More on touring Italy in winter: the year my daughter & I traveled in December, it was darned dark by 5pm. In a couple of places in Sicily, kindly restauranteurs fed us, but offered warnings that we should be back in our accommodation before 7pm, as we were 2 women alone. Palermo was especially spooky after dark.

However, Pompeii was literally deserted, as were the ruins in Sicily. Only the trains were packed, full of Italians joyfully heading to family celebrations.

Being the budget travelers that we are, we made the mistake of not having enough polar fleece. Some of our accoms were so cold we wore socks on our hands at night, as well as our gloves! You might not be accustomed to this kind of cold.

Gail In Eugene but never for long