Have you been to Rome and/or Florence before? If not, I would just see those two cities and leave the driving through Tuscany or Umbria to another trip at a time of year with a greater chance for bright, sunny days and more hours of daylight.

Thank you, Jean!

It's my first trip to Italy (not my husband's, but I AM the one doing the research...

How do you suggest we get to Florence? Does renting the car make any sense, maybe for a day trip from Florence if weather permits?

Siena is the best for a night. Christmas day, needs booking.

Hi bilboburgler,

Thanks for the comment, I have heard great things about Siena. What do we need the booking for? I was planning to book the hotel in the next few days, for sure. Are you talking about the dinner?

Thank you!

I would be tempted to train to Florence upon arrival (assuming you will be flying home from Rome) unless Christmas mass is high on your list of priorities. It doesn't make sense to stay in Rome twice.

3 nights Florence, Sita bus to Siena 1 night (or train to Orvieto one night), Sena bus to Rome 3 nights.

You can't drive in Florence so it would be a waste to rent a car for those days.

Hello kybourbon,

Yes, we are flying out of Rome and we can perfectly skip Christmas Mass, I just thought it would be interesting being already there... It actually does make a lot of sense to go straight to Florence I will start exploring train schedules, how to get to the train station from the airport etc.

Thank you!

For a short trip like this, why not take the train from Rome to Florence, and spend 3 nights in Florence rather than one on the road. If you want to take a day trip to Siena, take the bus from Florence.
This website explains how to travel to Siena from Florence: http://www.sienaitaly.com/pages/arrival.html

Renting a car is not inexpensive, and you will have to factor in the time spent picking up a car, and dropping it off on your return; the high cost of gas; and paying for parking while staying in Siena and Florence. You cannot drive in the historic centers of these cities.

You will need tickets to attend Mass at St Peter's on Christmas Eve, and they are not easy to obtain. Instead of standing in a large crowd, why not attend Mass at one of the many churches in Rome.
Also, Dec 26 is a national holiday in Italy, so many sites will be closed.

You can take the train from Rome to Florence, and you have several options for day trips out of Florence that can be done entirely on public trans. Fiesole, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca, Bologna, Arezzo.

You really don't "need" a car unless you want to explore Tuscany in greater depth. But, for me, late December is not when I'd want to do that. Sunrise will be after 7:30 a.m., and there could be early morning frost or even a dusting of snow on the roads. Sunset will be before 5:00 p.m.

I think bilboburgler means you need dining reservations for Christmas Day, but you should have all of your hotels booked in advance.

You can search the train timetables here:

http://www.fsitaliane.com/homepage_en.html

Start from "Fiumicino Airport." In Florence, you likely will want to use the "Florence S.M.N." station.

Thank you everyone for your kind and useful responses, everything is starting to fall into place.

This is sound advice. I would not rent a car, but would instead train to Florence, stay there 3 mights and return to Rome for the rest of the trip. If you need to see something other than Florence, the SITA bus to Siena is easy to do; you might also consider having your hotel book you a car and driver; you could see more than Siena in this way. We have done that several times and once had our driver take us to Volterra, San Gimignano, and to Ristorante Il Pozzo for a wonderful lunch in Monteriggioni. This is an efficient way to maximize your day without having worry about getting lost.

Winter schedules probably aren't loaded yet so you might not find anything listed past 12/8. Schedules won't change much. The train from the airport to the main station in Rome runs every 30 minutes and the current cost is 14€. The train from Rome to Florence takes 90 minutes.

Christmas day booking, well I mainly eat and drink on Christmas day which is why I suggestes a booking. Some people go to church and if so you will not need to book it but you will need to decide on the church. If you differentiate between catholic church and others then you may need to research to hunt down the church and maybe even drop the vicar/pastor a note asking if you can turn up.

The duomo in Siena looks like someone made a church out of pink icing and then left it in the rain. It is up there in my favorite 10 cathedrals. The main square (which is not square) is very pleasant and the city has other hidden squares all over built onto the top of a mountain.

It's so nice to wake up to so many useful comments! We can skip Christmas mass altogether and just visit the churches some other day, it is not crucial. Regarding the train I will wait until the schedules are up, prices and ride times seems very reasonable, we are definitely leaning towards the "Florence first, day trip/s (Siena most likely) and then Rome through the end" structure. You really opened my eyes, guys, I will be back for more!

The Sita bus is usually suggested for visiting Siena from Florence because it drops you at the edge of the historic center. The train station is further away from the center, but they have now added a long series of escalators from the train station up to the center.

I need to work on further research on what's open and what's closed on the 25th. and 26th., fortunately the Uffizi Gallery is open on the 26th., maybe Xmas day will not be too bad to go to Siena...

Hi, I planned a Christmas/Birthday dinner in Rome from the US a few years ago. Like you I didn't want to end up eating Chinese.
I made reservations at the Forum Hotel. They have a rooftop restaurant that overlooks the Forum. Lit up at night, it's spectacular!
The hotel is listed online and they were wonderful in helping me plan a surprise and cake, all for Christmas Day dinner.

Rome is wonderful over the holidays, I was there again last New Year's. Make sure you visit Piazza Navona, there is a festival/fair going on during the holidays with lots of wonderful people watching!

Thank you, hollywoodsc! Now we are considering going straight to Florence, spend Xmas there, and then head back to Rome on the 27th. The hotel looks sensational, we will make sure to at least have dinner there! How was the weather like? We are from Boston, so we can deal with pretty much anything, but since you were there on the same dates last year I just ask... Thank you!

I've had prety good luck with the weather over the Holidays although last year it got really cold after I left and they had snow in Rome.

During my trip it would drop down at night into the 40's - jacket, scarf, gloves needed to go out for gelato. Yes, I sat and ate gelato each evening at the Trevi fountain (right near my hotel) in 40 degrees! When in Rome...

I'd start my mornings out with layers but by 11am I'd have my sweater off and sunglasses on as it reached 65-ish.
I walked everywhere in Rome and that warmed me up, either going to a sight or out for dinner.

Most Italians wore winter coats and scarves at night - black or dark navy, either wool or the fashionable 'puffy" coat were popular. And tall leather boots worn with short wool skirts and leggings were all the rage.

Prepare to layer, take a jacket, scarf, gloves, something in case of wet weather and comfy walking boots/shoes. The cobblestones will tire your feet out quicker than pavement.

Whereever you end up, have a great time! Try to plan somewhere for Christmas dinner as a lot will be closed and you don't want to end up eating crackers and cheese in your room.

Hi hollywoodsc,

Thanks again for the tips, including the "fashion advice", wool skirts, leggings and boots are wonderful for day & night!
Again, we are from Boston, so just add the Red Sox cap to the attire and we will be all set!

Hotel Forum is better for a cocktail than dinner. Food is generally just OK, although I agree the service is nice, and the view is interesting. Every year, Katie Parla puts up a list of good restaurants in Rome that will be open Christmas and New Year's. She has a website.

Thank you, biztravfod! I will check out the website you recommend too.

Hello everyone!

I come back with some updates and asking for some advice too. We have already decided to go first to Florence (by train, straight from the airport), take a day trip to Siena (there's a wonderful article on last Sunday's Times! http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/travel/36-hours-in-siena-italy.html)and then spend the last 4 days in Rome. We've booked a budget hotel with sensational reviews there http://www.hotelivanhoerome.com/ and now I would like to book the hotel in Florence (in 12/24 - out 12/27)... any advice on the best location? We will be arriving and leaving by train and would like to stay in very centrally located hotel. Since we found such a good deal in Rome we might be willing to splurge a little bit more here.
Thanks again for your feedback!

How much is your idea of a splurge?

We have stayed in the Hotel Tornabuoni Beacci in Florence several times; it is centrally located and has some good specials from time to time. It has good reviews on Trip Advisor.

Hi Jean & pctraveler,
Actually just a little bit of splurge... Meaning not budget hotel this time... Definitely not 5 stars splurging.
I will check the Tornabuoni, thanks!

pctraveler, the prices & reviews are very good indeed, I think we do have a winner here, thank you!

We have stayed at the Tornabuoni Beacci over 3 decades and I highly recommend both the hotel and its location, very central.

Booking as I type...

Thank you!

Hi Ursulina,

just found this thread - hope I don't throw a spanner in the works with the following:

day 1 - Dec 24th - arrive Rome - get train to Florence.

Day 2 - Dec 25th - Florence - ? service at the Duomo or Santa Croce - lunch - book in advance at one of the big hotels[who still have their guests to feed] /decent restaurant, afternoon self-guided walking tour of city.

Day 3 - Dec 26th - ?Siena - are you sure that anything will be open in Siena this day ? and do you want to leave Florence when you've barely got there?

Day 4 - Dec 27th - Train to Rome [or early bus to Siena - you could be there for mid-morning, see sights, have good meal, overnight there and be in Rome by midday on Day 5]

Day 5 - Dec 28th - Rome

Day 6 - Dec 29th - Rome

Day 7 - Dec 30th - Rome

Day 8 - Dec 31st - Fly home.

As you can see, what I am advocating is that if you want to see Siena, you do it between Florence and Rome, rather than as a day trip, as IMHO that cuts into your time in Florence too much, and gives you too much travelling on consecutive days.

here is the link for the Firenze card which enables you to look at the opening times of all of the main museums and galleries:

http://www.firenzecard.it/

you'll find that virtually all of them are shut on Christmas Day, but open for the rest of your visit. The firenze card is expensive for what it is, but the website is very useful.

and here is the website for the Duomo in Siena:

http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/orari.htm

Hi Anhig,

Your suggestions do make a lot of sense. I am aware of the Holiday and we know that we will be mostly walking around and admiring the city & monuments from the outside during that day. We plan to spend the 26th in Florence (Museums are open, already checked) and then taking the day trip to Siena on the 27th. The problem with the stop over in Siena on our way to Rome, as apposed to a day trip, has to do with checking out and then in and then out again, packing and unpacking, etc.
Call me lazy...
Thank you for the links, they are very useful!

A hotel's rate is not determined by the number of stars.

If you'd like recommendations, tell us your budget in euros or dollars.

not Ursulina, but on such a short trip, any way that can be found of using time as efficiently as possible has to be looked at.

that being said, I take your point about the pain of packing, unpacking and packing again. and if you decide that you are too interested in Florence to want to leave it, you don't have to go!

Hi Jean, I got a phenomenal rate at the Tornabuoni (around 100 euros a night) so I am all set, thank you again.

Anhig, I was considering that possibility too: Staying in Florence if we feel like it... Booking already made, I am SO happy! We all know that thrill and feeling of anticipation... Thanks again!

Ursulina, sounds like the trip is coming togather well and you got a great rate at the Tornabuoni.

i hesitate to mention it as another fodorite stayed there and found it dark, but DH and i rented an apartment in Rome which is very central and IMO is ideal for a couple. you can find the details on www.lacasadiclelia.webs.com - the bedrooms are downstairs so undoubtedly they are not as light as they would be if they were upstairs, but OTOH the living room is at ground floor which makes a huge difference compared to being on a 4th floor with no lift, believe me.

it's pretty reasonably priced [around €120/night depending on the season,] and as I said very central, near the piazza Navonna and via Coronari.

Thank you, Anhig!
Actually DH (I love your acronyms!)already took care of the hotel in Rome, it's called Ivanhoe: http://www.hotelivanhoerome.com/
It has awesome reviews and it is really affordable even by American standards.
Closer to the date I will get the train tickets and ... We'll be ready to go!

Hi Ursulina,

Had a look at your hotel - it looks fine. it's not completely in the heart of things, but on our first visit to Rome we rented an apartment in the nearby via dei Serpenti and it's a great area to be in, though you may find yourselves using the bus quite a lot [the nos 45 -express - and 60 - run from Termini along the via Nazionale to the Corso Vittorio Emmanuale so they will take you to most places you want to go, and just as importantly, back again]

you will find numerous little shops, workshops, a nice little square with bars and cafes, good restaurants, all around you - AND you can walk to the forum and colosseum as well.

i'm sure you'll have a great time.


[the abbreviations aren't mine, BTW!]

I have been to Italy three times in Christmastime, in these last 5 years. Last Christmas was one of them, visiting three different regions, Alto Adige, Emilia Romagna and Umbria.

They do some really wonderful original events and festivities during this holiday season. I'll describe some of them. Many towns and villages, mostly the medieval ones, transform into a living nativity scene with the way of life at that time, in every house and corner. Really really beautifl. There are soooo many localities that organize them on fixed dates. Last year we went to one at a small town very close to Deruta in Umbria. The year before we went to that of Casole D'Elsa in Tuscany Believe me, the locals of the village/town put in so much effort, transforming their own home, depicting the way of life at that time. If you want me to check for you the ones that are held close to Florence, no problem, I will gladly do so.

Last Christmas we had good weather throughout our trip, we went a few days before Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year. Yes, it was quite cold, when you are outside, especially in the north, you need a nice warm sweather and jacket, and gloves and hat (a hat always keeps in the warmth from leaving your body - it is one of the most important accessories to keep yourself warm. And the best way I find to keep myself warm in the evenings (and also sometimes during the day)is to wear a pair of leggings or very thick cotton tights underneath my trousers or jeans. But for me the weather was nothing unbearable for sure (and I do come from a warm country), every time we went we walked around everywhere in the evening, like in San Gimignano, Voltera (which was colder as it is up a high hill) etc, and even Trento in the north. I must say, for me it felt much colder when we walked around in the evenings some years ago in the UK like near Bath and Wales, etc to a restaurant etc.

The altitude of course highly affects the temperature. Like when once we stayed for a couple of days in Rocca Pia near Roccaraso, a skiing resort in Abruzzo during the Christmas season of 2007, it was unbearably cold in the night-time, but the temperature was 7 degrees below zero, at such a high altitute.

I can mention soo many events that take place, especially in Umbria and Tuscany - I am always on the look-out of unusual ones. One is the big bonfires which the locals of Abbadia San Salvatore light on Christmas Eve, they spend two whole months building huge stacks of wood in streets and squares, then on Christmas Eve they are blessed, and there would be a procession and live music and stalls with food and warm wine next to some of these burning stacks of wood. This takes place in Abbadia San Salvatore up on the Mountain Amiata. It is not that easy to drive to it, since it is a hight steep narrow mountain with winding roads, but it is truly spectacular.

Another event is in Citta' Di Castello, when at dusk a group of canoeists from the canoe club of this locality, dress up as Father Christmases, and at dusk they descend on lit canoes down the Tiber river, and when they reach Citta' Di Castello, they descend and distribute gifts to children. We went for it, but unfortunately we did not make it on time on Christmas eve, as on that day we were driving from Trento. So we went to the Christmas eve dinner booked at our relais country hotel at Pietralunga. The next morning we went to visit Citta' di Castello in the morning, for a visit and for Christmas Mass. There at a huge hall close by, they make a big exhibition of Christmas static cribs, from all over the world, but a lot of them from Naples and Spain. Really lovely. Anyway, when I was back at home, so disappointed that we missed the canoe event, I went online, and on some sites saw that this even takes place on Christmas eve not Christmas day - the site I had searched on apparently did not give the correct information. I need to contact this canoe club now as I really want to see this event - I have to go another time, probably not this year though - to this locality, it must be really nice.

Around the Lake Trasimeno in Umbria they do the Christmas Soul Music - I am not that interested in it, but could be for some.

Just in case you do decide to hire a car and stop somewhere in Umbria - last Christmas eve we stayed at a relais country hotel called Locanda Del Borgo in Pietralunga. Wow, I really have never eaten such a delicious and abundant fish dinner in my whole life!! Plate after plate of seafood, anything you can think of. Incredible!! Pietralunga is a village a few kms away from Citta' di Castello. On Christmas Day we had lunch at L'Antico Forziere in Deruta (I do like to try different restaurants that have good reviews). It was very good as well, but nothing compared to that of Locanda del Borgo, in my opinion, although it was also authentic umbrian dishes. On Christmas they usuall a soup with tortellini is served, followed by a plate of pasta, usually stuffed ravioli, and a meat dish, sometimes stuffed pork, or deer or some fowl. I just love these special meals. Of course you can pre-book. Maybe if you base yourself in Florence you might make a reservation at an agriturismo or restaurant outside Florence.

I also agree with above fodorites that you should leave Rome till the end so that you do not waste time and have to go there twice.

Another thing I forgot - the largest Christmas tree in the world on a slope on a small mountain in Gubbio area. We went near it on our way from Umbria to Emilia Romagna last December. The light of this tree are really lovely and impressive - I made sure this time my husband passed by Gubbio whilst driving that evening, I was so curious to see it.

I could go on and on. PERSANALLY (also given the fact that my husband is an experienced driver in Italy, I would prefer to visit any of these events, but this might not be your case, (I have been to Florence three times.) We went to Florence for the day in 2010, and it was packed during the day, even in December, can't imagine what it would be like in the Summer months, especially in August!!

In 2010, we walked everywhere in the centre of Rome in the evening, in fact, one time we walked it from Hotel Crosti, which is close to Termini Station and back in the late evening, and wandered around centre of Rome and even had a gelato at gelateria at Fontana Dei Trevi square. Best ice-cream in the world there in my opinion. As I said, we were always lucky with the weather in Italy during Christmastime. But one thing I noticed during these last years - in Italy they often get very bad weather mid to end November (then hubby starts worrying and saying we are going to have a hard time driving around, especially if we book at some place in mountaineous regions or high altitude part of the holiday, then when Christmastime comes we always encounter the good weather. This happened in 2010 when we also went for two days at an agriturismo on Monte Miniata, provence of Pisa (we are wandering travellers lol). The owner told us that a few weeks ago the road up the mountain was inaccessable because of heavy snow, and they were even snowbound for two day, but a few weeks later when we were there, it was nice and sunny up the mountain, really incredible views from above of the Tuscan countryside. It almost also often gets much colder in most places in Italy (snowing in some parts) in January and February - last year they experienced heavy snowfalls in certain cities where it never or hardly ever snowed. So really, you can't forecast the weather, but in the three times that I have been in Christmastime, except maybe in isolated cases, like when crossing the pennines in northern Tuscany, we were lucky enough not to encounter any rain. Guess we were lucky.

It is true, like in any other country, that the days are shorter at that time, but in the Christmas season this makes it even more magical as in Italy they really love decorating the streets with lights, setting up cribs in many squares in many towns, cities and villages, to mention a couple of famous ones like that of Assisi or Rome.

Enjoy your Christmas vacation in Italy - now you are making me want to go again, lol!!

Another B&B which really looks lovely close to the Pantheon and with really raving reviews is Relais Maddalena, you might be interested in taking a look at its site.

Anna - the locanda looks terrific, [I always look at the places you recommend and book-mark them because you find such interesting places!] but at first i thought it might be a bit out of our league financially, until i realised that the 3 nights for the price of 2 offer was €90 pp, not for each night, but for the whole stay! Even over Christmas, 3 nights, with 2 meals as well we breakfast, is only €225 each.

definitely somewhere to bear in mind for an Umbria trip .

Anna & Annhig,

thanks again to both of you, for the help and the enthusiasm. We have already booked the hotels both in Florence and Rome but I'll save the information, this is our first trip together to Italy but I am sure it will not be the last!

Hi Ursulina,

I have been to Rome & Florence during Christmas many times & it’s always great. Please check the weather forecast before you leave because it can get very cold (esply in Florence). IMO, to be safe, it’s a good idea to bring a pair of good walking boots (not just shoes) & perhaps one set of thermal undies because, as a tourist, you’ll be doing a lot of walking outside.

Regarding daytrips & traveling city to city, may I suggest you email your hotels, tell them what you would like to do & see if they have suggestions. Also ask for suggestions about what to do/what is open on Christmas Eve/Day.

Regarding Siena, there are many tour companies in Florence which offer a day trip to Siena & my suggestion is to take one of these because you will have an English speaking guide pick you up, drop you off & give you a tour of Siena. Your hotel should be able to help you with this. I took one of these day trips, fell in love with Siena & later returned on another trip & spent 4 days there.

IMO, you do not need to rent a car for this trip. Take the train to Rome from Florence (make sure you get seat reservations). I’m pretty sure that parking a car, let alone driving, in these places is a nightmare. You could also email the hotel & ask them to send a car (taxi) to pick you up at the train station & drive you to your hotel. This just makes life a lot easier.

Have a great time!

Ursulina,
I see you're from Boston, so I'm sure you have a comfy pair of waterproof/resistant winter boots & long johns. I suggest you take them. Hope you'll never need them, but if you do, you'll be very happy you have them.