Table of Contents
Note: Some of the links below contain affiliate links. This doesn’t increase the cost of any item to you, but simply means that I’ll receive a small commission of any sales from those links. Thank you!
What is slow travel?
Slow travel is the idea of traveling by taking your time. It’s the opposite of jam-packed itineraries that give you no wiggle room to soak up the most basic of cultural experiences – leisurely meals at terraced cafes, slow walks through charming neighborhoods, and chats with locals on life in the city.
So, while it’s the idea of taking your time, it’s more than that. Slow travel is about enjoying the places you visit more in-depth with immersive experiences at the forefront.
While rejecting the traditional themes of tourism, slow travel is a mindset that encourages you to have meaningful, fulfilling experiences off the beaten path while traveling.
How to travel slowly in Italy
Let’s dive into some of my favorite ways to enjoy Italy slow travel. From how you eat to the places you visit, here ares some of the best ways to have a more meaningful and memorable travel experience in Italy.
Take your time when dining.
Food is a deep part of Italian culture. It’s not just about crafting a quality dish using real ingredients, it’s all about taking your time – savoring the flavors and the good company.
That’s why going out for dinner in Italy can last hours. There’s usually an antipasto, pasta, another dish or two, and dessert plus an aperitivo like limoncello or espresso.
It’s polite to finish your plate (this tells the chef the food was amazing), and perhaps that’s part of why Italian dining etiquette means sitting for seemingly endless hours.
Slow travel in Italy embraces authentic Italian cuisine the way it was meant to be enjoyed – slowly, with good company, and lively conversation.
Whether you’re dining at a quaint trattoria tucked away in a charming piazza or sipping espresso at a bustling cafe, meals aren’t about quick nourishment but rather about savoring and replenishing.
If you are traveling solo in Italy or are traveling slowly with someone and looking for ways to be immersed in the culinary scene beyond dining, I recommend doing this cooking class in Rome at a traditional restaurant or this cooking class and dinner with a local.
Just check out a platform like GetYourGuide at the destinations you’re visiting in Italy for opportunities to learn how to craft local dishes.
Enjoy Italian coffee culture.
Let’s not forget the art of coffee in Italy – an integral part of daily life. In Italy, coffee is not really enjoyed slowly, but it’s rather the intentional act of visiting a cafe for a quick coffee, briefly with the bartender (because most cafes in Italy are bars), and sipping an espresso without running off in a hurry.
That’s why you won’t see a lot of to-go cups in Italy. It’s simply not a common thing to do. You sit down to eat, you sit (or often stand) for coffee, and you don’t rush off with your orders to-go.
So practice slow travel in Italy by visiting a bar and ordering a traditional coffee drink – un caffé, cappuccino, caffè macchiato, etc – and sip it at the bar as the locals do.
Pair your morning coffee with a cornetto/brioche, the equivalent of a croissant, or some other tasty pastry that catches your eye.
Some bars will also have outdoor seating where you can enjoy a slow travel moment of people-watching while reading, journaling, or simply letting your senses run wild with the noises, aromas, and sights around you.
Explore historic sites.
Slow travel doesn’t skip out on seeing some of the most iconic tourist sites in Italy. So, feel free to visit the Colosseum in Rome or the Duomo in Florence. Just remember to take your time, look around you, admire the details, ask questions, and get to know the places you are visiting.
To get a deeper insight into places like the Colosseum, Vatican City, or the Duomo, for example, consider booking a private tour. This will allow you to ask additional questions and since it’s a private tour rather than a group, you can more easily linger and take your time.
But also check out hidden gems.
Part of Italy’s slow travel experiences is letting yourself wander around a bit. Hopefully, you are on a longer trip to Italy, so you can easily take your time in this way.
With more time in each city, you can explore hidden gems and go beyond the threshold of guidebook highlights. I’m talking about exploring the ins and outs of typical Italian neighborhoods, heading out on day trips to lesser-known villages, and discovering other parts of the city and the gems that await.
For example, in my 3-day itinerary for Rome, I highlight exploring Janiculum Hill. Despite it being one of the most beautiful places in Rome, offering gorgeous cityscapes over the Eternal City and tucked-away gardens and fountains, so many travelers don’t know it exists.
So, think outside the box when you’re in Italy. Look at a map and see what you might uncover. Just remember to use common sense.
Immerse yourself in Italian life.
Slow travel in Italy also means immersing yourself in the local way of life. It’s like seeing a place through a local’s lens.
This is easier if you can stay in a place for a longer amount of time, like if you’re a digital nomad or remote worker.
Then, you can wake up, slip outside the bar downstairs for a coffee, return to your apartment to work for a few hours, go out for lunch to meet other travelers or locals, stop by a landmark on your way home, work a little more, and then head out again in the evening.
Other ways to enjoy the local life are to plan your trip around local festivals, visit bustling markets where locals tend to shop and find ways to connect in conversation with locals.
I’ve found Couchsurfing to be a great way to meet locals or simply hang out in cafes and strike up a natural conversation.
Soak up natural scenery.
Slow travel invites you to get out of the city, despite how pretty they are in Italy. Explore the rolling vineyards in Tuscany on a bike tour or trekking tour, take the train along the Amalfi Coast and go swimming, trek around the unbelievably beautiful Dolomites in northern Italy, and get to know Italy on a deeper level.
Because trust me, it’s not all rolling hills and coastlines. Italy has mountains, forests, snowy peaks, a desert, and SO much more.
Visit lesser-known regions.
I was lucky enough to spend an entire month slow traveling in Abruzzo, Italy. This lesser-visited region is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in this country.
I’m talking about rolling hills of olive groves, villages perched on mountaintops, wondrous pebbled beaches, hikes along river streams, and some of the best stargazing I’ve ever done.
On top of that, loads of incredible food with an emphasis on local mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, and local pastries and pastas.
So, allow yourself to get out of the main regions like Lazio, Tuscany, and Veneto and explore the country. Or at least visited some smaller places within the most touristic regions, too.
Some of my recommendations include the mountain towns of Abruzzo and the charming city of Padua in Veneto – it acts as a wonderful base for slow traveling in Europe as it’s close to other countries as well as destinations like Venice, the Dolomites, and Laga di Garda.
Travel less.
This one might seem confusing. Let me explain what I mean. If you only have 2 weeks in Italy, then don’t try to see it all. Rather, focus your time around one or two cities and take a few day trips.
Your time will be better spent, you won’t waste hours commuting between destinations, and you’ll be able to have a more meaningful travel experience by actually getting to know the destinations you’re visiting.
Because think about it, if you spend 1 day in Rome, you’re barely going to scratch the surface and you’re not really going to remember the city beyond the sites you quickly saw.
However, if you spend a week in Rome or more, you’ll actually be able to REMEMBER more details about the city, the walking paths you took to get from place to place from your accommodation, the places you visited, etc.
FAQ
Here are some of common questions I’ve seen about traveling in Italy.
What is the most efficient way to travel around Italy?
For traveling from region to region, trains, and buses are going to be the most energy-efficient and convenient option.
Once you’re in a destination and longing to explore hidden gems, renting a car in Italy will be handy. Like in the mountains of Abruzzo, most people have cars and it’s the most common mode of transportation. Trains can’t reach those smaller, mountainous areas.
How long should a trip to Italy be?
That entirely depends on your budget and ability to travel. If you work from home/remotely, I highly recommend taking a longer trip to Italy. You could easily travel around for a month.
Spend two weeks in the north, and two weeks in the south and get to know both. Because the north is VERY different from the south, and only by traveling around both will you be able to see the differences.
If you don’t have a month to spare, I recommend focusing your trip on one area of Italy and getting to know it more in-depth. It will be more rewarding than hopping from place to place.
What is the best way to spend two weeks in Italy in the summer?
I love this question! Summer in Italy can get quite hot, so it’s not really the time to be visiting cities. I recommend heading to areas like the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, or Calabria and enjoying the benefits of the coastline.
Wander around charming villages, swim in the sea, eat dinner from picturesque terraces, and soak up a true Italian summer.
On the other hand, Abruzzo and the Dolomites can be amazing places to visit in summer because they are at higher elevations meaning the air will feel less thick and hot.
