EYWandBTV

Hello all,

I just read about the Holy Year 2016 proclaimed by Pope Francis. Some reports mentioned figures of 20 million tourists descending on Rome for various celebrations (good grief that's a lot of people!)

Has anyone experienced this before? What will be the impact of all this if you're flying into FCO and trying to catch a train to some other city? (The last Holy Year was 2000, I think.)

We are just beginning to think about a trip in June to Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and other places to the south but I'm wondering if getting through Rome is going to be tough.

Any thoughts?

sandralist

I think Rome gets 20 million tourists every year, and if it is less than that, it isn't much less than that.

I was in Rome when a Pope died -- a popular Pope! -- and in the space of 24 hours, hundreds of thousands of people flooded into Rome. The Vatican is a hugely capacious place, and can hold a LOT of people. You scarcely noticed in other parts of Rome what was going on.

I also flew into Rome during some beatification or something that was supposedly a big deal for Catholics, bringing lots of pilgrims to the city. It was the typical chaos at FCO. Didn't feel unusual at all. Some days are better than others. Ditto Termini.

During most of the year if you can find a way to get to where you want to go in Italy without going through Rome and Termini, it's not a bad idea. But I wouldn't worry about Holy Year (I thought every year was a holy year.) Rome's been doing this for a LONG time.

EYWandBTV

That is good news. Now I am searching for a direct flight from JFK or EWR and it looks like Meridiana/Air Italy has one direct to Naples. Has anyone ever taken this airline?

sandralist

I take it all the time. It's fine.

southeuropetravel1

I think that as long as you have your flights, trains, and hotels reserved in advance you should be fine. I live in Rome and there is a lot of discussion about this issue. Lots of people are saying hotels are already getting expensive so while I think here might be some hype around it (and hope there is because already it's an impossible city for transportation), you should be as prepared as possible. Since you're coming in June you have tons of time to prepare. Best of luck.

bvlenci

According to La Repubblica, the number of tourist arrivals in Rome in 2014 was over 13 million. The number of "presences" (which, if I'm not mistaken is person-nights spent in lodgings in the city) was almost 33 million. The number has been increasing every year in the past ten years, especially among tourists from Argentina (the Pope Francis effect) and from Asia (especially from China). At the present rate of increase, it could easily arrive at 14 million for 2015. So 20 million in 2016 will be a stretch, but not a disaster.

For the Holy Year, a great number of the visitors will be day trippers arriving by bus. I'm sure every parish in Italy will send at least one busload of visitors to Rome during the Holy Year. You might be surprised to know that a lot of visitors arrive in Rome even from other European countries by bus, spending only a night or two in the city. For Pope John Paul II's funeral and for his beatification, there were actually many Polish vistors who came by bus, sleeping on the bus coming and going, and spending just the one day in Rome. Those who spent a night often slept with sleeping bags in church halls or monasteries.

I happened to be in Florence on the day of the beatification, and the streets were packed with busloads of Polish people who were disgorged and given an hour or two to wander the streets before they piled back on the buses to get to Rome in time for the ceremony. I nearly got crushed against a wall when a pack of Poles turned a corner on the run. I've never seen anything like it since visiting the Great Wall at Badaling.

The various "local" (European) visitors should account for at least several million visitors. Another great many will arrive by train. The impact on the airport won't be as great as one might expect.

As Sandra says, the effect will mostly be seen at the Vatican. Rome is a big city, and can absorb very large numbers of visitors.

EYWandBTV

Very interesting, and as Sandra says, Rome has been doing holy years for centuries so we shall all figure it out somehow.

Great to know about Meridiana.