Europe During Easter - Or Avoid It

I do not have first hand experience, and certainly Easter (Orthodox) in Greece is a tough travel time, but I believe Italy is a big problem only in Rome. This would include the days leading up to Easter, maybe as early as Wednesday. The other cities may have some crowds, and there may be some shops and stores closed, but maybe crowds closer to a normal tourist day in June or July than. You may find the holiday very interesting, maybe just plan Rome for the days after Easter.

The other thing to keep in mind about the time period you're considering is that school systems in many countries have a two week break at Easter, and/ or they send students on field trips at that time. We were in Rome the week before Holy Week a couple of years ago, and I was amazed at the number of groups of kids I spotted being herded around. Equally amazing were the number of languages I heard them speaking. It didn't detract from our experience. After all, Rome has been attracting pilgrims for many centuries; so that's part of its flavor. However, if you want a less hectic and probably less expensive visit, not to mention a time with fewer closed museums, you might want to adjust your dates.

I was in Rome the week before Easter this year and it was not too bad. The Vatican was very busy and the lines were very long. I saw many students and I don't know if they were there on spring break or if it is like that all year long. While I do not have experience during Easter I imagine the Vatican will be extremely busy. I would go a week before just to avoid waiting forever in lines and also hotels will be cheaper if you go before as it is still considered off season.

Kelsey,

Easter is a wonderful time to be in Italy - especially Rome - but it will be more crowded. Around the Vatican, Easter and XMAS are the two busiest weeks of the year!

The other issue is closures. Most of Italy "rolls up the carpet" on Easter Sunday AND Easter Monday. Many businesses will be closed those days... and there may be limited hours on Good Friday (depending on where you are).

That said, it's still a wonderful time to come. The pagentry of the holidays, especially in some of the smaller towns, is beautiful. But it will take some planning. Before relocating here, we often flew back to the US on Easter Sunday (my wife is a school teacher and this always seemed to be her Spring Break). We never had any issues in Rome, Venice, or Milan making our airport connections...

There are special events - such as Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square or The Stations of the Cross at the Colosseo on Good Friday - that we always look forward to. Perhaps, depending on where you are, you can incorporate these into your trip.

Good Luck in your planning! Ciao,

Ron in Rome

If you like warmer weather, consider traveling to Europe after Easter Monday. I've been in Paris several times during Easter. The crowds the week leading up to Easter until Easter Monday are huge. It is difficult to get into the main cathedrals and there are mobs everywhere. Last year, the crowds disappeared after Easter. Of course, if you go during Easter week, you will want to have your hotel reserved in Paris or Rome. I attended Easter services at the American Church in Paris, with overflow crowds.

I was in Italy in 2008 over Easter. We were leaving Venice on Good Friday and the traffic trying to get into the city was crazy. Italians were flocking to Venice and Lido for the holiday weekend. We spent Easter Sunday in Florence and it wasn't too crowded, but the churches were closed from Good Friday through Easter Sunday and were open for Mass only. We were not able to climb or view the Duomo unless we went in for Mass.

Easter week is chocked full of holidays: Good Friday, Easter, and Easter Monday. These days will be a bust for some museums and shopping, etc.... It would be a good idea to avoid Easter week in order to get the most from your visit, unless of course you really want to be there at that time. Rooms will be harder to come by and more expensive. Rome will be crowded of course. I avoid April altogether when I travel to Italy. I prefer May, after the May 1 holiday.

Dear Kelsey,

Since you seem to have the time flexibility, I would suggest going a week before Easter. Have a great trip!

The thing about Easter weekend is that a lot of museums, sites, businesses, etc. may be closed for Good Friday, Easter, and Easter Monday. I always try to avoid April altogether as there are far too many holidays that month. Accommodations will be harder to come by and more expensive during Easter week. I prefer May after the May 1 holiday.