Italy in JANUARY

Posted by ambernishikawa on 12/04/24 06:21 AM

My husband and I are going to Italy for 4 weeks, mainly January. We fly in before New Years in Venice, stay for the Holiday (leave 3 January) and travel to Florence (1 week) down to Rome (5 days) then Calabria (2 nights) before Sicily (Catania and Palermo) for another week before flying back to the USA.

My question, is has anyone done this deep of the off-season??? I know what I'm getting into as far as the Holy Year, but this is MY 1st trip, my husbands 3rd, but it's been a while for him...

We are pretty well traveled, together 14y, but we're kinda young, and it's been since 9/11 ;since he's been there. We SOOO LOVE the January vibe of Europe (nobody bothers you... locals love your foreign money)

~ The crazy traveler that gets nervous in a new place

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

12/04/24 08:13 AM

21194 posts

locals love your foreign money

You will pay them in Euros, same as the locals. The fact that you are a foreigner is neither here nor there.

I have been to Venice, Florence, and Rome in January. There will still be plenty of tourists, just not the unbearable crush of summer. Weather has been usually mild. Enjoy!

Posted by Volva

UK (London - Chelsea Harbour)

12/04/24 10:53 AM

164 posts

Hi! Sounds like a fun trip!

I have only ever been to Italy in the off season - except for once. And you couldn’t pay me enough to go in the summer again (my very first trip to Rome was in June!), as I am miserable in heat. :-) Temps are milder, tourist crushes can be less severe, and yes, the vibe tends to be slightly more chill.

That said, there will be other tourists there enjoying the calmer vibe and milder temperatures along with you.

Like Sam, I will caution you that you will be paying in Euros, like everyone else, and add that you won’t be getting special adulation from folks because you are showering them with tourist cash. IMHO (and I really hesitate to go here) that comes off just a tad condescending. I am certain you didn’t mean it that way, right? I mean - you’re here on the Rick Steves site, where we tend not to have that attitude towards the local people.

Hope you both have a blast!

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

12/04/24 02:06 PM

28151 posts

Italy seems to be drawing appreciably more people to its top tourist cities since the COVID situation calmed down. Even though it will be January, there are places where you'll want to try to buy tickets ahead of time, because some sights will still set out--perhaps even far in advance. If you're interested in these places in Rome, check their websites today to see whether you can get tickets: Vatican Museums, Colosseum and Borghese Gallery. Earlier threads here have discussed the current ticket-purchases processes.

For San Clemente, also in Rome, you may be required to purchase an online ticket rather than just showing up at the church; they weren't selling tickets in person when I visited in March 2023. It didn't appear sell-outs were a problem, though

I don't know about the situation for the Accademia and Uffizi in Florence, but I hope someone else reading this thread can comment.

In Venice, you may want to try to snag a reservation for entry to St. Mark's Basilica when you can, because the line will otherwise probably have you standing outdoors for quite some time. The Secret Itineraries Tour at the Doge's Palace is very popular; I suspect it sells out in advance even in January. It wouldn't hurt to buy a ticket in advance for the Guggenheim Museum: I don't think it totally sells out ahead of time, but it's very popular, and I think you might run into issues with specific time slots. You don't have much time in Venice; it would be a shame to waste any of it standing in line.