Are you dreaming of traveling to Italy? Have you already been but cannot wait to return? Italy has that effect.
When you travel to Italy, your time is precious. You want to have the best possible experience. Unfortunately, many travelers to Italy commit the same mistakes. Those mistakes cost them time and money and take away from their experience.
Make sure you don’t make the same mistakes. Keep reading for 5 Common Mistakes Travelers to Italy Make & What to Do Instead.
Mistake #1: Trying to Fit in Too Much
I know you are excited about coming to Italy. You want to see as much as possible. So, you try to see the whole country in 10 days. I get it. My excitement can get the better of me too, but DO NOT DO THIS.
I often hear about travelers (and even travel professionals) arranging a 10-day trip in Italy that includes Sicily, Puglia, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence, and Venice. If you do a trip like this, you will spend most of your time traveling from one place to the next. You will also be exhausted at the end of your “vacation”.
What To Do Instead:
Plan to spend at least 4 days in each location. This way, after arriving (Day 1), you will have 2 full days to enjoy the location and surrounding area before you need to think about packing up and moving again (on day 4).
This will give you time to immerse yourself in the location and get to know it more profoundly.
You will have time to sip a coffee at the local café in the morning while watching the residents go about their daily tasks and enjoy an aperitivo in the evening at the bar all the locals frequent.
During the day, you’ll have time to wander without worrying about timetables and linger over lunch.
With two full days in a location, you can decide if you want to spend both days at that location or reserve one of the days for exploring the surrounding area.
This slower style of travel allows you to embrace Italy’s true essence and spirit. This country lingers, savors, and enjoys. I strongly encourage you to do the same.
Mistake #2: Flying In & Out of the Same Airport
There are 77 airports in Italy. If you will be traveling around Italy, DO NOT fly in and out of the same airport. You will waste time backtracking.
What To Do Instead:
Arrange your itinerary from north to south or vice versa and fly into one airport and out of another.
For example, if you want to see Venice, Verona, Bologna, Parma, and Milan, fly into Venice airport and fly out of Milan.
Likewise, if you want to visit Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Puglia, fly into Naples (or Rome – the number of flights available is better, and flights tend to be cheaper) and out of Bari or Brindisi Airport in Puglia.
This isn’t anything revolutionary, but it will save you precious time during your trip.
Mistake #3: Blindly Trusting GPS
Never blindly trust GPS in Italy, especially in the countryside.
GPS in Italy has led me astray multiple times, but never as bad as the time outside of Verona when it led my friends and me up a road that became so precarious and steep, we worried the car would flip and roll down the hill. Learn from my mistake and DO NOT blindly trust GPS in Italy.
What To Do Instead:
Always double-check your route before leaving. Enter the destination into the GPS and look at the map. Does it look okay? Does it seem reasonable? If you can, ask a local to confirm the GPS’s indications.
While driving, if the directions don’t seem to be correct, double-check them with another GPS service, by calling the place you are headed or by stopping at a gas station or bar.
A 100% guaranteed way to avoid this kind of problem is to hire a driver. It is money well spent. Affording you peace of mind and allowing you to enjoy the day without worrying about GPS or any of the other hassles that come with driving.
Mistake #4: Not Getting Off the Beaten Path
“I want to see Rome, Venice, and Florence,” said every traveler to Italy always. I get it. Those cities are famous for a good reason. They are beautiful and deserve to be seen. However, there are also thousands of other incredible sites to see in Italy.
What To Do Instead:
Visit those cities if you’ve never been or want to return, just make sure to leave some time to explore other lesser-known places.
Outside of Rome, visit the villas in Tivoli, eat pizza in Naples, or visit the medieval center of Viterbo and its impressive Palazzi.
Outside of Florence, spend a day wine tasting in Chianti, visit the medieval towns of San Gimignano and Siena, or taking a hands-on cooking lesson in Bologna.
Outside of Venice, travel to Padova to admire the frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel, wine taste in the Prosecco Hills, or spend a day hiking in the Dolomites.
Mistake #5: Not Making Reservations
Restaurants fill up, especially during the high season. If you don’t have a reservation, it can be challenging to find somewhere to eat.
For example, last August in Montalcino, where I live, we tried to wander into town with our friends for lunch on a mid-August afternoon. After trying to find a table at almost every restaurant in town, we turned around, defeated and hungry, went back home (thankfully, we live here), and made lunch at home.
(Quick aside: if this happens to you, a reliable solution is to grab a sandwich at a coffee bar or to head to a market for picnic provisions of cold cuts and cheese.)
Don’t get stuck without somewhere to eat.
What To Do Instead:
If you are traveling during high season, make your dining reservations ahead of time.
If you aren’t traveling during the high season, make reservations ahead of time at Michelin starred restaurants, very popular and well-known restaurants, and any restaurants you are excited about and would be disappointed if you missed.
“But I don’t speak Italian, how can I make a reservation?” More and more restaurants have online reservation systems. Otherwise, try and give the restaurant a call. Many will have someone who speaks English, at least enough to take your reservation.
If you are working with me, you don’t have to worry. I will make all the restaurant reservations for you.
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Looking for more Italy Inspiration? Check out my step-by-step guide to Bologna’s Old Market & find out why it made me fall in love with Italy.