What is the weather like? What to wear/pack? Typical travel questions...
I'm going to Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence) in mid-March and I've been looking around on various sites for travel tips, but have been largely unsuccessful. Hopefully you can help...
What is the weather like there around that time of year? I've heard its pretty unpredictable, but I was curious about the temperature? Would you suggest bringing a small compact umbrella in my day bag?
Once that question is answered, I might be able to better decide what to pack. I'm assuming layering is probably the best way to go, correct? Aside from that, what clothing is best suited for touring around Rome, Venice, & Florence? Are jeans ok? What kind of coat would be best? (keep in mind, I don't want to look "frumpy" or too casual in my pictures...i'm pretty fashion conscious. haha) Is a small, across the chest purse safe to wear? And would it be best to wear it under my jacket?
I'm going on this trip with a LARGE group of students & teachers, so trying to blend in with the locals isn't much of a concern because it would be impossible, but I wouldn't mind trying to dress (somewhat) like the Italian twenty-something women do.
After all of the stressful packing is done and I actually make it to Italy, what are the best sights to see? Any suggestions for dining? Where is the best shopping? How much money should I bring for shopping?
SOOO many quesitons! If you have answers to any of my questions, your input would be GREATLY appreciated. 😊
Reply to this Hi 😊 Although I was in italy between june and september wich i believe is the hottest time of the year, ( i work on a cruise so i was there every 10 days) we did experienced some rain so compact umbrella is always handy. I should sugest you to be careful of some pickpocketers around trying to sell you fake stuff on the street, police is always around, but is always good to be aware of what's going on around you, otherwise ppl are shopping and walking in big or small groups with no hassle. Confortable shoes are a must, because of the long lines and running to see this and that. Take it easy on the jacket, something light that you an just carry when you get hot is better. I was out one freezing morning with just a hood jumper and by the afternoon i was sweating and tying up around my waist . A lot of ppl buy the fake designer bags, they are cute, just make sure you check the interior for uglyness and 25 euro is already too much. and there is a small market just on the street with the most beautiful colored leather handbags and totes you will ever see, at aprox 1oo eu is not a shop so tho, you wont miss it. I hope you have a great trip, take care of each other, and have fun.
Reply to this I am living in Italy at the moment and commute to Rome from the Sabina hills daily. Yes an umbrella is a necessity, Italy has had the worse rain on record this year. The weather can be quite cold out of the sun at that time of year, but it is beautiful when the sun shines. Forget trying to compete with Italian women - they hobble about , whatever terrain/ weather/conditions, in the most amazing outfits and never seem to break out in a sweat, or end up dripping wet. The other thing about Italian women, what I want to know is how they afford to dress so well? The salaries here are shocking! Whatever else you do, (and everything is worth a visit) do go to the Villa Borghese, in my opinion, it is the best sight in Rome. A great place to hang out in the evenings is Campo de Fiori, all the hip young people of Rome parade there and you can still get a cheap beer or glass of wine (but remember toilets are not a priority in terms of cleanliness in some bars so take along your own toilet roll!). Nothing seems to get going until at least 11pm so prepare for late nights as most bars stay open until 3am. Testaccio is the place if you are a clubber, again a late night! Shopping wise - you can either buy junk or very expensive - nothing in between......but saying that some high street retailers are OK but you won't get anything different from UK high street stores. The main shopping street equal to Oxford St is Via del Corso or if you have lots of money to spend, try Via Condotti (worth a look at least to spot celebs). As far as eateries, as long as you keep away from those places that have pictures of plates of food outside, you would be very unlucky to find a bad restaurant in Rome. There are lots of really lovely inexpensive places to eat just a few blocks back from most of the piazzas, especially behind Piazza Navona. And last of all, there a large Q's at most ice cream stalls after all the bars close (usually full of gorgeous Italian men!) So join the Q and have a ball.....
Reply to this Thank you! You were both very helpful! I really was at a loss about packing and such, and this information has made my planning much easier. Our itinerary includes most of the sites mentioned (Villa Borghese, eating behind Piazza Navona, Via Condotti, along with many MANY others) so your suggestions made me breathe a sigh of relief. It all sounds fantastic, and I can't wait!
Thank you again for your help!
Reply to this Hey! It's exactly one year since the last post! As it so happens, I've decided to go to Italy in particular and Europe in general for my Honeymoon this Feb/March 2010. And then the weather bit dawned on me. Coming from a tropical country (India) having widely travelled only around SEA until now. I'm at a bit of a loss trying to plan out my trip here.
Any info would be very helpful. Regarding how good (or bad) the time is? and when should be a decently good time in this duration to do Italy. I plan to spend a good 2-3 weeks travelling hence more than a little detail would certainly be appreciated.
and to @TexasGirl in particular - how did your Italian trip go down last March in terms of weather + activity etc?!
Reply to this Hello!
I am going to Europe at the end of March through to May this year, and was also worried about the weather.
I ended up doing a google search and found that you can find the average weather that each city experiences in each month of the year. I don't think I can post links on here, but if you search for BBC weather it should come up, if not, send me a private message and I'll send you the URL.
Basically, from what I could see, it is around 10-15 degrees celcius in April, and will probably rain at least every second day. I would imagine that it will be colder in Feb/March, but the plus side is that there are much fewer tourists around.
I have four weeks in Europe and am doing France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, although this is really packing things in - for your honeymoon I would possibly only do two or three countries and just take more time to enjoy them!
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