Rome’s mild climate makes it popular to visit year-round; however, spring and autumn are without doubt the best times to visit, with generally sunny skies and mild temperatures (although late autumn, November, can be rainy). Unfortunately, these times are also the peak tourist season, when the tour buses pour in and tourists are herded around like cattle. July and August are unpleasantly hot, and Romans traditionally desert the stiflingly hot city in August, with many businesses closing; try to avoid visiting at this time. From December to February there is briskly cold weather, although it’s rarely grey and gloomy.
