I’ve Lived in Italy for 16 Years and This Is My No. 1 Travel Tip

I get it. You’ve got maybe one big vacation a year, and you need to make it count. If you’re coming to Italy, especially if it’s your first visit to the country, the temptation is to try to see as much as possible in the limited time you have. The Colosseum, the Vatican, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, the interior of Basilica San Marco in Venice, the Amalfi Coast … these places are all considered must-visits for a reason.

But here’s the No. 1 mistake I’ve seen countless travelers make in my 16 years of living in Italy, and the best piece of advice I can give to any traveler: don’t let your jam-packed itinerary get in the way of a good time.

If you make your vacation—and remember, it’s a vacation—all about ticking off sights seen and landmarks photographed, shuffling through crowded museums, and then catching a train to your next city, you’re likely to return home more exhausted than when you left. And while you may leave with the satisfaction of having seen a long list of destinations, you may never slow down long enough to really experience and appreciate the slower, sweeter pace of life for which Italy is so well known and loved.

So my advice to first-timers and repeat visitors alike? Do less. See less. Slow down. Savor more.

If your list of must-see places is 10 items long, cut it in half and spend more time in each destination. For example, if you’ve budgeted two full days in Rome, make it three (at the very least!). Keep your schedule open on at least one of those days, to allow time to get lost walking around, wander into random churches and cute boutiques, enjoy a long lunch, and sit in a piazza sipping a cold drink and watching the world go by. That same advice holds true for Venice, Florence, and any other major city you visit.

Italy isn’t going anywhere. Its centuries-old sights, delicious food and wine, idyllic landscapes, and cobbled lanes will still be there the next time you visit. And if you’re like most travelers, once you get that first true taste of la dolce vita, you’ll definitely be planning a return trip.