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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Italian Bank Holiday Fri 2nd June

9 replies

Muppetshair · 04/05/2023 19:35

Was thinking of visiting Lake Como at this time but worried now it will be mobbed as it’s a BH weekend - anyone think this would be the case?

OP posts:

So1invictus · 04/05/2023 21:32

It's also a "ponte" weekend (Saturday is a normal working day in Italy usually but because the day before is a public holiday, the 3rd for many people also will be- schools are closed for example, so it will definitely be busy)

Original poster

Muppetshair · 04/05/2023 22:07

So1invictus · 04/05/2023 21:32

Thanks that’s good to know!

OP posts:

MissAmbrosia · 05/05/2023 10:42

We will be in Naples that day. Flying back on 3rd. Also interested to know what to expect.

Original poster

Muppetshair · 07/05/2023 12:55

Have now booked 4 nights in west Sicily on coast outside Palermo for that same BH weekend - hopefully extreme end of Italy and too far the crowds?!?

OP posts:

YouveGotAFastCar · 07/05/2023 12:56

Yep, it'll be mayhem.

No idea about Palermo, but Lake Como was insanity!

Original poster

Muppetshair · 07/05/2023 13:21

That was a good swerve …. desperate to go to the Italian lakes - but glad to not have crashed into that.

OP posts:

So1invictus · 07/05/2023 14:44

In fairness, the beaches are going to be just as busy with Sicilians if not tourists, but the cities themselves will be fairly empty I'd have thought that weekend.

Original poster

Muppetshair · 07/05/2023 14:53

So1invictus · 07/05/2023 14:44

In fairness, the beaches are going to be just as busy with Sicilians if not tourists, but the cities themselves will be fairly empty I'd have thought that weekend.

Thats helpful. As I am there Wed to Sun - I might then concentrate on beach stuff Wed / Thurs and maybe go into Palermo over the weekend……

Also trying to understand the ‘Italian / Sicilian’ day - looking at restaurants online they seem to close at 2:30 (maybe that’s last orders?) - what do people do in the afternoon siesta time? Will they be on the beach or out of the sun in a restaurant?

Will gallery’s etc be closed at this time like the shops if we popped in to the city?

Do the locals get to the beach early morning or late afternoon or stay til dusk?

Just trying to work out my day. Plan to do a few coastal hikes which would be the morning or evening.

OP posts:

So1invictus · 09/05/2023 16:43

Italians tend to either make a day of it on the beach, or go early in the morning and come back around lunchtime. Lots of old wives tales about the air going bad in the afternoon etc.
On bank hols food shops etc tend to open in the mornings only though in very touristy places they'll open as usual both morning and afternoon.

Galleries are a bit odd on BHs. There seems to be no rule or regulation. Some close, some open reduced hours, some longer hours, some are free when otherwise they wouldn't be. You might get info from websites.

Restaurants will generally close after the lunch service then reopen in the evening.

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