How to avoid huge tourist overcrowded destinations?

[Melburnian1]

Personally I wouldn't travel offseason and suffer terrible weather, rather just work to optimize itinerary to avoid cruise ships.

Having been in the UK in September in each of the last two years and then Europe in October, the weather was acceptable.

Apart from one day in Yorkshire, England and another day in an Italian city, I did not experience significant rain. And when I did, my hooded jacket came in handy in waiting for local buses to take me to the nearest railway station for onward travels.

 

[Melburnian1]

So basically towns centred on small regional airports that only see RJ or prop services?

Within reason, the further one is in Europe or Asia from a major airport (and preferably a 'regional' one as well) and a cruise ship hotspot, the better if one is mid way through a trip.

It's fairly easy to find cities and towns in Europe that don't receive hordes of tourists.

 

[Townsend]

Personally I wouldn't travel offseason and suffer terrible weather, rather just work to optimize itinerary to avoid cruise ships.

I am glad to say that my husband and I prefer winter to summer. We tend to do all our travelling in winter including north of the Arctic Circle.

We were last in Venice in February a few years ago when it had snowed. On our last evening we decided to have one last look at St Mark’s Square where there was one other couple and a snowman. A fantastic memory!

 

[Flashback]

Having been in the UK in September in each of the last two years and then Europe in October, the weather was acceptable.

Apart from one day in Yorkshire, England and another day in an Italian city, I did not experience significant rain. And when I did, my hooded jacket came in handy in waiting for local buses to take me to the nearest railway station for onward travels.

Unfortunately this year...... there's no September recovery. The weather is absolutely rubbish! We've had thunder and lightning for the past few hours.

 

[Lynda2475]

I was very unimpressed with Venice and dont plan to return (but never say never). I feel you can see everything in a few hours, after that its just a grab for cash from over price restaurants or over priced glass/jewelery sellers and the food there is is not as good as elsewhere in Italy.

Noting that Winter is not always offseason, Winter is the recommended time to visit Iceland and northern Norway if you want clear skies to see the best of the Arora Borealis.

I dont enjoy being cold and having to pack so many layers, I do it if I feel there will be ample reward for the effort but generally much prefer to travel Autumn, Summer or Spring depending on the destination. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Tiki]

You could take up bird watching as a hobby. I can guarantee no crowds of tourists or otherwise in the remote destinations!

 

[prozac]

You could take up bird watching as a hobby. I can guarantee no crowds of tourists or otherwise in the remote destinations!

Maybe but nothing wore than being elbowed out of the way by a twitcher intent on a photo op.

 

[MARTINE]

You could take up bird watching as a hobby. I can guarantee no crowds of tourists or otherwise in the remote destinations!

Especially when they go to sewerage plants

 

[k_sheep]

In Florence currently, having spent a couple days in Rome. It was all absolutely heaving with wall-to-wall tourists. Also still 35ish degrees so Poms everywhere were expiring and dramatising in the heat.

Okay for me because I did everything I wanted there back in 2005, but my travel companions are a bit disappointed. I threw a coin in Trevi fountain last time .... this time no. I'm done.

These days I prefer to take my backpack with tent and walk off into the woods for a week. My greatest trip ever was to Hinchinbrook island in covid times (no non-qlders allowed) where it was my group and 2 other girls on the entire island.

 

[Flyfrequently]

'How to avoid huge tourist overcrowded destinations?'

Stay at home.

Bit hard when you live in one @Dr Ralph
But we have it worked out.
Shop early, really early in the morning. Don't attempt to dine out/get takeaway from end of November till Australia Day or even Labour Day.
Walk - don't drive.
Head to the local beaches that tourists don't know about.....and in 6 weeks life is mostly back to normal

 

[05flyer]

I was very unimpressed with Venice and dont plan to return (but never say never). I feel you can see everything in a few hours, after that its just a grab for cash from over price restaurants or over priced glass/jewelery sellers and the food there is is not as good as elsewhere in Italy.

Planning for a potential day trip from Florence - do you think it's achievable to see the main sights in Venice with around 9 hrs between train arrival and train departure? Heading to Italy in a few months and have heard mixed accounts about how achievable this is.

 

[Flyfrequently]

We did a day trip to Bologna from Florence which we enjoyed immensely @05flyer

I would imagine it would depend on time of the year also if you were to do Venice.

We were in Venice June 2019 when 5 cruise ships were in Port, we took the ferry across to Lido that day to escape the hoardes.

 

[05flyer]

We did a day trip to Bologna from Florence which we enjoyed immensely @05flyer

I would imagine it would depend on time of the year also if you were to do Venice.

We were in Venice June 2019 when 5 cruise ships were in Port, we took the ferry across to Lido that day to escape the hoardes.

Thanks for the feedback. It'll be in late November, so hopefully before it gets too cold and the winter tourist rush arrives. Have heard Bologna is great too - might consider that as an option also.

 

[Warks]

We're planning on using Bologna as a base for a week in that part of Italy in May. It's easy to get to a number of towns from there like Florence, Padua, Verona, Ravenna and Venice. We were both in Venice over 30 years ago (separately back then) and will probably leave it off this time to explore some lesser known places in between. Who knows? It's in the middle of a longer trip so we may just hang out in Bologna and eat for a week.

 

[05flyer]

It's in the middle of a longer trip so we may just hang out in Bologna and eat for a week.

I can't think of many better ways to spend a week than that. Using it as a base to get to other places as you suggest sounds like a great option.

 

[drron]

When we were on a Med cruise April/May 2023 most port cities were very crowded. But in Barcelona we went to the Hospital Saint Pau. Very few people there. But less than a Km down the street the Sagrada was an absolute zoo. We walked down a different street as soon as we saw the crowds.

In Dubrovnik we did tour out of town to 2 vineyards. Snacks at one was excellent and lunch at the second was a lot of fun.
Saw less than 20 other tourists.

So even in overcrowded places there are still ways to enjoy your stay.

 

[VPS]

Planning for a potential day trip from Florence - do you think it's achievable to see the main sights in Venice with around 9 hrs between train arrival and train departure? Heading to Italy in a few months and have heard mixed accounts about how achievable this is.

That would make it a very long day and I think Venice deserves more than that. You do get a lot of day trippers and so it's nice in the evening and one of the joys of Venice is meandering and getting lost down all the little streets.

 

[VPS]

We're planning on using Bologna as a base for a week in that part of Italy in May. It's easy to get to a number of towns from there like Florence, Padua, Verona, Ravenna and Venice. We were both in Venice over 30 years ago (separately back then) and will probably leave it off this time to explore some lesser known places in between. Who knows? It's in the middle of a longer trip so we may just hang out in Bologna and eat for a week.

Also consider Vicenza - I had 5 nights there earlier this year and loved it. I did a day trip to Padua and very glad I chose to base myself in Vicenza and not Padua. I prefer to spend a bit more time in one place rather than just day trips but YMMV

 

[ellen10]

We were in Dubrovnik June 2019 for 4 nights. We walked the walls very early in the morning, before the crowds.
And we heard that there were going to be 7 cruise ships in the next day. So I hired a driver who took 6 of us in a van to Bosnia and Mostar. What a great day we had and came home via the rural county villages of Croatia.

We heard from others that down town Dubrovnik was wall to wall people, until the cruise ship people went back to the ships. Glad we dodged that one.

When we were young we did the fast paced big ticket item cities. But now we are retired we love the "slow travel" concept. Basing ourselves in a place for a minimum of 5 nights, preferably 7.

 

[prozac]

We were in Dubrovnik June 2019 for 4 nights. We walked the walls very early in the morning, before the crowds.
And we heard that there were going to be 7 cruise ships in the next day. So I hired a driver who took 6 of us in a van to Bosnia and Mostar. What a great day we had and came home via the rural county villages of Croatia.

We heard from others that down town Dubrovnik was wall to wall people, until the cruise ship people went back to the ships. Glad we dodged that one.

When we were young we did the fast paced big ticket item cities. But now we are retired we love the "slow travel" concept. Basing ourselves in a place for a minimum of 5 nights, preferably 7.

How did you find the driver? ... as in how was the introduction