Anonymous wrote:I heard Verona is an alternative.. similar to Venice but not at overrun with tourists. Anyone been there? DW wants to go to Italy next year.

Absolutely loved Verona- quaint city and had some of the best food and not at all overrun with tourists. I'm also a huge fan of Amorone wine and love the wine tours around that region.

Anonymous wrote:Went to Venice several times a while ago and loved it. One of my favorite places in the world to visit. At that time, you could get lost and wander around where the clothes were hanging above the "streets" and kids playing. Is that over? Do people still live there or is it totally AirBnB? The part I loved about Venice was just wandering around and maybe stepping into an obscure church off the beaten track. That was the charm--not San Marco.

A PP asked about Verona. I've been there and remember it as being lovely (we just stopped for lunch), but nothing like Venice. It is a place I would consider visiting. It's also near Lake Garda which is a beautiful area. I prefer northern Italy to southern Italy.

It's not over. We were in Venice last December, and it was definitely still possible to get lost in quiet passageways, see laundry hanging out to dry, and see kids playing in otherwise empty squares. We did/saw all of these things, and I agree that they were a highlight of the trip. I had never been to Venice before - neither had our DS (9), although DH had been several times - and I found it to be absolutely enchanting. Of course, we were there at a very slow time of the year, and we stayed in an apartment in quiet, residential part of the city (Santa Croce). I would highly recommend both of these things.

We arrived on Christmas Day, had Christmas dinner in a nearby restaurant that seemed to be mostly frequented by locals, and walked through a practically deserted St. Mark's Square that night. Most of the people we saw out and about were going to church services and Christmas concerts. It was really magical. That said, I can certainly see how it would be a far different experience when teeming with tourists. We were back in Venice on New Year's Eve, and the crowds were out in force, and it was far less enjoyable. But even then, the crowds thinned out the further you moved from the center of the city. If you can put up with the unpredictable winter weather (we were lucky, and had mild, dry weather), it's a great time to visit. None of us can go back in time and visit decades ago before the cruise ships and hordes of tourists changed the character of the city, but we can chose when to visit and where to stay. I wasn't sure what to expect from Venice because people seem to either love it or hate it, but I loved it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tourism killed the charm, as it does every where once a location becomes a destination.

I had my honeymoon in St Lucia back in 97. nice cutsie island, was a popular destination for Brits. but not overrun.

went back 10 years later for an anniversary, and it was completely different. I'll probably go back on my 25th just for the sake of it. but Yeah tourism really kills an area.

What about you the tourist? How come you can go multiple times but when other tourists go they ruined the charm? Funny how that works.

yeah that’s how it’s it works. a place can only take so many tourists. the first ones help the city thrive and the rest Rhône’s them. very big cities are more immune because they can absorb more tourists. smaller towns have no chance.

Funny that you would get auto-corrected to a French river in the travel forum!

I was last in Venice three years ago, for the sixth or seventh time. Yeah, the street vendors were annoying. So was the number of tourists. But we have amazing memories of dancing in the rain in piazza San Marco at 10pm, of strolling Burano eating cookies from a small bakery, of wandering the side streets away from the crowds, of eating gelato at least once a day, of watching a glass blower make a snail figurine just for my DC. Plus art. Plus churches. Plus a cheesy gondola ride. And DC had an unforgettable birthday there and now loves Venice.

FWIW, I have usually visited in December or March. This last visit was the first week of May. Would not go any later into summer.

Anonymous wrote:I heard Verona is an alternative.. similar to Venice but not at overrun with tourists. Anyone been there? DW wants to go to Italy next year.

Verona has some charm but is nothing like Venice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tourism killed the charm, as it does every where once a location becomes a destination.

I had my honeymoon in St Lucia back in 97. nice cutsie island, was a popular destination for Brits. but not overrun.

went back 10 years later for an anniversary, and it was completely different. I'll probably go back on my 25th just for the sake of it. but Yeah tourism really kills an area.

I feel the same about Costa rica. I visited when it wasn't a trend and was unspoiled. Now it's so so different. Complete change.

Were you there in the last 40 years? If so, it was already overtouristed. Sorry to tell you.

Anonymous wrote:Food's awful too. $50 for a plate of pasta. Olive Garden's just as good and $40 cheaper.

Stop going to the tourist places and figure out where the locals go. I know it's getting tougher, but it's possible.

Food's awful too. $50 for a plate of pasta. Olive Garden's just as good and $40 cheaper.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tourism killed the charm, as it does every where once a location becomes a destination.

I had my honeymoon in St Lucia back in 97. nice cutsie island, was a popular destination for Brits. but not overrun.

went back 10 years later for an anniversary, and it was completely different. I'll probably go back on my 25th just for the sake of it. but Yeah tourism really kills an area.

What about you the tourist? How come you can go multiple times but when other tourists go they ruined the charm? Funny how that works.

I never said that I didn't help ruin the charm by multiple visits. but at one time St lucia was a nice quite outta the way island, So yeah I guess when I went an rented a cottage twice I killed the island culture, but the cruise ships and all inclusive resorts that moved in had nothing to do with it.

Like any thing good, once the word gets out about how good or how nice a place is, its done.

We were in Venice last summer and I thought it was lovely in the mornings and the evenings when the cruise ship passengers weren't there. We also stayed in Dorsoduro which is a quiet part of the city.

Anonymous wrote:I am in my 40s. I visited Venice several times in my youth and it was always awe aspiring, authentic place. Yes full of tourists for sure but the life still went on .

I was there yesterday and it’s a shadow of the city I remember. Covered in cheap junk from Chine and very unwelcoming. What happened? Is it me or is it the city?

I totally get where you're coming from, there is no way I would visit during high season -- the junk vendors are out of control, and it's so crowded and everyone is grumpy. But, I think that during the less popular times of the year, the city still has a lot of charm. It's especially nice in the evening when the cruise and bus folks ship out for the night, and the sellers of Chinese crap go away.

Anonymous wrote:tourism killed the charm, as it does every where once a location becomes a destination.

I had my honeymoon in St Lucia back in 97. nice cutsie island, was a popular destination for Brits. but not overrun.

went back 10 years later for an anniversary, and it was completely different. I'll probably go back on my 25th just for the sake of it. but Yeah tourism really kills an area.

I think about this all the time. We honeymooned in New Zealand in 1998. Before the Lord of the Rings movies came out. We haven't been back, and I'd love to go back, but it's such a destination now I'm sure it won't be what it was.

Anonymous wrote:My father is from Verona and I've spent a lot of time there since I was a small child. It's a lovely town with great wine and food. Some cheesy touristy Romeo and Juliet stuff too.

BUT - if you're even remotely interested in Opera (or not), a must do is attending the opera in the Arena, which is older than the Colloseum in Rome and still in use as a concert venue. The Opera season runs June - August and focuses typically on Italian Operas (started to celebrate Verdi). Aida is a signature opera there with all of the spectacle of the animals on stage. It is spectacular under the stars in this amazing venue - highly, highly recommend!

https://www.arena.it/arena/en

Eat dinner here before the Opera: https://bottegavini.it/

If there's anything I hate more than opera, it's animal abuse.

My father is from Verona and I've spent a lot of time there since I was a small child. It's a lovely town with great wine and food. Some cheesy touristy Romeo and Juliet stuff too.

BUT - if you're even remotely interested in Opera (or not), a must do is attending the opera in the Arena, which is older than the Colloseum in Rome and still in use as a concert venue. The Opera season runs June - August and focuses typically on Italian Operas (started to celebrate Verdi). Aida is a signature opera there with all of the spectacle of the animals on stage. It is spectacular under the stars in this amazing venue - highly, highly recommend!

https://www.arena.it/arena/en

Eat dinner here before the Opera: https://bottegavini.it/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tourism killed the charm, as it does every where once a location becomes a destination.

I had my honeymoon in St Lucia back in 97. nice cutsie island, was a popular destination for Brits. but not overrun.

went back 10 years later for an anniversary, and it was completely different. I'll probably go back on my 25th just for the sake of it. but Yeah tourism really kills an area.

What about you the tourist? How come you can go multiple times but when other tourists go they ruined the charm? Funny how that works.

yeah that’s how it’s it works. a place can only take so many tourists. the first ones help the city thrive and the rest Rhône’s them. very big cities are more immune because they can absorb more tourists. smaller towns have no chance.