When to Go?

The question I get asked more than any other is, “When is the best time to go to Italy?”  My usual reply is 1986, but I know that’s not very funny (true, but not funny.)  The literal inundation of tourists from Eastern Europe and Asia since Ronald Reagan himself toppled the Berlin Wall has increased the number of visitors to Western Europe exponentially making Paris, London, and Rome burst at the seams during the summer months.  Imagine, if you will, the worst traffic jam you’ve ever been in: maybe it’s Friday, 5 pm on the 405 during Carmeggedon; maybe it’s the Long Island Expressway leaving New York for Fourth of July weekend; you’re moving at a snail’s pace and your a/c is broken.  Well, pretend that instead of cars, the traffic is comprised of people shuffling slowly  in groups of six across rather than single file, and you’ll have a small idea of the concept.  To clarify,  you’re going to want to avoid summer if at all possible. If you must go in the summer avoid August when many Italians close their shops and restaurants, head for the beaches,  and leave the cities to the  tourists.  This is less like a traffic jam but more like a post-apocalyptic situation. Continue reading Italy: When to Go, What to Pack →