Peak Season:
You’ll find Italy is extremely busy from June to September, especially around the seaside resorts where tourists cram into hotels. Italy as a country is a year-round place to visit, although you can still find cheap flight tickets if you book in advance. Italy hosts a variety of events and festivals throughout the year so make sure to check if your dates coincide with any as they will make your flights to Italy more expensive. Ski lovers can visit the mountain resorts anywhere from December to April. You’ll find less crowds from September to October although certain tourist traps such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Florence Cathedral are always packed.
Off Season:
The quietest time of the year for most parts of Italy is from November to December. The shorter days and winter weather cause a lot of attractions to close or open for just a few hours. You can find the cheapest flights to Italy during this season though and hotels offer much cheaper rates. Cities such as Venice are always expensive though so even if you find cheap flight tickets you might struggle to find accommodation to suit.
Depending on your lifestyle and hobbies, there are several different times which are the best to book flights to Italy. For example if you love to hit the slopes then you should aim to book your flights to Italy a couple of months before December, whereas if you are hoping to relax on the beaches and experience the central cities of the country then secure your flight tickets a couple of months before you want to travel. If you decide to book your flights to Italy for somewhere between June and September, you might need to book your flights 3 or 4 months in advance to make the best savings. Once you’ve settled on a part of Italy to visit you’ll be able to start finding the best deals, or if you are flexible simply compare each location and secure the flight tickets for whichever offers the cheapest flights.
Flights from London to Rome - 2 hours 30 minutes
Flights from Manchester to Florence - 3 hours 50 minutes
Flights from Birmingham to Rome - 4 hours 25 minutes
Flights from Glasgow to Florence - 5 hours 05 minutes
There are a host of airlines that offer cheap flights to Italy and due to the competitiveness you can quite easily find great deals on flight tickets. Ryanair, Norwegian, easyJet, British Airways and Alitalia are just a handful of the many airlines. You’ll find prices vary depending on where in Italy you want to visit although Ryanair and easyJet frequently offer the cheapest flights to Italy. That said, during the peak season you’ll notice the price of checked in baggage increase dramatically for Ryanair. Norwegian provide free WiFi onboard for the entirety of their flights and British Airways offer complimentary snacks and drinks as well as a free executive membership to earn points. Once you’ve figured out where you want to travel it’s worth comparing a couple of different airlines to find the cheapest flights to Italy.
Rome Airport:
There is a direct train, the Leonardo Express, which operates between the airport and the centre of Rome around ever half an hour. You can buy your ticket either from the platform or from newsstands and shops. You’ll need to use the validation machines at the station or onboard before your journey begins otherwise you’ll face a fine. There are also bus services available from outside of the airport. You can find out about the timetables and which number is best for you once your flights to Italy land. Lastly you can opt for a taxi although these are a lot more expensive than the train.
Florence Airport:
The airport is located just 4km away from the city centre as is easily accessible via public transport. There is a bus service that operates to and from the airport. The service runs daily and is very frequent, with a journey time of around 20 minutes. The shuttles stop running around midnight so it is more convenient to jump into a taxi from then, just make sure you agree on a fee before you get in. You can get taxis during any point of the day but they are a lot more expensive than the bus shuttles.