My family and I are considering a 3-5 day stay in Capri the first week in January and are wondering if this is a good idea. Are hotels and restaurants still open? Is the weather mild? Is there enough to see and do? Any suggestions? Helpful hints? Grazie.

Hello Santogaetano, I would count on winter stormy weather. Whether any hotels are open during winter would need to be researched. Personally I would not even consider staying on beautiful Capri in winter.

The weather can be cool or it can be quite chilly. The water is likely to be rough and you may not even be able to get to or fro Capri on a specific day - since the boats don;t run if it's too rough. Many hotels and restaurants will be closed - since it is definitely off season - and you certainly can;t swin, most probably can't see Blue Grotto - and boat trips to Amalfi Coast my be impossible.

January is a time for cities in Italy - not the quite dreary countryside - or beach resorts in mid winter.

Good advice, thank you. For the first part of our trip, we will be visiting family in Calabria. Christmas is the only time we can go. We're looking for a great way to round out a 10-day stay. We've done Rome, Florence, Venice and the east coast of Sicily. What small city, preferably south of Rome (not Naples) might you recommend?

Since you will be in Calabria, have you thought of spending some time in Puglia? Lots to see, even if the weather isn't ideal--the Baroque town of Lecce, the white city of Ostuni, the trulli of Alberobello, the old medieval part of Bari. On the way in or out of Puglia, you can stop and see the sassi of Matera.

Despite the weather, many people spend Christmas/New Year on Capri. Some hotels and restaurants open up and there are festivities.