Italy travel off beaten path

What kinds of things do you enjoy? How would you like to spend your free time, if you had a lot of it?

You could just play a version of bus bingo: buy a ticket on a local train or bus, ride for x number of stops, then get off! You may find some charming villages, or perhaps some crowded suburbs. But you won't be far from base, and can retrace your steps if necessary.

In the Florence area, how about Lucca? Near Rome, there's Ostia Antica (great early ruins) and Villa d'Este. From Venice, head north to Trieste, or a bit south to Padova. Amalfi Coast? It's gonna be crowded but Sorrento gets me every year. Orvieto is beautiful, and not crowded in the evening.

Backing up a bit, how many nights apiece are you going to be staying in Venice, Florence, Rome, Amalfi Coast and Rome? And which of their more popular attractions do you have on your gotta-see list? Could you share your full itinerary?

I'm asking the question as it's possible that you won't have time for much of anything in addition to the more-visited sites unless you're not at all interested in those. You've listed 4 of the most visited destinations in Italy, and there aren't many stones left unturned in any of them. Still, some attractions are less visited than others so as previously asked, what sorts of things do you enjoy?

Orvieto. It’s a stop on the rail line between Florence and Rome.

Not sure how much time you have or if you have been to these destinations before but these places alone can easily fill 2 weeks at a minimum and then I would probably think about dropping the Amalfi Coast. The big 3 are filled with stuff to see and cld fill many days!! That being said, last October my husband and I went to the islands of Procida and Ischia in the Bay of Naples. Loved them both! Beautiful and off the beaten path for Americans. We flew into Naples and hydrofoils run often where we spent 3 nights on Procida and 6 nights on Ischia before heading to Sorrento & A. Coast which we have visited many times. A hydrofoil runs from Sorrento to Ischia & Procida--more often in the summer months I believe. Not sure of connections from A. Coast towns. I don't think just a day trip to Ischia would be worth the effort though. Also from the Amalfi Coast you could visit the Greek ruins at Paestum. We visited here in Oct 2017 after visiting Puglia & Matera and really enjoyed it. Sipping a spritz while the sun was setting over the Temple of Ceres was breathtaking. The museum here is very good too with English descriptions. We stayed 1 night at Il Granaio dei Casabella, a lovely place. Parked our car here & walked to the ruins. From Rome, we enjoyed visiting Ostia Antica & the Appian Way & catacombs but not until about the 4th or 5th visit did we make it here. Driving to Civita di Bagnoregio we stopped in Orvieto only for 4 hrs or so and it was very nice, but people do it as a daytrip from Rome too. From Venice, Verona & Padova are both very nice. Buon Viaggio!

Other posters gave me some terrific advice on Abruzzo in this thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/gran-sasso-area-of-abruzzo

Umbria,
Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto and more.

Thank you so much! These are great! I love history, the beach and FOOD! Some of these will make great alternatives if I can't stay in Venice. I plan on doing 3 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Assisi, 3 in Rome, 2 nights in Amalfi Coast and then 9 days in Rome again on my own (I'll be working my online teaching job a couple hours a day). Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated since this is my first trip to Italy.

We find a long stay results in finding spots less-trafficked in this country where the paths are all well-trod, so your plan for 9 nights in Rome will give you the opportunity to wander off the main thoroughfares and maybe take some day trips. If you can find a copy of “24 Great Walks in Rome” (now out of print but available used) I found many unique niches and greatly enjoyed the self-tours. Also, the book “Rome the Second Time” has some good itineraries you might not otherwise find.

If you're looking for places off the beaten track I'd say Le Marche. I stayed in Ascoli Piceno for a few nights several years ago and loved it. Matera is fabulous, although no longer off the beaten track. Basilicata is wonderful.

I am still not sure what the question is--are you looking for places to see in the places you already plan to visit, or do you have extra time? You have allotted pretty brief stays to everywhere but Rome--two day for the Amalfi Coast is not enough. Really anywhere that is not mentioned on the first page of the forum will fell off the beaten path in comparison.

I plan on doing 3 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Assisi, 3 in Rome, 2
nights in Amalfi Coast and then 9 days in Rome again on my own

OK, so with such short stays in all but Rome, you really don't have time for much off-the-grid exploring. Other than wine, food and history - which can pretty much be found anywhere you go in Italy - we still don't know what sorts of things you enjoy or what things you've already planned planned on visiting in those cities? I'd concentrate on just wandering AWAY from the most-visited attractions if you have time to do so. Laurel has made a great suggestion for some walks in Rome, and I'll send you out to the Appia Antica...which is not really off the beaten but less explored by many. Ton of history out there, and I'd advise starting out as far as willing to hike in a day (it's flat) and working your way back into the city.

https://www.parcoappiaantica.it

Orvieto is a very good suggestion for a day trip from Rome although again, not exactly off the grid as it gets a lot of mentions on this forum. From Florence, Lucca falls into that same category but you have so little time for Florence itself.

I'll agree that just 2 nights isn't nearly enough for the Amalfi Coast. If really wanting to do it, I'd take some days from Rome and add it to that one. What with Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri (Villa Jovis ruins), the archeological museum in Naples, etc. there's a lot of ground that can be covered in that region.

+1 for Trieste