The Italian Cities That Just Aren’t Worth It (Anymore)

Bad mouthing Pisa is just emblematic of what a barbarian this Gregor dude is. There is more history and beauty just in Pisa than there is in whatever barbarous country Gregor is from.

Verona!?! No less packed with tourists.

I love Orvieto in Umbria

I would caution young female travelers about visiting Naples alone. Better to go with friends.

We just returned from Puglia; loved it. Bari was our base, we visited a handful of cities. Polignano was nice, close by is Monopoli which we thought was even nicer. Lecce is another beautiful city that is worth a visit.

Overall, far fewer tourists and far less English spoken.

I can hear the collective groan of the Neapolitans as all the tourists are told to "go to Naples".... Naples has the highest population density in Italy. In 2024, it had a population density of 7,800 inhabitants per square kilometer. This is significantly higher than even Milan, which had a density of 7,600 per square kilometer. Rome, while the largest city, only had a density of 2,100 per square kilometer.

Do not come to Bologna 😂 Great place but it’s getting way too busy in the summer 😡

I live in Italy. Even Italians stay away from certain places in peak season.... Follow their lead. Also, don't eat in tourist restaurants! They all depend on volume not repeat customers. Look online and find where the locals go. You can be sure it won't be right next to a touristy spot.

The BEAUTY of Bologna has no words to describe it.

Just too many people on the planet right now…

I only went to Europe once, back in 1999. Glad I went when I did, wish I could have seen it even before then.

Bologna is still visitable in summer.....but the rest isn't. Shame. Such a beautiful country. But most European capitals cities are going the same way with mass tourism.

I've only been to Venice in November, March and early April. It was still filled with tourists but one could still escape into quieter regions of the city and the weather was very pleasant.

Many once magnificent European cities have become dump sites.For Authentic Cultural experiences stick to the rural and countryside areas.

The problem with naples is the amount of nonwhites that will harass and steal from xou. In rome its bad too but its especially bad in naples. No thanks

Very simple. Go to Hungary instead of Italy. Better to go to Budapest instead of Paris. Why do a lot of people use Budapest instead of Paris as a filmset putting it in Budapest, right. Oh yeah wanna a lot of Roman ruins in a European capital city, right go to the Third historical city in Budapest, becides Buda and Pest, Óbuda. There you will find Aquincum, the Roman capital of Pannonia.

As long as I haerd Naples …I’m done . It’s dirtiest , crime ridden , ugliest city in Italy.

Go off season. Even book things ahead.
I went to Venice in December. Wonderful atmospheric fog and sunny day.
Try the different parts of Rome. There's s lot to soak in in just one square mile. Go to Sant'Angelo, or the hospital island - you'll find so much if you just step out of the centre. Get a metro map if you want to go further out.
Essential for Rome are comfy shoes - it's cobbles...

From Bari you can also go to Matera; the town built into the rock. I went last September so less tourists, but everyone there is so friendly. Just wear a smile yourself and learn a few words in Italian and you're at home.

I also recommend Treviso up North, and Pescara or Silvi on the Adriatic coast. Beaches for miles

Tourism has destroyed many Italian cities and towns. Loud, obnoxious tourists have destroyed the once deeply enjoyable experiences. Costs are now ridiculous! Crwods are massive in summer. AVOID Italy in the summer period.

Came sceptical about your advices, but having visited all cities I have to agree about Bologna, Verona and Naples. I’d still go to Rome, Venice and Firenze, just at different seasons. And to prove, Rome was very manageable at the beginning of May.

Don’t go in the summer; try April, May, October, November.

We got gelato in Rome for 3€, it was wonderful! Visited in April and the crowds were not too bad!

I'm thrilled that I enjoyed so much of Italy during the summer before the era of instagram 'influencers' and travel vloggers etc. Everywhere I went was crowded in a more manageable, pre-internet way. It was bustling and lively rather than hideously congested and intensely unpleasant. I look at Venice now and shudder.

I live in Veneto, i totally agree: Venice doesn't deserve the crowd, the big ships and overtourism, but's a gorgeous, incredible city: Verona is lovely and definitely worth a visit, but Venice is unique, a once in a lifetime experience. Speaking of Tuscany, also agree: Pisa is quite ugly, Lucca is marvellous!

Ten best Cities in Italy are;
Ravenna
Cremona
Padua
Todi
Palermo
Genoa
Mantua
Siena
Marsala
and Siracusa.

Unless you have no other options, tourists should absolutely avoid Rome, Venice and Florence from June to August included. May and September are not bad, but April and early October, especially for the South, are even better.
Naples is beautiful and with a lot of history and monuments, museums and nature - and think of Pompei! But tourists should be very, very careful because it is highly unsafe and scammers are there all the time to take advantage in ways you can't even imagine, even for Italians.
Verona, Padova, Turin, Perugia, Pisa, Orvieto, Lucca, Bari, Lecce, Siracusa etc these are jewels too.

Please do NOT come to Italy, at any time of the year! Overtourism is KILLING this country. ALSO: Napoli has been publicized so much that it no longer is the city it was only a few years back, so expect huge crowds and expensive prices here too. Please STAY AWAY from Italia. GRAZIE!

Thanks for your video. I agree naples is a very interesting destination, it was underated, but in the last years it changes. I hope it will not become like Rom, Venice and other touristic hotspots in italy. By the way the people are awesome friendly in the south.

Go to Bari! Great food and cool day trips all around.

come back to your silly country !!!!!!!!

Italy looks like a theme park. I think I'll pass.

If you happen to stay in one of the Big Three during a crowded time of year, get out and attack the historic walks EARLY. Take a siesta midday or head into a not insanely crowded museum midday, and start sightseeing again late afternoon and into the evening. You and cruise/bus/daytrip visitors largely miss each other.

Rome and Florence this last November— still crowded but enjoyable.

...add Matera and Ravenna to the destinations to go..and yes, avoid July and August - hot weather and high season - prices - and favour April, May, then September and October....better weather and better prices

We visit Italy every year for a month on February and March. Cheaper flights,Cheaper hotels,less tourists, it’s cool, and no lines or smaller lines into sites. You just have to know when and how to do it.

Got ripped off by the manager of the Cosimo de medici hotel in Florence last week. Lost hundreds of dollars in a scam. NEVER EVER pay up front for any Italian hotel. Its impossible to get a refund no matter how appalling the place turns out to be or how aggressive and violent the staff are. And do not assume the Italian police will be on the side of the tourist.

Thank you confirming what we have been thinking about for our first extended trip to Italy. ❤ subscribed

Sounds like some popular Italian cities are like glorified theme parks. That could be said for a number of tourist destinations in the rest of Europe. With tourists boycotting the United States these days, the number of tourists to these destinations will only increase.

Excellent!

Great video

Many 2nd tier cities deserves a go. I loved Padova and Siena.
I wouldn't recommend Napoli to anyone though, unless as basis for day-trips

In heavily touristed cities, often the tourists are clustered just in a few zones and if you walk even a little bit away from the zones you see no more tourists. Maybe try exploring a regular neighborhood instead of just going to the same plaza everyone else is going. Even in Paris in midsummer, I could easily walk around normal neighborhoods and see no tourist crowds.

Agree with everything you have said.

Replacing Florence with Bologna. 🤦‍♂️
Baloney!

Says the tourist with a selfie stick filming everything

Venice is actually worth visiting in the low season. Winter is also very nice, although cold, but the fog makes up for it!

it'd be extremely helpful you put the written names of each town you mention on the screen. hard to pick up what you're naming when unfamiliar with the italian pronunciations

Rome is not Rome anymore, it is Mogadishu now.

Our last and final visit to Italy in 2018 was just before it went full send on tourism. Verona and Florence are both a nightmare because of the lack of parking.