Italy in January

Hate to put a damper on things but there will still be plenty of tourists at the main tourist sites. You'll still find a long line to get into both the Vatican museums and the colosseum. You won't find as many as in the summer but there will still be lines to deal with. I would still pre-purchase entry tickets for both the colosseum and Vatican museums. Also, if you are planning on visiting the Borghese gallery you should still reserve a spot just to be on the safe side. Venice can be cold and windy. I've found that most of the outdoor restaurants are closed (no heaters outside like in Rome). My best advice is to book what you can and expect crowds. If you find the crowds are less consider it a blessing but don't be surprised if it's more crowded than you thought. Donna

I did that trip in February. Florence was pretty crowded with students, not so many tourists. Rome was crowded with tourists - can't imagine what it must be like in warm weather! Venice - well, I was there for Carnevale, so it was wall-to-wall tourists, literally sometimes. At one point, I overheard the Italians behind me saying it was like walking in a Sicilian funeral. In all the cold and rain, all the gelateria shops were open in the north and everyone was eating gelato. In Rome - where it was mild and sunny - many of them were closed. It was hard to find gelato there - and what I did find wasn't very good.