American tourist slams pretty European town that was nothing like pictures suggested
A woman has warned fellow holidaymakers about the reality of visiting a Italian tourist hotspot.
Regina Simmons jetted off to Italy in late May for a family break, taking on a 10-hour flight from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada to make it to Positano. Sadly for the 38-year-old, the destination was nothing like the "beautiful and calm" spot she'd seen online.
The family made sure to include a day in the picturesque coastal town after being inspired by clips on TikTok, alongside visits to Rome and other popular destinations. Regina had expected "amazing views", "calm empty streets", and charming scenes of "locals buying fresh vegetables from the markets". However, she discovered the reality was vastly different from her expectations. The family's Italian reality bump came in the days after one holidaymaker endured a very crowded, miserable break to one of the country's most famous tourist spots.
Whilst the sunset panoramas were indeed spectacular, she encountered what she described as "complete chaos", with holidaymakers packed "shoulder to shoulder" along the narrow streets. The railway station resembled something from "like a horror movie", Regina revealed, and her family repeatedly had to duck into hotel lobbies to escape the overwhelming crowds.
Regina, who owns a restaurant chain, explained: "We definitely saw it on social media. There are hundreds of beautiful videos of Positano which inspire you to go. And this year feels very trendy - lots of my American friends are travelling to Italy this year.
"In the videos, you see everything looks completely empty and calm. In real life there were far too many people. It was just bananas. I think in the photos, they go on Photoshop and remove all the people so you think it'll be empty."
Regina recounted her family's experience in Positano, where she, her husband Dan Simmons, 46, and their daughters Sofia, 16, and Camila, 13, spent a day on June 1 while holidaying in Sorrento. After a 10-hour flight to their Italian retreat, they were eager to soak up the local culture.
She had envisioned tranquil streets, bustling local markets with fresh produce, and quaint, secluded eateries but was taken aback by the reality.
Regina said: "We were overwhelmed by the amount of people. We had to look for a restaurant to hide in and make a game plan. Positano is all these tight little streets and everyone is walking together. Half the people are going up and half are going down. It was complete chaos. Everyone was touching, shoulder to shoulder."
Despite the picturesque scenery, Regina noted that the crowded walkways made it impossible to browse the shops. While they found the town "lovely and pretty", they were let down by the tourist-centric atmosphere.
She said: "We found everything was in English and there were Americans everywhere. I actually took Italian classes, and I never needed to use it."
Although they enjoyed their overall trip, they're considering exploring a different European destination next time.
Regina said: "If it's trendy on social media, everyone wants to do what everyone else is doing. Myself included! Don't believe everything you see on social media.
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