We will be staying in Orvieto for 3 nights from March 24, next year. We will be picking up a car there and hope to do some day or half-day trips, Civita di Bagnoregio being one possibility. In his Italy book, RS says, "Off-season, Civita and Bagnoregio are deadly quiet - and cold. I'd side-trip in quickly from Orvieto or skip the area altogether." Does anyone have any experience with Civita during this time period or is our time better spent elsewhere? Thank you!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
James, I haven't been in that area in March, but suspect it will be very "quiet" at that time of year. I doubt that any of the small restaurants will be open in Civita, but some may be open in Bagnoregio. As long as you're in the area, there's no reason you couldn't take a quick half-day trip just to have a look at the town. In late March, I suspect the weather will be starting to warm up a bit, however there's no way to predict what the conditions will be like next year. I was in that general area in May last year, and the weather was uncharacteristically cold and wet at that time. Happy travels!
Posted by
Richmond, Ky, USA
277 posts
James, we were in the same area in early march of last year for a wedding, and visited Civita. It was COLD. Last year was a little unusual, but still, be prepared. It was a little dead, but still a MUST SEE! I see you are staying in Orvieto, but if you get a chance, while in Bagnoreggio, stop in at romantica Pucci, and see if the restaurant is open. We stayed in her hotel, and we loved it. She is a wonderfully sweet woman, with a life story that can entertain for hours. Next, I would recommend Montepulciano. It is not far from orvieto, and is a wonderful town. Several great restaurants, and just a really nice place to visit. I am now jealous. Have a great time!
Jeff Masters
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I appreciate Jeff's enthusiasm, but if you want to go to everyplace in Italy that someone tells you is a MUST SEE, then you might as well just move there. :-) That's part of what makes it such a wonderful place to visit and it's why I'm already planning our fourth and fifth trips! Happy travels.
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
Hi James,
You don't mention if you will be there on a weekend, or weekday, as it makes a difference in Civita. We were there last May, and it was DEAD during the week. This was a full 2 months after you will be there. There was one cantina open, and one shop. Even the church was locked! Another restaurant opened for dinner later, and our B&B served food, but there wasn't much going on. It was a neat town, especially with the walk up along the walkway into town, but if you've got other places that you want to see, I'd save your half-day and go see those instead. Save Civita when you're back in Italy in the Peak Season, when it is a much more fun place to visit.
Posted by
OP
Landmark, MB
45 posts
Thank you all for your replies. This will be our 2nd trip to Italy and this time we wanted to spend more time in Tuscany. Based on Michael's photo journal of Orvieto, we wanted to spend some time there other than a day-trip. So after 5 nights in Rome, we arrive in Orv. on a Saturday, picking up the car then because the agencies are closed on Sundays. We would want to stay somewhat close to Siena as that's where we plan to return the car. We leave on the Tuesday for the Crete Senesi area (nothing booked yet) and want to see San Gigmignano and possibly revisit Siena. We know it will be cold that time of year but hey, we're Canadians, it's all relative, eh? I really want to visit Pienza but other than that, I am open to suggestions for our 6 nights in Tuscany. We don't want to drive more than an hour from our base to a "day-trip" town. Then we would continue on to Florence (5 nights) and then to S.M. Ligure (5 nights). Finish off in Milan (2 nights) before home. I was just wondering about Civita if it will be like a ghost town or if there would be an open cafe, church, etc. Thanks!
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
As usual, I second Michael's vote for Orvieto. It's a great town, and worth several days. Some of my favorite towns in Tuscany are Montepulciano, Volterra, and Cortona (be warned, parking is TERRIBLE in Cortona, but March may be different). My wife and I aren't huge fans of Pienza, but I'm not sure why. Yes, they nickel and dime you in that town, but I don't think that was it. It just didn't feel right. As other posts on this board will attest, I really like San Gimignano, just not during the day in Peak Season. Wonderful little town, that one. One of the real gems of Tuscany, though, is driving through the countryside. Simply stunning. Bring your GPS, though, as Italian roads are not marked well in all places.