I am wondering if anyone has feedback on what Venice Italy is like at the end of December - beginning of Jan? Is it unpleasantly cold? Flooding a real issue? Two adults traveling - six nights in and out of Venice.

Thanks in advance!
Dawn

IMO...I wouldnt care if I had to wear hipwaders and a parka
Seeing the "Serene One" at anytime would be heaven...

You just can't predict about the weather. It can be said that flooding is generally at its worst in November in Venice -- but you never get guarantees. Just be aware that flooding mainly occurs around the areas furthest from the train station, in the direction of San Marco, and usually only in the mornings -- but again, no guarantees.

The year I was there the 3rd week in December, it was simply gray and a bit frigid. I wore the same clothes I would have worn in NYC or Washington DC. That said, having very warm footwear and socks helped cut the fatigue from walking around so much outdoors. I had a little drizzle -- but I know that it can freeze and snow during that time of year. I don't know what you find "unpleasantly" cold. I booked into the rather modern Ca'Pisani just to be sure I had tons of heat and hot water. But I now realize most hotels could have accommodated me nicely. (I did like the Ca'Pisani on the whole, especially its location.)

Also be aware that the week you are talking about is very much a time when Italians live to go touring, since the entire week is a holiday for them. If you plan day trips, you need to get your tickets the first day your arrive, and you may have more company in Venezia touring the sites that you might have expected, but nothing like the tourist hordes that invade "in the season" and you'll have the rare experience of hearing a lot of Italian spoken in Venezia.

Some famous and not so famous restaurants will be closed, and you will need to look carefully at New Year's Eve.

I stayed 5 days and didn't see everything I wanted to see.

Thanks for the feedback. I was concerned that 6 nights might be too much. We do not have a ton of time - and are traveling from the west coast. Dh would like to take me for my birthday and Christmas gift. We have great business class seats on hold with our ff miles. I have not even processed through where to stay if we proceed with this..

I have good boots from our trip to Paris last year. Really cozy and warm - and a great jacket as well. Dh will have to bring warmer clothing this time. He was pretty cold in Paris over the holiday. (It snowed several times and was very cold)

Chilly and likely rainy, although you may get some nice crisp clear days. Snow is very unlkely. For info on high tides you need to check the tidetables.

thanks Nytravler - I am not crazy about the rain. Cold, cloudy, fine, even snow - rain is yuck to me. I am not sure we will go just still thinking it through. I am trying to see where we can get away to with our FF miles - we have from 12-26 - 1-3. I have to be back for class...

Hi Dawn, if you go to the search box here and type in our Fodorite name Tiff you will see her Enchanted April trip report regarding the time they spent in Florence and Venice at the same time of the year you two are planning to visit Venice. Don't let the April part of her title throw you off, it was just "April" in her mind. It is a delightful trip report and I think you would enjoy reading it.

Oh thank you LoveItaly! I am not sure this will happen - it is a lovely idea but I have to see if our points will work for the hotels etc as well. We shall see. I have a few days before the FF miles go away. I will look for that trip report - it should help. Dh said he is not going back to Europe unless it is Italy...we shall see.

I don't know that I'd call snow "very unlikely". Last year the first snow was in late November, and I think over the past five years it has snowed at least two other times before the first of January. But since snow isn't a deal breaker for you...

The rain I experienced was not downpours (like we do get along the mediterranean.) It was foggy and drizzly though because the warmth of the lagoon water against the colder air created its own weather system every day. On a day when I went out to Torcello, I finally saw the sun. But the fog was still hanging in over Venezia. One thing I didn't see was a "clear, crisp day."

But rain "very likely"? Snow "very unlikely"? Crisp clear days? Who can say? Shorter days and the fact your past the solstice means you need to bring warm clothes, and your on the water, so water protection too.

By the way, the only time I will ever go back to Venice if I ever go is off-season/winter.

(I should add I've been when it wasn't winter or off-season, and mamma mia.

what do you mean zeppole? that it is too crowded?

Do you think due to the Christmas holiday period when we are going that it will have cold weather with crowds?

It was pretty crowded in Paris over the holiday with European travelers.

Within last several years, I have spent one week each in Venice in early December and late January, both times the weather were either bright and a bit chilly, or gray/drizzling. However, as long as you dress adequately, the weather shalln't be an issue. No matter how bad the weather is, to me, it's still much more enjoyable than visiting in the summer among the wall-to- wall crowds.

There will be a full moon on Dec. 31st, so there's a higher chance of flooding that day and the days before and after.

wa spent time in Venice in December and January and loved it. I wrote about it - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm finds it.

It's worth buying rubber boots - about 25 Euro, but most hotels have a stock of boots, I believe.

You'll love it, and winter in Venice is magic. For six days, consider an apartment - it's fun shopping for food.

Peter - one of the things I found most magical in Paris last December was shopping and cooking in my apartment. I do have rubber boots I got for Paris...

I am seriously considering pulling the trigger on the FF miles. They are awesome flights. Business class on Airfrance from LAX to delta - lay over in Paris onto Venice. Same on the return. Venice - Paris - LAX. I have till tomorrow night to decide. I am worried about the cost of the hotels. We are on a pretty tight budget right now...so I was hoping to try to use SPG points for the room... I also have Hilton points but have not looked at their properties yet.

The thought of being alone with dh for 6 nights in Venice is DREAMY to me right about now and will be more so by december I am sure. We, like most, have very busy hectic lives... we were not going to take any big trips till 2012 so we shall see...

Do you all think that FF miles are here to stay - I hear so many rumors about them going away I sometimes worry because we have time limitation...

Jean..full moon on NYE in Venice - oh my!!

Peter..I am reading your report and have to tell you - you are an amazing writer! I am dying laughing here!

New Year in Venice.
There is a smell to New Years Eve in Venice, compounded of pizza, cooked fish, and freshly baked bread. There is another vital ingredient in the mix – the smell of black powder. Fireworks are available at our local mini mart, and the explosions started around dusk, about 5:00 PM this time of year, and continued until the small hours. Fireworks is really a misnomer – there were crackers being let off in San Marco about the size of a milk carton, which qualifies them as ordnance. I might mention that the entire population of Venice was in San Marco at the time, and so a little circle was cleared in the middle for the fireworks, displacing children, cops, prams and dogs – cleared by letting off fireworks.

There was a New Years Eve concert in San Marco, themed on “Love”, or “Lerve”, take your pick. Lots of encouragement to love, kiss somebody, anybody.
“Love to everyone, love to the world, we love you all”.
Followed by crash of exploding ordnance, loud enough to make the air pulsate and the window shutters dance.

It sounds like a fabulous trip! Friends were there for Christmas time recently--sent me pix of San Marco with snow. They had a great time, but yes it was cold!

Those tix are fantastic, Dawn!

About the weather. It snowed on New Year’s Day, Jan 1st 2009, and the snow lasted on the ground next door for a week. Temperatures hung around the 3 or 4 degrees C. We went about in rubber boots frequently, because acqua alta was happening – 100 mm of water in our street, but it lasts for an hour or two. Rubber boots – what the English call “wellies” are really worth having at that time of year. If it rains, you will quickly be mobbed by gentlemen selling umbrellas. A fair average umbrella will cost you about 5 Euro, and would survive a week or two – unless it is windy, in which case, just surrender to the elements and drink a spritz or three.

The OP suggested that “six nights might be too much”. We stayed for about sixty nights, and are planning on another fifty or so in 18 months time. I think that the longer you stay, the more Venice reveals herself. You lose the guidebook, and have the delight of going to places twice (if you can find them again).

We stayed here: http://realvenicevacationflats.com/availability.html in the second floor apartment. The owner lives in San Francisco, so it’s easy to pay in US Dollars. She mailed the keys to us in Australia, and we found our way to the apartment. It felt like arriving home.