Hello All,
We are spending a about 10 days in Italy over New years. We can choose to spend New Years eve in Rome or Florence, and we aren't sure which would be the best place. We are looking for a special and romantic place to ring in the new year (preferably outside with the local Italians rather than at parties or in bars). I would love to hear your experiences and your favorites. I have also heard about special dinners, although we are on a budget and would have to keep it under 100 euro for both!. I would love your suggestions! Thanks.

Would you be heartbroken to hear neither? Italians are actually not big on New Year's celebrations, or night life in general. And to the extent people pile into the Piazza del Popolo in Roma, you might not want to be there with the crowd that likes to pour wine on people's heads.

I'd pick Roma because it's warmer, in case you want to walk around outside. I would definitely avoid that holiday menu, and instead track down a great Roman pizza.

I was in Rome last New Year's Eve. I was travelling on my own and stayed in that night, but from what I saw and heard New Year's in Rome is much like it is anywhere else- lots of people on a mission to get as drunk as possible (coming in from all over europe as far as I could tell) and lots of kids throwing fire crackers nonstop for the next 24 hours (and in the narrow alleyways with cobblestone, the explosion of the fire crackers is enough to give you a serious heart attack).

I did love being in Rome at that time of year, though.

I haven't been to Florence during New Year's but there is a huge American student population there so I would imagine it may get pretty rowdy as well.

There is a poster here called Leely2, she was in Rome over New Year's too but she went to Assisi for the night to get out of the city in order to spend a more peaceful New Year's. She wrote about in her trip report. That might be a good idea for a more romantic NYE, going out to a smaller town for the night.

If you go the get-out-of-town route, my pick would be Tarquinia (if you are on the young side) and no doubt others would pick Orvieto -- both an hour's train ride from Roma.

And I might just pick Napoli, because those people know how to have fun.

http://www.bellaumbria.net/Orvieto/u...rvieto_eng.htm

Thank you all for the advice!