dizlz

Hi,
Planning our first trip as a family to Italy. Traveling with two children aged 12 & 15. The older one is a real history buff and will soak in everything. My younger...well more like your typical kid. If I pack too much in she will rebel. Plan on bribing her with lots gelato. We will be in Italy over Christmas and New Year's. I haven't booked our flights yet, so our exact arrival/departure dates are flexible. We're thinking of arriving on 12/20 or 21 and heading home around 1/1, 2 or3. Planning on flying into Florence and out of Naples (but not staying in Naples) This is what I've planned so far...
Florence - 3-4 days (possible side trip to Pisa/Lucca)
Rome - 4 days
Pompeii
Sorrento/Vico Equense (2 -3 nights)

Here are my questions. First I'm concerned about Christmas. Will anything be open in Florence on 12/25 or 26? I've read that we might be better off finding a mid-evil or renaissance feeling town between Florence & Rome. I saw a few castles that served big christmas dinners...but all were booked. So I welcome any thoughts about Christmas in Florence vs heading out to the countryside. If countryside...any hotel/B&B/castle suggestions?

If we stay in the countryside can we still take the train from Florence to Rome or will we need a car? We were trying to avoid renting a car.

I've booked a hotel for 2 nights in Vico Equense. I've read that the New Year's Eve fireworks over Naples Harbor are the best in the world. I'm hoping we can see from Cubo Apartments in Vico Equense. Has anyone done this?

We were actually thinking 3 nights in Vico Equense and traveling to Pompeii from there. However, I'm concerned that with iffy weather this might be a bad idea and that we should add a day to Rome and travel to Pompeii from there so that we can wait for a nice day. Also concerned that we might get stuck in Vico if weather is bad. Thoughts??

I thought 2 days of relaxation would be a nice way to end the trip and New Year's Eve Fireworks. Hence..Vico Equense.

Just to finalize....looking for suggestions between Florence & Rome for Christmas VS Christmas in Florence? Is there anything outside of Rome that is a better choice for a day or two of relaxation? I'm worried about iffy weather in Sorrento/Vico Equense area. Visiting Pompeii from Rome instead of Vico Equense (due to iffy weather)....of course Pompeii is much closer to Vico than Rome.

Finally....open to any helpful suggestions that I haven't thought of.

Michael

Why not stay in Naples? We stayed in the historical district and really liked it, although the patio of where we stayed might not be as attractive in December.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57627058744325

dizlz

I've heard the crime is a problem and I feel like we will have plenty of city time between Rome & Florence.

jamikins

We had heard about crime in Naples as well but had no problems at all when we were there over Easter. We both had our big DSLR cameras out and didnt see anything different than you would in Rome or Florence. In fact we felt safer!

Naples is certainly gritty, but we found it surprisingly clean. You need to be able to look past graffiti and see beauty in things that may look run down. But we really enjoyed the energy of the city.

you can read our trip report here and see our pictures to make your own choices: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-photos.cfm

I wouldnt want to stay in a small town without a car in the winter. Its possible you will get rain and grey weather the whole time and it certainly isnt beach season...I would prefer to be in a city where there are indoor things to do.

Have a great trip!

stevewith

The risks you have with weather are greater in the Florence/Tuscany area than they are south of Rome, so your plan to stay right in Florence and using trains to get around is the safer bet than heading out to the countryside or a medieval hilltown, where you could get trapped by snow or ice. Visiting Lucca, Pisa or Bologna by train is the better plan.

You will find a great many things shut up tight in Tuscany Dec 25 and 26. In particular, I would not plan a day trip out of Florence on those days. But Florence is such a tourist destination -- many, many people pack in there for the holidays -- that you will find enough going on to keep your family amused and fed those days. In particular, research Christmas music events and other things like that. The churches will be open with creche displays. There is something called "The Florence Newsletter" (I may have the name wrong, but you can track it down on line) that you can sign up for, and you'll get a calendar of special goings on.

It would be fairly unusual for weather around the Naples area to turn so awful that everything is paralyzed. You should be traveling, however, with some access to the internet and watching the short-term forecasts, so in case they turn truly turn grim you can take some pre-emptive action about moving on before the storms hit, and that goes for your entire trip.

Even if it is non-stop sunny. it is pretty hard to find satisfactory non-city time in December in Italy. If you ultimately decide to take the advice of staying in Naples, book a hotel overlooking the port for New Year's Eve rather than a hotel that would require you to go to the port to see the fireworks. You'll also get more daylight there. Your kids might be most interested in Castel Sant'Elmo and the adjacent Certosa, and definitely do not miss the sculptures in the Cappella SanSevero in Naples. It is the one artwork in Italy they are most likely to remember.

One thing to remember about all your sightseeing plans is that you are traveling during the shortest hours of daylight in the year. Also, consider bribing your daughter with hot chocolate rather than gelato, especially in Florence, or warm sfogliatelle pastries in Napoli and points south. Kids have cast iron stomachs, I realize, but gelato can be surprisingly unpleasant in the chilly sunless alleways of the antique towns of Italy in winter. Keep in mind too that Florence and Rome have a huge variety of unique activities, one of which might surely capture your daughter's interest. There are fashion and textile museums, shoe museums, music concerts, instrument makers, cooking classes, jewelry makers, puppeteers, ancient theaters, thermal water spas, motorcycles, science tours, medical museums, horses ... Something ought to click with her interests and imagination

stevewith

I wanted to amend something I wrote in my above post, which is that many shops in Italy stay open on Christmas morning, and it is very popular for families to go to a restaurant to eat a grand lunch on Chirstmas day. So you might have a very nice experience of Italian culture if you go to Lucca on Christmas day and eat lunch in a special restaurant serving a Christmas lunch, but make sure you book in advance and go hungry, because it will be a lot of food.

Although museums will not be open on Christmas in Lucca, almost all the the highlights of Lucca involve walking around outdoors, and like I said, you are likely to find shops open in the morning.

But you will need to make a special effort to track down activities and eateries after Christmas afternoon, because many places throughout that area, including Florence, will not re-open until Tuesday morning. The same will be true for Rome as well, so no point in re-ordering your itinerary. But do check to see what WILL be open, venue by venue. It is possible that the tower in Pisa is only closed Christmas day. Devil is in the details.

amamax2

Have you seen this thread? The family did much of the trip you are planning, including staying at the Cubo Apts to see the NYE foreworks. Scroll down to the very bottom for her trip report.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-years-eve.cfm

I would definitely go to Pompeii from the Sorrento area - it is very close to there (less than 30 min on the train, let's you off right outside), vs a long day trip from Rome.

dizlz

Thank you for all the terrific information (especially stevewith). Based on all the advice, I am looking into Naples. I've also reached out to Anna who stayed at Cubo Apartments. It wasn't clear from her entry if they actually watching the fireworks from the rooftop there or if she was just noting that they have a rooftop for viewing. Want to make sure you can really see the fireworks from there incase we stick with that part of our plan

Lucca sounds interesting. Am researching Christmas lunch there.

If anyone has any other suggestions regarding interesting towns/small cities near Naples and Pompeii...please advise.

And I've added hot chocolate and pastries to my bribery list .

dizlz

Stevewith,
Just want to confirm as all these dates are getting confusing. The Christmas lunch you mentioned....is that served on Christmas day which is Wednesday 12/25? And, to your knowledge, will things be open on Tuesday 12/24?

stevewith

Regarding Christmas lunch, yes: Book a grand lunch at 1pm for Christmas day itself. You will find that most any restaurant that is open that day -- whether it be in Lucca or in Florence -- will be serving a set menu with a fixed (fairly high) price.

On Dec 24, most everything -- shops and attractions -- should be open. Some restaurants may close for dinner, so I would reserve early at a place you know will be open. A handful of restaurants in Florence that serve fish (not the norm in Tuscany) will be offering the traditional Christmas Eve fish dinner known as "The Feast of the 7 Fishes." Again, if you want to go to something like that, book early and go hungry. It will most likely be expensive.

Finally, just to be clear, December 26 is also a holiday. Almost all shops will be closed, many restaurants will be closed (so secure reservations) and many attractions will be closed. However, it is worth checking to see exactly what will be open, case by case.