Hi,
My husband and I are planning a 3-week vacation in August to Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence etc.
I am in two minds about packing my running clothes when I am vacationing there. Does anyone know if it is ok/safe for a woman to run on the streets, wearing a pair of shorts, in the above cities?
Another question in my mind is if I will have the time, but I'd like to not lose my running fitness if at all possible...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Raji.
I can only comment on one of those cities, Paris. Not a great city for running, but probably safe enough.
I seem to remember somewhere on the web there is a website that lets you punch in a city and then mark off a route with interesting landmarks.
You might want to try doing a search on this site as there was a similar question posted last year I believe from somebody who was going to London and wanted a safe route to run.
Sorry I cant be of further help, I run nearly everyday but I slacked off while on holiday last year and really regretted doing so!
Pete
Definitely take your running clothes! People all over Europe do run, and there are big races in almost every country. Enjoy the scenery!
The Tuileries in Paris is one place you will find many joggers. We watched them while comfortably seated one day last month. If you are worried about the shorts then don't wear shorts.
If you do run, make sure you use white tennis shoes.
I always run when I go to Europe. If you go early in the morning you will be OK. Most criminals are not early birds - if you are worried about that. You probably will have a problem in Venice - I decided not to their due to the cramped nature of everything. I have ran in Paris and Florence with no problems. Florence has a river you can run along. I have seen a few female joggers, but not a lot. In fact, in Italy, I did not see hardly any runners of either sex. I really enjoy the morning runs while traveling. I usually go four miles, so you can see a lot in that time and sometimes locate some neat things. I am 59 now and still go four miles a day. Good Luck - Bill
Try http://www.mapmyrun.com/. You can see established runs or you can create your own.
Raji, It really depends on your schedule. If you want to fit in running time, you should do it early before the city "wakes" up. The majority of the people commute by walking, and it can be crowded to run while people are "hustling" to work on the sidewalks.
I would not find it hard to keep in shape during your trip. We work out while we are at home. However, in our European trips we walk everywhere, and find there are plenty of stairs in Europe, as well as those cobblestone hills. That provides us our cardio workout, and we forgo our running.
I'd say bring your workout clothes, but I would find it easier to "work out" by walking around the city and exploring.
Seeing people out running has become a lot more common here in Italy, women included. Rome is perfectly safe to run in, its more a question of traffic than anything else. Some suggestions of places to run close to the center would be Villa Borghese or the Circus Maximus where you could get the best continuous run, otherwise people also run along the river, not right along the river, but along the road above, the Lungotevere ______, though you will have to stop for traffic. I agree that a three week break would be a major setback if you are a serious runner. I imagine that in Florence, with all its American students and tourists, you can find quite a few people out running. If you are worried about time, do it first thing in the morning, (I personally like to be out the door by 6) also because after 9 am in August anywhere in Italy it would be almost too hot.
