Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard from friends that’s it’s so crowded you can barely move even with small group tours, and that you need to prebook tickets into Venice or you can’t even go.

I don't think that's right if you are staying there overnight.

And yes, interested in any success stories for avoiding crowds!

Visit the third tier stuff in Venice. We were frequently the only ones at really cool locations.
Avoid St Marks Square. It is a mosh pit.

Sounds like you are not going to Tuscany. I did a small group evening tour of San Gigmanano, after the day trippers had left It included dinner in a family farm that was magical.

Mind you it was mid-May (so probably not comparable ), but things like the farm dinner are only open to the 8 guests who book the tour.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187902-d11451777-Small_Group_Chianti_and_San_Gimignano_Sunset_Trip_from_Siena-Siena_Tuscany.html

Our day trip to Tivoli was very fun even though we got stranded by a return bus that never showed. It was an adventure getting back to Rome, but we did it!

^
Forgot to add - we had a lot of issues getting around Rome. Buses that never showed or were really late. Hard to find taxis and taxis ripping us off. Having our hotel call us a cab when we were ready to go is what seemed to work best. We did Uber once but it was super expensive- like twice the taxi price.

We did Rome late June and Venice early July. Thoughts from that…

1. Trevi fountain - DH and DD got up to see it at like 1 AM. They said it was worth it. A few folks in their pics but only a handful.

2. Rome Restaurants - we went to these spots and liked them a lot:
Osteria di Agrippa - by the Pantheon but worlds away from the tourist trap spots that seem to radiate out from that area. Mid tier priced.
Marco Martini Roma - Awesome Michelin Star spot. Very pricey. Worth it.

3. I am assuming you have your big tix bought for Rome so won’t weigh in on that. We found crowds big but tolerable at the Colosseum Sun AM, pretty crazy at the Vatican late Fri afternoon and not too bad at St Peters an hour before closing Fri. Sat we did a day trip to a beach so I can’t speak to other spots in the city.

4. Venice: We really enjoyed St Mark’s and found crowds for the first thing in the AM on a weekday kind of light. We would have skipped Doge’s Palace in hindsight - really hot inside and not worth it. Restaurant- we liked Antico Calice. It had good food at decent prices and tons of the gondoliers in there grabbing a bite. We did a self-cichetti crawl for supper and liked that. Crowds were nuts mid day anywhere within 10-15 min walking of St Mark’s but much better on the other neighborhood we were in for a bit - the St Mark’s area was very enjoyable on a weekday up until about 9:30 or so. Did Row Venice which was fun with 4 of us (2 teens).

I can speak to Rome. I used Uber and the drivers were very professional and all wearing suit jackets, even though it was blazing hot. Mostly we walked.

We stayed near the Trevi fountain and it was lovely at 6:30 in the morning when I went to buy coffee, otherwise it's just a sea of people. We did breakfast at the Vatican so it wasn't crowded, but that's pretty much the only small tour I would recommend. Otherwise, doing a private tour or just going yourself is much easier to maneuver in crowds. Plan on doing some things right before closing time instead of trying to hit it early.

It was hot and crowded, but still a great time. There's a lot of city to explore that isn't crowded just a few feet from the hot spots.

We went recently and yes it was hot and crowded. But we still had a blast. I think you just have to be mentally prepared to expect the crowds.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way in hell to avoid crowds

The best way is to decide not to go see specific well-known sites (Mona Lisa at the Louvre). You can also stay in less touristy neighborhoods. Another tip for ports is to look at online calendars of cruise ship port calls.

There definitely are time of day effects that can be researched for various sights.

Crowded art museums aren't fun. Going 1st thing in the AM and going straight to see the most important things works pretty well. Night openings also work well.

Final tip, request a tour from a local greeter organization.

Go to linch at Cipriani on Torcello— lovely way to spend a day and you can get away from crowds

what does that mean you can barely even move? like you can't walk down the street, or are you referring to specific tours or sights like trevi fountain?

Anonymous wrote:There is no way in hell to avoid crowds

Just wondering if there were some less crowded spots you enjoyed. Realize the most popular places will inevitably be crowded.

Tell me more about your experience!

There is no way in hell to avoid crowds

Anonymous wrote:I heard from friends that’s it’s so crowded you can barely move even with small group tours, and that you need to prebook tickets into Venice or you can’t even go.

I don't think that's right if you are staying there overnight.

And yes, interested in any success stories for avoiding crowds!

I heard from friends that’s it’s so crowded you can barely move even with small group tours, and that you need to prebook tickets into Venice or you can’t even go.

Leaving tomorrow. I know it will be hot and crowded! Rome, Florence, Venice and part of the trip in the country. Best restaurants? Ways to avoid crowds? Other tips?

Also - do you use Uber when you need a taxi in Rome or is there a better app?

Thanks for all!