Rome at Easter!!

Just booked a Med cruise on Presziosa & realised we will be in Rome on Easter Monday! We know the city will be extremely busy & plan to visit areas away from the Vatican however we are worried that most restaurants will be closed along with shops.

Our question is - is it worth the long journey to & from Rome?? We have visited Rome a couple times on other cruises.

We assume that other towns closer to the port will also be closed :(

Perhaps we would be best visiting Civitavecchia it seems a shame to stay on board....

Any ideas welcome thanks!

Just booked a Med cruise on Presziosa & realised we will be in Rome on Easter Monday! We know the city will be extremely busy & plan to visit areas away from the Vatican however we are worried that most restaurants will be closed along with shops.

Our question is - is it worth the long journey to & from Rome?? We have visited Rome a couple times on other cruises.

We assume that other towns closer to the port will also be closed :(

Perhaps we would be best visiting Civitavecchia it seems a shame to stay on board....

Any ideas welcome thanks!

I too would stay out of Rome on Easter Monday - it is likely to be heaving - not to mention queues for everything.

How about taking the same train from Civitavecchia and alighting in Ladispoli. From there take a taxi to Necropoli della Banditaccia at Cerveteri to see the Estrucan Necropolises - 6 -8 km taxi ride.

You could also take the same train in the opposite direction to Rome to Tarquinia and see the necropolis there. Again a short taxi ride or long walk is needed.

If you have a long day - you could visit both sites.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1158

Hope this is not too morbid for you!!! :)

Have you actually checked that Easter Monday is a holiday in Italy? We live in Spain and it isn't a holiday here - it is the day the kids go back to school after a week off! The main bank holidays here are the Thursday and Good Friday.

Have you actually checked that Easter Monday is a holiday in Italy? We live in Spain and it isn't a holiday here - it is the day the kids go back to school after a week off! The main bank holidays here are the Thursday and Good Friday.

Sunday and Monday are the main days of celebration here, but you will find restaurants open. Smaller tourist sites may close as most people spend time with their families, so it's best to contact them before making a special journey.

Just booked a Med cruise on Presziosa & realised we will be in Rome on Easter Monday! We know the city will be extremely busy & plan to visit areas away from the Vatican however we are worried that most restaurants will be closed along with shops.

Our question is - is it worth the long journey to & from Rome?? We have visited Rome a couple times on other cruises.

We assume that other towns closer to the port will also be closed :(

Perhaps we would be best visiting Civitavecchia it seems a shame to stay on board....

Any ideas welcome thanks!

We were lucky to be in Rome during Easter Holiday several years ago. We were not in a cruise we stayed several days in a hotel in Rome. We did not experienced any stress due to the holiday, on the contrary, it was exhilarating. The whole city comes alive like no other time of the year. A bit more people in the streets than the other days but nothing extraordinary. Restaurants were open and were not crowded beyond what we found other days. In conclusion, do not skip Rome due to fear of crowds on Easter. You can even visit the Vatican and catch Easter mass, take a look of the Pope, from the terrace quite well. There will be lots of people there but quite manageable. Enjoy Rome, don't miss it, it is a special day to be there. It would be a shame to have the opportunity of "Rome during Easter" and squander it.

Cheers.