Italy in December

Welcome to the forum. I can't comment on Italy in winter ... but I expect others will.

Ferries from Italy (Livorno, etc) to Corsica do run in winter (possibly not 31 Dec-1 Jan).

One link: http://www.directferries.co.uk/ferries_from_italy_to_corsica.htm

Can you organise life to fly into Naples and home from Venice?

With 16 nights, your itinerary looks pretty rushed, so Apulia might need to be dropped.

You could look at Naples (2 nights), Rome/Vatican (4), Livorno(1)/Corsica (3-4), Pisa (a few hours)/Florence (2-3), Venice (2-3). Something like that.

Corsica might require a car, but nowhere else does. Use www.trenitalia.com to find trains (the site has an English option). Major Intercity / Freccia trains are cheaper booked 60-90 days in advance, however you sacrifice flexibility - you must usually travel on the date/time you buy.

Regional trains (good enough for Livorno > Pisa > Florence, Naples > Pompeii, etc) have fixed prices, and don't normally require advance purchase. They are generally fairly inexpensive anyway. Public transport on Corsica (France) will require separate research.

Sufficient hotels will be open in your destinations (check www.booking.com) ... can't advise on the ease of car/bike rental, or couch-surfing.

Corsica is not in Italy.

It is also very much not a winter destination,,its a place based on teh beach (too cold in winter) and on the mountains (rainy and hard to travel around...even by car,and certainly not easy by public transport.

I'd drop it that time of year....

That means you have 15 full days in total I think,minus travel time....

I'd look at something like 4-5 days in Rome (inc Vatican).A couple in Naples.2-3 in Venice.The rest between Pisa and Florence.That is plenty for your timeframe.As above,train is easy and inexpensive.This depends on your interests,but all those places have plenty of options,esp. if the weather is bad (likely,esp. in Venice).

Puglia is well out of your way,and again...not a winter destination,unless you are very lucky with weather.There is little or nothing to do there indoors...its a beach and countryside place principally.

As above, too many places for 15 days. Dont go to Corsica and Puglia, both are not winter destinations, you want to be outdoors there, walk on the beach, hike in the mountains of Corsica, swim, enjoy warm summer evenings outside when the sun sets very late etc.

With 2 weeks, there is more than enough to keep you very busy with "only" Rome, Venice, Naples, Florence and Pisa. Do book an open-jaw flight if possible (into Rome and out of Florence or Venice) to avoid backtracking. Travel from place to place by train. You dont need a car / motorcycle to get get around the cities. If you want to include a little time in Tuscany outside of Florence, you could rent a car (I wouldnt rent a motorcycle in winter) for a few days, not a problem at all.

I have never been to Italy during Christmas, but I assume that it is very much a "family affair" like it is in Switzerland (maybe Luca can confirm that). Which means: people celebrate at home with their families, apart from attending a mass, there arent any celebrations that you could attend to as a tourist.

If you drop both Corsica and Puglia / Apulia, you could look at

• Naples / Pompeii (3 nights)
• Roma / Vatican City (4)
• Pisa / Florence (3)
• Venice (3)

That leaves three night possibly (or two if you have an extra night in Rome). Other places to consider are Lucca near Pisa, or Verona and Padua, on the way to Venice. And having Venice as your departure airport makes good logistics sense.

Note that 25 and 26 December, and 1 January, are public holidays ... will be worth knowing where you are staying, what you're eating, and what trains you might catch, if applicable. Ticketed attractions (like Pompeii, or the Vatican Museums, etc) may be closed on one or more of those days as well.

I'm only repeating what others have said, but here goes anyway:

• For two weeks, your itinerary is unrealistic. Reduce it in line with the suggestions above.
• December 25 & 26 and January 1 are public holidays. Be prepared for restrictions on public transport, closures at museums, restaurants etc. Check the Vatican website in particular.
• Many Italians will be busy with holiday preparations and then at home with their families, so visiting at this time of year may not be as much fun as expect.
• Train travel will cover your itinerary (subject to the point about holiday timetables). You don't need a car.
• Fly open jaw.

December 25 & 26 and January 1 are public holidays

January 6, too. So, 1/4 of your total days.
As above, some attractions are likely to be closed on these days, so do check.
Holidays are good times to just walk around town, weather permitting, or visit any outdoor attractions.

In fact, once you decide what you're including (and excluding), set out a tabular list like this:

22 Dec: Rome
23 Dec: Rome
...
06 Jan: Venice

And do this for every night (not day, night). Things look really clear if you do so. And people comment too.