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Easter Week in Italy

Posted by (San Francisco, CA) on

My husband and I are going to be in Italy this year for Easter Week (not purposefully, it just worked out that way after a business trip). We are currently planning to fly into Florence, spend 3 nights in Florence or Siena, then rent a car and do some hill towns (picking a home base from RS's suggestions) for 3 nights, then go to Rome for the final 3 nights -- which are, as it turns out, Maunday Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

It seems like everything is open those days (Sunday/Monday being the holiday closures).

I suppose my big question is what do we need to book far in advance, given that I expect there will be A LOT of people in Rome -- also, will Rome be totally over run and crazy to do anything (even the non-religious stuff)? I know 3 days is already not enough to see everything -- would it be better to save it for a different trip and pick a third city in Tuscany/Umbria?

All opinions welcome :)

Posted by
8371 posts

Your itinerary looks fine. I would suggest you stay in Florence an extra night and take a day trip to Siena by bus. The city is very congested and parking is very difficult. We loved San Gimignano, Certaldo (where we were staying at an agriturismo) and Volterra.

We dropped our rental car at the Orvieto train station, and took a 70 minute train into Rome Termini--to simplify things. Orvieto is another great hill town worth a night.

We were in Rome Easter weekend 2 years ago. We did our Vatican tour on Friday, and the crowd wasn't too bad. We didn't go on Easter Sunday, however. I would tell you to get reservations to any sites you want to see like the Vatican Museum and Villa Borghese and do them sooner, rather than later, in your trip.

I had been to Northern Italy and Venice 5-7 times (lost count), and it was my first trip to Rome. My regret is that I didn't see it earlier. There are just about as many tourist sights out in the suburbs as there are within the center city. It's a city you could spend 2 weeks in.

Want to read a good travel website about Rome? RonInRome.com

Posted by
1501 posts

If you're staying in a hotel in Rome Easter Sunday and Monday, make sure the dining room will be open, or that they know restaurants that will be serving dinner both nights. Have the hotel make dinner reservations for you those two nights. I spent Easter now 2 years ago in Rome, and even attended the Easter Mass. Had lunch near the Vatican -- so many people, the restaurants around there were all open. Not so much away from the Vatican. Monday is also a Holiday, so cover that night too. Make dinner reservations both nights. I loved Easter in Rome very much, but pleased that we planned those two dinners ahead with restaurant reservations.

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