Planning your dream trip to Italy? Don’t make the same mistakes most travelers do! From overcrowded hotspots to missed opportunities for authentic experiences, I’m breaking down the biggest regrets and how you can avoid them. Discover why rushing through cities, waiting in long food lines, or skipping Italy’s hidden gems could leave you with major FOMO. Plus, I’ll share the one regret every visitor has but can easily avoid. 🇮🇹
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22 Comments
Avoid These Tourist Scams in Italy! 🚫🇮🇹 Watch here: https://youtu.be/otjRrWNs2mg
I actually live here now, in Napoli. And watch your channel all the time to give me the hidden gems. I'll go, then tell the people I work with, then they go, and always get good feedback.
Would you do some Italian and Sicilian beaches videos?
Your videos are so well made and informative. It's a shame you don't have a lot more subscribers than 60K.
Hi, Am going to Florence in April for 10 days…part of that time is on art course. So excited 😊
best food ever-back alley restaurants
Great tips, but the cash one I don't understand. I spent 2 weeks in Italy with 150 euros and left with 40 after forcing myself to spend cash on everything the last 2 days. Not sure what I would do with 500 euros. EDIT: also reduces the risk in case you get pickpocketed which unfortunately is a real risk
Planning our June 2025 trip right now, your guide is so helpful!
I believe Puglia will be ruined soon. Supposedly there will be direct flights from New York to Bari that are coming soon. My great-grandparents were all from Bari. When I used to mention this city to people, nobody knew about it. Now, everyone knows what it is because Instagram has ruined everything and Sylvester Stallone traveled there on his reality show to meet his family (it's a great episode actually). Don't be surprised when all of these Italian cities become a haven for the rich. I'm hearing Florence is now getting super expensive as well. 15 or 20 years ago, barely any Americans travelled to Italy. Now, it's the only place they visit when travelling overseas. I'm 45, and when I was growing up, there was maybe one family who travelled to Sicily. Nobody even knew where it was on a map.
I lived in Bardolino (Lago di Garda) for 6 months in 1980 and have always wanted to go back. Your channel has inspired me to plan a trip. Grazie mille!
My next trip to Italy will involve more trains and smaller towns!!! I was in Florence and Rome for 12 days in October. It was a great time to go !! Next time will have to check out Northern Italy and will have to go to Florence again!! It was so much fun walking and soaking in all the charm!!
For mistake no 1, we have no choice but to travel during the summer, my wife is a school teacher and that's when her vacation is, from the Friday before St-Jean-Baptiste Day (stat holiday here in Québec) to 3rd week of August. We'll have more flexibility once she retires in 8-10 years.
2. We'll be in Italy for 14 days, so for us it'll be 5 nights in Rome, 5 in Salerno to visit Naples, Pompei and the Amalfi coast, 3 in Termoli so we're close to Larino, where my nonno was born and our last night in Fiumicino. And during that time, we'll try and have a light schedule. Visit early in the morning, go back to the Airbnb for lunch, take it easy in the afternoon (I might go out and do some transit photography) while the cruise passengers run amok in the city, and visit some more when they're back on their ships.
As for cash, when we went to Paris in 2007 and last summer, we both always had between €30-50 on us for small purchases.
Regarding trains and cars, going from Salerno or Rome to Termoli or Larino takes about 6.5 hours with 3 trains and sometimes a bus (if they're on time), and driving there takes 2.5-3 hours. But we'll be taking the Italo from Termini to Salerno. Also the car will be practical because I spotted a vineyard between Larino and Termoli and I want to bring back some wine from the Molise region, which is hard to find here in Quebec at the SAQ.
I've been looking for restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias that are a few blocks from the major attractions on our itinerary to get the authentic feel of Italian cuisine. We did the same on both trips to Paris and we were not disappointed.
Sorry for the long rant, love your videos, Gregor! Keep em coming!
Will be there in January for 3 weeks…SO excited! Your videos have been so helpful.
Went to italy in Sept for 2 weeks. Sicily was amazing. Food and wine tour for 8 days touring small towns. Then 6 days in tauromina. What a breathtaking holiday. We spent 1 day in palermo because airport. Didn't like palermo dirty, food horrible and scary.
Heading to Sardinia in early May before the throng takes over
I am in Firenze right now and the crowds are small-barely anyone visiting David. Been in Torino, Vicenza, and Venice so far and haven’t had to deal with crowds yet.
Arrive in Rome early April for five days, train to Florence for five days. Then off to Vienna. We tried to give ourselves enough time in each city to enjoy and not rush.
Great advice again Gregor, we are starting to visit Rome in November, we were there at the start of this November and it was perfect. We use the trains often as they are fast and comfortable and the service is always great. We try to find a nice restaurant away from the popular places. We usually find a restaurant down a side street a lot cheaper, The food is excellent especially if locals eat there. Try to have a few phrases in Italian it goes a long way and locals appreciate you trying their language and you never know you might get a little extra.
Gregor you nailed it again. I have been to Italy 4 times for various lengths of time. My most recent trip was a very rushed 2 weeks trying to show my friends who had never been to Florence or Venice the top tourist spots and areas not so crowded. 5 days in each place, (last few days in Venice on my own) spending too much time in the very crowded tourist areas. My trip in 2022 I spent 2 weeks in Florence and a month in Venice. Having seen the very touristy sites in previous trips, I just enjoyed be there on my own and living like a local. My only regret from that trip is not taking the train or a Tuscan Countryside tour to smaller cities or towns like Siena or Arezzo.
On another note, the street you are walking along in this video is where we stayed on this last trip, it was a great location, near Santa Croce and we enjoyed our rental through Mamo Florence. I am guessing that because you are in a T-shirt this video was not made recently. We were there the last week of September, it was very crowded in the touristy areas, we found early mornings the best time to get out. Salute 🥂🍾
We are considering going to Florence (1 week including various day trips) and tropea (maybe 6 nights?). Thoughts?
Always love your videos, they were a big help on out trip in October! Did you do a review of the Galleria Restaurant in Milan, or did I dream that?
Awesome video!