How to Travel to Italy in September
September in Italy means fewer crowds, cheaper flights and festivals celebrating food and the arts. With school back in session in the United States, air fares are historically less expensive. This time of year, local Italians return to their homes from August vacations to prepare for fall harvest. Stores and restaurants reopen their doors, welcoming business with rejuvenated spirit. Tomatoes are in season while grapes are harvested and celebrated with wine festivals. The picturesque southern coasts of the Mediterranean and Ionian Seas lay dormant, a quaint place for visitors to bask in the warm sun before the fall rains and cooler temperatures set in.
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Instructions
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Walk to local attractions such as the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain in Rome. Book a direct flight into Rome, the capital of Italy. Use Rome as your base for travel to other areas such as Tuscany to the north and Sicily to the south.
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Visit Venice in September for the annual Regata Storica. Book domestic Italian travel. First travel to Sicily for a stay in the beachside village of Taormina. Then visit Venice. Use a low-cost European carrier such as Ryanair, Blu-express and Wind Jet. Fares can be as low as 5 euros.
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Pack a variety of clothing for different climates, including a swimsuit for the warn Mediterranean waters. Pack clothing for a range of climates. September can be warm or rainy. Sicily requires shorts and a swimsuit. Expect cool nights in Tuscany.
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Read about the Italian language during your flight. Use the transatlantic flight as a time to rest and learn. Try sleeping to make time-zone adjustment easier. Brush up on the Italian language during the awake hours, mastering "ciao" and "buonna notte," the words for "hello" and "good night."
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The European public transportation is efficient and inexpensive. Use cheap and efficient public transportation to get to your hotel and around the city.
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Explore festivals throughout the city of Rome. Examine maps and get recommendations from the concierge about local restaurants, religious festivals and sites. For example, the Roma Europa Festival features artists from across Europe in theater, music and dance performances from September to October.
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Insalata Caprese, a mozzarella and tomato, an Italian favorite. Travel by train to Florence for an overnight trip. Visit the medieval town of Certaldo Alto, in Siena's wine region, for the fall culinary festival. Although Certaldo Alto is accessible by trains that depart hourly on the Florence to Siena line, consult Borghiditoscan.net for other methods of transportation.
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Sit at a streetside cafe in Italy to let the culture sink in. Sit in a local cafe, sip cappuccino and eat gelato. Reflect on the tastes, sights and culture of your surroundings before returning stateside.
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Tips & Warnings
Renting a car is possible with a credit card but not recommended as the traffic laws and customs are different from U.S. standards.
Bring toilet paper because public restrooms do not provide it.
Carry small change in euro coins for tipping restroom and parking attendants.
Remember that businesses, stores and restaurants close daily for "riposo," or "time of rest," from 1 to 4 p.m.
Check operating hours and schedules before venturing out in September. Although weather is mild for most of the year in southern Italy and the island of Sicily, beach resorts typically close for the fall and winter months.
Check with locals to see what holidays or celebrations might cause closures at popular tourist destinations. Religious holidays in Italy do not coincide with American holidays. Holiday closures sometimes span a day or a few days.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Castle on Sicily Hillside image by Ropponguy from Fotolia.com ancient rome image by jim from Fotolia.com venice image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com happy man image by Christophe Fouquin from Fotolia.com passagers et hôtesse image by rachid amrous-spleen from Fotolia.com La mer par la vitre du train image by Bruno Bernier from Fotolia.com festival image by Laima Penekaite from Fotolia.com insalata caprese image by Ingrid Walter from Fotolia.com street cafe image by jsw from Fotolia.com
