I still remember the moment I pulled out of the airport car park in Pisa. It was a tiny blue Fiat Cinquecento, and it was 10 pm. Every single sign seemed to be pointing somewhere I didn’t recognise, and I had to join the main autostrada without causing mayhem. My hands were on the wheel, my maps were loaded, and I thought: what on earth am I doing?

Planning a trip to Puglia and want to go beyond the usual tourist trail? This is where slowing down changes everything. From the dramatic coastline of the Gargano Peninsula to quieter bases like Conversano, this is a different side of southern Italy. Less polished, more instinctive, and far more rewarding if you let it unfold at its own pace.

Planning a trip to Italy has always felt simple somehow. The light, the food, the slower rhythm of it all often makes it easy to imagine.

But lately, global events have started to shape even those quieter plans, from flight routes to fuel costs and the rising price of travel.

Spring in Italy is a season of quiet shifts.

From changing landscapes and local rhythms to lighter food and slower days, this guide shares what to expect and how to move with it.

This wasn’t a trip of big highlights or must see moments.

It was quieter than that.

A meal I didn’t expect.
A place that made it easy to slow down.
A new friendship that came out of nowhere.

Every year, the same question resurfaces.

Is Italy too crowded to visit?

The short answer is no.
But certain places are, and that is the reason that I personally avoid them. Which is a shame, as I am desperate to add Venice to my list of places I’ve lost myself in in Italy.

Italy is not suffering from too many visitors overall. It is experiencing over tourism in specific cities where tourism is heavily concentrated.