Christmas in Venice, Florence, or Rome?
 

I'm planning a winter break, meeting my sister and her husband from England in Italy. We'll have 3 nights in each: Venice, Florence, Rome. Because we can't leave before Dec. 20, that means we'll be in one of those cities Dec. 24, 25, and 26.

My understanding is that most attractions close for Christmas and the next day, St. Stephen's Day. So we'll have only one day to see the inside of museums and whatever in that city.

My sister is suggesting Venice for Christmas. I wanted to go to Venice first as I get the best deal in flights going into Venice and home from Rome. Also, there would be less rail travel that way. However, I could fly roundtrip to Florence, and go there first, then to Venice, and to Rome last, returning to Florence. We could possibly break up the long trip from Venice to Rome by stopping in Siena, which I want to see and would have visited from Florence.

What do you think?

Unless I am mistaken, only Venezia makes a big deal of the feast of San Stefano. For a very short trip to Venezia, that may not work.

Personally, I would pick Roma for Christmas if you can. Lots of Churches will be open and, if all else fails, visit the Jewish Ghetto where you'll find plenty open. (There is also a ghetto in Venezia, but it is very, very small.)

You really need to be aware of one thing: From the 26th forward, Italians are on vacation. They, too, will want to go to Siena, Firenze, Venezia. Be sure to book not only your hotels, but check into booking your train tickets in advance as well.

Thank you for that interesting info about Italians being on vacation. This has gotten so complicated! At first I planned to leave Dec. 14 returning Dec. 23. But my son wants to wait until after Dec. 19, which makes it tougher to plan. Now I'm wondering if we should wait until spring break, the first week in April.

I was in Venice for Christmas 2004. Personally, I wish I had picked a different city. We have acqua alta several days, which can be a pain if you're not prepared. It did make it difficult at times to get around and the vaps stopped running many times because the canal water was too high. Also, it is true that the crowds are much smaller than other times but I found that in the evening, the city seemed to shut down even earlier than I recalled and there wasn't much to do or see once that happened.

Don't get me wrong, Venice is amazing, but if you're looking for a more festive atmosphere and the hustle and bustle of the season, I would pick Rome.

In Venice and Rome, places closed early on Christmas Eve, but we didn't notice much of anything being closed the next 2 days. You're going to have a fabulous trip!

Thank you all for your generous replies. I e-mailed the Venice tourist office and someone replied that both Vap. #1 and #82 wouldn't be running on "the Christmas days" (does that mean both the 25th and 26th?) so we couldn't cruise the Grand Canal. But they said museums only closed Christmas and New Year's Day. Anyway, it doesn't sound as if Venice is the place to be.

But why not Florence over Rome? That way we could do my original itinerary of flying into Venice and out of Rome. The disadvantage would be for my sister, who would have a longer trip back to London. But I'd save over $400.

So now I need to figure out which is better/more fun (we're not Christians) for Christmas Day, Rome or Florence? We like concerts and such.