Off The Beaten Path In Italy

Regina Juno

Regina Juno

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Dec 5, 2014
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Italian towns and cities are all full of wonderful sites and places to visit. We all know of all the famous places to go as a tourist, however, what about going off the beaten path in Italy. You don't hear too much of the less touristy spots in Italy. Can anyone give some ideas for a traveler that wants to explore more than the regular tourist spots in Italy?
 
I'd say just rent a car or take a regional train. Southern Italy is gorgeous and not very touristy. The food is amazing and very cheap. Puglia is my favorite region in the south and you can go days without hearing English speakers (which is probably why some people don't go). So different from Rome! I would also say to ask locals. There are many interesting towns less than an hour outside of Rome that a tourist could get to and have a totally different experience than what you'd find in the city. Off the top of my head you could head to Castel Gandolfo about an hour outside Rome in the hills. The pope's summer residence is there and it's on a beautiful lake. Very few toursts!
 
I've only visited Northern Italy, and still have a lot more places to see, but I almost never follow the touristy paths :D
It is, of course, easier for me because I know the language so, if I ever get lost, I have no problem finding the car or the train station. I can only imagine how confusing it must be for people who can't speak or understand Italian.

But, there is a solution for all that :)
Using Google Maps, either use it on your phone so you won't get lost, or use the Street View to find less touristy spots ahead of time.
I always do a bit of a research on a place before visiting it. The main reason is, I always look for free parking options (parking costs a lot over here, especially if you want to leave your car somewhere for one entire day!) and, whether I like it or not, I always come across some pizzeria, some hidden paths or streets, and so on.

Or, another option would be to simply walk away from the crowds.
When I was in Venice, first thing I wanted to see was the main Piazza. But then I thought... why stay here with the crowd, when we (my boyfriend and I) could simply... step away from it :D So we did, we went to explore the streets and we actually got to see "the real Venice": narrow streets, people hanging their underwear on the balcony, we found some interesting cafes, found a park, it was really lovely!
 
You do need to know some Italian and always take provisions with you in case you can't find anywhere. Maps are useful, but bear in mind some may be out of date so I wouldn't stray too far. Once, a few of us decided to do just that and one friend spoke and read fluent Italian as his parents are Italian and so we bought a map and ventured off, only to find they hadn't finished making the trail or building the road on the map and we ended up in the middle of a mountain with no way to get down.

Long story short, we had no food left and the only thing to do was try to climb down through a forest and head for the sea. Lesson, always double check that the path has been laid and the road is open. Just because it's on the map doesn't mean it's open! I would still go off the beaten track, but would double check in case of any local landslides or works.
 
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Gabe said:
You do need to know some Italian and always take provisions with you in case you can't find anywhere. Maps are useful, but bear in mind some may be out of date so I wouldn't stray too far. Once, a few of us decided to do just that and one friend spoke and read fluent Italian as his parents are Italian and so we bought a map and ventured off, only to find they hadn't finished making the trail or building the road on the map and we ended up in the middle of a mountain with no way to get down.

Long story short, we had no food left and the only thing to do was try to climb down through a forest and head for the sea. Lesson, always double check that the path has been laid and the road is open. Just because it's on the map doesn't mean it's open! I would still go off the beaten track, but would double check in case of any local landslides or works.
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It's good to keep in mind that getting off the beaten path may mean that you will not find shops and restaurants like you would in tourist areas. So, it is important to plan ahead when it comes to food.
 
When going off the beaten path, making sure to have sufficient water and food (or snacks, whatever you like) and having an up to date map. Also GoogleMaps are a amazingly useful tool when exploring. Can't beat satellite images!
 
Kitty Reeves said:
When going off the beaten path, making sure to have sufficient water and food (or snacks, whatever you like) and having an up to date map. Also GoogleMaps are a amazingly useful tool when exploring. Can't beat satellite images!
Click to expand...

There are also really good offline maps apps for your devices that don't require an internet connection. I think I used maps.me when I was in Europe, but it was a while ago so I can't be too sure
 
Gabe said:
You do need to know some Italian and always take provisions with you in case you can't find anywhere. Maps are useful, but bear in mind some may be out of date so I wouldn't stray too far. Once, a few of us decided to do just that and one friend spoke and read fluent Italian as his parents are Italian and so we bought a map and ventured off, only to find they hadn't finished making the trail or building the road on the map and we ended up in the middle of a mountain with no way to get down.

Long story short, we had no food left and the only thing to do was try to climb down through a forest and head for the sea. Lesson, always double check that the path has been laid and the road is open. Just because it's on the map doesn't mean it's open! I would still go off the beaten track, but would double check in case of any local landslides or works.
Click to expand...

Wow. Now, this sounds like quite the adventure and memory of traveling off the beaten path! You were lucky that one of your friends spoke fluent Italian. It also sounds like you all had a good sense of direction to know which way to go, after reaching a "dead-end". I get turned around easily, but everyone that knows me well, knows not to follow my lead haha. Good advice about watching out for volcanic activity, too. Something so important, that could be easily overlooked in ones excitement literally travel off the beaten bath.
 
Wow, Gabe, I bet it's a great memory to share now but I suspect you weren't very happy when it happened :D

I do agree that maps are a MUST!
I only mentioned Google maps in my previous post, but I do have several city maps I keep at home, they really come in handy!
When I first moved here, I needed to get to a certain address to buy something for my old phone, and there was this one place in town that I had to get to but didn't know how. So I bought a map, and have used it for several months in a row whenever I felt like going for a walk :D
It's silly, I was literally walking around with a map in my hands, rotating it whenever I came across an intersection, people were staring... but I didn't really care, a paper map is so very useful!

And as a tip, you can always buy one at newsstands.
Just ask for "una mappa della città, per favore" (one city map, please). Make sure you tell this in Italian, so they won't think you're tourists and charge you god knows how much for a simple map! :)
 
Rosie said:
Wow, Gabe, I bet it's a great memory to share now but I suspect you weren't very happy when it happened :D

I do agree that maps are a MUST!
I only mentioned Google maps in my previous post, but I do have several city maps I keep at home, they really come in handy!
When I first moved here, I needed to get to a certain address to buy something for my old phone, and there was this one place in town that I had to get to but didn't know how. So I bought a map, and have used it for several months in a row whenever I felt like going for a walk :D
It's silly, I was literally walking around with a map in my hands, rotating it whenever I came across an intersection, people were staring... but I didn't really care, a paper map is so very useful!

And as a tip, you can always buy one at newsstands.
Just ask for "una mappa della città, per favore" (one city map, please). Make sure you tell this in Italian, so they won't think you're tourists and charge you god knows how much for a simple map! :)
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Oh best advice ever, "una mappa della città, per favore" :)
How long have you lived in Italy? If you don't mind sharing, wondering what made you decide to move there? My brother and his family just returned this last September from Northern Italy, after being stationed there for several years. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to go over and visit them; however since my husband's nationality is Italian and he has spent time over there. Someday soon, I plan to visit. I am all for paper maps :p. Matter of fact, as soon as my kids could read, they were my right hand wing-man when taking road trips. I think it is a good skill to have even with today's technology!
 
Walking around with a map. It sounds very simple, but it's a great way to experience the vibe of the country. You could also rent a car and just drive around for bit. A personal tour guide who's familiar with the lesser known paths may help too. :)
 
I don't mind a bit of adventure when I'm abroad but I think I draw the line at getting lost and having to walk for miles without food or water! That's a bit on the extreme side for me!

Seriously though, it is good to see the parts of a country not many other visitors do, but at the same time I'd have to always make sure it would be part of a group with maybe a guide, just for the safety aspect.
 
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