Othe cities to visit while in Rome
 

I'll be in Rome for 10 nights in November visiting my fiance. Being that I have never been to Italy before, I was curious as to where else I can go. Being that I'm going in November, I would want to go somewhere south of Rome. A 3-4 night romantic getaway will be ideal. I was looking online but I need some suggestions and opinions. Thank you in advance.

The problem with going south in November is that the usual romantic spots like the Amalfi Coast and Capri are summer resorts. Lots of restaurants and shops and many hotels are closed for the season. If you like the solitude, you can still find places open, and discounted. You might be lucky and the weather will be sunny and clear but don't expect it to be warm enough for swimming. More often than not, it will be foggy and rainy and those famous views along the Amalfi Coast will be obscured. If you have three or four nights, why not take the train up to Venice? If you haven't been to Italy before you should certainly see this wonderful city and it definitely romantic. The weather might not be the best but there is still a lot to see and do. Florence would be another option. You could see the museums when they aren't jammed with tourists.

Florence would be a wonderful choice as would Assisi - I fell in love with Assisi and the area surrounding it. It's small enough to get around easily and has some nice hotels and restaurants.

Vindog, Grinisa raises a valid point. There will be places you can enjoy near Rome, but going south you'll find a lot of places are closed for "low season". I'd recommend perhaps Orvieto or the Terme di Saturnia spa in Saturnia, or go to Florence, which is not a long trip on Eurostar.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

Florence is wonderful, especially if you are an art lover, but I have to second the idea of going to Venice for 3 or 4 days. It's a four hour train ride (maybe longer) but only a one hour flight. If you could go home from Venice, that would be ideal, but if your ticket is set, it's still worth the round trip. It's wonderful to see Venice without the summer crowds, even in drizzle.

I have files on Rome and Venice; if you'd like to see them, email me.

My wife and I did a 10 day trip last Feb.
I know some people will cringe at what we fit in, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely and felt we saw something if Italy:

Fri: Arrive Rome (late, from Germany so no jet lag)
Sat, Sun, Mon: Visit Rome (ancient, Ostia Antica & Spanish Steps area, Vatican)
Tues: Train to Orvieto, night there
Wed: Morning train to Florence, Accademia, Duomo, general visit
Thur: Florence, Uffizi, etc.
Fri: Morning train to Venice
Sat: Venice
Sun: Train to Pisa
Mon: Early morning flight back from Pisa

Now we could fly back direct from Venice on a budget airline (could not have then) and would have done so instead of heading back to Pisa. This may be more hectic than you would like, but... Personally, I would try really hard to head up to Venice (4.5 hours by EuroStar*) for a few nights.

I've put up something of a trip report at http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~san...aly_intro.html
if you're interested.

Enjoy your trip,
Paul

I would also highly recommend a full day trip to Orvieto. It's only an hour train ride, no car needed at all once you are there. A great walking town and just the right size. The duomo, Etruscan tombs, caves tour, well, etc. can take the whole day. Be sure to stay for the evening and enjoy the passagiatta (SP?). There are many wonderful shops and lots of great local artists too. Stay for dinner - the restaurants are outstanding as are the local specialities and Orvieto Classico wine.

Buon viaggio!