Italy's Liberation Day is April 24, and I'll be in Florence on that day. May 1 is Italy's Labor Day, when I plan to travel from Siena to Sorrento.
Does anyone have advice regarding those holidays? What to do or avoid doing? I 'm guessing that I should purchase bus or train tickets in advance for May 1. It appears from the firenzeturismo.it web site that all the Florence museums will be open on Liberation Day.
It's actually April 25.
Everything will be open on the 24. May 1 is when everything is closed, but trains will work. From Siena you might have to go to Florence to catch a Freccia to Naples.
Oops, meant to type the 25th. Thanks for the response!
I am having a similar question about May 1 in Naples. What "will" be happening there? I am trying to figure out what we will do that day if the museums, etc. are closed? Suggestions please!
Napoli is the most likely city in Italy to have fireworks, but I'm not sure about the 25th. You could walk around the Centro Storico and the waterfront or take a daytrip to Ischia and just relax. Eat a lot of pizza.
I'm going to be in Rome on April 25 and was wondering if many businesses typically close on Liberation Day. Anyone know?
To chime in, I have similar questions. We'll be in Venice for April 25th--the second off our two full days there--nothing specific set up yet. We'll be in Florence for May 1st, the second of our three full days there. In Florence, we have reservations for the Uffizi and Academia for April 30. Any ideas in particular for the holidays? If nothing else, I figure those can be days to walk around leisurely and/or see what our hotels recommend. Thanks.
On May 1 in Florence there's a flag throwing contest at 330 pm in Piazza della Signoria. It's free.
One of the best things to do to find out if something you ewant to do is open or closed on a specific day, whether holiday or other, is to simply look up their website or Google "XXX museum hours." Even if the site is in Italian you can probalby decipher if it will be open or not. Typically it will say something like Giorni di chiusura Lunedì, 1 gennaio, 1 maggio, 25 dicembre meaning Days closed Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25. It's a litle tedious to have to do this for several sites but it's useful. BTW, the Colosseo, Foro Romano and Palatino are open daily. I know they are open Dec 26 and I think maybe even Christmas Day. Too big to close? Also, just walking around to sites that are not covered by admissions and passes can make a lovely day. The Appian Way, the Gianicolo, the Aventino, the many piazzas, fountains and ruins. Or go up to Tivoli to Villa d'Este, days closed Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25. Always crowded on Italian holidays that they are open, though.
On the Aventino hill, the keyhole will be open (look for the line of people peering through it). There are a few beautiful churches there, a lovely public garden with views of Rome, and a rose garden on the way down the hill.
As Laurel noted, just walking by some sights (like the Foro Romano) can give you a good experience. Walking up to the Campidoglio will give you great views of the Forum from above it.
