The Amalfi coast is beautiful, but in our opinion there are a few other places that are better to spend your summer!
Lake Como: Overrated
Lake Como is absolutely beautiful, don’t get us wrong. However if you’re looking for Lake life, your time and money are better spent elsewhere.
Lake Caldaro, for example is one of the few warm water lakes in the Italian Dolomites. Surrounded by mountains and vineyards, these turquoise waters feel like a quiet refuge from the rest of Northern Italy.
While Switzerland has become a summer tourist hotspot in the last few years, it’s still relatively quiet compared to Lake Como and the scenery is even better. If you really want a quiet lakeside summer without the crowds, you can check out the Salzkammergut Lake district of Austria which is relatively unknown by American travelers (minus Halstatt and Salzburg of course).
Bodensee: Underrated
View from the ferry pulling into Meersburg, our favorite home base on the Bodensee.
I could write a whole newsletter about the Bodensee (and perhaps I will soon). It might just be my favorite region in Europe, and it is practically unknown to Americans. It’s a favorite summer getaway for German families and for good reason.
Western Europe’s second largest lake is the crossroads of the German speaking world, connecting Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We prefer the German side, an idyllic string of towns that look like they’ve been frozen in time.
Highlights include ferry rides to 3 countries, 160 miles of lakeside bike paths and easy access to the Swiss Alps. You can take longer day trips to the Black Forest, Europe’s largest waterfall and Alsace - our favorite region in France.
Amalfi Coast: Overrated
Perhaps some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen are in the Amalfi coast, and yet I still find it’s overrated as a summer destination. Why? It all comes down to 2 factors.
