on itinerary and places to visit just to enjoy the scenery, maybe a hike or two in September. Prefer uncrowded places (including alternatives to Como), no interest in Venice/Rome/Florence . We are a group of 4, of which 2 are vegans, so besides grilled vegetables and pasta, food could be an issue. Planning on travel by train, no driving. All suggestions are appreciated!
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7277 posts
Do you know where you are flying in/out of yet?
We just spent 3 nights in Santa Margherita Ligure- and enjoyed it very much. I am pretty sure we saw no other Americans. Delightful town, very good local food. Lots of day trip options via train or ferry and hiking in the area.
Posted by
OP
California
186 posts
The city we fly in/out of depends on flights (prefer direct) and fares, but will also depend on itinerary.
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1089 posts
Italy has oodles of scenery in less crowded places. and the Italian tourist boards are trying very hard to steer tourists to them. The core issue is that less crowded places also have fewer options for public transit. I would suggest some great little towns and national parks from Umbria on down the mountainous spine. Le Marche, Abruzzo, Molise...but you would either need to rent a car, or spend most of every day waiting for buses. Fast trains run down the two coasts, only a few poky regional trains run east to west. There is a good bus network in Abruzzo but daily runs are infrequent, aligned with school and work schedules. I guarantee you would love the food and the scenery, with no pesky museums, and it's pretty easy to request vegan food (though it will mostly involve pasta and grilled veg, I suspect. You won't readily find vegan staples like cashew cheese or flax egg substitutes here.)
The roads are well maintained generally, far less crowded than in the north, and driving is pretty easy. But if it really doesn't make sense for you, I'd suggest maybe west of Turin in the Alps of Val di Susa. There is a train line that runs from Turin west. Avigliana would be a good base, along with at least a day in Turin. The obvious other leg of a Piedmont trip is down through the Langhe, where some of the best Italian wine grapes are grown, but again a car makes that much easier. The towns of Barolo or Alba are good bases. You might find a day bus tour of the wine regions, I did find some once but not sure they have restarted.
I can be more specific, but I really think going to less crowded places requires a car or some serious planning/logistical chops to find just the right bus schedules. If you reconsider, I'm happy to offer more detailed options. In Abruzzo in particular, which has more protected parks than any other region, and great little towns to wander through. Far fewer museums, as it never had the wealth of Tuscany, so no need to worry about FOMO by avoiding museums and churches.