Best time to visit Rome

Rome is an outdoor city, and the best months are the ones when you can walk between the Forum and the Pantheon without sweating or sheltering. April, May and October deliver that, along with the year's biggest crowds at Easter and in the Vatican queues. July and August are hot enough to make midday sightseeing a chore, and around Ferragosto on 15 August many Romans leave and family restaurants close for two weeks. November is the wettest month but also the quietest and cheapest, and winter days are often mild and bright.

Whenever you come, book the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum ahead: both sell timed tickets that go weeks in advance in spring and autumn. The Vatican Museums close on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free and the queue is the longest of the month. The Colosseum, Forum and most state museums close on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and the first Sunday of each month brings free entry and full houses at the state sites. For the mild weather without Easter prices, aim for the first half of May or late October.