Title say's it all. We have the choice of doing Rome first, for five days, 3/23-28, then Florence for 3 days, or reverse. Would anyone have any experience on being in either over the Good Friday-Easter Sunday period. First trip ever to Italy, so looking to do the major sites with two kids, ages 12 & 8. Worried about what might be closed? Thanks.

I lived in Rome in 2000 (the Jubilee year) and can testify to the fact that the city was the most crowded place I'd ever seen in my life that weekend. I took a train away to Elba after I realized it wasn't going to be easy going.

However, those who stayed in town and went to the Vatican for Easter said it was a wonderful experience, albeit immensely crowded. It helps, I think, if you begin writing now to get primo seats for Easter Mass (as I'm not Catholic, I may have mis-named the big Easter ceremony). As many of the Easter visitors to Rome are pilgrims, most non-pilgrim places (like good restaurants in Trastevere, and Testaccio, some of the more off-beat attractions, like maybe the catacombs or some of the smaller museums) won't be excessively crowded.

Maybe someone who experienced Rome more as a tourist or in a non-Jubilee year can provide more information.

We spent last Palm Sunday and Easter weeks entirely in Rome and had a wonderful time during that season. This was the 3rd time we've been in Rome at that time, the last being Easter, 2000 during the Jubilee Year and the time before that was in 1997 (when our daughters then were 10 and 17).

Because we are Roman Catholics, visiting the Vatican and other holy sites during this season are special. We didn't need tickets to attend Mass outside St. Peter's on Palm Sunday. We just showed up an hour before and stood in the Square with thousands of other celebrants as the Pope conducted Mass from an altar set up at the front of the Basilica. Olive branches were passed out and we saved a number of sprigs to pass out to family and friends upon our return home.

We have visited Rome other times of the year and It's our experience that many more restaurants and sites are open during Easter season than during Ferragosto, which is mid-August. It is believed that since the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mother begins the summer crowning season (May 15) that August 15 was designated by the Catholic church as the start of Ferragosto in Her honor. Italians use mid-August as the time to get away to the beaches and mountains and many things in the cities are closed then.

Rome weather during Easter is pleasant... Comfortable during the day and cool at night. We usually rent a car to take day trips out of Rome. Some things that you and your children may enjoy are:

Vatican for Mass, Sistine Chapel and Museum
The Colosseum
Pantheon (Make sure you have a coffee at the Tasso D'oro nearby)
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Roman Forum
Piazza Navona (Have a gelato at Tre Scalini).
Castel Sant'Angelo
Via Venito - Stop in the Hard Rock Cafe to buy the kids a T-shirt
Via Appia Antica and the Catacombs of San Callisto
Tivoli and Villa d'Este outside of Rome