Slow Travel in Italy: Why You Don't Need to See Everything

Slow Travel in Italy and See Less.

Florence. Rome. Venice. Tuscany. Cinque Terre. Amalfi.

When people start planning a trip to Italy, the list gets long very quickly.

For many of the travelers I talk to, this is a trip they've dreamed about for years—sometimes decades.

They finally have 10 days or two weeks in Italy and understandably think:

How do I fit everything in?

So they try.

Two nights here.

Three nights there. A morning tour followed by lunch followed by another attraction. Pack the suitcase. Check out. Catch the train. Check in somewhere else.

And somewhere along the way, the vacation they've waited years to take starts looking suspiciously like their everyday life.

A schedule.

I've come to believe there's a different way to experience Italy.

You don't need to see everything to experience Italy deeply.

In fact, seeing less might allow you to experience much more.

Why Do We Feel Like We Have to See Everything in Italy?

Part of it is completely understandable.

Traveling to Italy is expensive. You may have saved for years. You don't know when—or if—you'll return.

You want to make the trip worth it.

And we often translate "worth it" into more.

More cities. More museums. More restaurants. More wineries. More day trips.

But what if the value of an Italy trip isn't measured by how many places you see?

What if it's measured by how deeply you experience where you are?

That's a question I wish more travelers would ask before adding one more stop to their itinerary.

What Living in Florence Taught Me About Travel

When I think about the years I lived in Florence, my strongest memories aren't necessarily Florence's famous attractions.

They're people.

I remember riding my bike to teach English. Stopping at my favorite panino shop to see Luca and Leo. Running into people I knew on the bus. Meeting friends for aperitivo.

I remember sitting with my friend Laura in Piazza della Signoria with a bottle of wine and talking for hours.

I remember returning to the same places and recognizing people—and eventually having them recognize me.

Those routines made me feel like I belonged in a city that became my home.

I wasn't waking up every morning thinking about how much Italian culture I needed to absorb that day.

I wasn't trying to experience Italy. I was simply living in it.

And because of that, I experienced it deeply.

Obviously, spending a week in Tuscany isn't the same as living in Florence.

But I think travelers can borrow something from that experience.

Return.

Go to the same bar tomorrow.

Say buongiorno to the same shopkeeper.

Walk the same street again.

Give a place enough time to become familiar.

What Happens When You Stay in One Tuscan Village?

Stefano and I experienced this recently when we spent time in Radicondoli, a small village in Tuscany.

Our days weren't particularly impressive or organized on paper.

We'd have coffee at our apartment and then walk to Il Nazionale for another cappuccino and something to eat.

We wandered.

We sat in the piazza.

We went home for lunch sometimes.

I read. Stefano watched television. We took naps.

Around five, we'd return to Il Nazionale for aperitivo.

We started recognizing the regulars playing cards. And eventually, they started recognizing us.

At first there were curious looks.

Then came questions.

Where are you from?

Why are you here?

Why did you choose Radicondoli?

By our fourth dinner at Il Nazionale, the owner, Giulia, had a table for us by the window.

"That's your table."

It was such a small thing.

And yet I remember exactly how it made me feel.

We belonged there, even if only for a little while.

That's what staying gives you that passing through sometimes can't.

Slow Travel Isn't About Doing Nothing

Slow travel in Italy doesn't mean you have to spend your entire vacation sitting in a piazza.

Visit the winery.

See Florence.

Go to the museum you've dreamed about.

Drive to another Tuscan village.

But give Italy some room between those things.

Leave an afternoon intentionally empty.

Have a two-hour lunch without wondering when the check is coming.

Spend an entire evening in the village where you're staying.

Go back to the same café instead of finding a different one every morning.

Talk to someone.

Try your Italian.

And occasionally put the phone away.

My dear friend Pasquale used to tell me this whenever I wanted to photograph everything:

Use your eyes.

Look at the view.

Notice how it makes you feel.

You don't need photographic evidence of every beautiful thing you encounter.

Sometimes you can simply experience it.

A Feast for Your Eyes—and a Feast of People

One of my Truly Italy guests, Skip, once described Tuscany in a way I've never forgotten.

He talked about its beauty and lushness and called it a "feast for your eyes."

But then he said something even more important.

There was also a "feast of people."

He remembered their warmth, caring and pride in the countryside, wine and food.

That's the Italy I want travelers to know.

Of course Tuscany is beautiful.

But if you come home remembering only the views, you've missed part of what makes this place extraordinary.

The people are part of the experience.

How to Plan a Slower Italy Itinerary

If you're currently planning your trip, you don't necessarily need to throw away your itinerary.

Start by creating some space inside it.

Choose fewer home bases. Staying longer means less packing, checking out, navigating train stations and starting over every couple of days.

Leave part of a day intentionally unplanned. Don't leave it empty because you haven't figured out what to do. Leave it empty on purpose.

Return to places. Become a familiar face at the neighborhood bar, restaurant or alimentari.

Allow yourself a long lunch. You don't need another reservation immediately afterward.

Spend an evening where you're staying. Don't treat your home base merely as somewhere to sleep between day trips.

And while you're planning, ask yourself one question:

What would happen if I left this afternoon empty?

You can't answer that question yet.

You'll have to be there to find out.

See Less. Feel More.

Italy has taught me that more isn't necessarily better.

More places, plans and accomplishments don't automatically create a richer life.

And they don't automatically create a better vacation either.

For me, slow travel is ultimately about paying attention.

It's about being present enough to notice the people around you, taste what you're eating, look at the landscape and allow yourself to belong somewhere—even temporarily.

The goal isn't to come home from Italy saying:

"I saw everything."

I'd rather you come home saying:

"I felt like I was really there."

Stay longer. Rush less. Connect more.

See less. Feel more.

Ready to Plan a Slower Trip to Tuscany?

If you're dreaming of Tuscany with fewer places, more breathing room and deeper connection, start with my free Slow Tuscany Starter Kit.

→ Get the Free Slow Tuscany Starter Kit

Already planning your trip and wondering whether you're trying to fit too much in?

→ Explore Personal Italy Trip Planning