nonsessile275

My husband and I are planning on going to Italy for 10 days (not including travel time) starting February 12th. We'd love to visit museums and churches, eat great food, and do some sightseeing.I read that the weather can be dreary this time of year so would appreciate suggestions on where to go (we're open to anything but I'm thinking that one of our destinations should be Rome) or if it's even worth going as we don't want to be stuck inside our hotel the entire time. Would also appreciate guidance on what to wear (i.e wool coat vs. waterproof coats and shoes).

bilboburgler

Yes you need a city so you can have rainy day plans, and Rome has a lot to offer. But then does Turin, Florence, Venice, Verona Bologna (which has a lot of covered walkways) etc etc.

When the rains chuck it down and it is windy then it's tough
but if there is no wind an umbrella will do.

annhig

if Rome is calling to you, then definitely you should go there, but perhaps not for the whole trip, though you could easily find enough to do there for the whole 10 days if you want to. BTW I've had sun, rain and snow in Rome in Feb so it won't necessarily be bad weather all the time.

with 10 days, you have time for [IMO] one more place, I would pick it according to how easy it is to get to and from Rome, if that's where you're flying into and out of.

it's usually best to put all your time in the place that you're flying out of at the end of the trip, so if you have round trip tickets to Rome, [and assuming that you are landing around breakfast time] a good plan can be to go straight to your further destination on the day you arrive, and then work your way back to Rome.

For example, if you choose Florence, get the train to Florence when you land, spend 4-5 nights there, then get the train back to Rome to end your trip.
All the places named by Bilbo would fit into this plan.

nonsessile275

I heard Venice and Florence are still lovely this time of year. Do
Venice--> Florence --> Rome sound reasonable for 10 days? We'll fly into Venice and out of Rome. I will read about the other places that bilbo mentioned!

annhig

Venice and Florence can be lovely in Feb - it's a matter of luck, really.

Flying into Venice, then going to Florence and finally Rome is a classic trip that many 1000s of people do every year. IMO it's a bit rushed and I would opt for Venice and Rome if I can fly into one and out of the other, and leave Florence for another time.

4 nights in Venice and 5 in Rome would be perfect.

yestravel

Will you be there during Carnavle in Feb? Venice would be a great place to be for that, but I dont know the dates for 2017. We tend to travel slowly these days and I would go for 2 of the 3, maybe venice, train it to Rome and skip Florence. However my first trip to Italy I did just what you are thinking in ~12 days. It's a logical flow and easy to do the trip by train. Its about 3.5 - 4 hours by train from Venice to Rome.

Bologna and Verona are a bit less touristed and I like them both alot. Food in Bologna is fabulous. Padova is nice as is Vicenza. Padova can be done as a day trip from Venice. The Scrovegni Chapel is well worth the short trip to see it.

I would wear boots that are water resistant and a warm lined rain coat. Also a hat, gloves and scarf will keep you warm. Hard to tell what the weather might be so be prepared with layers and warm, water resistant outerwear.
Have a great trip!

michelhuebeli

Don't let the possibility (not a certainty...) of bad weather worry you too much. Raincoat and rainhat and good shoes will do it, with a sweater underneath on cold windy days.

The beauty that you find anywhere you look will make the inconvenience of possibly inclement weather pale into insignificance.

Don't miss out on Ravenna - the mosaics are stunning, a thousand years old and looking like they were installed yesterday!

dfourh

I love Bologna in winter - - much more so than summer - - for the following reasons:
* The university is in session and the uni area is buzzing with life - - as are the aperitivo bars in the early evening where you can buy a glass of wine than fill up on great nosh;
* Since it gets dark early, the food market area, the Quadrilatero, is really atmospheric starting in the late afternoon - - the night feeling and bright lights really make the food look gorgeous! In fact all of Bologna is delightful when it's dark and gets lit up - - really brings out the medieval elements.
* You don't perceive tourism at all - - it's a city brimming with people who love the fabulous food, the atmosphere - - very sensual - - very real - - though it still feels cozy & intimate - - and it is also fairly international because of the university.

Here are some pix of Bologna the first week of November:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...57632060233870
And here's just one evening, in February:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...57632060233870

dfourh

Oops - - sent the same link twice - - here's the one evening in Bologna in Feb: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...57650653861188

PalenQ

I'd do the three biggies at that time of year - always museums and churches to seek refuge in if rainy - but I have been there a few times in February and weather was nice and sunny.

Rome- 4 days
Florence - 2-3 days
Venice 2-3 days

Fly into Rome and out of Florence.

Book train tickets WAY early (www.trenitalia.com) for deep discounts over just showing up- for lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

nonsessile275

Wow!! Pictures of Bologna are amazing! I definitely have some thinking over to do! Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!

annhig

dates for the Carnevale in Venice in 2017 are 11-28th February, so your trip would fall at the beginning of that period. It won't be as busy as at the end of the month but it will be busy [i was there at that time in 2015] and prices will be higher too.

http://venice-carnival-italy.com

if you want to start in Venice, you'll need to book asap.

bvlenci

I think Palenq means fly into Rome and out of Venice. Actually, I'd probably do it the other way around: fly into Venice and out of Rome.

Where are you coming from?

nonsessile275

I'll be coming from Boston.

dfourh

The advantage of into Venice is that, with jet lag, the first couple days are kind of both intense, and kind of blurry. Venice is easier than Rome. You can get on the vaporetti and fade off into a kind of dreamland. You can walk until you get lost and that is better than having a plan (Rome is a bit opposite - - it is a harder liturgy of well-trodden, perhaps excessively trodden, sites that wear you down quickly - - all classic, but really overly-touristed to the point that you have to have a bit of an edge of alertness to pull it off in any kind of satisfactory way). So bvelnci's idea of flying into the north and leaving from the south makes sense to me.

annhig

So bvelnci's idea of flying into the north and leaving from the south makes sense to me.>>

And me. It is also often said that the flight times out of Venice to the US can be quite difficult as they are typically very early in the morning so it's worth looking at that too before you buy your tickets.

frencharmoire

I would go to Rome and Naples. If the weather is sunny and dry -- which it could be, you can take a day trip to the Amalfi coast and have lemon pasta and sunshine. Coming from Boston, you might appreciate a break from any chance of snow. The chances of that in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi coast are very low in the last half of February. And if it is snowing in Rome, the weather further north is likely to be even worse.

annhig

and there is certainly risk of "Aqua Alta" [flooding, literally "high water'] in Venice in February.

yestravel

good suggestion from frencharmoire

PalenQ

Does high water make it impossible to visit Venice - no - but in some key places like San Marco you may have to walk on raised board walkways - kind of an adventure but not fun but most of the city I think is not so affected?

I don't know - asking for clarification is visiting during high water-kind of requiring high tides that can be foreseen I think - makes Venice at that time a total washout.

If so and if climate change and global warming is for real Venice may soon all be under water.