Christopher Winner: January and February are tourism's dry gulches. Prices are slashed post-Christmas to try and attract tourists. It's a great time to travel. And no, the weather isn't that bad. Of course you can get rain and cold. But it's winter. You can also get cold and rainy spells in April, only they're more expensive, so to speak. I've always maintained that Rome, Florence, and particularly Venice are best explored in late January and early February. Those pre-carnival weeks are the ones in which you get the bigger cities most to yourself. The temperatures average in the 50s by day in the south, a little colder in the north. Freezing is rare. A foggy Venice day in late January could give you all of Venice's St. Mark's Square to yourself. I've found myself alone at the Pantheon at Midnight on chilly Rome nights in February. I've stood in St. Peter's Square alone in the (rare) snow. These are experiences of a lifetime.

_______________________

Sandy Hook, Kentucky: My wife and I are leaving Cincinnati for Rome, August 31, where we will embark on a 12 day cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean, arriving in Vienna, September 14 to spend 4 days before flying home Sept. 18th. We are 68 and 70, in good health, and want to know the most economical means to transfer from the airport to downtown hotels, with 6 bags, in both Rome and Vienna since we did not sign up for transfer with the cruise line.

Christopher Winner: In Rome and Vienna both I would wholeheartedly advise taking cabs from the airport. They are worth the additional expense. It's all very rational in Vienna, a little less so in Rome. Please see: theamericanmag.com/article.php?show_article_id=670 Though the taxi will run you four times the train, you can't be hauling around six bags alone. It's simply out of the question. Take the cab.

_______________________

Cranford, NJ: Good Morning! My cousin and I (two middle aged women) are taking our 13yr old boy (mine) and 16yr old girl(hers) to Rome, Florence and Venice on Nov. 9th for one week. It will be a "first" for European travel for both kids, so needless to say, we want to make this an EXTREMELY memorable trip! Do you have any specific recommendations for this age group? Most of the guide books I have seen are for younger kids or adults. I have a passion for Italy that I would like to pass on to my son, so anything you can recommend, i.e. books to read prior to going, restaurants, off the beaten path places to see, etc, would REALLY be appreciated! Thanks, Karen

Christopher Winner: Dear Karen: Have a look at our restaurant reviews (theamericanmag.com) under Tuscany and Rome (good food, I fear, isn't Venetian strong point). One week is a short stint. Have a look at travelforkids.com -- not bad. There's also initaly.com/~initaly/regions/kids/kidintro.htm -- basic, but once again useful. "Italy With Kids," by Barbara Pape is available from amazon.com. There's also the "Kids Go Europe" series by Ellen Mouchawar and Marvin Mouchawar. When in Florence, take the kids to Pisa. The Leaning Tower is a great teenaged sight to behold. Its lean makes no sense and inspires awe and questions, which is what you want. Enjoy.

_______________________

Seattle, Washington: Three of us will be visiting Italy in October (we hope)for two weeks. We are trying to finalize an itinerary (Rome, Umbria, Tuscany--maybe basing in Sienna and going to Florence from there, Cinque Terra, Milan) but are struggling with how to be realistic about time needed in each place and how much time it will take to travel from place to place. Two of us are novice travelers, so that increases the trepidation & uncertainty! I guess my specific question is: is it realistic to think we can "see" Umbria and Tuscany without a car? If we didn't have a car and needed to base in one town in Umbria and one in Tuscany--what towns would you recommend? Is it feasible (i.e., economically feasible) to contract with a guide for day trips? A major consideration is not to feel too rushed. Sorry to be so vague, just feeling overwhelmed!

Christopher Winner: No. It is not realistic to "see" Tuscany and Umbria without a car. You CAN see Florence and a few other towns. That yes. There are commuter trains from Florence to nearby gems. So, to answer your question precisely. In Tuscany, stay in Florence. It's not as charming as a town but it makes things easier. You could also select Siena, but you'd need to get past the trepidation. Some of the back roads are narrow. Lighting is poor at night. In Umbria, stay in Perugia or Orvieto (the latter is closer to Rome). If you want to avoid renting a car, you just need to narrow your choices. For example, stay in Florence but pick a few towns in commuter train range, including Siena. If in Perugia or Orvieto, take the train (two switches) to Gubbio. Getting a guide for day-trips is possible (anything's possible): see tours-italy.com/our_tour_guides.htm, for example. Finally, the travel times (train or car) are comparatively short. The fast trains from Rome to Florence, for example, are 90 minutes. Florence-Siena (slower train) is also 90 minutes. Don't let yourself feel overwhelmed. Pick a place, settle in, go from there.

_______________________

San Miguel de Allende, Guanauato MEXICO: We are planning to travel to Rome, Sicily, Naples & the Amalfi Coast in October. Should we be concerned about the garbage strike?