We're thinking of visiting Italy next year, and wondered if the Christmas season would be a good time to visit-Are there any obvious advantages or disadvantages to a holiday visit?

This is an article about Rome at Christmas:

http://budgettravelonline.com/bt-dyn...1400751_2.html

Just realized that takes you to page 2 of the article. This is the link to the beginning of the article:

http://budgettravelonline.com/bt-dyn...121400751.html

I've written a couple of articles about this:

http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/living/holidays.htm
http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/living/winter.html

I'm thinking of Rome for next Christmas too...bookmarking this thread for future reference.

We have been to Europe 6 times over the holidays. It is a great time to go and we have always had a great time. The weather has been prett good considering with only a couple of days that were really cold or snowing depending where we were. We have been to Italy, Rome, France and England. Feel free to email me if you would want any other info.

Agree with everyone. One of my best trips was Rome at Christmas. I wish I was there right now.

We are leaving for 6 days in Rome on Saturday. Aside from having a little trouble making dinner reservations on the 24th and 25th (our hotel finally came through for us), I think it is going to be great! We are not Catholic but want to experience that side of Rome, so we are planning to attend midnight mass at the Pantheon and the Christmas day blessing in St. Peter's Square. Otherwise our trip is totally unscripted and reservation-less. I will send a trip report when we get back!

Haus,
Be sure to get there by 10:00am for the blessing. There will be 2 seating areas with a large aisle in the middle. Sit on the left side. The Pope enters on the left side in front and exits down the middle around the back. When he is done be sure to be toward the back of the seating area.

Here you can check on article about Christmas in Tuscany:

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=340

Hi jay - yes, I have your notes about where to sit in St. Peter's Square from my thread about Christmas mass. We will follow your instructions and hopefully will get to see the pope live and in person! Thanks!

The disadvantages is that most museums are closed on Christmas in addition to whatever other day in the week they close. The other disadvantage is that the week between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally a week in which Italians pick up a travel within Italy, often taking their children or current squeeze to see prime tourist destinations like Firenze, Siena, Venice, San Gimignano, etc. So these places can be very crowded.

The upside is the holiday feel and encountering some charming Christmas traditions. The churches are often lavishly decorated and brilliantly lit.

I spent one Christmas in the Dolomites and did a day trip to Venice, which was *absolutely freezing*. On the mainland it was cold but sunny, but out in the lagoon it was freezing fog & impossible to walk around outside for more than 20 minutes or so at a time. That may have been atypical but it would put me off risking Venice for Christmas.

If you are thinking of a first visit to Italy generally, & considering different times of year; I'd add that for me anyway, Italy is all about being outside, enjoying the sights, eating & drinking outside & enjoying la dolce vita. So I'd recommend late spring or early autumn as the best time for a first trip. (Avoid July & August if possible as it's mostly very hot and even more crowded than any other time.)

I've been in Venezia at Christmas and the weather was comparable to what you would experience in Washington DC at Christmas. Freezing weather is abnormal.

Many cafes and restaurants in the larger citeis in Italy have heaters that allow you to sit outside comfortably. There's no getting around the fact, however, that you may encounter uncomfortable weather for outdoor sightseeing and fun. For some people however who are just as or more interested in seeing the great art of Italy as they are spending time outdoors, many places are much less crowded than they are at other times of year.

Hey Deirdre,

Your articles make me want to pack my bags and head to Italy RIGHT NOW!

Thanks for sharing....I can't wait until I get the chance to experience xmas in Italy...all I have to do is convince my boyfriend.

Layla

We just got back from a trip to Italy that was from 15 December to 23 December. Not a drop of rain fell on us, which was a pleasant surprise.

There were no crowds at the tourist sights, so we were able to enjoy them fully and at our leisure. Amazing!

Also, we got great hotel rates compared to the high season.

I did plan the trip so we wouldn't be there over Christmas when almost everything is closed.

I highly recommend the week before Christmas for sightseeing, but you do have to be prepared for rain. We got lucky.

Hi suzyq53 -
We're just back (today) from a trip to Paris and Rome for Christmas. We were in Rome from Dec 24 - 31. We loved Rome, and I'll post a trip report soon, but you'll want to know that in addition to various closures, Christmas week is the high season for tourism. It was jam packed with Italian families. Mostly that was fine and fun to see but the lines for some things, like the Vatican museum, were about 1/2 mile long.

We found many things open on Christmas Eve, a few restaurants open on Christmas Day but the 26th? Nearly everything was closed! We went to the Borghese Gallery that day, and it was terrific, but once we left there the 3 restaurants I'd noted for lunch nearby were closed, churches were closed and even most shops. We were surprised.

On Christmas Day I think all of Rome was at Piazza Navona for the Befana (sp?) fair. It was completely full of people with rivers of people headed that way from every direction. It was interesting to see but really too much for my family (or my DH anyway) to partake of.

The weather was perfect while we were there - sun daily. The Christmas lights stretched across the streets were magical. There was a beautiful tree at the Vatican as well as a large creche but Rome wasn't over the top with decorations. It was just right I thought.

Hi suzyq,
Here's an update on our trip.

We had a fantastic time in Rome over Christmas. We were surprised by how many people were out and about on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Plenty of restaurants were open too. We were lucky because Christmas Eve was Sunday and Christmas day was Monday, the two days that many museums and sights are closed anyway. Our day on Christmas was devoted to attending the blessing in St. Peter's Square (I have to say I was a bit disappointed that the Pope did not come down through the crowd like Jay described - maybe he did that last year because it was his first Christmas blessing?) and then a leisurely late lunch at Campo de Fiori. We had bought wine and snacks for the evening and just hung out in our hotel enjoying the view of the Pantheon. On the 26th we went to the Colosseum and the museums at the Campidoglio, so some things were definitely open.

I agree with rose - the lights were beautiful but the decorations weren't over the top. The weather was awesome - almost warm enough for just a sweater, and no rain!

We were in Rome and Naples during the week(s) leading up to Christmas returning on the 21st. The advantages in Rome seemed to be no lines, no crowds and beautiful, cool weather. Even at the Vatican Museums we walked right in, twice. One of our relatives who viewed our pictures asked where the crowds were. Naples was different in that regard. Not the sites, but the roads trying to get to them. We were told everyone is home during this time preparing for the holiday and that shop owners forgo siesta in order to accommodate holiday shoppers. We loved being in Italy this time of year.