Ciao tutti! I love Italy and have studied and taught there for three summers, but have never been there in winter. My husband has never been at all. We are flying in and out of Rome on December 30 through January 15, doing a trip with a teacher travel company in Rome January 11-15. So for sure we will need to be in Rome January 11-15; that part is a tour we are on. I was wondering on how to schedule the rest of our time, realistically. For my husband’s first time I would say we should definitely see Florence, Venice and Rome. I have never been to Sorrento and would love to go there; I also adore Assisi. From other posts it sounds like folks think CT is not ideal for winter. Would Sorrento also not be as recommended? Rome is my favorite city so I was leaning towards us being there for NYE and then leaving January 1. We have January 1-11 to plan, so I would love tips! Grazie mille!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5648 posts
Above is from a Search here. I was in Sorrento/AC this past May when the weather was bad, and found there's not many indoor options. Perhaps visit the Archeology Museum in Naples, and if you have a good weather prediction, maybe visit Pompeii. However, winter with rain makes for grey seas and skies, and very poor visibility.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11946 posts
You could use the itinerary here -- https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/venice-florence-rome as an outline.
Head to Venice and work your way back to Rome. As you have Rome covered, you could easily add Assisi (and possibly Siena.) without being rushed.
I would save Sorrento for a trip when there is nicer weather. Same for CT.
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
I just want to congratulate you for timing your trip so the committed tour time is all at the end, rather than sandwiching it between two shorter free segments that would be harder to plan.
I enjoyed time in both Naples and Salerno in February/March this year. Days were longer than you'll have in early January, and I think I was quite lucky with the weather. I had no trouble (being in Naples) finding good days for trips to Pompeii and Herculaneum. I didn't attempt the Amalfi Coast except for a few hours in Vietri sul Mare (by bus from Salerno), which was not a happening sort of place in the winter, though I enjoyed walking around there. There is of course tons to do in Rome. I did cover a lot in 20 days, but not quite everything that was on my list, despite not taking time out for many midday meals.
I don't know what it would be like in early January (I've only been there in late May-early June), but I'm a big fan of Orvieto. It's accessible from Rome (though I think worth a couple of nights) and has a very attractive historic district on top of a hill. In addition to its wonderful cathedral there are historic sights and several quite good museums.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all so much! I truly appreciate the helpfulness and tips and resources! MILLE GRAZIE!
Posted by
Bay Area SF & Uppsala Sweden
1038 posts
Hi there, I guess it really depends on how many times you want to move hotels? You're arriving Dec 30th, so you could continue directly to Florence for NYE (I was in Rome for NYE 2019 and the center of town was absolutely jammed.)
You basically have Dec 31st - Jan 10th including transiting back to Rome for the tour starting January 11, & hubby & you want to see Florence & Venice. Personally, I don't think 10 days is too much to spend just in those 2 destinations, with a day trip to Siena or Bologna (latter for a food tour). BTW, Venice will be the coldest place on this itinerary, it's east of the Apennines & I always feel cold to the bone there in winter. Florence will be milder.
Personally, I would choose north or south to Naples & Pompeii, rather than trying to do both in such a short time, but that's my style & it may not be yours! I would start with a walking food tour including food markets in Florence, & plan on booking whatever you want to see there ahead of time, such as the Academia & Uffizi. Same for major sites in Venice, most Italians (and for that matter many European schools) have the first week of January off. PS, Once you decide, I would book your hotels as soon as possible.