Would a trip during Easter be insane?

Hi David. I was in Italy the week before Easter (Holy Week) and had no problem getting into major museums or churches in Venice, Florence, and Rome. There were crowds in all these cities but I think that's just the way it is in popular destinations. Easter was in the middle of March then and it was sunny for half the trip and cloudy and rainy for the other half. The biggest sightseeing problem we faced was that because we were there a year before the Jubilee Year, a lot of renovations were going on. Buildings were covered with scaffolding and the "School of Athens" fresco by Raphael in the Vatican was covered with scaffolding and being restored. But that everything to do with the Jubilee Year and nothing to do with being there around Easter.

David - hopefully it's not insane, as my hubby booked a surprise trip to Italy for our 25th anny.... and we leave April 17th!! To avoid what I feel would surely be the biggest crowds, we're heading straight to Rome for Tuesday - Friday. FYI, if you're Catholic, the Papal Audiences are on Wednesdays. They we'll head to Florence for Fri - Sun and Venice Sun - Tue (which means we'll also get to celebrate the Feast Day of San Marco with the Venetians! We're so excited. I've had no problem booking hotels or reserving tickets for museums (aside from The Last Supper in Milan, which is sold out through June!) The only problems has been transportation on Saturday through Easter Monday to and from smaller towns. We had planned on celebrating Easter in Assisi, but they have no bus/train service to (from Florence or Rome) OR from (to Venice) for 3 days. And we couldn't justify staying in Assisi for that many days when our trip is only 8 full days. Have you checked to see when Easter falls next year? The weather will surely be warmer this year because it's the end of April.

Sarah and Jana - Thank you for your response and feedback. April 8, 2012 is Easter Sunday. I'm wondering if departing the US for Italy on Sunday and beginning our trip on Monday would be better. It looks like most of the sights are closed on Mondays, but that could be a good day to rest up and then begin on Tuesday. We are considering 3 days in Rome, 2 days in Venice, 3 days in Florence, 3 days in Sicily, and then another 3 days somewhere else. Any suggestions or modifications you would make to this itinerary? Thanks in advance. :)

We are considering 3 days in Rome, 2 days in Venice, 3 days in Florence, 3 days in Sicily, and then another 3 days somewhere else. That's a lot of moving around for 14 days, David. Remember the rule-of-thumb: each time you change locations you lose at least half a day. For travel to Sicily, that means a full day. BTW, when you say "days" do you mean the number of nights in each place? I like to think in terms of number of nights; the "days" I have are the number of full days between those nights. 2 nights in Venice = 1 full day, for example, and IMHO, not enough to do that fine city justice. When you say "Sicily," I'd ask what ONE PLACE are you going? It's a large island, not easily seen in a week much less 3 days. If you are set on going that far, give it 5-7 nights. Personally I'd stay either north of Rome (Rome/Tuscany/Venice) for 2 weeks OR more-or-less south (Rome/Sorrento and Amalfi/Sicily). You will enjoy yoru trip more if you don't try to cover the whole country in two weeks.

We discovered a few years ago that half of Italy goes to Sicily for Easter week. We were doing fine, winging it without reservations, when our nice hotel clerk said "You have to get out of Sicily tomorrow. It's full." So we missed Palermo (though we had gone to Monreale) and got the ferry to the mainland at Messina. Sure enough, the autostrada headed for the ferries was jammed for at least 10 miles. So stay north this trip, and visit Sicily in the spring another year. It's incredibly full of wildflowers in the spring and beautiful.

Laurel and Katherine - Again, excellent advice. I really appreciate your thoughtful input. I'll got back to drawing board and make some corrections. Thanks! :)

Any trip to Italy is not insane although there may be some additional crowds etc (there will be), there will also be some opportunities there that may not be there due to the holiday. We went in 2009 over Easter and did the Holy Thursday service done by the Pope at the Vatican. Though I am not Catholic, it was an amazing experience and something I will never forget. There were tons of school groups around Rome but everything was fairly manageable. I would also lop off the southern leg unless your heart is set on it and focus on maybe finding a small, slightly more relaxing place for a few days. The big three are not to be missed but also given the crowds take a bit of a toll. Poke around a bit and maybe you will find some smaller more relaxed town to enjoy for a few days mid trip. (I like Orvieto and Ravenna but there are lots of great options)

My husband and I were in Venice on Easter Sunday. The streets were GRIDLOCK when he went out to get some bread in the am. It took him 3 hours to run the errand. As for the itinerary, I've to been to all those wonderful places. For the time allowed, I would drop Sicily and go another time, and spend more time in Florence. The best memories I have of Italy are those that came unexpectedly when I slowed down enough to notice the little things that are not in any guide book. Enjoy your trip!