Let's face it, cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice are just way overcrowded. For instance, the line to get in the Vatican Museum can be OVER A MILE LONG. Big crowds prevent you from seeing David or the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. St. Mark's Square in Venice is awash with people, sometimes so many you might think you're in Disney World during spring break. But there are authentic and small Italian towns to visit, just about any time of the year. Check them out in my Italy blog post.
Of course we do small group tours to places like Paris, Rome, Dublin and Oslo. Those are big, bustling cities with mass transit systems, big hotels, lots of museums and restaurants. However, on The Traveling Professor's travels, we have found places that are tiny, off the beaten path places, that we just love to visit. Check out our favorite small towns in Italy, Iceland, Norway, that you have not heard of, but would like to.
Everyone wants to see Rome, Florence and Venice. And why not? They should be seen. However, the larger cities of Italy are expensive and full of tourists, trinket shops, ordinary restaurants, and standard chain hotels. Why not relax and visit the REAL Italy on your next trip? Enjoy the tastes and culture of smaller authentic cities. Avoid the crowds and long lines, eat real Italian food, see amazing sites, and stay at outstanding hotels all less expensively than can be done in the large cities.
If you ask me, cities like Rome, Venice, and Paris are barely worth visiting during peak times. Our Traveling Professor small group tours avoid these cities in the summer and certain holiday periods. However, there are gems located all over Europe that can be visited any time of the year. Each has it's own charms for different reasons. On your next tour to Europe, try visiting one of these cities, even for only a day. I guarantee you will enjoy them.
When The Traveling Professor did his annual traveler survey over the summer, over 67% of the respondents indicated they preferred to travel to more uncommon destinations. On my small group tours to Italy we do travel to more touristy cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence, but I think people are looking for those more uncrowded and less touristy authentic Italian towns. In this blog post I list my favorite authentic Italian towns that get away from those larger, touristy cities.