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The One and Only Paris... or Italy?

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    I have visited Paris and fell in love with it. I am desperately seeking advice as to whether I should visit Paris again, which I would love, or if I should venture out to Rome. I am always up for a new adventure, and am planning a trip in the summer of 2010. Thank you and I am open to any suggestion!

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    Give yourself a chance to fall in love with Rome. Then, in 2011 you can post "Rome or Paris--I love them both but where should I return to".

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    Personally, I currently like Paris and Rome about equally. (I love them both.) I used to prefer Paris but, over the years, I've grown to like Rome more and more. So, to give you answer, I would just say that I agree with what Nanoose has recommended you do.

    However, if you need some more background information before making a decision, I would suggest that you use Extravigator's "Search" function and insert "Paris," "Rome" and "Italy" in the appropriate box. I did that just a little while ago and found that "Paris" yielded 6 discussions (with 25 different posts), "Rome" yielded 4 discussions (with 18 different posts) and "Italy" yielded 3 discussions with 12 different posts. After reading those, you should have more than enough additional information to make a decision.

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    Not to get off topic, but I've found that the "Popular Locations" box (on the left side of the page, under the search box) is much better for searching locations than the search box is. If you click on the "See All Locations >" link at the bottom of the box and it gives you choices of cities like, New York, Rome or Paris, etc. If you haven't noticed, every useful discussion on the site pertaining to a specific popular location is "tagged" with the links from the Locations list. Clicking on those cities gives you the best discussions about each one.

    Search just looks for whether or not a location is mentioned in a comment. But, search is not as helpful when someone says something like "it's better than Athens!" because that comment will appear in search as though it pertains to Athens, when really it does not. Search is much better for finding something very specific like "good museums in Rome."

    Thanks from: jensen
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    I think Rome is a great city and would make an excellent trip but personally my heart belongs to Florence. Much smaller and easy to explore by foot it is a magical city...I will always remember the first time I came across the Duomo!

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    Back on topic!

    If you haven't been to Rome, then I think you must go. But, I think you should probably avoid going during the summertime. Rome can certainly be hot and humid during the height of Summer. Late May or early June is probably the best time to go to Rome. Keep in mind that many shops will be closed during the summer as well.

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    Thank you everyone for the wonderful suggestions! I will keep them all in mind and ponder my decision extremely carefully. Thanks again! (:

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    Just to add an additional comment to this discussion, I want to tell you that I would disagree with Marcie's input that "Late May or early June is probably the best time to go to Rome." (TOO MANY TOURISTS.) Our preference is to enjoy Rome in late September, or throughout the month of October. The weather is wonderful there at that time of year and it's not as crowded.

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    I agree with DonPablo! I would opt for October.

    Thanks from: DonPablo
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    Thanks DonPablo. Though, you've taken that quote out of context. I was referring to the weather and humidity in my post (as well as in link I gave). On average, it usually rains twice as much during October as it does in May. But on the other hand, yes..Rome is less crowded in October.

    Technically, the rainy season in Rome is in full swing by November...and every knows that the largest crowds don't really descend upon Rome until June and August. So, it's generally a toss up between May and October for most people. A little bit of rain or a little bit of crowds, to each his own!

    I think we can all agree that the height of the summer is not the time to visit Rome.

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    I agree with most others that you should definitely visit Rome. It is an amazing city with lots to do but depending on how much time you have to spend there you might become bored. Rome is a great city to spend three or four days in but after that it can become very repetitive. If you have the time I would highly recommend going north into Tuscany for several days. It is very close and easy to navigate and there are a couple of "must see" places that you should definitely go to. I would recommend spending three nights in Rome, then taking the train from Rome to Siena which is a wonderful ride through the Italian countryside and is around three-hours. Once you're in Siena, you can have Grand Hotel Continental pick you up at the station and bring you directly to the hotel. Spend the entire day and evening exploring Siena, then in the morning have the hotel prepare a rental car and drive from Siena to Lucca. Lucca is less than two hours from Siena and along the way you can see the most beautiful countryside of Tuscany. Visit San Gimignano, Villa del Monte, Sughera, Marti and about a dozen other picture perfect villages along the way. Once you a arrive in Lucca, turn over the keys to your rental car to the concierge at the Locanda l'Elisa and spend the evening in Lucca. The next afternoon after exploring Lucca take the train directly to Florence, the Four Seasons Hotel Florence will meet you at the station and bring you directly to the hotel. Two nights in Florence and you have a wonderful trip. It is very comfortable to take the trains in Italy and both routes have direct (no transfers) from Rome to Siena and Lucca to Florence. I think this will give a nice perspective on Central Italy and I promise that you'll want to return. Hope this helps!

    Thanks from: DonPablo

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