Downward angle icon Downward angle icon. If you visit Italy during peak tourist season, it can get busy. Lauren Breedlove I have traveled to many of Italy’s most popular spots during peak tourist season. Italy can be hot and crowded during peak tourist season, so it’s important to plan accordingly. I recommend planning some activities for each day and getting outside the typical tourist spots.
With its fantastic food and wine, idyllic villages, and stunning scenery, Italy is always a great choice, and many travelers seem to agree, choosing to use their hard-earned vacation time to explore this popular European destination.
In fact, the World Travel and Tourism Council reports that tourism and travel contributed €215 billion to Italy’s economy last year.
However, after visiting Italy over nine times and spending summers in Tuscany, I have experienced first-hand that summer, especially July and August, tends to be the busiest time to visit Italy.
Here are seven things I wish I’d known before visiting during peak tourist season.
The heat is real.
Start your day early to beat the heat. Lauren Breedlove
In most parts of Italy, it gets quite hot in July and August, but air conditioning is not as readily available as it is in the U.S. Many larger hotels have air conditioning, but some smaller hotels and rental properties do not.
It’s best to plan your activities, hikes and tours early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat and midday sun, and be sure to pack plenty of water.
Popular tourist spots can get very crowded.
It’s important to visit popular spots at off-peak times and make reservations in advance. Lauren Breedlove
There’s a reason tourists flock to the same places, but when it’s a place like Rome’s Trevi Fountain that’s difficult to navigate and photograph, it’s not as much fun, so we recommend going at off-peak times rather than skipping it entirely.
I like to visit popular tourist spots first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds, and I also try to visit the busiest destinations on weekdays instead of weekends.
We also encourage you to get creative and find alternative spots to take that famous photo, like photographing Florence’s Ponte Vecchio from another bridge, or from above while sipping an Aperol Spritz at a rooftop bar.
Most places close for a few hours in the late afternoon.
Don’t eat out during the day. Lauren Breedlove
Many restaurants close between lunch and dinner, usually between 3:00 and 7:00 PM. Shops (including some grocery stores) also usually close for a few hours between 12:00 and 4:00 PM.
It’s a good time to take a nap or, if you’re staying somewhere with a pool, cool off in the pool.
It is better to use public transport than to drive a car.
Driving in Italy is a pain, with limited parking and ZTL zones. Lauren Breedlove
Having driven in Italy a few times, I would recommend using public transport, especially during tourist season. Not only can driving in a foreign country be stressful, but many Italian cities and villages have ZTL zones that restrict non-locals from driving in the historic centres.
There is usually parking just outside these zones, but spaces are limited during peak periods and it is best to take public transport to avoid fines.
Whether you’re visiting Venice, Naples, or smaller cities like San Gimignano in Tuscany or Polignano a Mare in Puglia, many of the top sites are reachable by train or bus.
The best restaurants are located away from the main tourist attractions.
I recommend checking out the restaurants on the side streets. Lauren Breedlove
Italy’s food is fantastic, but the most authentic culinary experiences come from wandering the side streets away from the main tourist spots.
The best pizza I had in Rome was at Antico Forno Roscioli, located just a few blocks from bustling Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.
A basic rule of thumb is to avoid restaurants that have pictures of their food on display outside and the manager trying to convince you to eat there.
Don’t do too much on one trip.
Slow down and enjoy every moment of the journey. Lauren Breedlove
My travel philosophy has always been to make the most of my time in a place and see everything I can, but often this translates to rushing around and not really experiencing the destination.
In Italy, I try to slow down, adopt the local mindset and truly savor everything I eat, drink and see. After several trips, I now prefer to spend more time in one place instead of cramming in hundreds of different places and changing hotels every night.
Go on an adventure off the beaten path.
There’s so much more to Italy than just its big cities. Lauren Breedlove
While Italy’s most popular cities are worth visiting, we recommend making time to explore the less-traveled spots as well: Lucca, Pitigliano and tiny Castiglione d’Orcia are all beautiful alternatives or additions to Tuscany.
Along the coast, Camogli, on the Italian Riviera, is a great addition to any Cinque Terre itinerary, and the little village of Varenna makes a great base for visiting Lake Como, instead of the better-known Bellagio or Menaggio.
On the Amalfi Coast, villages like Positano attract the most visitors, but Atrani and Praiano offer better value and are farther away from the other tourist crowds.
