Help.....I want to go to Italy/Switzerland leaving US on 12/26/12
Oct 15th, 2012, 07:07 AM
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Help.....I want to go to Italy/Switzerland leaving US on 12/26/12
Has anyone been to Italy/Switzerland this time of year...my husband is concerned about the weather being too gray? And I'm thinking of taking the rail from Venice to Switzerland...any thoughts on the weather for that time of year? We can take up to 2 weeks...I'd love to hear your thoughts...thanks! Ellen
Oct 15th, 2012, 07:14 AM
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The weather will be cold and may be gray and rainy (of snowy in Switzerland) at that time of year. No one can predict exactly but consult a weather website for averages.
Do you want to ski? If you don't plan to engage in winter sports, perhaps staying in Italy for your trip would make more sense. There are several current posts on this board discussing weather at that time of year in Switzerland.
Do you want to ski? If you don't plan to engage in winter sports, perhaps staying in Italy for your trip would make more sense. There are several current posts on this board discussing weather at that time of year in Switzerland.
Oct 15th, 2012, 07:22 AM
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I agree unless skiing or winter sports are your bag Switzerland at that time of year may not be the best - days are short and can be gray and dark and dank or could be sunny and fine - never know.
If taking trains much at all thru Switzerland then look at the Swiss Pass or its alternatives - the Half-Fare Card, Swiss Transfer Ticket or Swiss Card or just buying regular point to point tickets. A Swiss Pass - Saverpass if two or more are traveling together covers many mountain trains such as many in the Interlaken area - to many the absolute highpoint of Switzerland both literally and figuratively and also gives 50% off often expensive aerial gondolas and free entry to 400+ Swiss Museums like the fab Paul Klee Museum in Bern.
For loads of great info on Swiss trains and passes I always spotlight these IMO superb sources - www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html; www.ricksteves.com.
For Italy go www.trenitalia.com has all the schedules and fares and the option to nab deep discounts if you wish to book hard to change nor refund often trains weeks in advance to get the very limited in number discounted fares, which can be as cheap as 9 euros. You usually have to change in Milan and Brig to get anywhere in Switzerland.
If taking trains much at all thru Switzerland then look at the Swiss Pass or its alternatives - the Half-Fare Card, Swiss Transfer Ticket or Swiss Card or just buying regular point to point tickets. A Swiss Pass - Saverpass if two or more are traveling together covers many mountain trains such as many in the Interlaken area - to many the absolute highpoint of Switzerland both literally and figuratively and also gives 50% off often expensive aerial gondolas and free entry to 400+ Swiss Museums like the fab Paul Klee Museum in Bern.
For loads of great info on Swiss trains and passes I always spotlight these IMO superb sources - www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html; www.ricksteves.com.
For Italy go www.trenitalia.com has all the schedules and fares and the option to nab deep discounts if you wish to book hard to change nor refund often trains weeks in advance to get the very limited in number discounted fares, which can be as cheap as 9 euros. You usually have to change in Milan and Brig to get anywhere in Switzerland.
Oct 15th, 2012, 08:00 AM
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Thanks so much to both of you for your replies....ok....do either of you have any thoughts on wonderful/interesting ie: not sitting by a pool ideas for places to travel during that time of year? We are skiiers, adventures kind of people who also love history and places.....any thoughts of your faves? I'd loev to hear...thanks so much!
Oct 15th, 2012, 09:36 AM
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Weather in Northern Italy (Venice-Milan corridor) is not that great either. Sunny days can be at a premium. Daytime averages are slightly above or around freezing, it could be snowing or raining. Spring is much better time to visit.
Oct 15th, 2012, 09:46 AM
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The only places likely to have less cold and sunnier weather that time of year are southern Spain and possibly Sicily/Crete/Malta.
Otherwise youi are in winter more or less and there are no guarantees. Although not usual - snow in Rome is perfectly possible in winter - and Venice does tend to be damp, windy and chilly.
If you want to go skiing Switz is the place.
Otherwise youi are in winter more or less and there are no guarantees. Although not usual - snow in Rome is perfectly possible in winter - and Venice does tend to be damp, windy and chilly.
If you want to go skiing Switz is the place.
Oct 16th, 2012, 08:55 AM
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The only places likely to have less cold and sunnier weather that time of year are southern Spain and possibly Sicily/Crete/Malta.>
How about Crete? Or Portugal - and Portugal is also one of the cheaper places to travel - not perhaps warm enough for swimming but often sunny and 60s IME of two times there in winter.
How about Crete? Or Portugal - and Portugal is also one of the cheaper places to travel - not perhaps warm enough for swimming but often sunny and 60s IME of two times there in winter.
Oct 16th, 2012, 02:46 PM
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I have never been to Switzerland in December, but I have been to Italy three times during Christmastime, simply because Christmas events are so unique there, my favourite being the living nativity scenes in many towns and villiages, often in medieval hilltop ones, the residents literally transform their homes, usually in these narrow medieval streets, and depict the way of life during the time of the birth of Jesus.
Italians also like to organise torchlight processions and bagpipe music from farmers that come from the mountains of Aruzzo. They also organize lovely Christmas markets - we have been to that of Trento. In 2010 we went to Abbadia San Salvatore, a small Tuscan town on a small mountain called Monte Amiata. There, on Christmas eve, they light huge bonfires in its streets. They spend nearly two whole months building up these stacks of wood in many corners of the town. Then on Christmas eve, they organize food stalls around these bonfires, and also offer warm wine with oranges - they were even offered for free, you just gave a donation. There would be carol singing and a procession, chestnut roasting, etc, which goes on all night There is a nice medieval abbey in the centre of the town where mass would be held at midnight. The mountain roads of Monte Amiata are narrow and winding, so I would suggest that you sleep in Abbadia San Salvatore for this event, and not do the mistake that we did in having to drive back to our accommodation along this narrow mountain road at about 3am in the night-time.
In the three times that we went on vacation in Italy in December (every time visiting about three different regions), we were lucky enough to have experienced good weather.
First time we went to Rome for a few days, then to Roccaraso, a skiing resort in Abruzzo, and visited Umbria for a few days.
Sure enough, the weather was cool, especially in the evenings, but you should be ok with a warm insulated jacket, troousers, a hat and gloves. The way that I kept myself warm in the evenings was to wear a pair of leggings or ski pants or cotton tights underneath my jeans or trousers. I never wear skirts unless I am dining in the hotel restaurant or somewhere near-by. I would never walk around in skirts.
Second vacation in Christmastime in Italy was in several cities towns and villages of Tuscany, Umbria (again) and the Amalfi Coast. You can distinctly feel the difference in temperature between Tuscany and the region of Campania, where the Amalfi coast is situated. The weather is always cooler in the north, it also depends on the altitude of where you would be visiting, for example it is always much cooler on the mountains, even if you are in central Italy, like in the whereabouts of Roccaroso in Abruzzo - but again, nothing unbearable if you are warmly dressed. Again, we were blessed with nice weather without any rain. On the Amalfi coast, even a sweater, jeans and a light jacket was enough - we were lucky enough to experience sunny weather there - you can feel the difference in temperature from that of northern Tuscany (like Pisa area)
Last Christmastime we visited the region of Trento, and the city of Trento itself, Umbria, and Rimini in Emiglia Romagna. Lucky enough again not to experience rain or snow. From Trento we went for a day visit to the mountaineous village of Madonna di Campiglio. It was cloudy up the mountain, but no rain or snow. I must say it was freezingly cold in the afternoon (it is situated at a high altitude and it is a ski resort), when we strolled around the village and went to the snowpark, but you get used to it after some time. If you go to these mountaineous areas you have to make sure you have a good insulated jacket, and a good pair of warm boots. We landed at the Treviso Airport on the 21st December, which is located just outside Venice. The weather was nice and sunny that morning, but when we went to pick up hired car at the outside parking lot, the windscreen was covered with frost, since the weather does get much cooler during the night-time. In fact the officer at the rental office desk told us to park the garage at covered parking lots or garages during the night-time because of frost. We also hired tyre chains (which are obligatory in mountaineous areas) - he advised us to hire them, but at the same time he told us he told us that most probably we would not be using them, as there would have to be several inches of snow deposited on the road to be able to use them. So on this vacation we visited Trento and surroundings, then proceeded to Citta' di Castello and some other towns in Umbria (including a nativity scene close to Deruta) and lastly to Rimini, at a beachfront hotel. Rimini was literally empty since it is a seaside resort, but we enjoyed it just the same, visiting the Aquarium in Cattolica, and Italy in Miniature close to Rimini. Again, the weather was cool, but sunny. I guess we were always so lucky.
As other fellow fodorites said, you can never tell what the weather would be like anywhere, you just have to hope for the best and if you dare, then go for it. Always put in an umbrella and a waterproof jacket in your case, and warm legging (or longjohns in case of men) and maybe to be on the safe side do not find accommodation in high altitudes in mountaineous regions, as there might be a small chance that they would be snowbound. That is why we based ourself in Trento last December, but since it was nice weather, we did venture for a day trip up the mountain to Madonna di Campiglio. Saying that, we did maybe risk when we booked accommodation on the Monte Amiata or at Roccaraso (- latter area is extremely easy to reach - very accessible with no narrow mountain roads).
If you are interested in visiting also Switzerland, maybe you might pick a couple of towns or cities that are accessible and do day trips from there, depending on the weather.
But for higher temperatures during the winter season, some of the countries suggested by other fodorits are good recommendations.
Italians also like to organise torchlight processions and bagpipe music from farmers that come from the mountains of Aruzzo. They also organize lovely Christmas markets - we have been to that of Trento. In 2010 we went to Abbadia San Salvatore, a small Tuscan town on a small mountain called Monte Amiata. There, on Christmas eve, they light huge bonfires in its streets. They spend nearly two whole months building up these stacks of wood in many corners of the town. Then on Christmas eve, they organize food stalls around these bonfires, and also offer warm wine with oranges - they were even offered for free, you just gave a donation. There would be carol singing and a procession, chestnut roasting, etc, which goes on all night There is a nice medieval abbey in the centre of the town where mass would be held at midnight. The mountain roads of Monte Amiata are narrow and winding, so I would suggest that you sleep in Abbadia San Salvatore for this event, and not do the mistake that we did in having to drive back to our accommodation along this narrow mountain road at about 3am in the night-time.
In the three times that we went on vacation in Italy in December (every time visiting about three different regions), we were lucky enough to have experienced good weather.
First time we went to Rome for a few days, then to Roccaraso, a skiing resort in Abruzzo, and visited Umbria for a few days.
Sure enough, the weather was cool, especially in the evenings, but you should be ok with a warm insulated jacket, troousers, a hat and gloves. The way that I kept myself warm in the evenings was to wear a pair of leggings or ski pants or cotton tights underneath my jeans or trousers. I never wear skirts unless I am dining in the hotel restaurant or somewhere near-by. I would never walk around in skirts.
Second vacation in Christmastime in Italy was in several cities towns and villages of Tuscany, Umbria (again) and the Amalfi Coast. You can distinctly feel the difference in temperature between Tuscany and the region of Campania, where the Amalfi coast is situated. The weather is always cooler in the north, it also depends on the altitude of where you would be visiting, for example it is always much cooler on the mountains, even if you are in central Italy, like in the whereabouts of Roccaroso in Abruzzo - but again, nothing unbearable if you are warmly dressed. Again, we were blessed with nice weather without any rain. On the Amalfi coast, even a sweater, jeans and a light jacket was enough - we were lucky enough to experience sunny weather there - you can feel the difference in temperature from that of northern Tuscany (like Pisa area)
Last Christmastime we visited the region of Trento, and the city of Trento itself, Umbria, and Rimini in Emiglia Romagna. Lucky enough again not to experience rain or snow. From Trento we went for a day visit to the mountaineous village of Madonna di Campiglio. It was cloudy up the mountain, but no rain or snow. I must say it was freezingly cold in the afternoon (it is situated at a high altitude and it is a ski resort), when we strolled around the village and went to the snowpark, but you get used to it after some time. If you go to these mountaineous areas you have to make sure you have a good insulated jacket, and a good pair of warm boots. We landed at the Treviso Airport on the 21st December, which is located just outside Venice. The weather was nice and sunny that morning, but when we went to pick up hired car at the outside parking lot, the windscreen was covered with frost, since the weather does get much cooler during the night-time. In fact the officer at the rental office desk told us to park the garage at covered parking lots or garages during the night-time because of frost. We also hired tyre chains (which are obligatory in mountaineous areas) - he advised us to hire them, but at the same time he told us he told us that most probably we would not be using them, as there would have to be several inches of snow deposited on the road to be able to use them. So on this vacation we visited Trento and surroundings, then proceeded to Citta' di Castello and some other towns in Umbria (including a nativity scene close to Deruta) and lastly to Rimini, at a beachfront hotel. Rimini was literally empty since it is a seaside resort, but we enjoyed it just the same, visiting the Aquarium in Cattolica, and Italy in Miniature close to Rimini. Again, the weather was cool, but sunny. I guess we were always so lucky.
As other fellow fodorites said, you can never tell what the weather would be like anywhere, you just have to hope for the best and if you dare, then go for it. Always put in an umbrella and a waterproof jacket in your case, and warm legging (or longjohns in case of men) and maybe to be on the safe side do not find accommodation in high altitudes in mountaineous regions, as there might be a small chance that they would be snowbound. That is why we based ourself in Trento last December, but since it was nice weather, we did venture for a day trip up the mountain to Madonna di Campiglio. Saying that, we did maybe risk when we booked accommodation on the Monte Amiata or at Roccaraso (- latter area is extremely easy to reach - very accessible with no narrow mountain roads).
If you are interested in visiting also Switzerland, maybe you might pick a couple of towns or cities that are accessible and do day trips from there, depending on the weather.
But for higher temperatures during the winter season, some of the countries suggested by other fodorits are good recommendations.
Oct 16th, 2012, 02:54 PM
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Forgot to add, among other Christmas events in Italy - there are also numerous static cribs and crib exhibitions both indoors and outdoors all over Italy, besides so many streets being beautifully lit up in all towns, cities and villages in Italy. In certain mountain villages skiers also organize torch light descents.
