Italy Is Not Overrated. It Is Overcrowded
How to avoid overtourism, explore lesser known regions and travel Italy more responsibly
An autumn evening in Ascoli Piceno, Marche.
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.
If you want to avoid crowds in Italy, the solution is not to skip the country, it is to travel differently.
What Is Over Tourism In Italy?
Over tourism in Italy refers to excessive visitor numbers concentrated in a small number of historic cities, particularly Venice, Rome and Florence.
These cities attract millions of visitors each year. Their historic centres are compact, residential housing is limited and infrastructure was never designed for modern mass tourism.
The result is rising rents for both tourists and locals, housing pressure, environmental strain and growing frustration from residents. And rightly so.
The issue is not that Italy has too many tourists.
It is that too many tourists visit the same places.
Cortona, Tuscany
Undeniably beautiful, but also incredibly busy.
Is Italy Only Rome, Florence And Venice?
No!!!
Italy has 20 regions, each with distinct landscapes, food culture and architectural identity and all crying out to be explored.
Many remain under explored by international travellers, offering space, authenticity and a slower rhythm of life.
Think of the mountains and national parks of Abruzzo.
The coastline and whitewashed towns of Puglia & Basilicata.
The medieval hill towns and valleys of Umbria.
The rural countryside of Tuscany beyond the major tourist hubs.
If Italy feels overcrowded, it is often because travellers are following the crowd and the same well known routes.
Stunning Barga, in Northwestern Tuscany. Quiet, still, and breathtakingly beautiful
What Are Alternative Destinations In Italy?
If you want to avoid crowds in Italy, I urge you to look beyond the capitals and explore smaller cities and regional towns.
These are two places I discovered on my last road trip across Central Italy, and they honestly blew me away. Yet most tourists have never heard of them.
Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany
Located in EasternTuscany, Castiglion Fiorentino offers medieval streets, panoramic valley views and real local life without the heavy visitor traffic of its more famous neighbours. You can wander its historic centre without queueing for a table. Italian is spoken more than English. The atmosphere feels lived in rather than curated for tourism.
If you want to experience your own real life Under the Tuscan Sun moment, then Castiglion Fiorentino ticks all the boxes, yet it’s a stone’s throw from Cortona where the piazzas and streets are heaving with tourists.
Ascoli Piceno, Marche
Surely one of the most undiscovered yet beautiful small cities in Italy.
Its travertine piazzas glow in the late afternoon light. The arcades are elegant. Aperitivo in Piazza del Popolo feels refined but unhurried. And still, most UK travellers have never heard of it.
When I stayed there, I based myself at Nella Torre B&B, a small character filled place right in the historic centre. It is the kind of stay that makes you feel part of the city rather than just passing through it. If waking up in a 500 year old tower in the centre of a medieval town is your vibe, then Nella Torre B&B is where you need to stay.
Exploring towns like these spreads tourism more evenly and rewards you with a far more immersive experience.
Is It Cheap To Fly To Regional Italy From The UK?
Yes. And the numbers prove it.
In many cases, it is cheaper to fly from the UK to a regional Italian airport than to travel domestically by rail within Britain.
Budget airlines now connect British cities with smaller Italian airports, opening access to regions that were once considered off route.
Take Pescara in Abruzzo.
Pescara Airport is currently the fastest growing airport in Italy. In 2025, passenger numbers increased by 31.5 percent compared to 2024, placing it first nationally for percentage growth among airports handling over one million passengers.
That shift tells a story.
Travellers are beginning to look beyond the usual gateways.
Exploring the quiet heart of Pianella, in Abruzzo
From Pescara Airport, you are twenty minutes from rural countryside and hilltop villages. I often stay at Dimora Antica Pianella, an authentic B&B set in a historic building in the heart of Pianella.
It is perfectly placed for exploring Abruzzo’s coastline, mountains and national parks, yet feels entirely removed from mass tourism.
Choosing a regional airport does not just change your arrival point. It changes the pace and feel of your entire trip.
What Is Slow Travel In Italy?
Slow travel in Italy means staying longer in one location and exploring a region in depth rather than rushing between major cities.
A practical approach looks like:
• Staying four to seven nights in one base
• Taking day trips to smaller surrounding towns
• Eating in locally owned restaurants
• Visiting weekly markets
• Learning basic Italian phrases
Slow travel reduces transport pressure, supports local economies and creates a more meaningful experience.
It is not about aesthetics.
It is about sustainability.
How Can You Avoid Crowds In Italy?
If you want to travel Italy responsibly and avoid overtourism hotspots, consider:
• Flying into regional airports
• Visiting lesser known regions
• Travelling outside peak summer months
• Staying longer in one place
• Supporting locally owned businesses
You do not need to avoid Rome or Venice completely.
But you do not need to treat them as the only version of Italy either.
Turin is often overlooked as a weekend getaway, in place of Venice or Florence, but it has so much to offer.
Final Thought
Italy is not overrated.
It is over concentrated.
For travellers willing to explore beyond the obvious, there is still extraordinary space, beauty and authenticity across the country.
The question is not whether Italy is breaking up with visitors.
It is whether we are willing to travel it differently.
Baci,
Beara x