Between the months of April and October, Florence is quite literally overrun with tourists. This is evidenced by the fact that the number of visitors to the city during these months outnumbers the entire population of residents. The weather is gorgeous and the temperatures make it possible to take other journeys to places such as the Amalfi Coast and the Adriatic Sea a possibility. But you have to seriously weigh these considerations against the fact that you will be competing with hundreds or thousands of tourists at virtually every single location you go. There is never a bad time for Florence travel, but if you are summarily opposed to major tourist activity when you are on vacation, avoid the peak months of April through October at all costs.
In terms of the weather, the Florence Italy tourist will most enjoy the climate in the spring and the fall. As in many other parts of Europe, the temperature is mild and the precipitation manageable. June through August are consumed by an influx of tourists, but these are the times when you will experience the most consistently gorgeous weather. Therefore, if you don’t have much of a problem sharing Florence with others, you may not want to cancel these months out.
Winter is certainly the best time to go to Florence for those who do in fact mind the heavy tourist impact. It is not terribly cold during this time of year, and this is also unquestionably the most tranquil period. Pack layers of clothing and you will be just fine. It is quite amazing to see the snowfall coming down over Il Duomo at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and onto the timeless Ponte Vecchio and River Arno. For strictly warm climate people, this may not be the best time to go to Florence, but for those who want to enjoy the city’s myriad attractions with as little hassle as possible, it is optimal.
Where as the late spring months and early fall months are busy times for Florence travel, they are not nearly as bad as during the summer months. The perfect time to go that combines nice weather with manageable tourist traffic may just be the fall months. For example, October and November tend not to be as busy as April and May, and the weather is beautiful. Any Florence Italy tourist should also be aware of the fact that October is the wine harvest or “vendemmia” in Florence Italy, and November is the olive harvest. As you can imagine, two more reasons to think about making the trip to Florence in the fall.