Italy in November

How wonderful that you are going to have your first visit to Italy! Our first trip there was in 1999 in early December. We have been back many times since at various times of the year. The great thing about traveling in Nov/Dec is that you will see so much more without all of the tourist congestion and you will get a much more "local" experience. Actually, since it is your first visit, 3 days each in Venice, Florence, and Rome are a great way to get a taste of the country. While I could easily stay a week in Venice, November will bring some chilly winds off of the water and you may not enjoy that for a whole week. Try to book your ticket over "open jaw" and fly into Rome or Venice and out of the other. You will not need a car as the cities are linked with easy, frequent train connections and within each city is fine public transportation. I don't know what your budget is, but a wonderful b&b we discovered in Venice is Locanda Orseolo. You can google them for their website. Although a little above "budget" accomodations, they are well worth the splurge. Sometimes they offer special multi-night rates. They are located in a perfect spot on a canal that the gondolas pass continuously and are situated near Piazza San Marco on a quiet square. The breakfast is excellent; the owners/staff are very friendly, helpful and fluent English speakers; and the rooms absolutely lovely. It is a great place to either begin or end a trip. First recommended to us by friends, we've stayed there 2 times and can't wait to return. PM me if you have any other questions. Have fun planning!

I like the idea of 2 cities and not trying to do too much. Venice and Florence would be my personal choices, but I would allocate it more evenly between the two cities. Or I would add a night or two in Verona, which is a lovely place. Or you can visit it as a day trip from Venice.

Venice is a great place to relax and absorb the atmosphere, so I would choose that as my first destination, after a longhaul flight and somewhat jetlagged.

Rome can be overwhelming and 3 days just isn't enough to do it justice.

Lise, thank you for a thoughtful, much appreciated answer. I keep thinking if we hit surprisingly perfect weather in Venice, we'll love the week. Why take the chance? It's enough of a risk to switch from vacationing in my beloved France to a new country. Thank you for sharing your experience with us! I'll PM you with final plans. :)

Chani, I'm so glad I asked the experts! It's true that too many cities can be overwhelming, especially when all are as rich with sights and activities as these three. I find my only way past the do-too-much trap is to remind myself that I'll return again and rely on the wisdom of those who have more experience. Thank you for your help and wise counsel. Two cities, with time evenly split, adding a day trip to Verona sounds right.

You will experience slightly warmer weather in Rome. I've been in Rome the first week of November, and it was delightful. A bit chilly - a fleece jacket most days, but no rain (lucky I think)

I'd recommend doing Rome for 4 days, take a side trip to Orvieto and one to Ostia Antica (each one day) then head to Florence for 4 days. From Florence, do a day trip to Siena. From there, perhaps head up to Venice (you have to see Venice).

I don't think you need a week in Venice (that is way too long for this city) 2-3 days max is enough here.

3 days in Rome is too short a visit for this city! There is just too much to see...you need another day for sure.

Remember, that time of year, there are fewer day light hours, so that will restrict some of your sightseeing.

Fly into Rome, out of Venice.

Ellen, this post was my very first on Rick's site. I'm so touched by these thoughtful, helpful responses. I was feeling overwhelmed by so much Italy and so little time. Thank you for your fine suggestions. I'm feeling excited by great choices rather than overwhelmed by too many. Thank you so much!

I've traveled in Italy, but never in November. This year I'll spend 3 1/2 weeks in Italy in Nov. I'll start from Nice, spend a couple of days in the CT, go to Venice for 3 nights, then on to Sorrento for 4 nights. After that I will take a hi-speed train to Cefalu, Sicily and stay for a week. The last week of my trip will be in Rome. It sounds like a lot, but the last two weeks should be as relaxed as I want. If I'm lucky it won't rain too much.

Have a great time, Deb.

Hi Deb,
Personally, I would never go to Italy without seeing Rome. True, 3 days isn't enough to see everything, but you can see quite a bit (St Peters, Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel, Borghese, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pizza Navona, Spanish steps, Pantheon, etc.) Rick has a superb Night Walk that hits many of these sites lit up and linked together. In November it will get dark sooner, so why not have a great plan for the evening? 3 in Rome, 3 in Florence, and 3 in Venice is a great compromise. I'd start in Rome, since you may have some jet lag, and this pulsating city will pull you right through it, then gradually mellow your trip as you weave through Tuscany up to Venice. If you can spare a day trip from Florence to a Hill town such as San Gimignano you will be well rewarded. You'll experience 3 of Italy's big cities and then a bit of it's small towns. Given your limited schedule, I still wouldn't skip Rome. Ever. Regardless of what you do, you'll LOVE it. Believe me, I'm a Francophile myself, but my wife is an Italophile, so we see much of both. Italy never lets me down.

Darren, wow, this is like being friends with all the smartest kids in the school, all holding well-stamped passports. You caught me in the middle of plotting a quick escape from the Rome airport to Florence. You've convinced me to be brave and at least have a taste of Rome. Any hotel recommendations in Rome?

You're wise to spend time in Rome in the off-season. We were once there the first week in December. The weather was chilly but not unpleasant. The tourist crowds were absent including in the Sistine Chapel; we spent virtually no time in lines to get in anyplace. It was great. For a hotel, check out Albergo del Senato by the Pantheon, an excellent central location. http://www.albergodelsenato.it/

Maybe I'm biased because I think Italy is the greatest place on earth, but I think really, no matter what you do, you can't go wrong. you'll be in ITALY after all:)

I would maybe think about what you like to do and the things you are looking for. Rome and venice offer very different experiences. Florence is a living breathing museum that sucks you in even if you don't like art (like me). florence is the one that I loved the most, it just knocked me over and got inside me, and it's the first I returned to. I can't even explain why I love it so very much, to be quite honest. On the other hand, you could spend the entire time in Rome and barely scratch the surface. I was there for 5 days my first time, only did one half-day trip to Ostia Antica, and I'm planning 6 nights for my next trip because I missed so darn much. Venice is very easy to give short shrift because it doesn't have a lot of sights to check off on a list and it's much smaller, but with Venice the sight is the city itself and taking the time to get off the main tourist avenues. You have to give yourself to do the touristy things but also to wander in random piazzas and neighborhoods.

Because Italy is the land of living life to the fullest and not rushing through things, I might recommend picking two and dividing it evenly. I personally don't see a problem with skipping Rome unless you really love ancient ruins, in which case I would agree. Rome is great, but I found it overwhelming and tiring. If Deb is not up for that, then it's probably better to save Rome for another trip. I'm sure it will still be there :)

The best place to start might be getting one of Rick's Italy books from the library and reading through each city description and thinking what you might like to do. Like I said, no matter what you do, you can't go wrong. You'll just want to come back and see whatever you left off.

November is the very best time to go. Much cooler, fewer crowds and cheaper. I personally wouldn't spend a week in Venice. Two days is enough and I would divide the rest of the time between Florence and Rome giving Florence the extra time since you're trying to balance relaxation and travel. I planned to spend a week in Florence a couple of years ago to just take my time in the museums and markets with lots of breaks in outdoor cafes. Yes, I know Rome would normally deserve more time but it's a big city with big city energy. Florence has a more relaxed atmosphere.