Expert guidance for independent travelers planning meaningful journeys through Italy
Italy Travel Consultations
Slow down. Wander deeper. Experience Italy more thoughtfully...
with guidance that supports you and the communities that make your journey possible.
How I Can Help
Planning an Italy trip can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Whether you're just getting started or refining plans you've already made, a consultation can help you save time, avoid costly mistakes, and uncover opportunities you might otherwise miss.
Your 2-Hour Consultation Can Include Any Of These:
- General Italy travel advice
- Choosing regions and destinations
- Route and pacing recommendations
- Itinerary review and refinement
- Accommodation suggestions
- Activities and experiences
- Transportation guidance
Plus my personally curated Italy Travel Tips.
Planning with AI?
Many travelers now begin planning with AI tools, and that's often a great starting point.
But AI doesn't always catch regional nuances, route inefficiencies, seasonal realities, transportation challenges, or the differences between places that may appear similar on paper.
Bring your AI generated itinerary, rough plans, or travel ideas to your consultation. I'll help you identify potential issues, uncover missed opportunities, and refine your trip using regional expertise and boots on the ground experience.
Erica is detail oriented, super helpful and diligent. She took the time to get to know us and created our dream vacation. Couldn’t be happier!
Matt & Liz, Washington
The Roads Less Traveled Italy Approach
Thoughtful travel begins with understanding what's possible. My goal is to help travelers move beyond generic itineraries and make choices that reflect their interests, values, and curiosity about Italy. Through consultations, I help independent travelers evaluate options, uncover overlooked opportunities, and make informed decisions about where to go, what to explore, and how to bring their Italy trip together.
Regional expertise
Helping travelers understand the differences between Italy's regions, towns, and landscapes so they can choose destinations that truly fit their interests.
An independent perspective
Recommendations are based on what best serves your needs, not partnerships, commissions, or kickbacks.
A commitment to affordability
Meaningful travel shouldn't be reserved for luxury budgets. I'll help you identify experiences that offer value, depth, and authenticity.
Less-touristy experiences
Discover places where local traditions, regional culture, and everyday life remain an integral part of the travel experience.
Support for community tourism
A portion of consultation revenue supports Planeterra and its work strengthening community-based tourism initiatives around the world.
Erica was so responsive and helpful, and everything worked out perfectly. We loved the recommendations of places to stay and the suggested restaurants…attention to detail was so appreciated.
Tracey, New Hampshire
About Erica
For more than thirty years, I worked as a teacher and school counselor, helping teenagers build self-awareness, resilience, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. That same approach now shapes my work with Roads Less Traveled Italy. I help travelers make sense of how Italy works - its rhythms, its regional differences, its lesser‑known towns and landscapes, so they can move through the country with ease and respect for the communities they visit. All of this with an eye towards creating a meaningful, sustainable travel experience.
My focus is on Italy’s quieter, less‑traveled places, where local life is still lived rather than performed. Through consultations, I offer guidance that helps travelers choose experiences that reflect what matters most to them.
Erica’s service is well worth the reasonable charges and she went above and beyond expectations.
Annette & Family, Bellingham