Venice is more than surrounded by water — it has the water of the Adriatic running in its veins. One unfortunate effect of this is that high tides or heavy rains can cause flooding in the city.

In December 2008, one of the highest tides in its history hit Venice. People waded through the streets in high boots, or walked on the boardwalks above the flood waters. See how the 4th highest tide in recorded history (records there have been kept since 1872) affected the city.

(If video doesn’t show for you, watch on YouTube)

That was last year. What will this winter bring?

Whatever happens, the Venetians and their visitors will find ways to deal with it. But what permanent damage is such flooding doing to the city and its treasures?

What would it be like to wake up in Venice in the morning?

This lovely, atmospheric video gives you the feeling of a different side of Venice, away from the hectic crowds of San Marco. This is a peaceful, calm, lovely Venice. One that makes you want to stroll aimlessly through the back streets, just enjoying the scenery, and listening to the ever-present sounds of lapping water.

Watch as the city comes alive in the morning, and the locals go about their daily lives.  Most of all, this makes me  want to wake up in Venice in the morning! 
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First of all, don’t make the mistake of assuming that all of Italy enjoys the same Mediterranean climate. Sure, Italy does lie in the Mediterranean but the country is big enough that Italy weather varies based on three distinct climatic regions:

• The Alpine area in northern Italy;
• The great plain of the valley of the River Po, which stretches from Turin to Venice;
• The rest of Italy – the long, mountainous peninsula which goes all the way down to southern Italy.

Alpine Italy is the wettest part of the country by far, with summer being, surprisingly perhaps, the season with the most rainfall. The summers can still be hot, though, and obviously the winters will find lots of snow and ice, especially in the highest areas.

The Po valley, sometimes known as the North Italian Plain, is the agricultural heartland of the country. The summers can be just as hot and sunny as those further south but the winters can be surprisingly cold – with frequent fog, frost, rain and snow. This area is usually colder in winter than either Paris or London.

The rest of Italy has the more classical Mediterranean climate – mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, although again the higher areas can often be cold and snowy during the winter months. The intensity, and length, of the hot, dry summer will increase the further south you go. Sea temperatures around Italy generally make the waters warm enough for bathing from the end of May until October.

But enough of that!  As a potential tourist, you’re wondering when to take your trip to Italy, so let’s look at what Italy weather you might find visiting at various times of the year.

The most tourists arrive in the summer months, especially during July and August. Temperatures will daily reach 86/30 and often jump to 100/38 during the afternoons. This is when the queues for the museums and galleries are at their longest, the prices for rooms at their highest and the afternoons are too hot for sensible sightseeing. For me, the best places in Italy at this time of the year are around the lakes or in the mountains, avoiding the largest tourist areas.

So what about other times? Well, January can be cold and wet or snowy but, after the Christmas holidays, which finish on January 6th, you’ll get real bargains in hotel rooms and the tourist sites will be empty. Expect daily temperatures around 46/8 in Rome; a little lower in Milan, Venice and Florence.  Sure it’s chilly, and some places will be closed, but you’ll have a lot more space to yourself.  It’s wonderful to walk the streets of Venice without the crowds!

February is similar but, if you’re around on the 3rd, then have a drink on Saint Biago day – the patron saint of the throat! I’m reliably informed that the best firework display in Italy every year is on Saint Biago’s Day in Mugano di Napoli, just outside Naples.

And, of course, 40 days before Easter marks the beginning of Carnevale for many Italian cities and towns, with the highlight of these being the Viareggio in Venice. Venetians claim that their carnival is best because it appeals to all 6 senses – that’s the usual 5, plus the sixth: the imagination.

Italians say that March is ‘the crazy month’ because you just don’t know what weather to expect but visitors can still be surprised by the coldness. March 8th is the wonderful Festa della Donne – the festival of women, where the flower of choice is the yellow mimosa and around the 21st there are many festivals welcoming spring (primavera).

In spring the Easter celebrations are always a highlight of the year – especially in Rome but also in Florence, with the Scoppio del Carro. Needless to say, it involves another firework display; this one where a priest puts a rocket into a cart that has been dragged through the streets. I’m sure there’s a logical reason behind it. (?)

April is a little warmer, often reaching 65/18 or even higher. Watch out for festivals such as that in Verona celebrating the delicious white asparagus. Also, Rome and Venice have big ‘birthday’ parties on 21st and 25th respectively this month.

May is traditionally the month of roses in Italy and the weather is now beginning to get pleasantly warm throughout most of the country. At the end of May, and the beginning of June, there are a vast number of infiorata – flower festivals, which will captivate your senses of smell and sight.

See video of the infiorata:
Pienza Infiorata: Streets paved with flowers

May, June and September are, for many, the perfect months for visits to Italy – when the weather is usually dry, not so hot that you’re miserable, and there are fewer tourists. September is also the time of the Venice Film festival and its fantastic Regatta Storica – a day of races in all kinds of craft. The real romantics might want to go to Verona on 12th September – it’s Juliet’s birthday!

October is a beautiful month – the colors of fall, the cooler temperatures and the abundance of food-related activities make it a culinary dream. There are all kinds of food festivals celebrating mushrooms, chestnuts, truffles and chocolates – especially in the Umbria and Piedmont regions. You might even, towards the end of the month, get the first of the vino novella – the year’s new wine. Many people find Rome at its best in October – the sunny days here are known as the ‘ottobrate romane’ and, although the evenings are by now a little chilly, the air is often crisp and clear.

In November and December, the days are short and often rainy but the real attraction is the build up to the Christmas season, with the elaborate traditional celebrations accompanying it. If you’re around at this time, try to get to see a living nativity scene; most towns and villages have them and they are a spectacle to behold.

A great resource to look at average temperatures in different areas is
Weatherbase: Historical weather.  You can search for the cities you’re thinking of visiting and find out what’s typical.

To summarize the weather in Italy, and help you decide when to take your trip to Italy, just remember this:  There’s no such thing as bad weather there – only the wrong clothes!

Gondeliers in Venice are known for seranading their passengers as they glide through the canals of Venice.

Even in Italy, people are paying attention to the US Presidential election, and here it’s no different, as these gondeliers express their preferences in song! Destined to be a classic.
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There is no place on earth quite like Venice, Italy. It took a tremendous feat of engineering to create a city out of 118 small islands… and nature may someday reclaim this “living museum” of gondolas, bridges and ornate churches and palaces. Venice is sinking and has been for years, and sea levels are rising, and if global warming is as much of a threat as we think it is, they may rise much higher. If you want to see Venice at its best, try to plan a trip soon! Here are a few tips to help in planning your trip to Venice.

When to go

Venice is hot and muggy in summer, and cold in winter. The best time to go is April or May… you’ll get mild spring weather, and miss the worst of the summer crowds. June through August is “high tourist season” in Venice — it seems like half the world is trying to squeeze itself into the small city during these months, and the situation is not helped by the hot and humid weather. After August, the weather is cooler but the crowds subside somewhat – so September and October are also good times to plan a trip to Venice.

Rialto Bridge on a busy day

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If you like festivals, Carnevale is the Venetian answer to Mardi Gras. However, the Carnevale that exists today is a commercial revival of an event that natives actually stopped celebrating in 1797. Other festivals include the Venice Biennale, a modern art exhibition that happens in April, during odd-numbered years only. The Venice Film Festival is an annual event that happens in late August.

You can do Venice in a day if you like…but you really shouldn’t! Why rush? Stick around for a few days or even a week to sample all that this city has to offer.  To pique your interest, check out a leisurely morning in Venice.  Yes, this could be you!

How to get there

If you are arriving in Venice, Italy by plane, the Marco Polo Airport is about 13 km away. From the airport, you can proceed to Venice by either land or water. The most cost-efficient option is simply to take a bus. ATVO buses leave from the airport and will drop you off at the Piazzalle Roma in Venice. If you want to go by water, there is a hydrofoil connecting the airport to Venice and surrounding islands. Speedboats called water taxis are also available, but they are significantly more of a drain on your budget.

Looking for flights to Italy?  My favorite site by far for checking flights and fares is Kayak.com, where you can search the best deals from 100+ sites all in one place.

Getting Around

There are two modes of transportation in Venice – walking and floating. The city is relatively small, so traveling by foot is not a problem. However, it’s easy to get lost. If and when this happens to you, just keep walking and enjoy the experience… you’ll get to see more of what real life is like in Venice that way!

There are several options for water travel in Venice. Your best bet for most transportation needs is the vaporetto, or water bus. You can buy a travel pass to save on ticket costs. Gondolas are expensive and cheesy. They are fine for a one-time photo op after you’ve had a few glasses of wine, but not really a viable means of everyday transportation. Water taxis are also expensive, but less embarrassing than a gondola ride. The exception to the “no gondola rule” is a commuter gondola called a traghetto that ferries people across the Grand Canal.

Where to stay

Historic Venice is divided up into 6 neighborhoods. Of these, lodging in San Marco tends to be the most expensive, but is also the most convenient to the Piazza San Marco. Dorsoduro is primarily residential, but has some hotels that offer better pricing, and are still close to the action. You can also rent an apartment-for longer stays, this is often cheaper than getting a hotel room. San Polo is an excellent neighborhood to stay in if you can-it’s charming and medieval, and convenient to all sorts of shopping, including Venice’s famous fish market. Santa Croce has good bars and pizzerias. Canareggio is the quietest neighborhood, and one of the most picturesque-if you need a retreat from the crowds, this is it. Castello also has some excellent places to stay – if you avoid the border with the Piazza San Marco, that is.

Another option is to stay on the Lido, an island just outside of Venice. There’s a beach, restaurants and nightlife, and the city itself is only a short vaporetto ride away.

You can find information on hundreds of Venice hotels at Venere.com, along with ratings, maps and photos.

What to do

• Basilica di San Marco – Venice’s main cathedral is a feast for the eyes, richly decorated with a Byzantine feel.
• Gallerie dell’Accademia – The best of Venetian art, with work by Giorgone, Titian, and Veronese.
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection – Need a break from Renaissance art? Check out this superb modern art collection, with pieces from Dali, Picasso and others.
• Doge’s Palace – Tour the former headquarters of the Venetian republic-you’ll get a sense of the grandeur and pageantry that characterized old Venice at the height of its power.

And above all? Savor the experience, and have fun in Venice!