Tuscan countryside, Florence, Rome and Venice

Part two:
That being said, there were challenges too. The biggest problem were tourist crowds (I chose to come in September, but if I had to do it again, I think I'd choose October or even later). The crowds were truly overwhelming and stressful. It was easy to see why the Italians didn't deliver great customer service (and overall, they truly did not give good service at all). There were just too many people at all the big sights and it's hard to service ALL THOSE PEOPLE. Then of course, the tourists attracted the annoying and pushy street sales people trying to sell squishy squeeling pigs (we saw these same stupid pigs everywhere...it became a running joke), laser helicopters and flowers. There were also numerous tourist "traps". For example, we went into a somewhat out of the way restaurant in Rome, drawn in by the 9 Euro lunch special...then the server told us that it wasn't available (to tourists, that is). Needless to say, they did not get our Euros or dollars or anything else. Overall, I felt that everyone saw a giant blinking "tourist" light on my forehead and tried to take advantage of that. I felt we fared better when we got as far away from other tourists as possible, but even then, I felt we got subpar attitude and service than the locals (my husband speaks Italian, by the way). I felt pretty unwelcome overall in Italy and that was disappointing to say the least. The best time we had was when we travelled with Papa. He introduced us to his friends in Tuscany and took us to local vineyards and agriturismos. We ate like kings and were treated very warmly. It was a beautiful, relaxing time and more than made up for the heat, crowds and poor treatment in the busier areas.

Part three:
To avoid the cons, I would recommend definitely going in the off season and going with a tour. Doing so would make for cooler weather, smaller crowds, better service and help alleviate the daily stresses of where to eat without getting ripped off/where to visit/how to avoid waiting in lines. I'm shocked to find myself recommending a tour because I'm a DIY kind of person, but for Italy, I think a tour would provide a better travel experience. As for now, I'll enjoy my beautiful photos in the comfort of my home sweet home.

Wow, you live in Miami and can complain about poor service! (I lived in Miami most of my life, love it, but many waiters are models and actors waiting for their big break.) I think traveling in October is probably a good idea - those crowds have been there since May or June and the service personnel is probably worn out by September, but get their second wind a little later. Slow service is not the same as poor service, if that's what you're talking about - it's a cultural thing to let diners take their time. However, I've also experienced poor service occasionally, but not very often.

Zoe: yes, Miami does have its customer service challenges. :-) I didn't find the service slow in Italy, I found it unfriendly, almost hostile towards tourists. I do think it was because people were just worn out from the crazy tourist season and heavy workloads. Hence, I'll be going there not just in shoulder season, but in off season next time. Besides, I have all the warm weather, iffy service, crazy driving and multiple languages I want right here at home. No need to travel to Europe for that. :-) Ralph: I didn't attempt a bus there, so I don't know about the bus schedule scenario. You are definitely right about the lines.

We just returned from 22 wonderful days in Italy, traveling on our own with RS guide & audio tours in hand. Were in Cinque Terre, agriturismo south of Siena, Florence, Venice & Rome. Yes, there were crowds many places but we tried to focus on our plan for the day & not get bothered by crowds. Talked with people from UK & Auatralia while waiting in lines. Found Italians wonderfully helpful with directions even when we did not speak the language! RS restaurant recommendations helped us avoid most of the touristy issues: good food, wine & ambiance - reasonably priced. Also helped that we had a week of a "home base" in the agriturismo, a welcome break from city pace. Charming hill towns in Tuscany were ideal to avoid crowds & get a truer sense of daily life there. We can hardly wait to go back!!

"and the concept of one line was definitely unheard of." Amen to that. I experienced this when we stopped at the first rest station after the Brenner Pass, my very first time I had set foot on Italian soil (well, asphalt actually...). I went in to buy some sandwiches while my wife stayed outside with the dog. I came out 20 minutes later and my wife asked "Was the line long?" I had to laugh, because the formation I had just struggled back and forth through was about as far geometrically removed as possible from a "line". Oh yes, we were not in Germanic Europe anymore...