An American recently described her trip to Italy as “a horror movie.” Here’s how to avoid her mistakes.

In 2013, I went to Italy for Thanksgiving. It was a strange choice, but I knew that Italy was better in the fall, partly because of the drop in prices and smaller crowds. I spent two weeks hiking across the country, and Thanksgiving Day, I found myself on a train in Positano.

At the time, the crowd was not as thick as now in this magnificent seaside town, and I appreciated magnificent walks in the quiet streets and empty beaches. My, how things have changed.

These days, Positano seems to be another world of what I experienced in 2013, but social media will make you believe that it is a picturesque and calm paradise that awaited you. Don’t be fooled.

What is positano, Italy is really

Regina Simmons, 38, dreamed of visiting Positano, Italy for a long time. Captivated by dreamers Tiktok clips with calm tracks, sun -bordered terraces and inhabitants winding through the markets, the mother of two based in Las Vegas was considering a serene escape on the Amalfi coast. But after a 10 -hour trip across the Atlantic, she and her family found themselves in a very different reality.

“In the videos, everything seems completely empty and calm,” Regina at Mirror based in the United Kingdom. “In real life, there were far too many people. They were just bananas. We were overwhelmed.” Navigate the tight streets and in the Positano cascade turned out to be chaotic. “Everyone was shoulder on the shoulder. Half of the crowd rose, the other half, tightening – it looked like a full madness,” she recalls.

Positano’s social media version has turned into a “horror film”

Regina, which has a chain of restaurants, had designed its Italian itinerary based on the romanticized images it had seen online: the quiet paved streets, the market stalls overflowing with fresh products, panoramic views not marked by the crowd. But from their first moments in a crowded station – “Like a horror film,“She said – The reality of seasonal peak trips has settled.

Alongside her husband Dan, 46, and Sofia girls, 16, and Camila, 13, Regina also visited Rome and other very trafficking destinations during their summer trip. Although the landscapes are superb, the volume of visitors has often overshadowed the charm. “There are hundreds of beautiful videos from Positano who inspire you to go,” she said. “This year feels particularly fashionable – so many of my American friends go to Italy.”

Regina’s experience echoes a growing traveler choir which counts with the disparity between organized online content and realities on the field of global hot spots, especially during a summer when Italy seems to be everyone’s dream destination.

How to visit Italy in the right direction

Italy is one of the most magnificent (and delicious) countries in the world, so I will never tell you not to visit Italy. In fact, I’m going to go to the north of Italy for a hike in the Dolomites next month, then return to Venice at the end of October. However, there is a good and a bad way to visit Italy.

If you want to visit Italy in the right way (which means, without meeting so many crowds), here is what to do.

Choose the right destination in Italy

Do you remember the real estate motto “Location, location, location”? Well, it also applies to travel. If you want to avoid the crowd, choose a location that is not the place 1 that everyone is looking for.

Even if you are ready to visit hot spots like Positano, remember to base yourself elsewhere and visit the day. I based myself in Naples (Napoli) and I took the train, but you could also find small cities outside of Positano who receive fewer visitors.

Choose the perfect time to visit Italy

Italy is one of the worst places in Europe to visit in summer, not only because of its crowd and high prices, but also because of the stifling heat that the large part of the country experiences.

An Italian friend of my friends warned me only to visit Italy after September 10, which I strongly encourage you to do. My late November trip to Italy had not only fewer crowds, but at the beginning of December, I was able to enjoy the holiday decoration without the Christmas crowd which was soon to inaugurate.