To go or not to go? Italy in December?

My husband and I have an opportunity to travel to Italy for 2 weeks in early December 2009. We are aware the weather is not ideal, but we're from Vancouver, Canada and it can be pretty wet and miserable in the winter here. If we do not go in December, we won't be able to go for at least 2 years.



I've seen so many conflicting posts with some people advising absolutely not to visit in December, and others saying it's festive and uncrowded. We don't have any official itinerary as of yet, but planned to visit Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Sienna, Rome and perhaps further south, perhaps the Amalfi Coast? We had also hoped to visit Cinque Terre, but we need some advice here as many people say it's closed down in winter. As well are we missing out some important cities in this itinerary that we should include? I know two weeks isn't much time.



Thank you so much for any advice you can offer. We're open to any and all suggestions that would make our vacation as wonderful as possible:)To go or not to go? Italy in December?
Definitely, definitely, definitely - GO!!



Yes, the weather can be cold and wet, but it can also be mild with blue skies and sun. It's unpredictable but worth taking the risk. Just make sure you take some warm clothes and an umbrella!



You absolutely must go to Rome and my advice would be to spend more than three or four days there, but then I know you don't have much time. If you have a look at this page :



http://www.explore-italian-culture.com/r鈥?/a>



it will give you some ideas about what to do in Rome in December (and also what the weather's like).



You will find that a lot of the 'tourist' type places on the coast are more or less closed in December so I would say Cinque Terre should be left for another time. It's packed in the summer but good in Spring or early autumn.



Definitely go to Venice as long as you don't mind quite a long trip from Rome, but be aware that the weather there is likely to be colder than Rome as it's that much further north. Venice in the summer is horrendous -so so crowded - but out of season it's a magical place, and prices are lower which is a bonus as Venice is an extremely expensive city.



Florence is beautiful too, but I would say that unless you want to spend all your time in churches, museums and art galleries, spend less time there than Rome.



And if you want to go from Rome to the Amalfi coast it's doable by car but I would say again, don't expect the resorts to be buzzing in December. However, must-see (for me anyway) places like Pompeii are uncrowded and the coast is beautiful, so it's very pleasant to visit at any time of year.



One last word of advice. Don't try to do everything. Italy's a beautiful country with so much to see, and all those cities could take the whole of two weeks by themselves. I travel to Rome very regularly and still haven't seen everything. If you try to do it all you'll end up tired and you won't feel you've seen anything properly.



Buy a guide book (the DK guide to Italy is very good, as is the Rough Guide) and decide what you absolutely must see. Leave the rest for another trip, perhaps at another time of year.
Yes, Italy by winter could be cold but it's wonderful! I loved Venice in the winter, so much intimate and mysterious than during other seasons! The only thing is that it will get dark earlier so you might have less hours to visit the cities but go for it! :)To go or not to go? Italy in December?
GO GO GO !

i live in Italy, i'm italian :-) and here the winter is magic, really!

if you're lucky , you find the snow in december and the landscape begin fantastic, while the streets begin caotic when snowing XD !

so, come on, the italy waiting for you!
you'll miss the chance of your lifetime if you don't go. trust me, italy is soooooo beautiful. venice and riding in the gondolas is awesome. the leaning tower of pisa is awesome too
If anything that might be the perfect time to avoid the height of the tourism season. I went this past June and it was absolutely beautiful, but also very crowded outside.
I say go for it! I've been to Rome, Flourence, Amalfi coast! It is just beautiful! And the snow is great I went there in the summer but it will be great in winter too!
come its the best time! and if u want have alot of fun come to the beach italian on agost look like better than Florida!
Zissous If you travel by train through Italy, you can see many beautiful views from your train window. Travelling by train in Italy is quite cheap too. Keep in mind all train tickets must be validated before boarding each segment, at one of the yellow boxes located on the platforms at the train station. Timetables avaiable at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html



Plan at least five days in Florence. You will be able to visit Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, its Duomo (cathedral), the Baptistry (its exterior made of green and white marble are really famous) and the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge). Florence isn't a huge city, you're have gonna a great time and a good idea of how the city really is. You won't be able to have a full visit of Uffizi in Florence but you can choose certain rooms: e.g. Leonardo or Michelangelo. Keep in mind Uffizi timetable Tuesday-Sunday, 8:15 am - 6:50 pm. If you're looking for a good hotel in Florence fill the form with city name (Florence) I went to the third hotel on the left. Very nice indeed. From Florence you can take daily trips to Pisa and San Giminiano e.g. Pisa and its famous Leaning Tower are just a train trip away from Florence. Travel time is just over an hour. To get to San Gimignano from Florence, take a SITA bus or train to Poggibonsi (In Poggibonsi, get off in the piazza above the railway station) then change to another bus for the short journey onwards to San Gimignano. Note that buses to and from San Gimignano aren't that frequent - the timetable is on the bus stop, so check return times in advance. You can also take a daily-trip by train to Siena.



For Rome you're gonna need at least three days. While in Rome don't miss Colosseum (Colosseo), Roman Forum (Foro Romano), Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi), Vatican City, Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna) and Piazza Navona. I can suggest this page dedicated to Rome hotels in particular http://www.scoobit.com/accommodations-ro鈥?/a> I stayed at the fourth hotel on the left. It was a clean, well located and nicely staffed hotel. Five minutes on foot from the Coliseum and Trevi Fountain. Not over-priced.



You're gonna need at leat four days in Venice. Top sightseeings spots in Venice are the Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, the Guggenheim museum, Rialto Bridge. Visit the main attractions and just loose yourself among the people and campi of Venice. Don't forget to use the waterbus system. To book a good and cheap hotel in Venice, fill the form with city name (Venice). I stayed in the first hotel on the right: nice and clean place. But feel free to choose the hotel that best fits your needs. Last but not least: keep in mind the most crucial aspect of planning the perfect holiday in Italy is advance planning. If you need more information, just ask. December is good for Italy, cold but not as much as over there. Save Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast for the next trip or you're not going to see anything for real. All the best.
I love going to Italy in December. You should definately go. It is not so packed full of tourists andd you can see how they get ready for the holidays. I love it! The weather will be cold, but that is ok, because it is not as bad as Canada. I am not sure about Cinque Terre, but I do believe it is closed. I think they have a site, so type it in a search engine.

Venice-BEAUTIFUL!!! Unforgettable experience, do the gondola-haggle that price down, because they will take advantage of tourists.

Rome-Just like New York, only with nice ruins. Very nice.

Tuscany-awwwwww! If I could stay-I would have!

Two weeks isn't much, so take one or two cities, then move on to another with the next trip. Don't rush. You will miss so much, if you do.
Ive neer been but i do know that itlay in december can be a very good time to go..it can also be very wet and cold, but the crowds are down the sights are still there rain or not you will still be able to see everything you want to see....except perhaps pompeii since the attraction closes i think in winter...BUT..thjere is so much else to see in rome..id go givent the chance!!..im planning a trip there myself.,.,but mine will probably 2 years!
December is a great time to visit Italy. there are some summer things that you won't be able to do, but many other things to see and do that only are available in the winter. Most of the cities will have big exhibits of presepi (nativity scenes). Rome has an excellent exhibition of 100 presepi in Sala Bramonte and of course there always one in St Peter's Square. Verona has an excellent display of presepi from all over the world that housed within l'Arena, the old Roman colosseum that's used for opera and concerts in the summer. They also have two separate very good Christmas markets. If you have an opportunity to get to Bolzano and/or Trento, both are nice tourist spots and have great Christmas markets. Bolzano also has a museum where you can see the Ice Man. Both have good castles.



While it can be cold and may be wet on some days, that just makes the vin brul猫 and roasted chestnuts better.