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Traveling in Tuscany/Umbria in the dead of winter

Posted by (Seattle, WA) on

Hello,

I was originally going to go on a RS Best of Italy tour in October, than canceled due to various concerns. Now I am thinking that I don't want to wait for the nest RS Best of Italy tour (April 2015).

I am considering now going to Tuscany for a couple of weeks (max) and visiting Florence, Siena, and smaller places (by train).

Has anyone traveled SOLO in Tuscany/Umbria in November, December, January, or February?

If so, could you share your opinion of the feasibility, etc. of such a trip? How long did you go for? Was it easy to find hotels, or did you reserve them online from the U.S. beforehand? Were there many Americans (and other tourists) running around?

Posted by
1994 posts

I've been to Italy a few times during the winter (not Christmas time), and a significant amount of the tourist infrastructure in small towns is closed. There were not a huge number of tourists in November/January/February; the big tour groups I remember were mostly from Japan.

Rome is a delight in the winter. Orvieto was an enjoyable visit, although a number of restaurants and shops were closed. I've avoided the more northern and eastern parts of Italy during the winter because I don't do well in cold weather.
I think the only way you're really going to answer your question is to identify specific towns and start contacting hotels and checking schedules for the things that interest you.

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