Rome and Tuscany in March tips

sciencefun57 - What are your interests, places you wish to visit, and how many days is your trip?

What would you like to do? Walking? Horse riding? Towns? Villages? Museums? Truffle picking, porcini picking, grape picking, wine tasting? Italian Cooking course? Pasta, fish, pasticcini, gelato, Vespa motorbike hiking?

Tuscany is a geographical area and not a specific location. The question is so vague that it is impossible to provide a specific answer. Suggest you go to your public library and check out the guidebooks and travel DVDs, especially the Rick Steves, on Rome and Tuscany. Then return with specific questions we can response to with some clarity.

For March be sure to bring rain gear, waterproof shoes, and long underwear.

We are flying to Rome on March 9 for three weeks. I chose this time of year for reasonable prices and fewer crowds, but knowing the weather probably won't be the best. In Rome I have booked a tour of the Vatican, a tour of the Colosseum, and tickets to the Borghese Gallery. I also booked us a tour by golf cart! I read somewhere that the Hop on Hop off bus really can't get close to the sights anyway and such a tour was not really worth it. After a week in Rome we are taking the train south to Naples and Sorrento for a week, thinking that going south might get us better weather. After that we will head to Florence, by now in the later part of March and hoping for more reasonable weather in this northern area. From Florence we booked a day long driving tour of Sienna and two other towns. We are also renting a car that week for an overnight in Lucca followed by a stop in Pisa and a tour of Volterra before we return to Florence. Of course we will visit the Uffizi Gallery and the David. From Florence we will make one overnight stop in Bologna to see a friend's daughter who is studying there, and finish our trip with three nights in Venice. BTW, I'm taking a down vest, cashmere sweater, raincoat, down coat, and long underwear so I will be prepared for any weather!

I've taken several trips to Italy in February. I didn't find much difference in the weather from region to region. It's just luck. I've had shirt-sleeve sunshiny days everywhere from Venice to the Amalfi Coast, and snow in Rome and Padua (different years!).

Some sights need to be booked in advance, a few sell out, some have really long lines. Small group tours also vill up and there are fewer than in season. Have a flexible schedule so you can adjust to good weather (outside) and bad weather (inside).