I've lived in Italy for a decade. Here are the hidden-gem locations you've been missing

I didn’t mind that it was raining when I arrived in Cannes on a Tuesday afternoon in November. Strolling the small city on the French Riviera, best known for its annual celeb-studded film festival, I appreciated the sleepy beaches; the warm, salty breeze; the dearth of crowds or waits to be seated at restaurants. That evening at Le Fouquet's brasserie, as rain pitter-pattered on the ceiling of the heated terrace, the sommelier poured me a chilly Chablis to go with my crispy seared scallops. “Romantic, isn’t it?” he asked. I couldn’t help but agree.

As someone who's taken over 50 cruises all over the world, I know firsthand how popular cruising is this year. But one seabound itinerary people often forget to add to their bucket lists is a Mediterranean cruise.

When traveling abroad, it's a good idea to account for any tourism taxes you must pay during your stay.

Skytrax has released its annual ranking of the world's best airports — and if you're a frequent flyer it may come as little surprise that none in the US made the top 20.

The languid charm of the ‘dolce vita’ lifestyle has long been the envy of travelers everywhere. Now, thanks to Italy's new digital nomad visa, it's also within reach of remote workers, making working from the Amalfi Coast or the Tuscany countryside easier than ever.

“From the lush landscapes to the faultless food, you'll never be short of things to do - or eat - on an Italian escape,” says tour guide Lorne Blyth.

Ripley, Steve Zaillian’s eight-episode adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, takes its protagonist on a jet-setting tour of Italy. After the titular con man (Andrew Scott) is hired by a wealthy New York socialite to bring his son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) back from Europe, Tom finds himself immersed in a precarious game of cat and mouse with the Italian police when he takes on Dickie’s identity to access his money. The story takes Tom from Manhattan to Italy, where he spends time in Atrani, Rome, Naples, San Remo, Palermo, and Venice. The series shot in many of the real places, including the real seaside town that takes over for the novel’s fictional setting of Mongibello.

This year, travelers are looking to visit more under-the-radar destinations than popular ones — in part to dodge crowds and in part to save money.

With additional reporting by Sarah Allard

The inaugural MedBodrum festival is set to unfold this May in Bodrum, a charming town where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean. This new cultural event, spearheaded by Sahir Erozan, the visionary behind the esteemed Maçakizi Hotel & Villa, promises to bring a fresh vibrancy to Bodrum's already picturesque landscape. MedBodrum aims to celebrate the Mediterranean lifestyle through an impressive array of food, art, music, and a strong commitment to sustainability.

This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.

The delights of Italy are universal: clinking Negronis in Rome, spinning a Riva through Venice’s Grand Canal, island-hopping off the shores of Sicily, all interlaced with hefty doses of wine, mozzarella, and art. It’s this limitless allure that has travelers from all over the world descend on the boot with near insatiable fervency, and often all at the same time—at least that’s how it can feel when trying to claim an inch of the Amalfi’s rocky beachfront in July. But in arriving en masse, travelers risk muting the very thing they come to enjoy: the essence of the place, as conjured by the lifestyle that Italians pull off with aplomb.