We are traveling in Italy - Milan, Rapallo, Monterosso (Cinque Terra) Lucca (day trips to Pisa and Florence) in early October. Will we need to worry about lines at the most important sites? Should we get tickets on line now to see David?
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1898 posts
Italy seems to be busy year round. I would make all reservations so you are confirmed for the day/time you wish to see the most important sights on your list. It's not a big deal to plan ahead to make sure your vacation goes as planned. I was in Rome in late October/early November, and it was really crowded at the Colosseum and the Vatican, we had reservations for a tour at the Vatican, and lucked out at the Colosseum, we got there before it opened and got in early...it did get crowded within the hour. Our Vatican tour was wall to wall people in the museum, not a pleasant experience. Didn't get to see much, just pushed along with the crowd.
Posted by
Florence
362 posts
I agree with Ellen - things don't really die down in Florence until some point in November. Then the holiday period can be busy again. The only really "off" season time (if you can call it that) in Florence is end of Nov. to mid/late Dec. and then Jan. and most of Feb. into March. But museums, etc. can still be crowded at peak hours. If the David is important to you and you plan on doing it at a reasonable hour, the advance ticket is probably a good idea.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12315 posts
Yes, get tickets/reservations in advance. Although the crowds are more manageable in October, they don't disappear. We didn't book until about two or three days in advance when our plans were firmer, but the reservation made a big difference. We went to Uffizi about the third week of October. There was a long line of people who hadn't booked ahead. Inside was a long line of people slowly winding their way through the displays. David was about the same. The room was crowded even first thing in the morning. The one thing that might be easier is accomodations. We were able to find accomodations without reservations in Florence, Venice, Vernazza, Orvietto, Verona, etc. in October. Our friend in Rome insisted we have reservations and booked our hotel for us as soon as we told him we were coming (probably a good idea in Rome). The other nice thing is air conditioning isn't a big deal. Days are warm and nights are cool so rooms without AC aren't miserably hot.