Where to go for first visit?
 

I am thinking about a vacation to Italy in January or February and was wondering which would be the best place for me. I am a single american male and just looking for a relaxing, more peaceful than hectic time. A few bars would be nice too but not the crazy kind. I do not speak Italian. I visited Madrid before and do not speak Spanish either but got by fine for a couple of weeks. Do they use the Euro?
thanks

You can never go wrong with Rome. Venice is also nice but can be quite pricey. If you are wanting somewhere very relaxing and quiet then i would suggest the amalfi coast...(SP?) it's absolutely amazing!

TTT

Hi

Well, it depends what you want to do. I think it is quite nice to visit cities when I travel so one option would be to check out e.g. Rome and/or Florence. How long are you planning on staying? I went to Rome a couple of years back and there's a lot to see and do. Here is my trip report with pictures, links and maps: http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm

Another option would be to check out Tuscany. But if you are traveling solo I guess that might be a bit boring. I went to Tuscany in July this year and it was peaceful and relaxing...and with a rental car you can stop by wine farms and small Tuscan towns.

Yes, Italy use Euros.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Do you ski? The North is in the Alps so some options there. If you want warmth then sicily might be of interest (down next to Libya). If clothing is the thing then Milan. If ancient sites then the Florence?rome?venice thing.

Italy is world's largest wine producer (if we get to argue I'll negotiate to second after Argentina) and lots of the wine areas have tasting offices as do the actual wineries.

Hi K,

For how long?

Have you looked at <Italy> under "Destinations"?

I will probably be there for about 10 days. I checked online but it all looks good. What I want to do is a lot of walking and sight seeing tasting wines meeting people of course but without the rush and craziness of a major city although I would not mind a heavily populated place as long as it is not like Boston for example with people in such a rush they miss out on everything. Bostonians dont hate me please lol

hi, kevs,

IMO you couldn't do better than Florence. you could make it as hectic or relaxing as you like. If you wanted more on the action side, go for Rome; if you want more relaxation, Venice.

in none of those places will a lack of Italian hamper you unduly. and Italy has the euro.

regards, ann

Do you mind cold weather? Rome in November has some very cold days for me. Venice is definitely too cold past mid-Nov. for me. I would think Jan/Feb would be colder. If cold is not good for you, I'd think southern Italy would be better.

Julie

To me some of the joys of Italy are la dolce vita:

sitting in a cafe having a drink and people watching

having dinner in an outdoor cafe

touring some of the smaller town and the counryside

You can;t do any of those in Jan or Feb - it's so cold you need to be indoors most of the time - unless you're going to ski.

I would really suggest you wait for April or May - when you have much longer days, much more pleasant weather and the countryside is beautiful and it's not too cold for the seaside towns.

5 days Venice, 5 days Florence, take the train between the two cities. Yes they use euro.

January and February can be cold and dreary... I recommend sticking to countries in the south. It will be cold, but not as bad as some as the countries in the north. For the best experience I also suggest Rome. You'll find excellent food, great sights and one of the fastest moving cities in the world!

I would have to agree that Rome is the best spot. Cheapest to fly into and has the flexiblity per your mood. Quite, crazy, relaxing, curious..etc. Itialians have a great view on life and fun. Unless you are into museums, I would avoid florance.

Din't forget the gelato.

Hi K,

>..What I want to do is a lot of walking and sight seeing tasting wines meeting people of course but without the rush and craziness of a major city ...<

My first thought is to split the time between Venice and Florence.

However, Venice is really best seen with an SO.

Rome is hectic.

My next thought is Florence and Naples. However, Naples is chaotic.

The dead of Winter is not the best time to visit the Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast, although some posters have reported that they prefer the off off season.

So, I think that Florence and surroundings for 6 nights and Bologna for 3 nights would suit you.

From Florence, you could visit Siena, San Gimignano and Orvieto.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Why I did not include Rome is that Kevs specifically asks for a more peaceful (not hectic) place.