Where to go in Southern Italy in December?
 

We are planning a Christmas to New Year's trip to Italy. Northern Italy will be too cool for our taste so we are thinking of starting in Rome (4 days), then going to Naples (maybe 3 days). But where to go next? When I look at the map I have heard of very few southern cities. Given that it's not beach weather does it make sense to head to Sicily or to the Adriatic coast? Or, do we brave the colder temps and head to Florence or Venice? Thoughts? We like wandering -- seeing the sights, checking out museums and parks, walking on the beach.

Sicily has a LOT too offer, so you might want to wait until you can give it at least 2 weeks, if not 3.

Have you been to Rome or Naples before? You might want to give each a bit more time that you have now allotted to them.

You might want to spend some time with a few good guidebooks (always a good investment, IME, but you can also check your local library), check the sections on "when to go" (for weather and to find out what places "shut down" in the off season), and see which of the open things most appeal to you.

I would go to Paestum and Salerno in addition to Rome and Naples, and possibly rent a car in Salerno to do a bit of exploring inland. Flying into Rome, I would head first to Naples, then to Salerno/Paestum, then ultimately Rome.

How many days of travel do you have?

Thanks for the input. We will be there for 12 days (not including flying there and back).

With 12 days, adding Paestum and Salerno makes a LOT of sense to me.

You might consider a location or 2 in Italy plus Malta. A couple of Decembers ago I disembarked from a ship in Malta, spent about 10 days, then on to Sorrento for a few days and finished in Rome over Christmas. It was warmest in Malta but not bad in Italy, some light rain and cool, but not cold.

I flew from Malta to Rome, train to Sorrento, then train back to Rome before flying home. I enjoyed all the locations very much and I dislike being cold, too. The weather was not a problem at all.

It will take half a day to see Paestum and it can be seen easily enough on the train from Naples. Salerno is a port city - it has a nice historic centre but make sure it has enough to hold your interest. Even though it's December/January you could still visit the Amalfi Coast or Capri - they don't 'close' as many think they do. Capri is wonderful for hiking in the off season if the weather is good. An example of one hike on Capri is here:
http://www.capri.net/en/s/towers-and-forts

The area north of Naples - Pozzuoli, Baia, Bacoli has a wealth of history and some amazing things to do there - like visit the Flavian Amphitheatre whose underground area is free to visit (not an additional cost as the Colosseum is), there is the Solfatara which is basically an active volcanic caldera - and very much like a moonscape with fissures of steam, boiling mud pools and so on. There is Lake Aveno - home of the Roman god Vulcan, there is also the Aragonese castle at Baia which houses an Archaeological Museum full of statues and other finds from the area - see information here:

http://www.napoliunplugged.com/location/baia-castle

There are also trips out to Caserta to see the Versailles-like Royal Palace or the amphitheatre at Capua.
http://www.napoliunplugged.com/locat...a-amphitheater

Overall it's a great time to go south and you'll get some really good hotel prices (after January 6th).

We got excellent discounts on hotels in both Malta and Italy (Sorrento & Rome) in December.

"Salerno is a port city - it has a nice historic centre but make sure it has enough to hold your interest"

I thought Salerno an underrated gem -- to each his/her/their own! But the advice to "make sure it has enough to hold your interest" is absolutely on target -- and that advice applies to ALL of the locations you might visit on this trip.

It's possible to rent a car in Salerno and go exploring if you enjoy that. I find Salerno interesting, for its historic sights but also as a contemporary contrast to Naples (Naples is a port city), with its own distinct personality (and even distinct pizza, which I prefer!). But if I had several days to spend, I would rent a car in Salerno and use it to visit the Amalfi coast if the weather was sunny and clear, or attractions that are inland or south of Paestum.

It occurs to me to add that if you enjoy fireworks, Naples has Italy's most spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks show, so you might want to arrange your trip so that you end up in Naples. It wouldn't be hard to go from Rome to Salerno/Paestum, and finish up in Napoli.