welltraveledbrit

I'm sorry you were disappointed by your trip and I hope you find Tuscany more to your liking. Taking a guided walking tour in Florence may help you navigate the city more successfully . I agree that sites of mass tourism can be very tedious, I feel the same way about Time Square. Travel does disrupt and can disappoint but as some of the other posters have suggested that has its place too.

October is not really the off season in Rome, which you can tell from the hotel rates.
<For those of you who live in a nice spot in the USA> In my experience most American I know travel to Italy in and around May and October, these seem to be perceived as off season. It's always interesting to talk to hotel or restaurant owners as they can tell you which tourists come in which months.

For anyone looking for a more positive experience of Rome here are some posts from a trip we took in December which is a much slower season. But bear in mind Rome is a capital city and the center of the Catholic world, it is a tourist draw all year.

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/search/label/Rome

HappyTrvlr

Maybe he'll report back from Florence. We had one of our most crowded experiences ever during our first trip to Florence. But let it go and enjoy where you are visiting.

danon

"I was staying at a small inn in Siena two weeks ago and talked to an American couple heading to Florence next. They had no idea what they would do in Florence, never heard of Uffizi or Accademia - and unlikely to be aware of the ticket queues. Invest less, get out less and come home disappointed."

I have a friend who never reads a thing about places she is about to visit, never looks at maps or attempts to learn a few words of the language.
She take tours or hires private guides.

annhig

it's a shame that the OP wasn't able to visit Florence 30 years ago - walking into a hotel and getting a room there and then, no crowds round the Duomo, parking on the road for free outside the hotel, and so far as I remember, not much traffic.

Fast forward 25 years, the city is clogged with cars, [presumably they are all driving round and round looking for non-existent parking spaces], you can't move for tourists all grumbling about their fellow tourists, and you'd have to be mad to think that you could find a room on spec. but get up early and visit the Monastery of San Marco, go over to Oltrarno and walk up to San Mineato or wander around the market at San Ambroglio and you can still find places away from the herd. You just need to work a bit harder.

cruiseluv

Well, on one hand I sympathize with the OP because I just came back from Rome and saw the crowds she talks about (although September of last year seemed worse) but its sad Streamliner is so negative.
I was lucky to travel to Italy for the first time 35 yrs ago and it was indeed very different.
I doubt you'll find any respite in Florence, my only advice is try to see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

indyhiker

I found Rome a bit challenging, too, but we made a point of doing things away from the hordes for the most part and enjoyed ourselves. If we hadn't done that, I'm not sure what our overall impression would have been. Probably not overly positive. Still, we enjoyed our week in Umbria far more. We're going back next May and are spending another few nights in Rome. We'll again avoid the most touristed attractions.

PalenQ

Florence IME can be much much more crowded than Rome because tourists in Florence congregate in just a few areas whilst Rome is much more spread out in its tourist gathering places. In Florence the large plaza with David and the Uffizi and the Duomo can literally be elbow-elbow in summer and apparently now at other times of year as well.

NeoPatrick

I hate to be so obvious, but the places with the most to offer will always have the most tourists. If you don't want lots of tourists you need to go places where there's not a lot for tourists to do or see.

danon

The problem with crowded European cities is that one is there to visit
famous churches, museums....etc. in a few days travellers usually have.
On the repeated visits it is possible to discover and enjoy " lesser " ( and less popular)
sights. Those living in Europe certainty have that advantage.

janisj

I can understand being sort of overwhelmed by the crowds/seeming chaos in Rome.

But (and just reading between the lines a bit) since you are staying at the St Regis in Rome and the Four Seasons in Florence -- that you just <i>might</i> be sorta 'high maintenance' travelers. Want things 'just so' and neat and tidied up and tied w/ a pretty bow.

Italian cities are busy, and (yes) dirty), and helter skelter . . . and amazing with the history, the food/wines, iconic buidlings.

Maybe Italy wasn't the best choice for your European vacation. Scandinavia or Switzerland might have been a better fit.

greg

Pal,
Yes, I was in Florence two weeks ago and it was suffocating. I have been visiting Florence during last decade and the rise of mass tourism in recent years is simply astonishing.

thursdaysd

Sorry you're not enjoying Rome. However, given what you don't like about Rome, the list of other places you wouldn't like is very long, including most of Asia and quite a bit of Europe, unless you get off the most traveled tourist trail. I was just in Turin, for instance. Quite a different experience to yours in Rome....

suze

Well I was never all that interested in Rome for some reason, but your trip report makes it sound pretty interesting after all!

annhig

go for it suze - you'll be glad you did.

KTtravel

I am sorry you are not enjoying your stay in Rome. I think Rome (and Italy in general) can be a bit of an acquired taste, with the potential of being overwhelming at first. Yes, people smoke, traffic is crazy, directions can be confusing and some people try to take advantage of tourists.

Despite all of the above, I find Rome to be magnificent and a wonderful place to visit. We love to wonder the streets popping into little churches, stumbling upon ruins, trying new restaurants and learning about the art, history and culture.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip more than you enjoyed Rome.

LCBoniti

I love Rome. I can see that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is definitely mine.

Of course, we went in February. Still crowds at times (Vatican/St Peter's), but nothing like what the OP experienced.

Even when it was challenging, there is just something about that city that enchants.

LCBoniti

I forgot to say, yes - there were panhandlers, which we ignored. But we were never cheated by anyone. Taxi drivers (when we used them) always took the most direct route.

I was pickpocketed but well prepared by research on Fodors and Rick Steves so all they got was a little purse with lip balm and kleenix.

welltraveledbrit

One of the things I like about Rome is that there are magnificent museums that are almost empty because all the tourists are at the same places.

The Villa Guilia which has an incredible Etruscan Collection was almost deserted when we were there on our last visit. Seriously there were about 6 other visitors in total, really! I was in Rome many times before I made it to the Sistine Chapel and while I love the Pantheon I go only the later side. Places like the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain have no appeal to me, I've only ever passed them on my way to somewhere else.
The Colosseum and the Forum are a must but for me they are best seen with a private guide who can draw you into the history and help you navigate the chaos, I'm only sorry the OP didn't have this experience.

As several other posters have pointed out there are some lovely places to go that are not crowded, you just have to be prepared to see something different.

However, I can understand why there is such ambivalence about Rome and why the OP was frustrated. I must admit I'm deeply ambivalent about Florence, though my husband loves it. What we've learnt about ourselves is that we're less and less interested in fighting the crowds. Often I'd rather see secondary sights, visit in January or February or even become a member of a museum to skip the lines. My tolerance is fairly limited but it's a matter of managing your own expectations. Travel is a skill set.

denisea

I loved Rome. It is grittier than other cities and I thought everyone knew that the traffic rules are merely considered "suggestions", which for some reason, I find entertaining.

Yep, Rome is a tangled mess of streets, passageways, etc...and we definitely got lost, but still had fun.

I do hate cigarettes but I don't think we had quite the issues the OP is having.

We did find some places like the Doria Pamphili home/palace that were an oasis amid the crazy chaos of Rome. We left Rome occasionally for day trips and that might help others avoid crowd fatigue.

I think there are people always waiting to rip off tourists in every city in the world...not limited to a Rome.

Hope the rest of the trip is good.

yestravel

Sorry to hear your time in Rome is less than you expected. It sounds like you did not understand what Rome is like, a bustling, thriving city. Hopefully the rest of your trip will live up to your expectations. However, be prepared-Florence is a zoo...way more crowded then Rome perhaps because it's popular sites are found in a smaller area. It's a wonderful city with much to see, but it will likely be jam-packed. Less crowded is the Oltrano which is across the Ponte Vecchio. Lots to see over there and way less tourists.