Best time to charter a catamaran or yacht in Italy
Best month to sail Italy: cheapest November (€5,082/wk), sweet spot September, priciest August. Prices, temperature, wind by month.
Sweet spot (our rule)
September
Warm, not peak-priced; from €7,084/week
Sources: 12 Knots, NASA POWER, checked
The best-value months to charter a catamaran in Italy are November, December and January: €5,082 per week in November against €9,633 in August, in 12 Knots' average asking prices (updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). The best weather months are June to September, with a mean air temperature of 23–27 °C (our calculation from NASA POWER data at Portisco, Sardinia (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)); the sweet spot is September (€7,084, 23 °C); avoid June, July and August if price matters, the three priciest months (from €7,929).
Last checked: 27 Oct 2026 (prices) and 28 Oct 2026 (weather). Prices are average weekly asking prices for catamarans (bareboat and crewed mixed), before extras. "Best value", "best weather", "sweet spot" and "avoid" are our rules on the sourced figures (how we decide). Planning around a month instead? See where to sail by month.
Italy month by month: price, temperature and wind
| Month | Avg. weekly price | vs cheapest month | Mean air temp | Mean wind | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | €5,209 | +2% | 10 °C | 11 kn | Best value · Cool |
| February | €5,230 | +3% | 11 °C | 10 kn | Cool |
| March | €5,223 | +3% | 12 °C | 10 kn | Cool |
| April | €5,263 | +4% | 14 °C | 9 kn | Cool |
| May | €5,960 | +17% | 18 °C | 9 kn | Mild |
| June | €7,929 | +56% | 24 °C | 8 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| July | €9,569 | +88% | 27 °C | 8 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| August | €9,633 | +90% | 27 °C | 7 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| September | €7,084 | +39% | 23 °C | 8 kn | Sweet spot |
| October | €5,276 | +4% | 19 °C | 9 kn | Mild |
| November | €5,082 | cheapest | 14 °C | 10 kn | Best value · Cool |
| December | €5,214 | +3% | 11 °C | 10 kn | Best value · Cool |
Bold prices are the three cheapest months. Prices: (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). Air temp and wind: Air temp = NASA POWER monthly mean 2 m air temperature (T2M); wind = monthly mean 10 m wind speed (WS10M), converted from m/s to knots (kn) with 1 m/s = 3600/1852 kn. For each calendar month we average the 2016–2025 values (10 full years). POWER's meteorological grid is ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude (roughly 55 × 50 km at these latitudes), so one cell cannot show local sea breezes or coast-to-hill temperature differences. They are our calculation of average conditions, not a forecast, not gusts, and not sea conditions. Mean wind is lower than the peak winds you will feel on the water. Reference point: Portisco, Sardinia. Weather data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division (pulled 2026-10-28) (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026). We changed the data: we averaged the monthly values for 2016–2025 and converted wind from m/s to knots (our calculation).
When is the cheapest time to charter in Italy?
The three cheapest months for a catamaran in Italy are November, December and January (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026):
- November: €5,082 per week, mean air temperature 14 °C, mean wind 10 kn.
- December: €5,214 per week, mean air temperature 11 °C, mean wind 10 kn.
- January: €5,209 per week, mean air temperature 10 °C, mean wind 11 kn.
The cheapest month costs 47% less than the priciest (€5,082 against €9,633; our arithmetic). All-in and per-person costs by month: Italy catamaran cost.
When is the best weather for sailing in Italy?
Our best-weather months for Italy are June to September: mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at Portisco, Sardinia (our rule on 2016–2025 NASA POWER data (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)). Of these, September is not among the three priciest months, which makes it our sweet spot: September €7,084 per week at 23 °C.
No tropical-cyclone season applies here; the main seasonal difference is temperature, from 10 °C in the coolest month to 27 °C in the warmest at our reference point. NASA POWER reports an average elevation of 187 m for the grid cell around Portisco, Sardinia, so the cell mixes coast and inland hills; treat its temperatures as indicative of the coast, not exact.
Which months should you avoid in Italy?
- On price: June, July and August, the three priciest months (June €7,929, July €9,569, August €9,633), unless those are the only weeks you can travel.
- If you want warm days: November to April average below 15 °C at our reference point (our threshold).
Who should go when
- On a budget: go in November, December and January (from €5,082 per week). The cheapest best-weather month is September at €7,084 (23 °C).
- Families: the calmest best-weather months by mean wind are June (8 kn, 24 °C, €7,929), July (8 kn, 27 °C, €9,569), August (7 kn, 27 °C, €9,633). Our suggestion, not a source's: calmer, warm weeks suit children and first-time crews. A catamaran sails flatter than a monohull (catamaran vs monohull).
- Experienced sailors who want wind: the windiest months at Portisco, Sardinia are December (10 kn, 11 °C), January (11 kn, 10 °C), March (10 kn, 12 °C). The windiest best-weather month is September (8 kn). These are monthly mean wind speeds over a ~50 km grid cell: real afternoon breezes and gusts are stronger and vary by channel and coast.
See boats in Italy
See catamarans for rent in Italy on SamBoat
We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure). Listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own; the figures on this page come from the sources below.
How we decide "best"
- Best value: The 3 cheapest months of 12 Knots' monthly average weekly catamaran price (our ranking).
- Warm / cool: Mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at our reference point (our threshold). Cool: below 15 °C.
- Best weather: Warm (≥ 20 °C) and outside the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, NOAA) or Tahiti's wet season (November–April, Tahiti Tourisme). Not given where we have no season or rainfall source.
- Sweet spot: Best-weather months that are not among the 3 priciest months (our rule).
- Avoid: The 3 priciest months (if price matters), plus August–October in hurricane areas (NOAA: most activity mid-August to mid-October) or the wet season in French Polynesia.
- Families: The calmest best-weather months by mean wind (our suggestion; mean wind is not gusts or sea state).
- Wind: The windiest months by mean wind speed at our reference point (our ranking).
These are our editorial thresholds applied to sourced figures, not the sources' own labels. Air temperature is not sea temperature, and mean wind is not gusts or sea state (sea temperature, waves, gusts and rainfall: not verified yet).
Sources
- 12 Knots: Catamaran charter in Italy, checked 27 Oct 2026. Page states "Updated October 2026".
- NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M), checked 28 Oct 2026. Pulled 28 Oct 2026; 2016–2025 monthly means (our calculation).
Price data for every destination: CSV. Method: methodology.
More on Italy
- Italy overview: prices, licence and sample route
- Italy catamaran cost by month, all-in and per person
- Cheapest month across all destinations: where to sail in November · sweet spot: September
- Fishing in Italy: licence, rules and best months by species
- Best time to charter, every destination compared
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to charter a catamaran in Italy?
On our rules, September (€7,084 per week, 23 °C): warm and not among the three priciest months. For the lowest price, November (€5,082 per week, 12 Knots, October 2026); for the warmest weather, June to September.
What is the cheapest month to sail in Italy?
November, at €5,082 per week on 12 Knots' average catamaran asking price (updated October 2026). The three cheapest months are November, December and January.
When should you avoid chartering in Italy?
On price, June, July and August: the three priciest months, up to €9,633 per week in August.
When is it windiest for sailing in Italy?
At our reference point (Portisco, Sardinia), the windiest months by mean wind speed are December (10 kn), January (11 kn), March (10 kn) and the calmest are June (8 kn), July (8 kn), August (7 kn) (our calculation from 2016–2025 NASA POWER data). Gusts and local breezes are stronger than these means.