Best time to visit?

Is there a best time to visit western Italy? I'm looking for a cruise that starts or ends in Civitavecchia and includes both Naples and Livorno. This will be my first trip outside North America.

If I was visiting that part of Italy I would choose May, June or September when the weather should be nice and not too many crowds.

High season for tourism in Italy now tends to start around May 1 (when prices go up for hotels and crowds increase) and goes through about mid-October these days....

I find the weather in June through September too warm to be really enjoyable for active sightseeing. Early May (or even late April) is a good choice. October can be beautiful when the weather is fine but you could also get some rain.

A bonus for going in the shoulder season is that airfares and cruise fares tend to be slightly to substantially less.

I prefer May or mid to late September.

Was just there in May.

Keith

We visited the Amalfi Coast in May, and have visited Tuscany and Venice twice in early October. Still crowded, but not as hot as summer. (Still warm though)