re: Italy in Wintertime/Christmas

I did Italy in January a while back and it was great. Much shorter lines at all of the tourist attractions. It was chilly, but a light jacket was really all I needed especially if you are going to be walking most of the cities. Venice has a small fraction of the number of tourist as it did when I went in July. My advice on Venice is to go see the main attractions quickly, then wander off and explore the rest of the city. Last time I went I rented a small apartment there and explored a lot. It was way more enjoyable than the first time when I just saw the main sites.