Ciclovia Francigena Italia: which way and when to ride
The best month for Ciclovia Francigena Italia is October: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.2 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31% | 21% | 83 | 9 °C | 0% | 63% | 9.2 † |
| February | 48% | 25% | 92 | 10 °C | 0% | 41% | 10.4 † |
| March | 66% | 26% | 93 | 14 °C | 0% | 17% | 11.8 |
| April | 71% | 28% | 84 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 13.4 |
| May | 67% | 31% | 99 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 14.7 |
| June | 56% | 25% | 64 | 26 °C | 21% | 0% | 15.4 |
| July | 40% | 17% | 45 | 29 °C | 47% | 0% | 15.1 |
| August | 41% | 20% | 58 | 29 °C | 43% | 0% | 14.0 |
| September | 71% | 23% | 95 | 24 °C | 6% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 77% | 22% | 115 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.9 † |
| November | 63% | 27% | 133 | 13 °C | 0% | 16% | 9.6 † |
| December | 36% | 21% | 97 | 9 °C | 0% | 53% | 8.9 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Vercelli → Prati, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Vercelli → Prati | Headwind > 15 km/h, Prati → Vercelli | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −0.4 | 2% | 2% | either |
| February | −0.4 | 3% | 2% | either |
| March | −0.6 | 3% | 2% | either |
| April | −0.8 | 3% | 1% | either |
| May | −0.5 | 2% | 1% | either |
| June | −0.3 | 1% | 0% | either |
| July | +0.1 | 1% | 1% | either |
| August | −0.1 | 1% | 0% | either |
| September | −0.6 | 2% | 1% | either |
| October | −1.2 | 3% | 1% | either |
| November | −1.2 | 3% | 1% | either |
| December | −0.3 | 2% | 1% | either |
Stages
The route is split into 6 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Vercelli → Prati in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Vercelli → Piacenza | 153 | October | −1.8 |
| 2. Piacenza → Pontremoli | 144 | October | −0.2 |
| 3. Pontremoli → Lucca | 129 | July | −1.7 |
| 4. Lucca → Siena | 136 | October | −1.0 |
| 5. Siena → Acquapendente | 121 | October | −1.2 |
| 6. Acquapendente → Prati | 163 | October | −1.3 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.