Italy is a country that’s blessed with many popular monuments from the ancient Roman world, as well as being renowned for its authentic culinary tastes and flavors. As such, the boot shaped country in the south of Europe is a popular destination for many travelers, with visitors from all over the world arriving in search of world renowned architecture, ruins, food, and art. And therefore, as a result of such interest, popular spots can sometimes get extremely overcrowded and many travelers are often left feeling underwhelmed by attractions because of this.
In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the well-known attractions that can be skipped in favor of more intriguing, less busy alternatives that will provide you with a more rewarding visit.
Skip Pisa and go to San Gimignano
A good example of a tourist trap in Italy is the leaning tower of Pisa. One of Italy’s best known monuments, the old tilting tower is a tourist magnet that has the potential to disappoint thanks to its small size and huge crowds. If you are a fan of ancient Roman architecture a great and lesser-known option is San Gimignano, an area that is widely known as “the city of beautiful towers”. Nestled in the heart of a mainly tourist free region of Tuscany, San Gimignano boasts perfectly preserved medieval tower houses that will delight and enthrall visitors without the hassle of fighting through crowds.
Forget the Trevi Fountain, and visit the Terme di Saturnia Hot Springs
Rome has many delights and tourist attractions that are world renowned and noteworthy, including the ancient ruins of the Coliseum, Vatican City and the very beautiful Rome Opera House, tickets for which you can see here. But after a hot day walking around and seeing the sites, visitors cannot cool off or relax in the Trevi Fountain – which is illegal by the way – so instead, why not skip it and use that time to spend in Tuscany at the geothermal springs of the Terme di Saturnia? A lesser known but incredibly more rewarding attraction, these hot springs are favored by the locals.
Skip the Gondola Trip and jump into a Traghetto instead
Gondola’s and Venice are synonymous with romantic trips up and down the canals found in the city, but the experience can set visitors back quite a bit of money. A cheaper and more authentic option is to hire a Traghetto. These are still gondolas but they’re less cheesy and are used by the locals to traverse the waterways at select locations. This is a more cost effective option in comparison to the well-known gondolas, which are geared towards tourists and cost more if the Gondolier sings for you.
One last tip for those planning to visit Italy, or anywhere else for that matter, is to consider the cost of food and drink. Buying a meal or beverage near any tourist attraction will always cost more as vendors take advantage of the popular attractions to mark up their prices significantly. From coffee to pizza, it is advisable to take a wander away from the vicinity of tourist attractions and find a local eatery or coffee shop. The food will cost less, and in most cases, it will be more authentic and homely. This tip, and the ones above, can mean the difference between a disappointing trip to Italy and a memorable visit that will live with you for a long time so make sure to take them into account when planning your trip.
