3 Best Places to Visit in Italy in November (2025)

1. Caserta

Caserta is an important historical place in Southern Italy. It's just about 45 minutes by train from Naples. The reason to visit Caserta is for the Royal Palace of Caserta, or Reggia di Caserta.

I actually had never heard of it until September, when we were invited to a wedding in Casertavecchia, or Old Caserta.

The palace is surprisingly not so well known outside of Italy but if you're into gardens, history, and architecture, you'll love this idea. From Naples, you can arrive in Caserta by train in just under an hour. The drive is about 45 minutes. I'd recommend visiting as a day trip from Naples.

You have to buy a ticket to enter into the Royal Palace of Caserta. I'd suggest planning ahead and buying your ticket online, just in case you arrive on a busy day. To be upfront, with the exception of Casertavechhia, there isn't much pull to visit Caserta if you skip out on the palace. The whole town is built around it.

Fun Fact: Caserta was the Allied Force Headquarters during WWII and where the surrender of the German and Italian forces was signed.

In our original plans for the wedding in Casertavecchia, we didn't plan a visit to Caserta or, honestly, even know about it until just a few days before. We were distracted with extra time in Naples and a weekend on Ischia.

But the day after the wedding, we got a wild hair and decided we just wanted to see Caserta. That's when we realized that you need to buy tickets to even get a glimpse and need quite a few hours if you want to tour the palace and the gardens.

So you learn from our mistakes, I'm letting you know about this place now so you can plan accordingly.

Where to Stay in Caserta

Well, title be damned, I actually recommend you stay in Naples and just visit Caserta for a day trip. The only exception would be if you want to stay in Casertavecchia and completely disconnect for a night or two.

If you want to just spend the day in Caserta, book your stay in Naples. I recommend:

• Budget Stay: Terrazza Duomo: Located in the historic center, the real treat of this property is the covered terrace that offers views and a bit of respite from the craziness of Naples.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Lumina Apartment: This is where we stayed on our last trip to Naples. I want to be clear, I'm not recommending it for the exact area (although it's just a few blocks from Via Toledo and from the port if you plan to take a ferry) but more because the apartment is spacious, has a good size table, and has great natural light if you need to work online like we did.
• Luxury Stay: Agra Suites: Get the best of Naples by booking at this luxury hotel, in Chiaia, the luxury neighborhood of Naples. For those that want the "pretty" side of Naples, this is your spot.

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2. Turin (Torino)

Turin, or Torino in Italian, is a city in Northern Italy, just west of Milan. While I do think the weather will be more enjoyable farther south, there's a specific reason I'm recommending Turin.

Many places in Italy thrive off of the outdoors. Cafes take over sidewalks, people flock to the coast or trails, and generally look to get some sun on their faces.

While this is still true for Turin, they do one thing a bit differently than other cities we've visited in Italy: their indoor spaces are just as welcoming as their outdoor ones. Sure, you'll find great local restaurants and cafes around the country but most Italians (and foreigners) would prefer to eat outdoors than indoors so oftentimes more thought goes into those spaces instead. Plus, the city is home to some pretty unique dishes you won't find in the rest of the country.

In Turin, they're ready for the cold and have put a lot of effort into making their indoor spaces warm and inviting. This is a huge perk to visiting in the off season instead.

Torino is also home to a number of interesting museums, ideally for a few more hours spent inside. Consider:

• The Automobile Museum, or Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile
• The cinema museum which is inside Mole Antonelliana, Turin's most iconic building (you should check out the building, even if you don't care about seeing Darth Vader's helmet on display)
• Musei Reali, which features Italian paintings from the 14th–18th centuries
• The second biggest Egyptian museum in the world after Cairo, the Museo Egizio
• The coffee museum for those that need a caffeine boost
• The Old Fiat Factory, located in the Lingotto building
• And the Cappella della Sacra Sindone which houses a shroud said to be the burial cloth of Jesus

Although not all of Turin is located indoors, a lot of it is, giving you the perfect place to explore even if the November weather isn't really on your side.

Where to Stay in Turin

To best explore Turin, I'd recommend staying as central as you can. Based on your budget, consider booking a stay at:

• Budget Stay: Casin Piccin al Cuor 'd Turin: You'll be right at the train station here, so if you plan to use Turin as your base to do some day trips in the area or you're arriving late or leaving early, this studio apartment is a good choice.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Golden Eagle: There are a handful of different apartments to choose from in this complex, ranging in size, decor, and price per night. It's near the train station as well but heading towards the center.
• Luxury Stay: Residence Cloud 9: For those that want a more local feel to their space while still being centrally located, this pet-friendly one-bedroom apartment is a great choice. It's recently renovated and well-furnished.

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3. Santarcangelo di Romagna

Like Caserta, we had never heard of Santarcangelo di Romagna until an Italian recommended we visit it. We were heading back to Emilia Romagna for a concert and since we've visited the region so many times, we were looking for somewhere new to stay.

That's when our 80 year old neighbor enthusiastically pushed up to Santarcangelo. Honestly, he's given us so many good tips throughout the years we've lived next door that we didn't even hesitate. It was close enough to the concert venue that we booked our stay and went for it.

Instantly, I loved it.

The town is relatively small and easy to traverse on foot - just know you will need to face a hill to get up to the Medieval Village that sits above the rest of the town.

But, while it is small, it's overflowing with charm. The alleyways are lit with stringed lights, bars and piadine shops fight for space, and the original atmosphere of the place still exists. Simply put: it just has a really nice vibe to it.

The best streets to spend time on are:

• Via Aurelio Saffi: This street is built on steps and is the best place for an evening aperitivo. The bars here take over, making the ambiance cozy and simply a lot of fun. Continue up on this street for a few minutes to reach the Medieval Village.
• Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour (another mouthful): This street runs into Via Saffi and is another one with a few bars, cafes, and shops. I'm a sucker for dangling street lights and that's exactly the vibe you get here.

Although really close to Rimini, the town receives very few tourists, especially foreign tourists. Although Rimini is far more famous, I much preferred Santarcangelo or nearby Cesena, even if neither are on the coast.

While you can certainly still make a day trip over to Rimini and see for yourself, instead I'd recommend you visit San Marino. It's just about a 30 minute drive away. Although it's its own country and not part of Italy (so I'm kinda cheating here), I do think it's worth the visit. We haven't been simply because we wanted to skip visiting with the summer crowds (the time of year we were in Santarcangelo). If given the option in the off season, I'd certainly take it.

Where to Stay in Santarcangelo

Usually I recommend staying right in the city center so you can explore completely on foot. While I still think that's a great option, especially if you arrive by train or bus, if you have a car, I'd also like to recommend where we stayed. It was a great apartment but only if you have a car.

Consider staying at:

• Budget Stay: Casa Giulietta B&B: There are a few rooms to choose from at this small b&b, just across the street from Piazza Ganganelli and the center of town.
• Mid-Tier Stay: 147MqSuite: This is where we stayed and really loved it. It was a really unique property, the host was very nice and responsive, and had private parking, which is a luxury not often included in Italy.
• Luxury Stay: La Casa della Giuliana: This is a big villa right in the center. This house is ideal for a large group or family that's traveling together and wants a shared space for their trip.

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Weather to Expect in Italy in November

November weather is really a mix bag in Italy. Throughout the country you can expect cooler temperatures, some rainy weather, and the desire to wear a light jacket or warm sweater.

The exact temperatures will depend greatly on where in the country you are and if you're in the flat zones or up in the mountains.

Today is only October 31 but I'm currently in Belluno, a town at the start of the Dolomites. It's been rainy, foggy, and definitely sweater weather. Trieste is a bit warmer but no less rainy. The farther south you move, the warmer you can expect the weather to be, with the exception of the mountainous areas. The picture above I took on Lake Garda in late November. Although it was chilly, you can see that the skies were gorgeous.

Note that not all homes in the Southern regions will have heating and even in the North, most heating is controlled by either the hotel or the apartment building - meaning you don't have full control over it. Sometime in November (depending on the year), the central heating tends to swap from only being on in the mornings and nights to being on all day.

Since many buildings in Italy are old, they don't all have the best insulation, meaning it can feel colder indoors than out sometimes. I'd recommend packing an extra sweater, regardless of where in Italy you visit, to wear indoors.

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Foods in Season in November

One of my favorite things about living in Italy is eating with the seasons. Seasonal produce is easily accessible at the grocery stores, local markets, and at restaurants. It's not uncommon for menus to change with the seasons or for local restaurants to rely on daily menus that fit what's in season.

The seasonal produce in Italy in November I recommend you try (first in English, then the same word in Italian):

• Chestnuts = Castagne
• Squash/Pumpkins = Zucca. Note there is just one word to cover both of these vegetables. Ravioli or gnocchi di zucca are 2 of my favorite dishes and a big perk for visiting Italy in the fall.
• Truffles = Tartufi

Chestnuts are commonly found freshly roasted on the street. Although street food isn't really a huge thing in most of Italy (with the exception of food in Naples), chestnuts in the fall and winter are a big exception throughout the country.

Squash, pumpkins, and truffles are most commonly seen on daily menus in restaurants throughout the country.

Come late November, some Christmas markets will start to open up. There you can find other foods that only pop up with these markets.

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Where Will You Visit in Italy in November?

November really is a wonderful time to visit Italy but only if you come in with the right expectations. If you flock to touristy towns, you'll notice many places will be closed and the activity levels you've seen on social media will be pretty dead.

Instead go places where Italians actually live year-round. Here things will still be open and lively, regardless of the weather.

Pack layers and mentally prepared for a calmer, more laid-back version of Italy than summer visitors get. Personally, this to me makes it a great month but it's important you're excited for that. If you aren't, but still want to avoid summer crowds, plan your trip around May, June, September, or October instead.