Italy has a moderate, Mediterranean climate that can best be enjoyed in fall and spring. The northern regions tend to have more extreme variations, with very cold winters and some very hot summer weeks. As to be expected, winters in the Alps are long and quite severe. Regions along the coast are helped out by the Mediterranean Sea, keeping the summers a little cooler and the winters a little warmer. Rain falls throughout the summer season, with the first snow in the Alps usually coming in mid-September. Some areas south of Rome can be affected by the sirocco, which is a hot and humid wind blowing from Africa. This can produce a few very hot and stuffy weeks during the summer time in these regions.

Italians tend to vacation in the summer months, so if you are planning to visit Italy at this time you should know that some businesses may be closed.