We tell you how to celebrate the New Year in Italy (in particular, in Rome) in 2020. Information on hotel prices, tours and food, weather and activities, and restaurants. Reviews of tourists about the holiday in the capital.
Italy on New Year's holidays greets tourists shining: thousands of garlands decorate the trees and facades of buildings, there are elegant Christmas trees in the squares, and scurrying buses resemble giant fireflies. The mild weather and the joyful atmosphere make you feel warm, and the bright signs of the shops with the inscriptions sconti and saldi attract visitors as the main winter sales begin.
How is New Year celebrated in Italy?
Surely many have heard about a funny tradition in Italy - to throw old things out of windows on New Year's Eve. Having got rid of unnecessary trash, Italians believe that they will be happy next year. Alas, the old tradition is slowly becoming obsolete, now it is in fashion to buy new things for the holiday.
The country's main Christmas tree is installed in Piazza Venezia in Rome, and another beautiful fir tree stands at the Colosseum. There is a Christmas market in Piazza Navona with souvenirs, children's attractions and animators. Children are congratulated by the Italian Santa Claus - Babbo Natale - and the fairy Befana, who puts sweets in their socks for obedient children and coals for naughty children.
At 9 o'clock in the evening, Italians see off the old year, and after a plentiful feast, everyone goes to move into the street, traffic is blocked from the evening. On the streets, people noisily congratulate each other, drink sparkling wine and immediately break bottles, launch firecrackers and fireworks.
In Rome Fori Imperiali street is being blocked and preparations are made for the on-air New Year's concert near the Altar of the Fatherland. You need to come before 22 o'clock, later they are not allowed. At Piazza del Popolo, drunken drinks are drunk straight from the throat, and the most desperate are sipping from the bridge to the Tiber. At midnight, everyone is counting down in chorus, fireworks are thundering, champagne is pouring in.
In Milan on New Year's Eve, all festive events take place in the main city square, Piazza Duomo, near the Cathedral. Young people go to the best nightclub in the city, Capodanno a Milano, while lovers of a relaxing holiday celebrate at home or in restaurants.
In Venice St. Mark's Square becomes the center of folk festivities, thousands of garlands decorate the facades of ancient buildings, and a spruce tree flaunts right there. Here everyone counts the time together, and the holiday comes to the chime of the 98-meter Campanile bell tower. At midnight, everyone exchanges a kiss, and the sky is lit up with bright flashes of fireworks.
Weather in Rome for New Year
Usually, the temperature here is +8 ... + 12 ° С, at night +3 ... + 5 ° С, sometimes it rains, so it is better to take an umbrella with you. The temperature may drop by 5-6 degrees, so you need to dress warmly - an insulated jacket with a hood or a coat. If you are planning to walk around the city, then give preference to comfortable shoes on a low speed.
Restaurants on New Year's Eve
Rome is not the city where you should celebrate the New Year in a restaurant, it is better to dine in some cozy establishment and go out to celebrate the holiday with everyone on the street. If the arrival in the capital is planned late in the evening of December 31 and there is no strength left for the stormy celebrations, then you should look for a hotel with a restaurant so as not to waste time looking for a suitable free establishment.
On New Year's Eve, most Roman restaurants are open, the cost of food usually rises by 30-50%. Of course, it is better to book a table in advance, especially if the place is in the Piazza del Popolo or Colosseum area. But even walking around the city in the region of 19-20 hours, you can find a good place for dinner. You do not need to dress too smartly, it is not accepted here. Usually Italians have dinner and go outside by 22:00, so the restaurant's maximum program is live music.
If the prospect of jostling in the crowd does not attract, and the celebration at the hotel restaurant seems too boring, book a table at the restaurant Roof Garden Hotel Forum Roma five minutes walk from the Colosseum. From the open terrace you can enjoy the views of the Roman Forum and festive fireworks, dancing, music, delicious dishes (lobsters, truffles, lasagna, traditional desserts, red and white wine). The celebration lasts from 21:00 to 2:30, the cost of the New Year's banquet is about 360 euros.
More affordable prices in a restaurant Casa Coppelle at the Piazza delle Coppelle. The cost of the banquet is 130 euros (excluding drinks), pre-booking is paid at a rate of 30%. Excellent cuisine in the restaurant Il Chianti on Via delle Lavatore near the Trevi Fountain. There are Russian-speaking waiters here, you can have dinner at a convenient time, then go outside to celebrate with everyone.
Where to go in Rome for the New Years?
Look for author's interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
On January 1, Italians sleep until lunchtime, all museums are closed on this day, even restaurants do not open until noon. You can not count on an excursion, it is better to take a walk or take a ride on a tourist bus. If the weather is favorable, you can take a walk in the parks and visit the Borghese villas. It is better to prepare in advance for the trip and read what to see in Rome on your own in a few days.
On January 2, you can already take any excursion and see the Eternal City more closely: cathedrals, fountains, Capitol Hill, Forum, Colosseum, Vatican and other attractions. For museums, especially the Vatican, it is better to book tickets in advance via the Internet, a lot of time is spent waiting in queues.
Popular excursions in Rome
In January 2020, interesting events will take place in Rome: exhibitions in the Lapidarium, an international photography festival, and lovers of classical music will be able to visit the Opera. There is no strict dress code "tailcoat and evening dress", but it is better to dress elegantly, without traditional jeans and sweaters. Tickets can also be booked online. On January 6, the city celebrates Epiphany's holiday with costumed processions. You can find out what events are taking place in Rome here.
If the New Year's holidays are long enough and you are not in Rome for the first time, you can leave the capital for the neighboring cities: by train to Naples 1 hour, a little longer (1.5 hours) to go to Florence. You can visit the beautiful city on the water - read what to see in Venice in 1, 2 and 3 days.
Prices in 2020
The cost of staying in hotels in Rome for New Years and Christmas rises, so it is better to plan such trips in advance. In autumn, you can book a room in the historical center with good discounts on Roomguru: a regular double room in 1-2 * costs from 60 euros, accommodation in a three-star hotel will cost from 70 euros (Magnifico Hotel 3 *). In a 4-star hotel, you can rent a room at a price of 77 euros (Arco Romano Rooms), in a five-star hotel - from 160 euros per day.
In Rome, you can dine for 8-15 euros, breakfast for 3-7 euros, and lunch for 5-10 euros per person, if you choose places for locals. In tourist restaurants, dinner will cost 35-40 euros. The cost of a New Year's banquet in a good establishment starts from 100 euros, in an elite restaurant 350-450 euros. An advance payment of 20-30% of the order value must be made.
Tours to Italy for the New Year - 2020
Consider how much tours to Italian cities cost for the new 2020 year. Prices are current at the time of publication, closer to the holidays they are likely to grow. The cost of vouchers is indicated for two people with a flight from Moscow.
How do I find a cheap tour? We recommend the proven services Travelata and Level.Travel - there you can buy an inexpensive ticket online without leaving your home. Want to save money? Read our 7 rules for buying tours online.
Inexpensively you can go to Rimini - vouchers for 7-8 nights with a departure on December 28-30 and accommodation in a two- or three-star hotel cost from 60 thousand rubles.Accommodation in a 4 * hotel costs from 85 thousand rubles for two, in 5 * - from 160 thousand.
But the New Year's tours in Rome are already a little more expensive - on average, from 80 thousand rubles for a voucher for a week with accommodation in the city center or close to it. It costs about the same to go to Milan for New Year 2020.
Feedback on the New Year in Rome
Reviews of tourists about the New Year's holidays in Rome are extremely positive, even a light drizzling rain is not able to spoil the high spirits. Tourists are delighted with the city and the Italians, although some of the nuances are worth paying attention to - perhaps they will be useful to you.
- On New Year's holidays, the metro and public transport are overcrowded - everyone goes to the center for celebrations, so it's better to take a taxi. You should be careful with personal belongings and wallets, pickpockets are wielding the crowd.
- Gambling Italians love to pour themselves and others out of a bottle of wine, so it's better not to wear frankly expensive things for festivities. Another tradition is to break empty bottles, so you should mentally prepare yourself for the fact that you will have to stomp on broken glass.
- On January 1, almost nothing works in Rome, except for restaurants, so you need to worry about your own leisure on this day in advance.
- In the city on the streets there are quite a few flower sellers (usually Hindus) who can hand a bouquet in their hands and demand to pay for it. The usual hook for naive tourists, you should not fall for this bait, but politely refuse an unnecessary service.
Considering all these little things, the New Year in Italy will bring many new pleasant experiences. Even if the weather is not sunny, you can visit museums and exhibitions during the day, and in the evening sit quietly in a cozy restaurant, enjoying excellent cuisine and a glass of good wine.
