this event is usually celebrated on a grand scale, with numerous concerts and presentations.
April in Italy. Summary
According to many travelers, April is the best of the off-season months. The combination of relatively good weather and relatively low prices creates a lot of opportunities, especially for those for whom the budget part of the tour organization matters.
We have not in vain mentioned good prices with the prefix "relatively". Of course, in most cases, a ticket in January or March, like a hotel room, will cost an order of magnitude cheaper. However, in April, the trip will be significantly cheaper than in summer. One of the few ways to reduce the cost of a planned tour is to book tickets and a hotel in advance, at least a few months in advance.
Visiting Italy in winter is a great time for those who do not like to crowd in the queues at archaeological sites and other popular tourist places. And although in the spring months the number of visitors is already noticeably greater, it is still far from the peak indicators achieved in the midst of the summer season. The unpredictability of the weather is perhaps the biggest drawback of April, however, if you correctly alternate walks in the open air and visiting museums, even bad weather will not be a big problem.
Before the April tour to Italy, we strongly recommend checking the dates of Easter. The latter, as mentioned above, can greatly complicate the movement around the country, especially if the emphasis is on public transport. In addition, on Easter weekend, hotel prices make a sharp jump, which can also be very expensive. It should be taken into account that on Easter Sunday, as well as on the day of the liberation of Italy, many tourist sites and shops will simply be closed. The rest of April is worth it to spend money on the trip, because the most important thing on any tour is impressions.
Photos by Christopher Chan
