Rien63

Hi all. I have 10-12 days for either one of these cities. Problem is which one as I have equal interest in both. I like to travel during the shoulder seasons and can go either March or September/October. So another consideration is weather. Here's some more info that should be helpful.

I'm in my fifties, female, with NOT unlimited funds, so I'm looking to get the most for my money and feel somewhat safe as I'm traveling solo. I enjoy good basic food and wine but not in trendy, pretentious restaurants! I also love natural beauty (plan to take excursions out of the city) as opposed to a lot of museum-hopping (have seen enough art to last a lifetime!). Love strolling (walkability's an issue), cafes and people-watching. Not interested in shopping. This is how I compared the two cities so far:

PARIS:
PROS: Love French films, literature, (a big Proust fan, would love to do a literary and film locations tour), very interested in seeing the Vaux le Vicomte as opposed to Versailles. Have the option of traveling to the south for natural beauty--maybe 6 days Paris, 6 days Provence/Cote d'Azur and fly home (Philadelphia) from Nice. Public transport seems to be good all around.
CONS: Cost. Also have the sense that Paris may have a certain formality I'll find off-putting. Not that people are unfriendly, but maybe a bit uptight as are most cities of its size. I imagine the atmosphere more laid-back in the south.

ROME:
PROS: Love Italian films, archaeology/ancient ruins and everything Mediterranean--food, landscapes, the light, etc. Would love to visit Ostia Antica, Villa d'Este just outside Rome as well as the Mediterranean itself, but I'm not sure of the best places to do this. Capri seems overpriced and too touristy. Naples is of interest because of the Archaeological Museum, but not much else. The Apulia region sounds beautiful but quite far from Rome. Suggestions?
CONS: Fear Rome will be as overwhelming as Athens. The Acropolis and a couple museums made it worthwhile for me, but I couldn't wait to head for the islands!

Sorry for the long post, wanted to supply as much info as possible. Thanks!

janisj

Just a quick note right now: If you have a choice -- go sometime between mid September and early October. March can still be very wintery in both cities.

sandralist

Interesting post. I love both cities. My first question is: Which Italian films do you like?

You've aced a lot of the pros and cons for yourself. Rome has many more quiet, traffic-free corners than Athens, and overall has more beauty for strolls. Ostia Antica is just a short train ride from Rome, and likewise you can get a bus to Villa d'Este. Apulia is indeed far, needs a car, and can have very lousy weather in March.

In March, your choices for multi-day scenic destinations from either city are more limited than you realize, and more subject to spring storms. It is not an ideal time to go to the Cote d'Azur or Capri (even if you wanted to) -- although you can luck out with sun instead of driving rain storms. Much of Provence needs a car, as does most of scenic Tuscany (which is not far from Rome). You probably could enjoy a fair bit of small town Umbria without a car, and get some pretty views. From Rome it is less than a 4 hour train ride to Venice, which has good train connections other small cities of charm (Verona, Padova, Ferrara) and Venice is definitely a car-free walker's paradise.

danon

Different weather:
...Match in Rome..we had good weather, Paris , cool and rainy.
Sept./Oct in Paris, could be rainy. Rome, much better, usually sunny and warm.
From Rome , you can easily reach Ostia Antica, ,Orvieto, Florence ..Look north!

kelbo

I've done both and think because you have issues with walking Paris might me easier. The public transportation is much better than Rome ...either the Metro or buses. Nice is easy to get to from Paris and then you can take side trips into the smaller hill towns. I also recommend sept/ oct for better weather.

sandralist

PS: regarding post above mine. It is not wintry in Rome in March if your idea of winter includes cold. You can get rain, but temps will be moderate. Actually, one of the worst times to travel anywhere in Italy is from the middle of October to the end of October, due to torrential rains which can include Rome.

janisj

>>Actually, one of the worst times to travel anywhere in Italy is from the middle of October to the end of October, due to torrential rains which can include Rome.<<

If you notice I didn't recommend mid to late October -- I did that for a reason. And I have been in Rome in March when it was cold enough to need a winter coat. Not snow -- but not what one might 'imagine' Rome weather to be.

September would be better for both cities. But if you decide on Rome then late March could be decent too.

sandralist

Do you have mobility issues or by "walkability" do you mean "prefer a city good for walking" -- ?

Because if you have walking issues, then Italy is difficult.

sandralist

Janisj

I did notice you didn't recommend mid to late October. I was addressing the OP, not you. What year were you in Rome that you needed a "winter coat" and what constitutes a winter coat to you?

Mimar

I gather you will be sticking to public transportation.

In March the weather will be better in Rome. Paris will probably be gray and rainy. In September Paris gets busy. IIRC there are a lot of big meetings, conventions, etc. during the September/October period. However, as long as you have a place to stay, that needn't affect you too much.

Inland Provence is better seen by car. But the Cote d'Azur has great transportation connections, by train and bus. In March I'd be inclined to fly into Nice and out of Paris, doing the south first for better weather.

If you found Athens overwhelming, maybe Rome isn't for you. What was it about Athens that you found so disturbing? Athens is a smaller city than either Rome or Paris.

Maybe you could go elsewhere in Italy, not spend much time in Rome. There are many interesting towns and areas. You might like the Ligurian coast including the Cinque Terre (though not a good choice for March); Venice; the Amalfi coast, basing in Sorrento for day trips to Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Archeological Museum in Naples, Capri, as well as the towns of the Amalfi coast proper. All these places have good public transportation. I don't know anything about public transportation in Apulia.

More research to do. Good luck!

Rien63

janisj,

Thanks, I wasn't sure of this. Did a trip to Greece in late September/early October and the weather was perfect along with there being fewer tourists. But then I was in Barcelona in March and it was equally beautiful. It rained one day for about an hour and that was it, temps in the 60s/70s. One thing we didn't plan for was spring break--the Dali Museum was packed!

mamcalice

Whether you choose Paris or Rome, September and early October are ideal times to travel. We love both but tend to visit Paris more often than Rome.

If walking is an issue, Paris is more pedestrian friendly and has excellent public transport.

Even though you have seen many museums, you can't miss the Louvre and the D'Orsay. And there are countless other wonderful museums in Paris.

Both Paris and Rome have great options for trips outside the city either for the day or for a longer time. Provence and Tuscany are exquisite but best visited with a car. Avignon might be an option for Provence without a car. Florence would be a great destination from Rome.

Only you can make the decision - do more research and ask more quiestions. You can't go wrong either way.

sandralist

I think if you have seen enough museums to last you a lifetime, you can miss the museums of Paris.

You will find plenty of tourists in September and early October for Paris and Rome. It is PEAK season. March, much less so unless you go during Easter.

Rien63

sandralist,

I have no problems walking, can also walk long distances, I just prefer a more compact city versus one so spread out I have to take transportation everywhere.

Favorite Italian films--almost everything by Fellini (of course), Michelangelo Antonioni,and Lina Wertmuller. Particular films, long list, but here are a few: Umberto D., Rocco and His Brothers, more modern ones are Days and Clouds and The Great Beauty. (Needless to say, I was a film studies major).

Both Paris and Rome will probably be warmer than here in Philadelphia in March, but I don't want rain every day either so September may be best. This trip's for 2016 so I have time to book if I decide on Paris--I've heard it's a really busy time.

Athens--that's it, traffic congestion (didn't help that public transit workers were on strike at the time). I also didn't find the city attractive or endearing in general.

Rien63

Mimar,

Yea, I'd just stick to the coast as there's enough of interest to keep me busy.

Athens--traffic and chaos, which I've heard is true of Rome too, but with Athens there were only a handful of sites I wanted to see which is not true of Rome. I also wasn't impressed with the food, even outside the touristy areas.

I'm thinking that maybe I could do Paris, the French and a bit of the Italian Riviera. Just don't want to take on too much. Too old for such running around!

sandralist

If you loved La Grande Bellezza, then Rome is a special treat. I would add to that Fellini's take on Roma (to which Sorrentino --- and Woody Allen -- pays homage). All of the other films and directors you mentioned were filmed in Central or Northern Italy -- which is one of the reasons why I asked. The premiere destination for lovers of Italian film is, in my view, Torino, the birthplace of italian cinema and home to what I regard as the finest and most fun movie museum IN THE WORLD.

You will not get rain every day in Rome in March -- or September or early October. Only you can balance crowds vs. rainy days, and Paris vs. Rome.

However, I don't think you need fear Roman traffic based on your experience of Athens. Entire areas of the historic center are pedestrianized. Rome did not suffer the extensive mid-century bombardment and long lasting civil war that Athens, which caused Athens to be rebuilt in "car-friendly" modern ways. Huge sections of antique Rome remains as they have been for century upon century, and only a few thoroughfares are for motor traffic. Those thoroughfares are beloved by film-makers, who love to spice up their films of Rome with crazy Roman traffic. But in reality, the actual walking-around experience of Rome includes a great many neighborhoods whose tiny alleyways see very little if any motor traffic.

If you decide to visit Paris and the Italian Riviera, then you have several transport options, including flight from Paris to Genova or Pisa, or trains from Paris to Genova via Torino or Nice.

sandralist

PS: If you opt for Paris + the Italian Riviera, then you might consider at least an overnight in Torino so you can visit the cinema museum, a greatly moving place for lovers of Italian film. Also, although there are almost no remnants of it left, the original glam European film festival was not in Cannes but in Bordighera, Italy. One possible itinerary would be some time in Paris, then a train to Torino, then a train to Bordighera -- and from there it would be simple to fly out of Nice.

Also, you can look at the reality of Italian weather on this website, which archives the actual real temps that occurred d in recent times in destinations like Rome or the Italian Riviera. You can see for yourself if typical March weather in Rome would make you personally want to pack a winter coat. In early September, you need to watch out for heat waves

weather archives for Rome:

http://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/archiv...eo/Roma?c=5913

weather archives for the Italian riviera

http://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/archivio-meteo/Bordighera

MaineGG

If you go to Paris, be sure to check out what's going on at the Cinémathèque Française. We saw a wonderful exposition there on Jacques Demy in 2013, and I notice their current one is on François Truffaut.

It's easy to pair a visit to the Cinémathèque with a visit to the Bibliothèque Nationale Française, an easy walk across the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge. There you can see the amazing Coronelli globes as well as other special exhibits.

http://www.cinematheque.fr/
http://expositions.bnf.fr/globes/expo_us/01.htm
http://expositions.bnf.fr/proust/anglais/index.htm

bvlenci

If I were going to Rome, I'd prefer March. It's rarely cold, although it may rain. Except in the week after Easter, which almost never happens in March, it isn't terribly crowded. September and October are peak season in Rome, and in September it can sometimes be unpleasantly hot.

If you want to visit a Mediterranean seaside town, September would be better. There are nice places nearer than Puglia. Sperlonga is fairly easy to get to from Rome. I've never been there, but I've heard that it's very nice. Anzio and Nettuno are even easier to get to from Rome. And Ostia Lido, near the archaeological site, is within the city limits of Rome.

If I were going to Paris, I'd prefer September, because March can be very raw and damp, aside from being cold. I wouldn't worry about the formality. We've never come across frosty manners in Paris. That said, it's not one of my favorite cities in the world. Those would be Rome, London, and New York.

Rien63

Wow, thanks everyone for sooo much info. Of course now I'm totally confused but in a good way--lots of great suggestions (love the film museums!),websites, towns, etc. You've all given me some fun homework to do.

sandra,

"...Rome did not suffer the extensive mid-century bombardment and long lasting civil war that Athens, which caused Athens to be rebuilt in "car-friendly" modern ways. Huge sections of antique Rome remains as they have been for century upon century, and only a few thoroughfares are for motor traffic. Those thoroughfares are beloved by film-makers, who love to spice up their films of Rome with crazy Roman traffic. But in reality, the actual walking-around experience of Rome includes a great many neighborhoods whose tiny alleyways see very little if any motor traffic."

Very interesting history, and also good to hear. Movies really do lead you to think Rome is nothing but cars and chaos.

I have one more question for now. How do Paris/South of France and Rome compare cost-wise for food/accommodation? Where will I get more for my money? I like to stay in small family-run establishments as centrally-located as possible. As for food I prefer to have the mid-day lunch special for my main meal--more economical. I've heard that food can be mediocre for the price in Paris. Any tips, thoughts, etc?