Weather mid-March to mid-April from Pavia?

[Laura the Explora]

Hello!
My husband and I are planning on walking from Pavia starting in mid-March and are wondering if anyone can give us some insight to possible weather conditions. I realize it’s spring and spring is all over the place and varies year to year. I’ve done a lot of searching, and I feel like I see anything from lots of rain and maybe snow to it’s a fine time to go.

We are starting the Mozárabe Camino in mid-February and could continue up the Via de la Plata as an alternative if we’re too early in the year for the Via Francigena.

Thank you for any information!
Laura

 

[Slow guy]

I walked from Lucca to Rome starting on March 7 and the weather was great for hiking. Cool to start the day but by end of the day we were always just wearing shirts. There was occasional rain but no daylong events.

 

[Laura the Explora]

I walked from Lucca to Rome starting on March 7 and the weather was great for hiking. Cool to start the day but by end of the day we were always just wearing shirts. There was occasional rain but no daylong events.

Thank you!

 

[andycohn]

I agree with Slow guy, above. Although -- obviously -- nothing is certain about the weather, the odds are that it would be good for walking during that period. (We walked the VF in Italy from October into December and it was fine overall).

BUT, be aware that it could be substantially colder in the Apennines, which are before Slow guy's starting point, and which you will hit roughly a week after you leave Pavia. A suggestion would be to check the weather report when you reach Fornovo di Taro, which is right where you start the serious climbing. If the weather looks bad for the next few days, just take the local train from there to Pontremoli on the far side of the mountains. At least one train per hour and the ride itself is less than an hour.

Personally, I think Pavia is a great starting point. There are some gorgeous cities in the latter part of the Po Valley -- Pavia itself, Piacenza, Fiorenzuola, Fidenza, as well as in the early part of Tuscany before Lucca -- plus there's the iconic crossing of the Po, while the Apennines themselves are magnificent. Overall, from Pavia through Lucca, you'll be passing through a really interesting, varied and scenic part of Italy that most foreign tourists don't venture into. I was much taken by that section myself, maybe even more than the more famous sections from Lucca onwards.

For weather conditions in general throughout the year I like weatherspark.com. And here's a site that will give you the average weather conditions at Passo della Cisa, which is the pass that you cross in the mountains over into Tuscany: https://weather.com/weather/monthly...7ec85e4878a8eba8fc4c9efaa2f69bdbb819453ac52a2.

Buon Cammino!

 

[Laura the Explora]

Thank you so much, Andy! That is incredibly helpful.

Do you think we’ll need to pack sleeping bags or do the albergues (don’t now what they are called in Italy) typically have blankets?

 

[andycohn]

Thank you so much, Andy! That is incredibly helpful.

Do you think we’ll need to pack sleeping bags or do the albergues (don’t now what they are called in Italy) typically have blankets?

They're called ostello/i. Every ostello had blankets, but not always top sheets, so a sleeping bag liner is useful. But no need for a sleeping bag.

 

[Laura the Explora]

They're called ostello/i. Every ostello had blankets, but not always top sheets, so a sleeping bag liner is useful. But no need for a sleeping bag.

Great! Thank you! We have liners