I’ll never forget the first time my wife grabbed my arm and whispered, “This isn’t fun anymore.” We were wedged between a dozen cruise ship passengers on a sweltering bus on the Amalfi Coast, staring at the bumper of the bus in front of us. That was the moment I realized: Even beautiful Italy has its traps.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Italy. I’ve spent years wandering its back lanes, eating pasta in family kitchens, and getting lost on purpose. But some famous spots have become victims of their own success. The crowds, the prices, and the souvenir shops can squeeze the soul right out of a place.
This isn’t a hate list. It’s a smart traveler’s guide. For each overrated spot, I’ll give you a better alternative—often cheaper, always more authentic, and usually just a short train ride away.
1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa
You’ve seen the photos a million times. Someone pretending to hold up the tower. Someone pushing it over. Someone kissing it. The line to climb the 300 steps takes forever, the tickets are too expensive, and the whole experience lasts about fifteen minutes. After that, you’re standing in a field wondering, “That’s it?”
The rest of Pisa feels like an afterthought. Most tourists snap their photo and leave. The city itself is fine, but it’s not worth a special trip.
Where to go instead: Lucca
Hop on a train for about thirty minutes. Lucca has a massive Renaissance wall that you can rent a bike and ride right on top of. The piazzas are charming, the food is better, and you won’t feel like a sheep in a herd. My wife and I spent an afternoon there just circling the wall and stopping for coffee. We still talk about it.
However, if you are in Florence and only have one day to spare, you can book a tour that takes you to Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena. Check it out here
2. St. Mark’s Square in Venice (High Season)
Venice is magical. I truly believe that. But St. Mark’s Square in July is a hot, expensive nightmare. The cafes put out tables and charge fifteen euros for a coffee. Fifteen euros! That’s not a memory. That’s a robbery.
The pigeons are aggressive, the lines for the basilica wrap around the square, and you can barely hear yourself think over the selfie-stick chatter. Gondola rides cost eighty euros or more, and you’ll spend half your time dodging other boats.
Where to go instead: Venice in winter
The solution isn’t to skip Venice. It’s to visit in November, December, or January. The fog rolls in, the crowds vanish, and the city feels like it belongs to you again. If you must go in summer, skip the square entirely. Wander into Castello or Cannaregio. Those back alleys are the real Venice.
Check out this post on the best areas to stay in Venice.
3. Positano on the Amalfi Coast
I blame Instagram. Positano looks like a dream: pastel houses stacked on a cliff, bougainvillea dripping everywhere, the blue sea sparkling below. And it is beautiful. But getting there is a battle.
The coastal road is one long traffic jam. The beaches are tiny and packed with rented lounge chairs that cost forty euros a day. A basic hotel room can run five hundred dollars a night. My wife and I stood on the beach, looked at the gridlock of boats and bodies, and just laughed. We had fallen for the postcard.
There are so many towns along the Amalfi Coast that are worth checking out, as I wrote in this post. In fact, you can even enjoy Positano immensely if you plan well, and have a budget for it.
Apart from the actual towns on the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Salerno are two other excellent places to stay when exploring the coast. I compared them on a different post. Read it here
4. The Cinque Terre
I remember when the Cinque Terre was a secret. Now it’s a human conveyor belt. The five little fishing villages are stunning, but the trains between them are so packed you’ll be pressed against strangers for the whole ride. The famous hiking trails are often closed, and when they’re open, you need to buy a ticket and wait in line to use them.
The villages themselves have turned into open-air malls. Every other store sells the same lemon-themed souvenirs. The magic is still there, but you have to fight for it.
Where to go instead: Portovenere or the Lunigiana region
Portovenere is just a few miles south of Cinque Terre. It has colorful houses, a castle, and almost none of the crowds. You can take a boat there from La Spezia. Or go inland to Lunigiana, a valley of castle-topped hills and empty trattorias. You’ll feel like you discovered Italy yourself.
5. The Last Supper in Milan
Seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. In reality, it’s a fifteen-minute viewing that you have to book months in advance. You wait in a climate-controlled room, walk past the painting slowly, and then get shuffled out. It feels like a factory, not a pilgrimage.
The rest of Milan doesn’t help. The Duomo square is full of pickpockets and aggressive rose sellers. The Galleria is pretty but packed with luxury stores most of us can’t afford. Milan is a business city, not a vacation city.
Where to go instead: Turin
Take the train west to Turin. It has grand boulevards, incredible chocolate shops, and the second-best Egyptian Museum in the world (after Cairo). The cinema museum inside the Mole Antonelliana is a blast. And the best part? You’ll hear Italian on the streets, not English. My wife and I found a tiny cafe there where the owner brought us free samples of bicerin, a local coffee drink. That’s the kind of memory that lasts.
6. Capri’s Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a sea cave where the sunlight makes the water glow electric blue. It sounds magical. And it is—for about one minute. But first you wait an hour in a bobbing rowboat line. Then you duck down while a boatman pulls you into the cave. Then you sit there for sixty seconds, say “wow,” and get pulled back out.
If the waves are too high, the grotto closes without warning. And the whole thing costs thirty to fifty euros after you tip everyone. I’ve heard more people complain about the Blue Grotto than praise it.
Where to go instead: Procida
Procida is the smallest island in the Bay of Naples, and it feels like Capri fifty years ago. The pastel houses are tumbling and real. You can rent a kayak and find small grottos on your own. The ferry from Naples is cheap and short. Procida won’t impress your Instagram followers as much, but it will impress your soul.
7. The Spanish Steps in Rome
Rome is full of wonders. The Spanish Steps are not one of them. It’s just a staircase. A pretty staircase, yes, but still a staircase.
The city recently banned sitting on the steps. Police will fine you if you rest for too long. So you stand there, packed in with hundreds of other people, while men in gladiator costumes try to charge you for a photo. The fountain at the bottom is nice, but you can’t get close because of the crowd.
Where to go instead: The Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci)
Head to the Aventine Hill, one of Rome’s seven ancient hills. The Orange Garden is quiet, shady, and free. The view of St. Peter’s dome is unforgettable. And if you walk to the end of the garden, you’ll find a mysterious keyhole. Peek through it, and you’ll see a perfect view of the dome framed by a private hedge. No crowds. No gladiators. Just Rome whispering to you.
How to Survive If You Must Go
Look, I understand. Sometimes you have to see the famous thing. Your wife has dreamed of the Blue Grotto since she was a girl. Your kids want a photo holding up the tower. That’s fine. Here’s how to do it without losing your mind.
Go early. Before 8 AM, even the busiest spots are peaceful. The Spanish Steps at sunrise are just steps. The Cinque Terre trails at 7 AM feel like a secret.
Go off-season. November through March is the sweet spot. Yes, it might rain. Yes, it’s cooler. But you’ll have Italy almost to yourself.
Book tickets online before you leave home. The Last Supper requires planning months ahead. The Blue Grotto? You can’t book, so go on a weekday at 8:30 AM and be the first boat in.
The Takeaway
Italy is not overrated. Italy is wonderful. But some of its famous corners have become crowded, expensive, and rushed. That doesn’t make them bad. It just means you have to be smarter.
The best trips I’ve taken with my wife were not the ones where we checked off every bucket list item. They were the ones where we discovered a quiet piazza in Lucca, ate pasta in a family-run trattoria in Turin, and found a keyhole in Rome that showed us a perfect, unexpected view.
Skip the lines. Skip the hype. Go find your own Italy. It’s still there, waiting just around the corner.
NOTE BEFORE YOU GO: Italy rewards travelers who go prepared. And it is easy to ruin your trip. I have a checklist for you, of things you should never go to Italy without. CHECK IT OUT HERE. Also, if you enjoy my work and wouldn’t mind supporting me, you can book your accommodation through my link: BOOKING.COM. This are affiliate links. I may earn a commission on qualifying sales or bookings, at no extra cost to you. Thank You!