Are you thinking of visiting Rome in winter? Is it for the incomparable Christmas atmosphere in Rome and the Vatican or just to see Rome with less tourists around? While it’s not as warm as Lisbon, Barcelona or Porto, we think it’s a great place for a winter trip nonetheless. Why should you go to Rome in winter, though? We’ll go over a few reasons today.
Incredible Christmas atmosphere
There’s no better place in Italy to spend Christmas in than Rome. All the streets with all their tiny cafes, restaurants and shops are all dressed up and ready for the celebrations. At every turn, you’ll see Christmas trees and cribs. Nativity scenes are very popular in Italy and so you’ll find them in front of many churches and important spots in the city. The Piazza Navona Christmas Market is a very popular spot at that time as well.
You should also pay a visit to the Vatican while you’re already there, as it is also a place with an incredible atmosphere that time of year. You can even go to the Midnight Mass hosted by the Pope!
Fewer tourists
Fewer people on the streets makes it easier to get around and enjoy the city. Taking a photo of the Di Trevi Fountain in the summer can give you a headache while you can totally take a selfie without anyone else in the frame in winter. Getting around the city by car is also a large issue in the high season – not so much in January. You’ll certainly find it much easier to find a car park near hotels or various attractions that you may want to see.
Lower prices
What can you save on during the winter season in Rome? Basically, everything. Flights between November and February tend to be much cheaper, so you don’t need to plan your trips as many months in advance. Hotels tend to be a lot cheaper as well, and with larger and better equipped rooms available. You can get rooms with a balcony, for instance, with no added cost in winter. All the popular tourist spots will be cheaper, including restaurants and shops – perhaps it’s a good time to go to Rome with the intent of shopping?
The exception here, of course, is Christmas. There’s always a tourist spike there, so it’ll invariably be pricier for a moment before the January sales begin to get rid of all the excess stuff.
More time in the city, less time in queues
Rome is very infamous for its insane queues to major attractions. More than 20,000 people a day can enter the Colosseum in the high season. These, however, are much smaller in January and February. This means you get more holiday out of your holiday, simply put. If you also try to visit the most popular tourist sites in the middle of the week and book well in advance online, you’ll find that Rome doesn’t have to consist of half of your time spent in queues.
Christmas cuisine and delicacies
Back to Christmas though. While we’ve established that you can feel the magic of that time all over the streets, you can feel it on your plate and later in your stomach too. You can taste many unique local Christmas delicacies around this time. Fried eel is one example which you’ll find in many restaurants. Another is Panettone, a traditional cake smelling of oranges and nuts (originating from Lombardy), very popular in Rome. You’ll find it in pastry shops and bakeries (and also in markets, though we wouldn’t recommend that). There’ll also be many unique foods at Rome’s Christmas markets!
Winter sports
If you’re flying to Rome in winter anyway, why not take your skis or your board with you? There are working ski lifts less than two hours away from Rome. The Campo Catino ski resort is a little over 60 miles away from Rome. It’s the perfect counterbalance to all the food you’ll be ingesting in winter. The area around Rome also offers the option to rent snowmobiles.
Great weather
Despite its proximity to the snowy mountains, Rome’s temperatures during winter are still higher than ours. Though it’s no Cyprus, it’s still pleasant enough to explore the city or go for a hike. What do the temperatures look like month by month?
Rome in November
If you’re travelling right before winter, in November, then you can still expect relatively warm days, at around 17°C average. There’s quite a bit of rain and nights are quite cold, around 8°C, so do pack accordingly. It’s also probably the last chance to hop into the sea if you’d like to visit that part of Rome.
Rome in December
You can expect the average temperature to be around 13°C, with AccuWeather proposing a 10-15 degree range for 2023. Evenings can get very chilly, at around 5°C, so take a jacket with you. Also bring an umbrella, as there are roughly 10 rainy days in December.
Rome in January
January is usually a little colder, at around 12°C, though AccuWeather is suggesting a decently warm beginning of 2024 (with the peak of 18°C). Nights can get frosty at times, so do be mindful. There’s, however, less rain than in November and December.
Rome in February
Late February is the warmest part of winter, with spring already peeping into air temperatures. The average still remains a little low, at about 13°C, though that’s because of the cold beginning of the month. Late February is more akin to 15+ degrees daily. Nights are still very cold, though, so don’t go too crazy expecting pleasant night strolls.
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