Smart travelers know that autumn, or autunno in Italian, is the best season to travel to Italy. There are fewer crowds, less heat, and lower prices at this time of year. An Italy trip in the fall is also one of the best times and best places to vacation because it is harvest season, which means wine and food festivals galore! Here are some fall activities and family vacation ideas for your next trip to Italy. For more fun Italian vacation ideas, check out these 7 best things to do on the Italian islands.
A Budget-Friendly Season
Working people in both the United States and Italy tend to take their longest vacations in the summer months. Because everyone wants to explore and visit Italy during that time, the prices for flights and hotels predictably skyrocket. During the fall, however, an Italy trip is much more affordable, so you can save money or use the money you would have spent on more family vacation ideas and fall activities! If you do visit Italy during the summer, be sure to follow these 10 travel tips for Summer in Italy.
Fewer Tourists and Crowds
For the same reason, Italy sees fewer tourists and crowds during the fall. This makes Italy one of the best places to vacation because the sights and museums everybody wants to visit don’t have the incredibly long lines that they do in the summertime. You can enjoy some breathing room when you travel to Italy in the fall.
The Truffle Fair in Alba
Aside from the practical reasons for visiting Italy in the fall, there are a ton of fun and flavorful ones! One example is the Alba White Truffle Fair that occurs every year from October through November. Italian truffles are a culinary delicacy and an essential element in Italian cooking. Enjoy the best truffle recipes in the world when you visit Italy this time of year. If you visit Northern Italy, you must eat these five meals in Genoa.
The Umbrian Countryside
Visit Italy in the fall to enjoy the wondrous colors and stunning vistas of the Umbrian countryside. This part of central Italy is overflowing with natural beauty. While you’re there, satisfy your sweet tooth by attending the yearly Eurochocolate Festival. The Italian city of Perugia, where the festival is held, is bursting with all things chocolate each October.
Il Desco Food & Culture Festival
Lucca, Italy hosts the Il Desco Food & Culture Festival every year during the end of November and the beginning of December. It is a highly anticipated event where the best food from across the country can be found in one place. The festival holds tastings, workshops, and also displays new innovations in cooking technology and environmental sustainability.
Wine Festivals in Tuscany
Fall is the time of harvest, and one of the crops that are harvested are wine grapes! So naturally, there are a bunch of wine festivals that take place this time of year. Take a look at some of the best wine festivals in Tuscany as selected by Italy Magazine, from Greve in Chianti all the way to Elba Island. Learn how to pair the perfect Italian wine with the perfect Italian cheese with this quick and easy guide to cheese and wine pairing.
Chestnut Festival
Italy is known for its vineyards and its olive farms, but did you know that Italians also love chestnuts? The chestnut harvest takes place in October, and there are chestnut festivals all across the country to celebrate. The festivals include tastings of all the different ways chestnuts can be used in Italian cuisine, from mulled wine to desserts.
Local Sagre Across the Country
While there are plenty of large scale food and wine festivals in Italy in the fall, there are even more local food festivals, or sagre. When you plan your trip to Italy, do a little research on the events in the smaller Italian towns that surround the bigger cities. Sample the many variations of local, authentic Italian food.
Hiking in Tuscany and Le Marche
Everyone knows that fall is an exceptionally beautiful time of year, thanks to the changing of the natural colors and landscapes. It is also a time of cooler weather, so one of the best fall activities is to go hiking and enjoy the breathtaking views. There are many popular hiking trails in the Apennine Mountains in Tuscany that will leave you in awe of Italy’s natural wonders.
Prosciutto Festival in Parma
Prosciutto is one of the most prized Italian meats, so it’s no surprise that every September there is a prosciutto festival in Parma, where the world’s best prosciutto is farmed. This is a meat lover’s paradise. There are also cooking exhibitions, street food and crafts markets, cocktail mixing demonstrations and more!