Travel
Crowd control: 14 tips to dodge the European summer tourist crush
Summer in Europe? Glorious. The crowds? Not so much. These smart tips will help you travel during the peak without losing your cool.
By Leonie Jarrett
There’s been a lot of noise about overtourism especially in Europe in summer. Residents are protesting about local real estate prices being driven up by tourists (in fact, everything being driven up by tourists) and not being able to find a section of beach for themselves.
I don’t have a magic wand to solve the many issues posed by overtourism – I’ll leave that to local planning councils – but I can share my lived experience.
I have been lucky enough (some would say silly enough!!) to travel to Europe in summer in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Have I loved it each time? Yes!
Have I made a few mistakes and learnt a few things? YES!
After 3 summers in the thick of it, these are my tried-and-tested tricks for avoiding the worst of the tourist crush and the heat.
1. Don’t go in summer?
The first one is self-evident. Consider not travelling in summer which is peak time. Try a different season.
Having said that, check that there will be something to do where you are planning to go when you are planning to go. I spent some time last summer in magnificent but crowded Dubrovnik, complete with ropes and signs controlling pedestrian traffic. My walking tour guide told me that there is nothing much to do in Dubrovnik in the winter and that the restaurants all shut from about 1 December to about 1 March.
2. Hug the shoulders
It’s still summery in the last weeks of May or first few weeks of September, but these “shoulder” weeks often have fewer crowds than the peak mid-summer months. You’ll also find that most places are open for business (unlike travelling to some spots during winter).
3. Avoid school holidays
We all know that school holiday time in Australia means more people travelling and the same is true in Europe. Consider when the kids are on holidays (this varies depending on the country, but all take a long break over summer at some stage) and try to avoid travelling during those times.
4. Try less popular destinations
Go to Bologna rather than battle the queues in Florence. Go to pretty-but-quiet Menton instead of pretty-but-bustling Nice. Go to Naxos and soak in the Greek Islands vibe instead of Santorini where you are sharing narrow laneways with thousands of day-trippers.
More ideas here:
- Love Paris? Try Lyon, Nantes or Montpellier
- If you love London, try York, Nottingham or Norwich
- If you love Rome, try Turin, Matera or Bergamo
5. Stay just out of town
Rather than booking in city centres, stay in outer suburbs or nearby villages and enjoy a more authentic experience. Take the local transport into town with the locals and immerse yourself in everyday life. Here are some top options for 5 popular European capital cities:
- Rome – Anguillara Sabazia, Palestrina, Viterbo, Garbatella
- Florence – Prato, Pontassieve, Fiesole, Greve, Certaldo
- Paris – Versailles, Fontainebleau, Chevreuse, Charonne, Belleville
- Barcelona – Sitges, Colonia Güell, Gràcia, Poble Nou, Sant Antoni
- Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans, Haarlem, Edam, Leiden, De Pijp
6. Pre-book everything you can
Pre-book your accommodation, transport (flights, trains, buses and hire cars) and activities to save missing out and to save paying last-minute, premium prices.
Pre-booking activities often mean a much shorter entrance queue too – queuing in the summer heat is no fun. If you can afford it, don’t hesitate to pay extra for a skip-the-line pass.
7. Visit attractions early or late
Where possible, explore and do activities early or late. Some attractions have extended openings (early or late or both), so take advantage of any extended hours.
By going out later, you are likely to avoid cruise passengers (this can be literally thousands of people, depending on the city you’re in) and other day-trippers. Also, later in the day, when the typical tourist is starting to think about dinner plans and families are returning to their accommodation, popular sightseeing spots can thin out.
Be careful, though, you don’t want to miss out on seeing something because it’s closed. Google is your friend here – check opening hours and opening days of anywhere you absolutely want to visit. Museums and art galleries will often close one day a week. Sundays in parts of Europe can be a “dead” day as everything including shops will be closed. Planning ahead is key.
8. Greet the sun
You’d be amazed how deserted big cities are at the crack of dawn. Most people prefer to stay tucked up in bed for a couple more hours – tourists included. Visit parks, piazzas and monuments at dawn and you’ll mostly have them to yourself. If you’re into photography, this is the time of day to snap your pictures without hordes of people in the way.
9. Walk a few blocks away
Go off the beaten, tourist track even in tourist meccas like Venice. Often, a few streets back, let alone a few blocks back, will see a change from swarms of tourists to locals going about their daily business. Aside from the value of seeing everyday life in the city, you might even find that prices out of prime tourist areas are lower too.
10. Avoid beaches in summer
Private beaches and beach clubs can be very crowded in summer and surge pricing applies. The water is warmer and the crowds are thinner in autumn; spring is lovely for a beach holiday too.
11. Hang with the locals
Do “non-touristy” things like travel on public transport, go to the local supermarket (fascinating) or markets and spend time in lesser-known suburbs – Google can be invaluable for ideas here. You’ll feel like you’re really experiencing a place rather than just having a sanitised, tourist experience. Travel is just as much about experiencing a way of life as it is about viewing attractions.
12. Book a cruise
This is one of the best ways to visit multiple sites without having to check in and out of accommodation, wasting time at airports and train stations and hauling your luggage in the heat.
Cruising comes with the added bonuses of gourmet dining, drinks (depending on the cruise), entertainment and shore excursions.
Read this too: Cruise curious? Top tips for first-timers
Shore excursions will include popular attractions and often offer benefits such as a queue-free entrance or a visit outside peak tourist hours or even exclusive access. For example, you might enjoy skip-the-line early access to the Sistine Chapel in Rome or a private concert in Vienna.
Destination ports may still be crowded but you can always retreat to your floating resort if it all gets too much.
13. Head underground
From the catacombs in Paris to hidden tunnels in Naples, underground attractions are often less crowded and offer a welcome escape from the heat. Here are 6 lesser-known underground attractions you might want to add to your list:
Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey – This ancient underground water reservoir, built in the 6th century, features towering columns, atmospheric lighting, and even a mysterious Medusa head. It’s a breathtaking escape from Istanbul’s bustling streets.
Rășnov Citadel Secret Tunnel, Bucharest, Romania – While not as famous as Dracula’s Castle, the secret tunnels beneath this medieval fortress were once used for escaping invasions. They offer a thrilling, lesser-known glimpse into Romania’s history.
Napoli Sotterranea, Naples, Italy – Originally a Greek-Roman aqueduct system carved out of tuff rock around 2,400 years ago. The tunnels were used as bomb shelters during WWII, with many artifacts from the era still visible. You can explore candlelit caverns, underground churches and even remnants of a buried Greco-Roman theatre.
Pilsen Historical Underground, Prague, Czech Republic – A labyrinth of 14th-century tunnels, wells, and cellars runs beneath Prague, originally built for storage and secret escapes. Today, you can explore them on guided tours – and even enjoy a beer at an underground tavern.
Churchill War Rooms, London, UK – Hidden beneath the streets of Westminster, this underground bunker was the nerve centre of Britain’s WWII operations. It’s preserved as a museum, offering an immersive dive into wartime history.
Akershus Fortress, Oslo, Norway – Beneath Akershus Fortress, a network of tunnels and dungeons tells the story of Norway’s medieval and WWII history. Some areas are still off-limits, adding an air of mystery to your visit.
14. Don’t sweat it
If it’s scorching hot, “do nothing” – just as you probably would at home.
Have a drink, sit by the pool, read a book or take a nap. By avoiding the hottest parts of the day, you will avoid much of the crowds and be refreshed for any evening activities.
Above all, when the crush gets too much, remember what a privilege it is to be travelling; that travelling is something you spend money on but also makes you richer.
Relax and soak up the experience! The crowds will become part of the trip stories that you reminisce about when you return home.
Feature image: iStock/valentinrussanov
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