Christmas in Rome

We just returned from a 3 week trip to Italy for the Christmas/New Year holiday. Although we were not in Rome for Christmas..this time of the year is quite magical. All the streets decorated, the streets are crowded with locals, not too many tourists. I would suggest that you have your hotel make reservations for you for the Christmas dinner. We stayed in San Gimignano for Christmas..and it was absolutely PERFECT! Some shops were open on Christmas Eve until about 6pm..and everything was closed for Christmas. Only one restaurant was open. I took the time to go to the deli and pick up wine, bread and cold-cuts for a Christmas lunch. The hotel provided breakfast. On Christmas day we took a leisurely walk around town and just "took-in" the atmosphere. We did attend midnight mass at the local cathedral. Another highlight of the trip. We did rent a car and drove from Rome to Tuscany, Ravenna, Venice, Parma, Volterra, Veneto. Driving on the highways is very easy. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Thanks Jackie. We did a big trip to Italy in October and did a lot of driving in Tuscany, too. What fun we had! Also spent 5 days in Roma. I know it will be magical at Christmas too, but I want to prepare for the logistics of major closures for 24 hours or so!

There is a specific subject, Christmas in Europe, on the Graffiti Wall with several postings concerning Rome and Christmas. We have spent three Christmas in various parts of Europe over the past few years but not Rome. They are much more respectfully of their holiday days than we are. In general our experience is a nearly shut down for Christmas Eve and day - same for New Years. Some exceptions -- restaurants associated with large hotels are generally open and packed with tourists. The average local restaurant is closed. But the beer halls in Germany are open and packed on Christmas day. The grocery stores, etc., will beginning closing around the 3 to 4 oclock on Christmas eve so planning carefully when purchasing food for the next day. Public transit will run on a very reduced schedule. After all, the local need to get around also. It can be a very special time but you need to prepare for a really dead day on Christmas day.

I was in Rome for Xmas two years ago. On 24th stores did close early. On 25th almost everything-including metro- was closed, but just walking around was great for me as I had only arrived on the 24th. I had the hotel make a reservation for me for dinner on the 25th as they knew what would be open. I went to midnight mass even though I am not Catholic-just to experience it and it was fabulous. I stayed at Hotel Aberdeen near the Termini and went to Santa Maria Maggiore which is only a few blocks from the hotel and is a Vatican church. The ceremony and ritual were very moving-especially when they lowered the lights as everyone lit candles we had been given as we came in. I did see an Anglican church on Via Nazionale only a block or two from my hotel. Be sure to go to the Christmas Market in the Piazza Navone. I am almost positive it was still open Christmas Eve. The main road going to the Colosseo was closed to cars on 25th and it was lovely to walk the road toward the monument with all the other tourists-many, if not most were Italian.