The most over-touristed cities in Europe

[Carolinian]

Here are the top twenty and most do not have timeshares (for those that do, Hapimag has the most)

The European Cities Most Overloaded with Tourists

Dreaming of a summer escape to your favourite European city? You may want to think twice about these locations. These are the most overloaded cities in Europe you may want to avoid during the summer. But fear not, we have also the best times to visit these destinations, so you don’t have to miss...

www.holidu.co.uk

https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/30115.jpeg

I confess, I have been to 18 of the 20 myself (all but #5 and #19)

 

[rickandcindy23]

We are going to be in some of those cities next April.

Our son is particularly excited about going to the Lamborghini factory in Bolognese, but that one is most definitely not on that list. He has an invite as a Lamborghini owner, and he can bring a guest, which will be Rick. That would be so boring for our DIL and me.

 

[Cornell]

hard to believe Rome isn't on there.

 

[Passepartout]

hard to believe Rome isn't on there.

Because Rome is a HUGE city, and their criteria was a large number of tourists vs locals. On an absolute numbers thing, Rome, London, Paris would rank high, but as a percentage, tourists are a thin population.

Jim

 

[Passepartout]

We tend to avoid European tourist destinations in July and August because that's when Europeans use their generous vacation (holiday, they say) time. It's crowded, hot, a/c is not widely available. Better to go there in April/May and Sept/Oct.

Jim

 

[Cornell]

Because Rome is a HUGE city, and their criteria was a large number of tourists vs locals. On an absolute numbers thing, Rome, London, Paris would rank high, but as a percentage, tourists are a thin population.

Jim

I learned something today. I just looked up the population of Rome. Had no idea it was that large.

 

[ScoopKona]

We tend to avoid European tourist destinations in July and August because that's when Europeans use their generous vacation (holiday, they say) time. It's crowded, hot, a/c is not widely available. Better to go there in April/May and Sept/Oct.

I'll go one further -- I won't willingly travel to Europe in the summer anymore. Summers in Europe have been getting worse and worse throughout my lifetime. It's bad enough now that if I lived in one of these tourist hotspots, I'd seriously consider leaving for the entire summer. Find a way to spend the summer in Argentina or similar.

Hordes of selfie-snapping crowds being led by tour guides with megaphones. Residents can't enjoy their own city for all the crowds. It's worse than Hawaii, which is saying something.

I would rather visit in the middle of winter than during summer.

 

[beejaybeeohio]

I'm missing Porto, Heraklion and Antalya. Will be back in Amsterdam and Paris soon! Reykjavik again next year!

 

[PcflEZFlng]

I just returned yesterday from 24 days in southeastern Europe (5 countries). Happy to report that of all the cities I visited, only Dubrovnik was on the list. Over-tourism was precisely why I went where I did, and why I went in May. Mission very much accomplished!

 

[stmartinfan]

We visited several large Italian cities and Paris in October. The crowds at the major museums and tourists sites were so much larger than I remembered from earlier visits. I assumed it was part of the post-COVID boom, but maybe it’s the way these major tourist destinations will be now.

 

[Carolinian]

I just returned yesterday from 24 days in southeastern Europe (5 countries). Happy to report that of all the cities I visited, only Dubrovnik was on the list. Over-tourism was precisely why I went where I did, and why I went in May. Mission very much accomplished!

There is a lot to see in that area, and the prices are better than in western Europe, although Croatia's adoption of the euro has significantly raised prices on just about everything there.

We once did a timeshare exchange in Croatia through DAE Europe for an oceanfront resort at Split in July.

 

[AnnaS]

We won't be in any of those cities in September.

We did not consider going during the summer months. Everyone is on Holiday, hot and busy. (We did a med cruise in July of 07/that was good enough).

 

[Ken555]

It’s hard to ignore all the large cities on a trip since they are the popular entry/exit points by plane or ship, etc. I returned Wednesday from Europe and of those on this list I was only in Barcelona since that’s where my ship docked.

FWIW, Bratislava felt practically empty and was a great visit. Recommended.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[PcflEZFlng]

There is a lot to see in that area, and the prices are better than in western Europe, although Croatia's adoption of the euro has significantly raised prices on just about everything there.

Indeed. There were so many stunning and incredible sights to see, and amazing people. My expectations, which were already high, were exceeded wildly. I found the prices everywhere, especially outside of Dubrovnik, to be very reasonable, in some cases even cheap, though magnified by the fact that I live in an expensive city and am used to high prices.

 

[JudyH]

Just returned from two weeks in Paris in early May. Been there a lot in the past and it was more crowded than I ever saw it. College age kids, young families, adults on their own, large family groups and people from all over the world. And very annoying instagrammers.
London was almost similar.

 

[WinniWoman]

hard to believe Rome isn't on there.

I’ve never been but exactly what I was thinking.

 

[WinniWoman]

I avoid crowded places like the plague which means I won’t be going to any of these places.

When we were in Scotland years ago I couldn’t get out of Edinburgh fast enough!

 

[WinniWoman]

I learned something today. I just looked up the population of Rome. Had no idea it was that large.

An ex coworker of mine visited Italy a number of years ago and she hated Rome. The crowds, etc. Her favorite was Tuscany..

 

[ScoopKona]

An ex coworker of mine visited Italy a number of years ago and she hated Rome. The crowds, etc. Her favorite was Tuscany..

I don't see how it's possible to hate Rome. You get out of the train station (one of the last Fascist buildings still being used for its intended purpose), and you're right in the middle of the Roman Forum. Benvenuti a Roma! Their metro system works well. And all the public drinking fountains scattered around the city, always running, provide better water than you can buy at the store. An easy-walking, easy-riding, chock full o' history and culture city that was the seat of world power for a thousand years.

It's sort of like saying, "I don't like music."

Now, if your coworker was trying to drive there, I can totally get behind hating driving in Rome. I wouldn't drive there if you paid me.

 

[vacationtime1]

I don't see how it's possible to hate Rome. You get out of the train station (one of the last Fascist buildings still being used for its intended purpose), and you're right in the middle of the Roman Forum. Benvenuti a Roma! Their metro system works well. And all the public drinking fountains scattered around the city, always running, provide better water than you can buy at the store. An easy-walking, easy-riding, chock full o' history and culture city that was the seat of world power for a thousand years.

It's sort of like saying, "I don't like music."

Now, if your coworker was trying to drive there, I can totally get behind hating driving in Rome. I wouldn't drive there if you paid me.

+1

Parallel to Samuel Johnson's observation that "if a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

Rome was an ancient city and a Renaissance city and it is still the Vatican's city and a thriving modern, capital city. Plus, they have Italian food there.

 

[WinniWoman]

I don't see how it's possible to hate Rome. You get out of the train station (one of the last Fascist buildings still being used for its intended purpose), and you're right in the middle of the Roman Forum. Benvenuti a Roma! Their metro system works well. And all the public drinking fountains scattered around the city, always running, provide better water than you can buy at the store. An easy-walking, easy-riding, chock full o' history and culture city that was the seat of world power for a thousand years.

It's sort of like saying, "I don't like music."

Now, if your coworker was trying to drive there, I can totally get behind hating driving in Rome. I wouldn't drive there if you paid me.

I’m thinking she just doesn’t like big cities and crowds. She’s a country girl like me. I’m the same way. I also think she went in the summer and it was very hot.

 

[Ken555]

I don't see how it's possible to hate Rome.

Ohhhhh, a challenge!

The first time I visited Rome, I absolutely hated it. I enjoyed the places within Rome I visited, I just hated everything else about Rome. The crowds, the traffic, the tourists (omg, the tourists!), the indifference of the locals, etc etc.

The second time I visited Rome I stayed slightly outside the center (my first trip was at the Westin where my room looked over the US Embassy) and it was a much better experience, especially since my expectations were much lower.

I have spent many weeks in Florence and could spend months there with full enjoyment. I can’t say the same about Rome, Milan, or Naples. The great thing about Italy is that it offers so many different types of experiences, so those who enjoy Rome should go there, those who enjoy Florence, or Venice, or Como…should go there, etc etc.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ScoopKona]

The first time I visited Rome, I absolutely hated it. I enjoyed the places within Rome I visited, I just hated everything else about Rome. The crowds, the traffic, the tourists (omg, the tourists!), the indifference of the locals, etc etc.

I had to look it up. Rome gets roughly 2 million more foreign visitors than Paris. I would have thought it would be the other way around. Why? Tourists in Rome area really only obnoxious around the sights. Avoid the Spanish Steps and go to the Colosseum early before most tourists roll out of bed, and the tourist crush in Rome can be mitigated.

I think Paris is far worse. There may be less of them. But they're omnipresent. I can't go anywhere without finding myself next to a tour bus full of selfie-crazed tourists being led by a woman with a flag and a megaphone -- shrieking about wherever they happen to be. I also saw a great deal of this in Florence. Rome (and Naples), I can easily get away from the crowds. Walk a block and it's a different city. My favorite places in Italy aren't even on the tourist path -- and hopefully they stay that way. They're great -- no crowds. No tourists. Just locals. Still plenty to do. But not even 1% of what Rome has to offer.

And that's my strategy -- avoid the tourist routes, use the metro when possible, and if I must face them, duck in with tickets already in hand, thus avoiding the line. I refuse to visit Europe in the summer. It was getting out of hand 25 years ago. I can only imagine how bad it is now. That probably has a great deal to do with it.

PS -- I will say this -- the only times I have ever caught someone with their hand in my pocket, it was Rome.

 

[Ken555]

I had to look it up. Rome gets roughly 2 million more foreign visitors than Paris. I would have thought it would be the other way around. Why? Tourists in Rome area really only obnoxious around the sights. Avoid the Spanish Steps and go to the Colosseum early before most tourists roll out of bed, and the tourist crush in Rome can be mitigated.

I think Paris is far worse. There may be less of them. But they're omnipresent. I can't go anywhere without finding myself next to a tour bus full of selfie-crazed tourists being led by a woman with a flag and a megaphone -- shrieking about wherever they happen to be. I also saw a great deal of this in Florence. Rome (and Naples), I can easily get away from the crowds. Walk a block and it's a different city. My favorite places in Italy aren't even on the tourist path -- and hopefully they stay that way. They're great -- no crowds. No tourists. Just locals. Still plenty to do. But not even 1% of what Rome has to offer.

And that's my strategy -- avoid the tourist routes, use the metro when possible, and if I must face them, duck in with tickets already in hand, thus avoiding the line. I refuse to visit Europe in the summer. It was getting out of hand 25 years ago. I can only imagine how bad it is now. That probably has a great deal to do with it.

PS -- I will say this -- the only times I have ever caught someone with their hand in my pocket, it was Rome.

Umm… I didn’t inquire re Paris. I simply related my experience in Rome. I also didn’t mention that when I was there my first time I found it to be a very dirty city compared to others in Italy at the time (it was better on my subsequent visit). And, I wasn’t there in summer. Also, why would you assume I would do anything other than the typical tourist spots on my first trip to Rome…when I was staying close to the Spanish Steps. And, this was a long time ago. Too many assumptions, Scoop!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ScoopKona]

Umm… I didn’t inquire re Paris. I simply related my experience in Rome. I also didn’t mention that when I was there my first time I found it to be a very dirty city compared to others in Italy at the time (it was better on my subsequent visit). And, I wasn’t there in summer. Also, why would you assume I would do anything other than the typical tourist spots on my first trip to Rome…when I was staying close to the Spanish Steps. And, this was a long time ago. Too many assumptions, Scoop!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I brought up Paris because I think the tourists there are worse than Rome, even though there are apparently fewer of them to be annoying.

I've been visiting Rome since the early 1980s. I don't find it particularly dirty. Old, sure. And I go to the tourist spots, too. But I make sure to take a route that is not as direct and not as well-beaten. Ducking in, from elsewhere is my strategy with Rome. Because tourists tend to clump there. They are predictable. But more importantly they are easily avoidable. Best of all, these side streets are another Rome -- the Rome generally only seen by locals.

Unlike Paris, where the only way to escape the tourists is to be so far out in the hinterlands that nobody goes there.