Rome for Christmas

Christmas here is different than many other European cities. Despite the church influence there seems to be less fanfare than other European capitals we visited. There are not the XMAS lights of London’s streets or the display windows and Parades of Paris. It’s more low- key here and the decorations stay up until after January 6th (The Epiphany).

With the exception of XMAS day most tourist sites are open. There are seasonal restaurants and shops closed but still plenty to see and do. And it’s FAR LESS CROWDED!!

I do believe on December 24th through December 26th (St. Stephen’s Day) the bus, metro, trains, and trams do run on a “festival” schedule – which means far less frequency per route.

For a first timer it's a GREAT TIME to come!

We've been to Rome during the exact time frame that you're proposing. It was GREAT! Not super cold and most sites were open. I highly recommend it! We happened on the New Years Eve service in St. Peters Square and saw the former Pope...that was exciting. Also, all of the holiday decorations were still displayed.

We were in Rome from December 23-27,2006 and had an amazing time. We worked around the holiday closures and were able to see all the major sites. On Christmas day we wandered through open churches and looked at all of the open air sites.Each site (Vatican museums, Coliseum, etc. has a website that tells you exactly what their holiday schedule is like and the closures.) The temps were very mild and we got to see the Pope speak to the crowds from his little window on December 26th. There were creche displays everywhere and a wonderful Christmas market in the Piazza Novana, with stalls selling little Christmas witches on rooms (a great Roman Christmas souvineer). Many outdoor cafes were open, most not even needing to use their heaters. A FABULOUS time to visit Rome!