Hi All,

My family (wife and I plus two kids aged 9 and 7) were originally planning an Italy trip in late summer just gone. However, due to other commitments, that trip has had to be pushed back. We like historical sites and architecture as well as great food and wine. Over 3 weeks we were planning on;
Amalfi Coast (unsure exactly where yet)
Rome
Florence/Tuscany
Cinque Terra and,
somewhere on the lakes (probably Bellagio).

My question is, would an itinerary like this still work in winter over the Christmas period? Obviously the attractions and tourist sites in the large centres of Rome and Florence will still be there. However, do the smaller centres shut down outside of the peak summer season. For example, will there still be plenty of accomodation and dining options in a place like Positano or on Cinque Terra or Bellagio?

Obviously it will be cold, wet and snowing in certain areas but this was never intended to be a beach/swimming/boating holiday - I'm more concerned with the logistics of these smaller locations during winter. Anyone got any experience with Italy during winter?

Thanks in advance.

Just be aware that the outdoors are the main attractions for CT, AC, and the Lakes. Plus, I think you'll find a lot of places closed for the winter (though I confess I've never been to any of those places Xmas week).

Naples makes a better winter destination than the Amalfi coast itself. If you get brilliantly sunny weather, you can zip over to the Amalfi coast or Capri to enjoy the beautiful dramatic scenery, and you'll find enough places open to eat lunch. But if the weather doesn't cooperate, there is loads to do in Naples itself that kids would enjoy -- underground tours, markets, fascinating museums & churches with strange customs. Although cloudy weather isn't great for the coast or Capri, it's perfect for Pompei. Unlike most of the rest of Italy, Naples loves Christmas decorations, and it also does a huge fireworks display for New Year's Eve.

Rome is fine and often the weather is quite pleasant, although many sights will be closed right at Xmas & the day after. It is also considered a "peak" tourist season in terms of prices.

Both le Cinque Terre & Bellagio make poor winter destinations, especially if you need to lock in plans (as you do when you are traveling with kids). There is really nothing to do in either destination if you arrive to days and days of rain. For most of the winter, le Cinque Terre is too slippery for hiking with kids, and Bellagio can be very very cold, even freezing. Most of the town shuts down.

How about Venice? There's loads to enjoy even over the Xmas days themselves. If it were me, I might plan to be in Venice of Xmas, and in Naples for New Year's. (Try to get a hotel room with a view of the fireworks, or a restaurant reservation, rather than compete for space on the streets, which can be quite rowdy.)

Florence? Tuscany? The first isn't really kid friendly -- the main sights are museums and churches and historic architecture -- and a lot can close in Florence over the holidays. Seeing the countryside in Tuscany requires a car, and while it doesn't always snow in December/January, it can, and it would very much upend your plans. Besides, there is not a lot for kids to do in the wine country in wintertime.

While it's true that almost everything in Rome (except churches, of course) is closed on Christmas Day, I'm not aware of any major sight that's closed the day after. Transportation is limited on Christmas day, as well, but that's true in every European city.

IMHO, the itinerary you had planned would have been lovely for Summer, but is not at all good for winter. I recommend re-thinkIng the whole trip. Though different, it can still be fabulous.

Are flights already Purchased? Is so, then re-work Italy.
Just stick with cities, and as someone else said, do day trips if the weather cooperates. Children are different, but my kids at that age actually loved Florence. They did know a lot of stories about art and artists though. They also knew about the building of domes, bridges, etc. Maybe some reading before hand would make it more interesting for them. They also loved Venice and Rome. Italian cities are wonderful for children.

If flights are not already purchased, and without knowing where else you have travelled, some other options.

London, Venice, Rome. London, especially, has tons of stuff for kids at any time.

London, Paris, Rome. I know, three big cities, but all are great in winter. Arrive London, 5 nights, train to Paris, 5 nights, fly to Rome.

Or, Great fun for the kids, a week or so in Germany and Austria for Christmas markets, perhaps horse and carriage rides, etc. then end in Rome. To this day, my younger DD talks about Germany during Christmas.

I have been to all those places in winter, and have not been to Spain then, but you might look at Southern Spain and Barcelona.

Thanks for the replies so far, good considerations.
At this stage, nothing is booked in terms of flights or accommodation. As for the alternative suggestions, we are actually heading to London and Paris next Spring and we went to Germany and Austria for a traditional European white Christmas last year so both of those suggestions have been covered. We have also been to Venice before, in fact it is the only place we have been to in Italy and, although we're not against going there again, we would prefer to 'tick some other boxes' first if possible.

We were kind of set on Italy but obviously we want to make it achievable based on the expected weather. Perhaps we could focus on the Italian cities and look to return during warmer weather for the AC, CT and Bellagio.

Would 3 weeks split between Naples, Rome and Florence, with day trips weather depending, make an acceptable trip for the family or do you think that we run out of things to do? How about Milan, I don't really know much about the tourist scene there and I assume it would be freezing?

Thanks again.

A trip of Naples, Rome & Florence would be just fine, and Milan can be a lot of fun, with many interesting day trips available, including a lunch up in Lago di Como and Lago Maggiore if the days are sunny. You are going to need to dress for cold weather in Florence anyway, and Milan will not necessarily be colder. Up to you.

Agree that repeating Venice shouldn't be a priority. If you are comfortably based in any of the cities you've named, you have good access to small towns & pretty scenery if the weather is sunny and dry. If it's wet and stormy, you'll have short walks or bus rides to many stunning indoor sights and fun shopping, eats.

You will have shorter hours of daylight plus some non-touristy corners (and most of the Amalfi) really tone down over the Xmas/NYE holidays. On the other hand, the week after Xmas can be a popular time for Italian families to go sightseeing, it can be surprising how much company you have in someplace like Siena or Orvieto between Dec 26 & 30, although you may notice some important restaurants have shuttered, etc. and some transport options (buses, open car rental offices) are limited). But there is more open and there to enjoy to fill every day than there is shuttered.