Italy in January

January is statistically the coldest month of the year. Expect temperatures in the low 30’s in the night (or even high 20’s) to up to 40’s to around 50 during the day. Rain is of course possible as it is snow (although not too much if you stay at low altitude). Rome and south is a few degrees warmer. With that type of weather, I would stick to visiting cities and towns, which always offer plenty to do indoors, even in inclement weather.

Bologna is an excellent base as it is an important railway hub served by high speed trains. Most of Northern Italian cities and also Tuscan cities will be within 60 to 90 min from Bologna by train. The choice is yours: besides Bologna itself, Venice, Florence, Verona, Milan, Parma, Ravenna, and many more famous cities are within easy reach. You could actually spend the entire two weeks in Bologna and stay busy.

The Gulf of Naples area (Sorrento) also offer plenty to do, although it’s not beach weather therefore that part is out. Still there are things to see in Pompeii, Naples, Ercolano, Paestum.

If you want to fly to Catania instead and visit the East side of Sicily, Siracusa is the prettiest city there. You can also visit Noto and Ragusa in that area. Taormina, more to the north is a must, but it’s small, so one day will be enough.

Rome is your best bet. So much to do no matter the weather! Sicily tends to be more outdoor oriented as does Sorrento. We spent one week in mid-March in Sicily when it was rainy and cold 4 out of our 6 days there. Not fun. There are only so many churches one can see....

We lived in Rome for several years and January was fine. In our tenure it never got below 33 degrees and lows were usually 40-45 with highs in the 50s. Rain is seldom an all day affair.

Quite cold in Bologna this year. Seemed colder than last year to me but snow wasn't until February this year although we had snow in November.

Thanks all. Whatever the weather, it will be warmer than home! We hit Venice, Florence and Rome last year so looking for new places to see. Leaning toward Sorrento just because of its proximity to lots of interesting sites and activities!

I spent a few nights in Sorrento one February. It was a good base for Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii. I skipped Capri. Last year I spent a few nights in Salerno - excellent base for the Amalfi Coast and Paestum.