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Italy in Wintertime/Christmas
Posted on 5/9/17 at 10:45 am
Posted on 5/9/17 at 10:45 am
So...my wife and I promised each other no big trips this year, but the travel bug always rears its ugly head.
We are pondering 9-10 days in Italy, doing Rome/Florence/Venice. This would be during the Christmas/New Years week. I would also like to make one of our FLorence days to possibly see either Sienna or Pisa/Cinque Terre.
I know it can be pretty chilly, especially in Venice which can get quite chilly and also floods pretty often (the Acqua Alta). I also know things close a bit earlier and there will be some days here and there where things are just closed.
But I've heard that because of these things the cities are much more local and there are far fewer tourists at most major sites.
Anyone with any experience in Italy in winter or during this time? We've been to Europe in the Winter a few times, but generally in November, and not Italy.
It would be both of our first trips to Italy. Thoughts?
We are pondering 9-10 days in Italy, doing Rome/Florence/Venice. This would be during the Christmas/New Years week. I would also like to make one of our FLorence days to possibly see either Sienna or Pisa/Cinque Terre.
I know it can be pretty chilly, especially in Venice which can get quite chilly and also floods pretty often (the Acqua Alta). I also know things close a bit earlier and there will be some days here and there where things are just closed.
But I've heard that because of these things the cities are much more local and there are far fewer tourists at most major sites.
Anyone with any experience in Italy in winter or during this time? We've been to Europe in the Winter a few times, but generally in November, and not Italy.
It would be both of our first trips to Italy. Thoughts?
5
Posted on 5/9/17 at 12:04 pm to Fun Bunch
This post was edited on 11/8/20 at 2:35 pm
Posted on 5/9/17 at 12:09 pm to Kraut Dawg
I'm thinking more about the experience about being there that particular time of year rather than trip planning.
I've heard similar things about Venice.
I've heard similar things about Venice.
Posted on 5/9/17 at 12:53 pm to Fun Bunch
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.
Posted on 5/9/17 at 1:02 pm to Fun Bunch
(no message)
This post was edited on 8/8/20 at 10:11 am
Posted on 5/9/17 at 4:03 pm to Fun Bunch
Italy in the vicinity of Rome isn't any colder than the Deep South in winter. I've never been there for Christmas/New Year's, but Rome will be full of religious tourists at Christmas. Not as big as Easter, but still plenty of them milling around.
Posted on 5/9/17 at 4:59 pm to hungryone
quote:
I've never been there for Christmas/New Year's, but Rome will be full of religious tourists at Christmas. Not as big as Easter, but still plenty of them milling around.
Yeah, everything I've read said that while there are a lot of religious tourists, the actual number of tourists as compared to their high months and Easter is drastically lower, so you almost don't even notice unless you're at the Vatican for Mass.
Which, honestly, I would want to do. Because I'm in Rome for Christmas. It would be my first Mass in longer than I would care to admit
Posted on 5/9/17 at 6:13 pm to Fun Bunch
I just did this trip. We spent Christmas in Rome and went to midnight mass.
I've been procrastinating on making my trip review thread - I'll get it posted soon (bookmarking this thread as a reminder)
I've been procrastinating on making my trip review thread - I'll get it posted soon (bookmarking this thread as a reminder)
Posted on 5/9/17 at 6:23 pm to Fun Bunch
Forgot to add in my original post: I'd go to Bavaria for Christmas over Italy (and I really love Italy). Sure, southern Italy has the amazing nativity scene figure tradition, and yes, Rome has the Pope...but a southern German Christmas is pretty much every storybook tradition come to life. The open air Christmas markets, which are block/street parties full of happy Germans drinking mulled wine & socializing, the decorated trees, Krampus runs, handicrafts, caroling/singing, etc.
Posted on 5/9/17 at 7:56 pm to hungryone
We've talked about Bavaria in winter in the past. Most of our trips are during the holidays, so, someday.
Posted on 5/10/17 at 8:36 am to Fun Bunch
I did this exact thing about 5-6 years ago. We spent time in Florence, some small Tuscan towns, and Milan. We day tripped all around the area. I didn't notice a ton of tourist. The weather was good, cold enough for a jacket the whole time.
New Years in Florence was memorable. They LOVE fireworks there. Fireworks were shooting off everywhere until the Sun came up the next morning. The smoke was so thick in the streets, you couldn't see across the street at some points! The piles of broken beer and wine bottles in the streets the next morning was pretty impressive...I'm talking 15ft diameter/4-5ft tall. These piles were all over the city. I would have to really dig for the pictures, but it was definitely a cool experience.
New Years in Florence was memorable. They LOVE fireworks there. Fireworks were shooting off everywhere until the Sun came up the next morning. The smoke was so thick in the streets, you couldn't see across the street at some points! The piles of broken beer and wine bottles in the streets the next morning was pretty impressive...I'm talking 15ft diameter/4-5ft tall. These piles were all over the city. I would have to really dig for the pictures, but it was definitely a cool experience.
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