8 European Cities Destroyed by Overtourism

Overtourism is a big topic in tourism these days and I have seen it first hand. I thought Ibwould share 8 places in Europe where I have seen the large amount of tourism really impact the city and the people in not the best ways.
#overtourism #sustainabletourism #tourism
filmed in Dublin, Ireland
copyright Mark Wolters 2024

[@woltersworld]

The next on the list: Lisbon, Florence, Prague (on weekends), Mykonos.

[@AbhijeetBorkar]

As a Prague resident, I agree, the city center is to be avoided during the touristy season. Thankfully, outside the central area, most of the city is untouched by the hordes, the tourists remain on the standard Old Town-Prague Castle route.

[@TheOffertonhatter]

@@AbhijeetBorkar I agree, we stayed a little out of the centre, but the Bus, tram and underground options made it just as easy to get where you want, and not just the usual tourist hotspots. Beautiful City you live in BTW.

[@godzillagaming1794]

@@AbhijeetBorkaragreed I stayed there in the summer and stayed outside the main part of the city centre and it was way less packed and crowded and far more enjoyable to have a choice when to deal with the crowds

[@mangodiet801]

I'm surprised Rome wasn't included

[@Rikardiho]

I was just in Prague last month, most definitely lol

[@sadjaxx]

I feel so sorry for people trying to live in these cities. Venice is practically a theme park now. Allowing those huge cruise ships is crazy!

[@jimmcintosh9045]

Huge cruise shops don't use Venice now and use other ports.

[@militaryhomes6292]

As a local of Las Vegas this is why we avoid the Las Vegas Strip.

[@jinushaun]

For cities like Paris and Barcelona, you don’t really notice it. Now Venice and Amalfi, different story.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

What about Rome?

[@great-garden-watch]

Ya people don’t understand why I have no interest in going to Venice. Ive been all around Italy and maybe I will one day regret not seeing Venice but it feels like it has become the Las Vegas of venice. It’s sad. I want to go to places where authentic people live regular lives

[@pokerformuppets]

Here in Romania they do a really good job of keeping those tourist numbers down. No maps, no information, no organisation, it's all part of a highly elaborate plan.

[@Ishisah]

😂!

[@garysanders2176]

I lived in Romania for a couple of years. Beautiful country.

[@helenivanova5440]

Oh, i would like to visit a few towns in Romania and just to stroll around them, without all these pictures of sights to put a tick "i have been there":). Hope to visit you country in fall one year and see these fantastic colourful forests.

[@crystalheart9]

👍😆

[@TheZagrean]

@@pokerformuppets 😂 ca bine zici..

[@geoffodonnell1484]

I was lucky enough to travel Europe in the early 80's - when every country was a unique experience (culture, currency, food. shops) - sure there were touristy places and tourist traps, but nothing like now. When we travel to Europe now, we look to target smaller cities and towns to try find a more authentic experience. You can enjoy a holiday a lot more when you're not trying to impress everyone with Instagram moments.

[@frankmartin8471]

I'll remember what Paris and London and Madrid were like in the late 1960s. What a beautiful time that was.

[@tonygibson6436]

Oh yeah! Those must post on Instagram moments like kids showing mummy & daddy their school artwork.

[@marianemartin2644]

1967-1969 spent wandering around Europe with hardly a tourist in sight unless it was the very popular places June-August.

[@riaan2540]

Lucky you.

[@aliciadematteis7181]

@@marianemartin2644 museums were free, no need to book in advance

[@solokom]

The worst enemy of the tourist are other tourists. 😅

[@penningmeestercgkdelft9159]

Jean-Paul Sartre: "L'enfer, c'est les Autres"... ;-)

[@solokom]

@@penningmeestercgkdelft9159 right, I didn't remember the author. Merci

[@slothsarecool]

better than getting knifed by most the locals in Europe haha

[@stefandee1970]

And scuters

[@randymelton6096]

Well said. I used to be a people person until people ruined it. It's getting to where you can't go anywhere without there being hordes of people surrounding you.

[@fitfrog65]

People ruin everything. That's a fact.

[@thadtuiol1717]

"Hell is other people"

[@susanaescriba977]

@@thadtuiol1717 Hell is other tourist.

[@MookMineola]

You can take a beautiful place fill it with people and the place ( mountain, beach , desert , savanna ) and that place is then gone : it ceases to exist . Period . Human beans ruin the planet 🌎. Personally, to me people who have large families are very selfish and ruin the planet 🌎.

[@andrewdarby5356]

It will all change when Klaus Schwab and the WEF implement the Great Reset!

[@jackmeeellleee4896]

yes the damned human species...cannot live with or without them

[@CuteCatsofIstanbul]

Everyone complains about mass tourism, but nobody wants to stop travelling or want to travel differently.

[@scarba]

I know. People obviously have too much money these days to be able to afford all this travel. When I was young hardly anyone went abroad. Can we get back to that? Think of the environmental impact

[@user-ix3yh8yt7r]

I have no desire to travel.

[@scarba]

@RoseyDopey well put 😂

[@mickpeterson3722]

​@@scarbathe overlords love you. be poor donf travel. lol

[@Originalman144]

Not really. I don't complain about it. I just go to other places and I don't post about it or overhype it. The problem is people cannot enjoy places without publicly posting saying "UNDERRATED SECRET SPOT EVERYONE MUST VISIT." This type of broadcasting is a much bigger problem. If you find something beautiful in the world, why tell everyone? A little bit of social credit and likes online just to ruin the place?

[@joranderoover]

I feel like Instagram influencers surely had a huge impact on the overtourism around the Amalfi coast. The other places were definately popular for a longer amount of time.

[@Ichsukatanuka]

100%, Instagram and tiktok has blown up a lot of spots and increased tourism, influencers finally influencing for once

[@parkerburrus289]

And big KZbinrs

[@petek5523]

Lol, I guess it has nothing to do with what a fantastic place it is I think cruise ships have lot to with over tourism.

[@MegansiCast]

Better off putting Instagram down while you're on vacation.

[@starnejme6902]

Not influencers just a large middle class.

[@borsak7]

The problem is everybody goes to the same spots. Here in Switzerland we found "the solution": Make everthing very expensive 😅

[@JS-gt5bh]

Ok! Take all the foreign money out of the Swiss banks and put it in other cities banks? Is it foreign money that makes Switzerland expensive?🤔

[@NATIK001]

As a Dane, Copenhagen has gotten very crowded, but honestly outside of the key touristy places I think its manageable still, and I think the "super expensive" reputation is the main release valve for us as well. If Copenhagen wasn't seen as one of the most expensive places you can go I think we would be flooded to an unmanageable level.

[@thomas-xj1hs]

Avoid Switzerland

[@Snowshowslow]

It works! I visited Switzerland three times, wanted to go back every time and without fail I would take almost ten years to return because I remembered the feeling of having to be careful with EVERY purchase (even at the frigging bakery).

[@dzonikg]

And most are overrated ,like Barselona?? I been there like 5-6 times and for me is just average big city

[@aine1169]

Dublin is always very busy, but so are all the other towns and cities in Ireland worth visiting - like Kilkenny, Galway, Waterford, etc. When I visited Athens I went to the Parthenon first thing in the morning (8am I think) and our tour group was the only one there. You just have to pick the right time.

[@Sir_Baddington]

Come to Finland, we have lots of space here.

[@Brian-vn4xb]

I would love to go to Finland one day.

[@AForestCreature]

Just went to Finland back in September and it was relaxing and the nature is something I dream about living around. Finns are great people.

[@johnlim7720]

Would love to visit one day. Already visited the other Nordic countries ( Denmark, Norway, and Sweden ) and truly enjoyed the experience but one main reason its not too packed with tourists is coz its very expensive. Coming from a country where the daily minimum wage is only 10 Euros per day it really is very expensive.

[@augustina.silvermountain5929]

I wanna come to Finland so bad 😭

[@freepadz6241]

Too expensive

[@mrn13]

I am here in Paris, and here are my 3 tips for visiting European cities suffering from "mass-tourism": 1) January 2) February 3) November

[@AnisMahiouTVP]

it is also the period when the weather is the least favorable and therefore much less interesting to enjoy the city

[@mrn13]

@@AnisMahiouTVP correct. But, very many activities such as museums and restaurants will be indoors anyway and so I remind of the ever present life concept of: COMPROMISE

[@upgrades23hike]

I usually go on holiday in February or march. My destinations are usually quieter and more enjoyable. I've been lucky with weather so far.

[@CMV314]

Paris is still packed during that time, as are many other destinations.

[@Wasserkaktus]

I'm American and my Dad recently bought a flat in Paris. He's always said the best time to visit Paris is pretty much in Brumaire (November), because tourist numbers are lower and it's actually a pretty nice time of the year to visit Paris anyways.

[@diedrino]

As an inhabitant of Firenze I am definitely among the “animosity” bearing locals. It has become impossible to live here because of the prices, but that’s not only on the tourist, it’s our government that really allowed this to happen.

[@zeuseden3805]

Oh, I feel for you! Firenze felt extreme, it must be really hard for the locals.

[@XDelmisterio]

@@zeuseden3805 it gets to a point where you just get just to it, specially if you live in the center...

[@ayeizadashwood6119]

Same in Spain

[@nataliam9764]

I went to Firenze during Covid (I was living in Italy back then). Best time to visit it.

[@justsmy5677]

I agree. The good news is, I saw it and will never be back. Way too many tourists!

[@aaronclift]

I would add Rome to the list. It was jam-packed when I visited it in the summer.

[@joeterra.t]

Dude, I went to Rome last month, that's April, and it was jam-packed. Must be hell for the locals.

[@bastian6625]

I am German, living in Rome and have lived in Paris for 3y. I agree that it could easily be packed on the list. Nevertheless, these are big cities, so you can at least hide from the tourists in the center by living/going to other districts... what is obviously much more complicated in small places such as Venice, Dubrovnik or on a famous island.

[@koenven7012]

@@joeterra.t During the Easter holiday there's a tradition in some European countries for last year highschool students to have a school trip to Italy (or just Rome). You were probably caught in that crowd.

[@chuckh4077]

​@youssef16844 when is off peak season? Not visiting when it's that packed. No thanks.

[@caramia4789]

I live in Rome. There is no off season.

[@lyx_sq232]

Overtourism is making living in Venice impossible. It’s a complicated city to live in per se, but Venetians leave because most houses have become airbnbs, rent prices are crazy and there aren’t a lot of job opportunities aside from pandering to tourists. In 2022, the population of Venice was lower than 50,000 for the first time since the Middle Ages. Tourists beds outnumber residents in the city. Most tourists I met in Venice don’t even know it’s history, don’t visit its attractions and don’t bring money to the local community. They stay here 2 days at max just to take Instagram pics… it’s called “hit and run” tourism. So it’s partly tourism’s and influencer’s fault, but it’s also the italian and local governments’ fault. They sold Venice to tourist consumption with the goal of making it an amusement park. They don’t care that Venetians have to go elsewhere to work and live, losing their connection to the city, which is so interwoven in their identity as people. Introducing a 5€ fee won’t change anything. It doesn’t deter people from coming, it’s such a ridiculous fee. Higher prices for restaurants and hotels discourage domestic tourism (italians from other regions), but aren’t a problem for richer tourists from America or Asia. And so those prices get raised again and again. Turistification and consumption of cities are what we have to fight against. And we have to find an alternative way to fight it, that does not include a ridiculous fee.

[@pinagrrrr2280]

Same thing in Dubrovnik

[@tyxeri48]

Lisbon, Florence, Dublin, Prague. Nightmare which gets worse with KZbin and Instagram.

[@d.c.1204]

Never been to the other places, but with Prague it's not really that difficult to avoid the tourist crowds. Sometimes it's as easy as walking a parallel street. You would be shocked how empty some places are, despite being 1 min away from all the tourist action. Big majority of tourists just hang out in a relatively small area in the city centre.

[@beth12svist]

​​@@d.c.1204 Can confirm as a Czech who was there in August with a friend from abroad. Obviously it won't be completely empty or calm at all, it's the capital after all - but it's still, thankfully, not that difficult to find places where it's still just the capital of Czechia and not a tourist capital.

[@hpfend]

Went to Florence in February and it was very nice. busy-ish, but nothing like in June to August. and accomodation very affordable. took day trips to villages like san gimigniano and volterra and it was super quiet there. awesome for exploring. and we were lucky with the weather. it was not as cold as expected.

[@petek5523]

Traveling during the summer months, July and August, is a bigger factor to over tourism than KZbinrs and Influencers 😅

[@gerardmackay8909]

@@d.c.1204 same with Venice which is famously overrun. Just wander to the areas that don’t have bucket list landmarks, it’s still beautiful but not mobbed.

[@tmo7734]

The problem in places like Venice is that tourists on cruise ships don’t spend much money during the day and then eat meals on the ship in the evening.

[@staiain]

same issue in my city in norway, ålesund, they just flood our streets, clog the toilets in restaurants without being customers and stand in the streets in their own bubble while taking pictures of everything from garbage bins to houses

[@Inkling777]

Perhaps these cities need to charge a fee to cruise ships that flood the city with people who don't need to spend much money.

[@gaia7240]

@@Inkling777 tenere are many protests in Venice by locals, they want to ban Cruise ships but you know, rich people rule the world and the city doesn't belong to locals anymore

[@Troublette59]

@@staiainbeautiful city. We took the bus from Oslo to there back in 2005 when we were there. There must not have been a cruise ship at the time as it was August and not really busy. It’s a small city to deal with a lot of tourism. It was a beautiful small city but tricky to find an ATM that would take a debit card from the US!

[@veronicajensen7690]

agree also the tourists are only in the cities 1-2 days 3 at the most , so they never get away from the same few spots, and the right after they leave there is a new shipment of people all in the same handful of spots, if they were there for a week or two they would spread around more get out of the city ect, , but at least because they are all in the same spots it is easier for us locals to avoid, as a local in Copenhagen my advise is go down the small streets instead of the main walking streets, there you will not only get away from the crowd, you will see the real city, the most interesting buildings, less stressed people and save money because you can find the less expensive places to eat, and remember in Europe the other parts of the city is easy to get to and from due to metro,it's also very easy to get to other cities by train just 25-50 min. train ride from Copenhagen you can get to the most wonderful little cities with castles, Cathedrals, Viking museum, amusement park ect. plan ahead and don't spend your vacation in a line of other tourists

[@IRLShane]

As an Irish person who lived in Dublin 2011-2021, I wouldn't say Dublin is badly overtouristed. Certain areas (Templebar) and certain tourist attractions (Guiness Storehouse, etc) basically receive all the tourists, but you can still go outside those areas/attractions and there are lots of local spots. The biggest issue with Dublin is of course prices, it's realistically not good value for what it can offer unless you're coming from a very high cost-of-living area like NYC. One big difference with Dublin is any uphappy emotions due to the issues there are normally directed square at our government and we are still largely very happy to greet tourists. We are proud of our island and happy to see people coming to visit, unlike places like Barcelona which have very clear anti-tourist sentiment from locals.

[@Bezos404]

Look at all those disappointed faces of tourists in those packed places, after they realized real life is not like instagram.

[@DjemoGraphic]

So true!

[@LS-Moto]

Why do you guys always think people only travel because of Instagram? These tourist Hotspots have been there long before social media was a thing.

[@DjemoGraphic]

@@LS-Moto many tourist hotspots of today were not hotspots before social media. And also less people traveled before because it was more expensive. Now it has become much too cheap to fly. Of course Venice and Zermatt etc were very popular before but u see many hidden gems now 10 years later became crowded like the Val Bavona or Schächental

[@LS-Moto]

@@DjemoGraphic Venice has always been a tourist hotspot. So has rome, Paris, Barcelona, Kreta, you name it. Travelling frequently hsd become a thing since the 70's. Sure, there might be the occasional thing social media promoted, but lets not get this out of proportion. Besides, if you look at successful travel channel with experienced travellers, they don't really go for the hotspots. They try to get engaged in local activities, cultures and cuisines.

[@TheMentalLevelUpPodcast]

@@LS-Moto I think its because some of them are small-minded and can only come up with the same few cookie-cutter/copycat thoughts, some are jealous or miserable and love to see others disappointed, and some are just not smart enough to remember that people wanted to travel BEFORE there was internet, that there's interest in that great big world out there! 😮🤩 I bought fingernail polish at a store to try a fun effect that I saw on TikTok (it turned out so well), and the lady asked with judgement "Do you *believe* everything you see on there?!" "No, but this is literally just an art project. Relax, its not that serious." People make those "seen on tv/internet" comments as if EVERYONE is a follower, when *THEY* are the ones who repeating that same, overused comment like robots (online AND in person)!😆

[@ThisIsWhatItLookedLike]

We just spent a 2 weeks in Poland. Beautiful country and much fewer tourists than elsewhere in Europe!

[@sunflowerfields4409]

I'm going to Poland next year in April, so that's good to know.

[@user-eu4qh1rw3b]

Krakow and Wroclaw are fantastic. Warsaw is great too but more of a big city kind of vibe. But definitely worth seeing.

[@karlzen86]

Quite alot of tourists in Gdansk:/ But was pleasantly suprised that Krakow wasn't that overly crowded:)

[@sunflowerfields4409]

@@user-eu4qh1rw3b I'm visiting all of those places. I'm really excited.

[@silliaek]

Krakow was amazing. I was there in early September.

[@Jimmie2429]

Wife and I took a Viking Danube tour last fall. Stopped at Passau, Linz, Krems, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. I noticed zero overtourism. No one trying to sell you stuff, no problem finding tables at cafes, no big ugly crowds, no traffic jams and we visited museums and historic sites with no issues at all. I guess the advice would be don’t go in the summer.

[@risinbison1106]

@@Jimmie2429 wife and I did Viking down the Rhine in early spring, same thing, very light tourism and saw everything without a fuss. Also, nobody does it like Viking.

[@risinbison1106]

@janetlamb6812 all I can say is he ready to be amazed. I’ve been on several cruise lines but nobody does it like Viking. Now I’m completely spoiled and don’t know if I can go back to the other companies.

[@leag.d.2495]

I am from Portugal and Lisbon should definitely be on that list. My mother grew up in Lisbon and because we don't live there anymore, she wanted to show me where she spend her childhood. Sadly, most shops she remembered were gone, everything full of tourist traps and rent insanely high. The only place I still like are the Olivais, which is where my grandparents used to work back in the day. Let's hope the north still stays a bit less touristy, even if it doesn't seem that way

[@ivermektin6874]

I go surfing and the spots are all like this. All tourists that regularly go there and stay in surf hostels or villas. Lots of trust fund kids too from around the world.

[@olivermiller2013]

Yes, Portugal became very popular. You can find several channels on KZbin from Americans recommending Portugal because it is so cheap there. This changed a bit the last years because of the high tayes Portugal has for people having a high income and with this it is far from cheap. They are not used to this. But it is influencing the prices for sure. We simple have too many people in the world.

[@MookMineola]

I was lucky to visit Lisbon in November 1980 . I was charmed by Lisbon . Not a tourist in sight .

[@Ed19601]

A tip for Amsterdam: dont go there

[@Cristina_C7]

Não fale nos Olivais para não fazer lembrar

[@carmenl163]

I am so grateful I visited all those places 30 and 20 years ago.

[@markshrimpton3138]

I feel lucky that I visited them fifty plus years ago. I had a family holiday in Yugoslavia in the early 1970s and Dubrovnik was such a charming quiet place. Now it’s hideous with hardly a genuine local living there.

[@catrionamacfarlane4949]

So glad that our family had the opportunity to visit France and ltaly and Greece from 1961 by car, before tourism was a thing. Paris and Venice , Rome, Naples etcetera without crowds and queues. Santorini in 1971...fabulous!!!

[@hereandthere6001]

@@catrionamacfarlane4949 Me too, with my parents and then later by myself and everywhere was so cheap back then.

[@NoName-t7e]

You wouldn't recognize a lot of these places anymore, I live in Sweden but it doesn't feel like it (apart from the cold weather, which is still the same).

[@michaeldianewynne8414]

@@catrionamacfarlane4949 But you either had to walk to the top or ride a donkey back then🤣

[@thetreesify]

I would add Edinburgh, Scotland, here. It is a fascinating beautiful city with so much to see and take in, but there are never enough hotels or hostels, the ones available are beyond expensive, and the main centre of the old town is just air bnb, overpriced bars and tartan gift shops.

[@markshrimpton3138]

I completely agree with you. I now live north of Dundee, which is in no danger of being overrun with tourists. But in the 80s I lived and worked in the centre of Edinburgh. It was always busy from April until the end of September but there’s no appreciable difference now. The shops, especially those in the Royal Mile, sell overpriced tartan tat.

[@SirBrosif286]

Just got back from there! Was absolutely beautiful. I noticed a large amount of people (especially from Asia) taking instagram vids in literally the streets…

[@TransCanadaPhil]

When I visit Europe now I’ve come to realize I’m not much of an “urban city person” in any case. The best part of my European trips is usually the 2nd half where I rent a car and just wander all over and visit small towns, rural areas, national parks, roadside attractions, museums in small towns, and the like. Away from all the other “international busses and tourists”’. Im in the middle of a Norway Trip right now and with my rental car, I’m just staying for the night in a random town called Gol after driving here from Flam. Just stopping at random scenic points along the way as I meandered here. This is the way I’ve realized I like to travel, not in the urban cities

[@ErikaTheGreat89]

I do the same thing! For the last few years I’ve done half of my vacation in a city and the other half is a road trip. I love going to smaller, more relaxed towns that get very few tourists.

[@shamrock4500]

I am the same, people outside the cities appreciate visitors, especially the markets and small home businesses. I love the cities, but the real sense of the country is in the country. I can visit cities at home, I love meeting the locals.

[@danielferreiracunha9698]

Been doing this for last 2 years and I will do again next July. Came to realize that the best part of the trip is when you get a rental car and visit the countryside, beautiful landscapes and nature and the small towns and villages. Its been like this in Gemany, Austria, Scotland and Ireland. And I hope it will also be in England and Wales this year. Dublin is nice but places like Kinsale, Killarney and Doolin were much more enjoyable to me and my family. Same for Edinburgh vs the highlands and Skye Isle.

[@jaimeshore9989]

This. Just got back from Norway (4th trip) and I couldn’t agree more. Most beautiful country.

[@mnyhan6943]

Yes, for sure - before visiting Paris we spent 10 days driving through Breton - incredible sightseeing, natural beauty, open spaces and lovely people.

[@N.V-Tahfi]

That’s why me and my wife always choose the not so touristy cities and towns. Instead of Brussels, we opted for Antwerp. We chose cavtat outside of Dubrovnik, and brno over Prague. We can’t stand huge crowds, it’s not for us.

[@chuck62891]

My wife and I visited Maastricht and the surrounding area instead of Amsterdam. It is a charming and historic university town.

[@lordjace]

In my opinion Antwerpen is far more touristy than Brussel, also because it’s a way nicer city. But you can easily do both, as they are a short train ride distance from one another.

[@DianeDrake-vw5bn]

Cavtat is gorgeous - good call.

[@N.V-Tahfi]

@@lordjace We took a day trip to Mechelen and we loved it. We didn’t wanna go to Brussels since it’s a capital city and we were afraid it was gonna be crowded like Amsterdam, since we took a train from there to Antwerp. We wanted to stay on the Flemish part of Belgium and we loved it. Belgium is so nice, we’re considering it as an option for us when we think about retirement. Where can you find 12% beer and good chocolate anywhere else?

[@lordjace]

@@N.V-Tahfi Absolutely, the city’s of Gent, Leuven and Brugge should be next on your list in that case. Or go slightly north to Delft (Netherlands) …. there you can have not only the best, but also the friendliest chocolate: Tony Chololonley…. in any case good traveling!

[@matm4331]

I lived in Germany for a while and found lots of beautiful places that we not as crowded as some of the more famous cities. Trier, Dresden and Leipzig were highlights for me!

[@jeffhands7097]

Great video again Mark! I live in Munich, and of course Munich gets overrun during Oktoberfest (mid-Sept until the first few days of October), but then the rest of the year there are enough tourists to make it feel lively, but by no means overrun. Hot tip: forgo Oktoberfest and come to Munich in August or first half of September and visit the many Beer Gardens. You can go to a different one each day and have a great time. Each one has its own character. You can even bring your own food, as long as you buy their beer, making for a nice family picnic. Just be aware, it can be hot here (or cold… weather varies greatly) and when it’s hot, those are the few weeks that the locals just endure it, i.e. air conditioning is probably only found in your rental car. But hey, there are plenty of great day trips from Munich, in your air conditioned car!

[@magnificus8581]

Great tips!

[@michaelmcnally1242]

Late spring (May) is also super nice, the flowers in the park are amazing (and sometimes the huge rains are amazing :) but it's like Adult Beer Fan Disneyland, you can't walk 10 feet without running into another beer place, and they're all good.

[@MsTimelady71]

Agreed. We went in late April and although there was a lot of rain, the city never felt crowd or and I never had to wait long in a long. Salzburg was also wonderful. I'd never to to Munich for Oktoberfest. There's a smaller not well known Frulingfest celebration in late April in Munich. Much like Oktoberfest but smaller and a local crowd.

[@summeroflove394]

Visited Munich during Wiesn last year and had a blast. The whole city had come alive. People wearing drindls and lederhosen, just walking casually all around town. It was fabulous.

[@jamesharrison2374]

Lived in Germany 16 years, never went to October fest. Have been twice to Munich since I moved back to the US we went in May, and in September weeks prior to the fest opening. Loved the beer gardens.

[@johnfelixable]

Hallstatt, Austria is a place that gets overrun regularly. It's especially popular by Asian tour groups.

[@volusian95]

I noticed that too, and it was 10 years ago. They're super polite, though.

[@krunoslavkovacec1842]

​@@volusian95 They're supper nice and like to take loads of photos 😂

[@Snowshowslow]

It is? I don't think I had ever even heard of it and I've been to Austria 😆 On a cycling tour, but still.

[@FOXMAN09]

Do any Austrians exist in Hallstat? I thought i entered a portal straight to Asia

[@christophflattinger2262]

Austria has quite some corners​@@Snowshowslow

[@evanlucas8914]

tip for Dublin. Go in may and September or October. The shoulder seasons are much much less crowded overall on Ireland. There aren't as many festivals, but all the tourism things aren't closed for the winter.

[@MikeLimTravel]

I was just in Bali and I feel like that place is the most overrun tourist destination. Long lines everywhere. Traffic is crazy.

[@youngyhasard3219]

Je n irai sûrement PAS. On collectionne deje de trop les files d attente. MILLE MERCIS

[@LETMino85]

Yepp, Bali was intense. And Thailand. Maybe he needs to do an Asian version of this :) I think those two places beat most in Europe anyway in terms of mass tourism.

[@formulaic78]

Bali just doesn't have the infrastructure. Thailand is better but Phuket can be overcrowded which is why I go to samui and kophangnan.

[@theindoboi]

As an Indonesian, I completely agree the infrastructure there could not uphold the vast amount of tourists from both domestically and internationally. People now are opting to go to other places like Lombok, East Nusa Tenggara and Java. These locations are way better. Beaches in the southern part of Malang is a must see.

[@henrikgustav2294]

Nusa dua bali is calm and quiet. Beautiful beaches

[@Theman26642]

It’s not just Americans. A lot of other European tourists. Intra-European flights are so cheap thanks to airlines like RyanAir. And lodging is more affordable due to Airbnb. Personally I was disgusted how crowded Florence was. So much better off venturing out to lesser known areas of a country.

[@Anurania]

In England you can pay as little as 99 and for that price you get return flights to somewhere warm in Europe, a week of accommodation, a coach from the airport to the hotel and back, and a guide from the travel company who is around to answer questions and help arrange local activities. Everyone can afford to travel.

[@mjmj240]

Chinese too

[@katjaxxx7353]

Pisa is nice or Palermo

[@charlesb7019]

Don’t forget the Asians. They are everywhere.

[@thecrunge4431]

Try Lucca for both Pisa and Florence. Use bus and train to get about.

[@shopperscloset]

Great video! Just traveled to Nice, Rome, Venice, Zurich and Paris. Venice was the most crowded by far. The thing that I think is one of the worst parts of these cities now (Zurich excluded) was all of the people on the streets trying to sell roses or power banks or other stupid, Chinese-made "souvenirs". The "salespeople" are relentless and the products are garbage. Also, too many garbage gift shops selling imported junk trying to undercut the next store selling the same junk. The cities need to crack down on this stuff.

[@viniciuscilla]

What did you feel in Zurich?

[@thespamdance311]

@@viniciuscillaProbably bored and ripped off, like most people.

[@adamsaldana5462]

I feel bad for the locals. I'd love to visit these cities, but I'd add to the masses

[@elena0351]

Go in the Winter/ early spring! Locals are very nice because there aren't too many people and they get some money off season, which everyone appreciates

[@wyganter]

@@elena0351Or at least go in the late spring or early fall, when families (both American and European) aren’t on vacation everywhere.

[@andrewdarby5356]

@@elena0351 This can work in some cases, but be prepared to find many places you would expect to find open are closed or shuttered when its not tourist season.

[@Originalman144]

Locals need the money in a lot of places. It's those who are not benefiting from tourism who we should feel bad for.

[@jessynixx]

I live in Veneto and I think we have "better" cities and areas than Venice here. Try Padova and Colli Euganei for example. Plenty of British (and others, like Dutch, Germans etc) expats too here.

[@Festus171]

Love your channel! We purposely visited Barcelona in January last year. It was wonderful to visit a place like that in the "off season". Not all places have the iconic attractions, but we try to find those less-visited places that are just as lovely. Let's face it, most little towns across Europe have tons of interesting history so you really can't go wrong. We did feel that the big cities of Barcelona and London were very organized in how they managed the number of visitors. Granted it was not prime tourist season last time, but the infrastructure is present to give people lots of options.

[@clareinnes2048]

Well done you for making this video. As tourists we need to remember that we are guests in the locations we visit and we have an obligation and responsibility to behave with respect and consideration for the people who call these places home.

[@neilfromcork]

Add to this list: Prague, Edinburgh, Cinque Terre, Florence

[@woltersworld]

Agree

[@OscarOSullivan]

West coast of Ireland, if you want lovely scenery and walking go to the Wicklow mountains if you want to stay close to Dublin.

[@lisaa8795]

Cinque Terre is Rick Steve's fault. Same with Hallstatt Austria.

[@khadzak7496]

Visited Edinburgh mid April 2024 absolutely loved it BUT despite the chilly winds, it was teeming with humanity, crowds everywhere - almost felt overwhelmed & claustrophobic.

[@marknicoll5298]

Lived in Edinburgh for 4 years and at times it felt like the city existed as a giant theme park for tourists. It's a shame because it's a fantastic city.

[@t.vanoosterhout233]

Went to see Rome some six years ago, very early spring. The four or five highest highlights were packed sure enough. The Vatican museums, make sure to book your ticket way in advance. But also realize that highlights nrs 6 to 1000 are also fabulous, and that most cities would love to have some of those. An estimated 700 churches, for which (apart from St. Peters) you often can just walk in. At least, that was my experience 6 yrs ago.

[@citroniron8861]

I'm from Germany and when I holiday in Europe I always go in May/June or autumn. It certainly helps that my kids aren't going to school anymore.

[@tergre54]

Overtourism in Europe looks a lot like daily life in Asia.

[@person.X.]

Or much of the UK.

[@YvBernard]

C'est leur problèmes s'ils ne savent pas gérer leur natalité.

[@mbbsboi7248]

​@@person.X. I sometimes forget England has a higher population density than India, insane stuff

[@TFSIChristmas]

@@person.X.all of UK?

[@TFSIChristmas]

@@person.X.all of UK is occupied by immigrants?

[@vaivathomas9642]

I have had a rarest experience in Venice some 20 years ago, not sure if it is still the case. I have spent a couple of hours there one day during the week just before Christmas. Beautifully empty streets and magical feeling. Found a Christmas market with the number of customers to count on one hand. This is still one of my most treasured memories years later 😊

[@SeverityOne]

You're absolutely right. I've been to about half of these places, and lived for three years in Amsterdam. But they _are_ beautiful places! There's a reason so many people go there. We were in Barcelona in March (I immediately recognised the late 19th century neo-Gothic Barcelona cathedral), and it was one of the best holidays we ever had. There is much more to it than just Antoni Gaudí, although a visit to the Sagrada Familia is a must. I'll admit that there were _a_ _lot_ of tourists. Our hotel was a mere 100 metres from La Rambla, and it was always packed. What you need to find is the low season. In southern Europe, the weather is still nice enough to spend time outside. We spent our honeymoon in Italy in December 2001, three months after you-know-what, and there weren't a lot of tourists. Rome Florence, Venice, Milan: all great places to visit when there aren't quite literally bus-loads of tourists. Oh, and you can add these to the list of overly touristy places: * Florence (Italy) * Cinque Terre (Italy) * Carcassonne (France) * Bruges (Belgium) * Giethoorn (Netherlands) * and probably loads of places in central and eastern Europe that I've never experienced

[@stefanschreiber774]

I'm currently in Iceland, it's also pretty bad. There are a lot of beautiful places in the country side, waterfalls, geysers, volcanos, glaciers, hot springs, lakes, canyons...but everyone of them has a huge parking lot in front of it and thousands and thousands of people are taken their by bus by bus from Reykjavik. It's impossible to talke a decent picture of any place. The south-west (Golden Circle) was unbearable during daytime, we went to see all these places at midnight. I have travelled a lot across Europe on my motorcycle, as I rule I never go to the capitals and famous places anymore but instead travel the countryside where I'm the only tourist. It's much more pleasant, it's not as expensive, the locals are much happier to see you and in general much less stressful.

[@malcolmfraser2066]

The transformation of Iceland was swift and radical. I was living there from 2006 to 2017. In the earlier years of my stay, we could visit some of the most popular spots in April/May and have them entirely to ourselves. When I arrived in Iceland there were 300 000 annual tourists. Today it's closer to 2.5 million.

[@Starkardur]

Specific areas in Iceland are overrun with tourism but not all of them and certainly not a year around. I was shocked to walk in Reykjavík in May and see barely any tourists (locals have stopped going to downtown) felt more empty than during Covid.

[@Originalman144]

Iceland will do good to raise their prices. Become like Switzerland and Norway where it's just too expensive to stay a long time. The only way to save places and preserve them is by limiting access, ie. exclusivity. Charge tourist double the price that locals pay.

[@anniewilliams4730]

Iceland's chief industry used to be fishing. Then they realised that tourists are far more easily hooked, breed at frantic speed, will eat anything, are infinitely gullible, and require far less skilful processing. What's more, you can consume the same ones over and over again. Destroying everything that makes your country attractive is, apparently a price well worth paying. No doubt the fishes agree.

[@annabarr1304]

I love Paris but left after 15 years for Chantilly. The secret is to stay in Chantilly, and take the train 25min to Paris. Not only will you cut your costs, but the Chateau art collection rivals the Louvre. 😊

[@solangelauthier2381]

Plenty of other suburbs more convenient than Chantilly ! Saint Germain en Laye (West of Paris), as an example, has much better connections to Paris (RER). And is not so dead.

[@Originalman144]

Why tell everyone this "secret" publicly though? Enjoy it in peace. Lest your town be ruined by more people and higher prices.

[@di7787]

@@Originalman144 Tourism is one thing, moving there is another thing, way less easy to do

[@allendean9807]

It’s myself and my wife’s goal to retire to france, but we aren’t sure where we want to end up, ultimately- she loves the Morbihan area, and i am a huge fan of places like Aix. But Paris? Not sure i even want to ever visit there, until I’m a permanent resident, that way I’ll be fluent enough to not sound like an “American tourist”. Last time i lived in europe, people would ask me if i was an American; i told them no…. I’m a Californian!😂

[@lioneldemun6033]

​@@solangelauthier2381My son just bought his family home in Gouvieux

[@fernandogordillo9347]

We just came back from a lovely trip to Europe! I would definitely add Bruges in Belgium to this list. It was packed! The city truly looks like it came out of a fairytale, but you can get much of the same vibe and beauty, with way less tourists, in Ghent.

[@michaelhagerty9440]

Just got back from three weeks in Italy. Florence was jammed on the weekend we were there. Other over touristed places were Cinque Terre and Lake Como.

[@Ichsukatanuka]

And soon to add to the list, Lisbon

[@Yoghurtmale8]

Definitely

[@Angel-cv8yt]

Lost its essence 😢

[@carloscosta7758]

Yes its been lime maybe 10-15 years since it started to massify and by now it's impossible

[@chronic2023]

It's already there.

[@jocelynwoltersworld]

It's incredibly different than when Mark did his PhD there. Even our little residential area has been tainted by impossibly high rents and loud tourists. 😔 it's not as bad as some places but it is sad to me.

[@3dplanet100]

Last year, I went to a place where not too many tourists goes, and I was welcomed, and the taxi drivers told me that those people who makes tours videos for KZbin attracts tourism, and that is very good to do that. That place was Quito, Ecuador. They really like when people visits their country. I had a really good time there.

[@Entername-md1ev]

Surprised Lisbon isn’t on this list. I did a Spain/Portugal trip last month to Lisbon, Sevilla, Madrid and Barcelona and I found Lisbon to be the most touristy city among the four…at least from a per capita basis it felt like I saw more tourists than locals 😳

[@nikolaskarazafeiris6367]

How was your trip ? I intent to do a simimal trip this July.

[@DubCmusicTV]

It’s because Lisbon is old. Sevilla is safe from tourism

[@Entername-md1ev]

@@nikolaskarazafeiris6367 it was great! For Lisbon it’s definitely worth taking day trips to Sintra and Cascais as they’re both beautiful and don’t miss out on the gastronomy in Lisbon city proper. Sevilla is lovely too but if you’re going in July the heat is no joke. Madrid is a really nice city too but not as much cultural distinction as the other three. Barcelona was the best all around city for me but make sure to reserve a spot for yourself at the major sites and watch for pickpockets on the metro or busy streets

[@Entername-md1ev]

@@DubCmusicTV Sevilla had a lot of tourists too but not nearly as much as Lisbon

[@DubCmusicTV]

Went to those four in 2018. Can’t picture Sevilla packed but I didn’t go in the summer.

[@alarconblog]

Florence is definitely on the list. I was there in Aug 2022 and it was horrible. Too many people.😢

[@sunbaths.]

I was there in Aug 2022 too!

[@Vancouver_Dan]

And so many scammers.

[@DrRock2009]

August in Europe is holiday season for the continent.

[@shredgtr420]

I'll be in Rome, Florence & Venice this July. Looking forward to it, but kind of dreading the crowds & heat. Have a child in high school, so for the next 3 yrs summer's the only time available for 3+ week vacation.

[@MaraMara89]

​@@shredgtr420 I don't have kids, but also need to plan vacation on summer - I work in theater and we have break in July and August :/ I was in Venice during summer two times and if you want you can find some alleys away from crowds (we have found great old cafe that way, that was filled with locals). Same with Rome. With Florence I am not sure as I was there only for quick two-days trips, so we didn't walked that much, but still menage to find some restaurants that was not fully filled with people. I think that heat isn't as big problem in Venice (it is surrounded by water and on the north, so it is not as hot as in southern Italy), but I have seen some teenager fainting in Florence last year - be aware of your kid as they are in age that you probably won't be monitoring their water intake closely and at the same time might not be drinking enough fluids by themselves! Rome seems to me to be the hottest of those 3. Few years ago we were dealing with it staying in our room until 3pm and walking around the city in the evening/at night. Also: seaside near Rome might not be beautiful, but it is reachable by public transport and is great idea to spend some time at beach :)

[@rosicl2867]

People always go to the same places the best holidays to me are the uknown places in a country and not the tourists hotspots.

[@nightowl356]

it is kinda touched on at the end, but one of the biggest reasons for the living costs exploding in those places is AirBnB. so one way of visiting without causing too many problems would be to stay in a real hostel/hotel (edited a typo)

[@glennstarkey7087]

I wonder how many will turn on airBNB and verbo not unlike say NY where airbnb is de facto banned

[@flower-ss2jt]

Alot of travellers like me, who joined Air BnB 20 years ago, stopped using it because it is now just a way to get round local regulations for rented rooms, and we now stay in Hotels or recognised Bed and Breakfast which are inspected.

[@neptunemike]

I’ve only heard bad things about airBnB

[@flower-ss2jt]

@@neptunemike It may be that the AirBnB host is welcoming and friendly, it is more likely that the host will be an agent running the apartment from a distance for an 'investor'. You will have to pay cleaning charges and will not know the exact address until the day you go. So it's like booking a hostel room without knowing where the hostel is.

[@nightowl356]

@@flower-ss2jt yes, I've used AirBnB in smaller towns and it was sometimes difficult to use, like when/how do we get the keys, where can we leave the luggage after checkout and so on. hotels offer a better service in my experience

[@leonb2637]

A lot of the 'overtourism' in Europe is from other Europeans due to cheap air, train and bus fares as well as far more generous paid vacation time vs. Americans. I was in Dublin in early May 2024 and for sure there are places like the Temple Bar and McConnell street areas that are real tourist traps with high prices and phoniness. 2 of my 3 nights there was about a 1/2 mile from the Temple Bar area where quieter, found decent places to eat, a great craft beer bar with locals. I like to do walking tours, like from the Rick Steves books and other sources, stay and eat in non-core tourist areas, be flexible in what to do, find the less popular places to go, visit in off peak times of the year.

[@mysterioanonymous3206]

Don't forget that the entire eastern EU was an underdeveloped, soviet backwater as recently as 1989... Countries like Portugal and Spain had only just emerged from the fallout of their military dictatorships (70s/80s), so people were A LOT poorer then, generally speaking. I live in Switzerland so we used to go to Italy a lot (all over, from cinque Terre to Sardinia to Sicilly) when I was younger and the change is extreme. I mean you barely recognize the country, and I can confidently say what made Italy great is long gone. It's what happens when you bring 200m neighboring people up to a middle class standard of living within two decades. Crazy thing is, this is just the beginning. You've only seen the first Chinese and a few rich indians, but when they catch up you can say goodbye to visa free travel. They'll inundate the entire planet, not to mention the carbon impact. It'll be crazy. 1b people trying to holiday in Europe. Good luck with that.

[@clairenoon4070]

I'm interested that you put 'overtourism' in inverted commas when you mention Europeans travelling within Europe. Does that not really count as tourism? Are 'real' tourists only the ones from wherever you are?

[@javianjohnson8746]

This is very interesting. I’ve learned a very valuable trick for traveling: GO DURING THE OFF SEASON! Not only is it cheaper, but a lot less tourists + more of an authentic feel when interacting with the locals

[@pburke5274]

We do this , for affordability. 😊

[@hothotheat3000]

Paris in the middle of winter? AWESOME. It was a ghost town. No lines for anything. Go in mid-January!

[@adrianhough5059]

My family and I travelled around Italy last August and we found Florence was the place that felt the most crowded with tourists

[@larsedik]

I guess you did not go to Venice.

[@ringinn7880]

How was Naples?

[@adrianhough5059]

@@larsedik Venice had a lot of tourists but they were more spread out. The key sites in Florence are relatively close to each other and were absolutely packed

[@JulianBark]

We were in Florence for a few days in mid January. Avoid the Summer months and holidays.

[@Originalman144]

Many places are better when kids are in school and when the weather is not nice. Go then

[@karlzen86]

I would add: - Český Krumlov (Czech), insanely amount of tourists in such a small city space. - Chania (Crete, Greece) very crowded in city centre where there is alot of narrow streets. - Rome, despite when I visited there in winter season. - Gdansk (Poland)

[@viwanton]

I like to travel more during the off season for this reason.

[@brianobrien91]

No mention of Prague ?

[@glennstarkey7087]

Will get worse with Russia off limits due to war. For those that want old world Europe

[@d.c.1204]

Tourists usually cover a relatively small area of Prague. Often times it's as easy as taking a parallel street and you're in a quiet spot.

[@beth12svist]

​@@glennstarkey7087 I'd recommend the Baltics as a substitute for Russia, not Prague. Not that the Baltics want to have anything to do with Russia (and with good reason), but they do have more shared history than we ever did here in Czechia, and therefore have some of the requisite architecture; Prague isn't a good substitute for anyone specifically after that sort of thing, Prague is its own animal. For example, the palace in Rundāle, Latvia, was designed by the same architect who designed the Winter Palace. Although it's a lot less ostentatious and probably overall nicer. 😅

[@PradedaCech]

@@glennstarkey7087 Er, what? It will (actually already has) gotten better because Russian tourists cannot come to the EU so easily any more..

[@jeanneknight4791]

Agree. My favorite. October had great weather. Stay in Mala Strana, not old Town or New Town areas.

[@barbarawissinger]

Madeira is another destination whose popularity has put locals at a disadvantage.

[@wudipest]

Really? We've just been and the locals there say they want tourists to visit because that's their main income.

[@dzonikg]

I been in January ,one off my favorite places i have visited but i did not seen many tourist,. Maybe becase if was January

[@barbarawissinger]

@@wudipest It’s more about housing. Locals find it difficult to find affordable homes because developers focus on the tourist market. Did you see the new apartments being built west of the Lido? They start at over €1 million, clearly for Airbnb/expat market. Our guide explained that each large construction project should also have to build a number of affordable objects for the native population. Madeira has it rough since a lot of the money coming in gets transferred to Lisbon and not returned.

[@generalkawasaki9485]

by Madeira did you mean both islands, there is also Porto Santo

[@dzonikg]

@@barbarawissinger In old town Dubrovnik in 80s lived 5000 people ,now all turned in to airbnb and booking ,only few older people left to really live ,everything else is tourist

[@thiaguinhooitodois2211]

To be honest, I’m not going back to Europe. They are super rude, it’s expensive and it’s wayyy too many people. I rather go to South America.

[@Juice558]

Which cities in Europe did you go too?

[@joannshorter127]

We visited Rome at the end of October last year & it was ridiculously crowded, especially for shoulder season. Trevi Fountain was the worst, with people literally pressing against each other & even then you couldn't get close. The fountain itself is now fenced off because a few idiots ruined it for everyone by going for a swim.

[@grassytramtracks]

I went in April 2016, and the major sites were packed with people, but the other streets were more manageable, especially Trastevere

[@Schnittwin]

Where exactly is it overcrowded? Is it the entire city, or mainly in front of the main sights (vatican, trevi, pantheon, colosseum)? I'm thinking of going there this summer. Since I've been to Rome before and seen those main sights already, I hope there's the possibility to see the "rest" of the city, where hopefully it is not as crowded

[@JohnnySalami-jo4jh]

​@@Schnittwin I just got back from Rome and we were so overwhelmed by the crowds at the Trevi Fountain that we woke up at 6 am the following morning and went back. Still a lot of people even at that time but we could at least have some room to breath and we managed to make our way near the front. The other sights you listed were very busy as well.

[@JamesAlexanderJack]

Recent anti-over-tourism protests in Spain have been in Tenerife, Malaga, and Majorca.

[@jgdooley2003]

I recently visited Malaga and stayed in the outskirts of the town in Los Prados. I practically had the place to myself which I enjoy better than touristy centres. This location is not a tourist location but I wanted to see a workaday ordinary part of Spain rather than the touristy parts and got that part alright. It is just a 15 minute train ride from Malaga centre or a half hour by bus which is more frequent and easier to use than the train. Malaga is a beautiful city and worth visiting for a day or two.

[@EMTMikeMike]

I spend a lot of time in Malaga and vicinity . A malagueño stole my heart😍.... I've watched the city center if Malaga change -- it feels like pan European mall .. there are still some gems in the city center --- and I will not tell you where they are!!!!!!!!! All said go in January, Feb, and March ... better yet get a car and drive inland......Andalucia is more than Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada...

[@rupert-j8f]

@@EMTMikeMike yeh seville, cordoba, granada, and mijas are all close to malaga and much nicer, especially mijas.

[@SloMo2723]

I tend to do small villages that are out of the way in Europe. Not a fan of crowds.

[@cilldublin07]

Grew up close to Howth in Dublin. A small sleepy coastal village that is totally over run with tourists & day trippers coming out from Dublin for the day. Can't blame the big cities trying to deal with over tourism

[@KoRnBaKo]

Oh how Dublin and Ireland is long gone. Never will we see greatness here again...

[@jturie]

Our last visit to Dublin, we went to Howth on a beautiful day in November. Absolutely jammed, and we could not get a table in a restaurant.

[@g-man4744]

Better go to Skerries instead!

[@serbkebab2763]

You don’t own Howth so feel with the tourists. We are also moving 10,000 Somalian migrants in tents into your neighborhood. You don’t have a problem with this, do you racist?

[@okklidokkli]

Why are there so many tourists in Dublin? Don't get me wrong, the city is OK, but by European standards not that special. Is it all the Irish-Americans visiting their "Homeland"?

[@pavloskaisseris7587]

in the summer in Athens, the Parthenon is visited by at least 16,000 people a day ❤🇬🇷

[@mnyhan6943]

Instead of the Parthenon, visit the many spectacular ruins all over Greece, Italy and Turkey - the most beautiful spot: Paestum, south of Rome ❤ 🤫

[@arisk6838]

@@mnyhan6943 Parthenon is a unique monument in the world, I cannot compare it to any other ancient buildings that I have seen, in Greece or in other countries -and I have seen many! What you can do, is visit the Acropolis and Athens in wintertime, when it is much less hectic.

[@pburke5274]

And 40° heat..... Nightmare

[@timbott22]

I travel to Paris in SEPTEMBER OCTOBER and NOVEMBER. Almost everyone is Parisian during that time and no lines at any museum. Been there five times since 2009 . Drawback is I’ve never experienced it as anything but cold.

[@tedsteiner]

On the topic of Amsterdam, highly recommend checking out the other cities. We did Amsterdam first to get that out of the way, then stayed in Delft, then Utrecht. MUCH MUCH more pleasant of a stay. People that only stay within the central canal rings of Amsterdam might as well not be visiting the Netherlands. It felt so much less Dutch than all the other places we visited.

[@chuckh4077]

But I want to go window shopping 😅

[@finalascent]

I flew into Amsterdam, but spent that week on a small freighter, then the balance of my time in Rotterdam, which I LOVED.

[@tedsteiner]

@@finalascent Rotterdam is a fantastic city, only got to spend a daytrip there but I would love to spend a week to explore.

[@Annaseptember1978]

As an Amsterdammer I totally agree. Amsterdam is overpacked. Haarlem and Maastricht are also very nice to visite.

[@leonb2637]

I was in Amsterdam in Nov. 2018. Yes, some places are overrun, but I stayed a bus ride away from the Central area, walked in areas not so touristy, I also did day trips to Haarlem, to the Kroller-Muller Museum in park that meant a train ride, 2 buses and a bicycle to get to on my own - both worth it as less touristy and different views of the country.

[@TheLukanda]

Lived in Lisbon 10 years ago. Left because of what I considered at the time was overturism... Little did I know how much the town was going to turn into the sh*thole it is today. I miss my street.

[@martinmeoni8152]

Not only cities...I live in a touristic place (Garda Lake, in Italy) and from Eastern to october we are invaded by tourists...don't get me wrong, it's a source of income for us but, in the last 25 years it became the ONLY source of income for us locals. Our amministration prefer investing money in useless infrastructures for tourists instead of providing basic services for us citizens...the prices of real estates are ridiculous and nobody can afford to buy a house except millionaires who want to have a summer house...this system is forcing us to move away from our native villages...

[@matenzo]

Sadly many areas of Greece are suffering from overtourism. I live in a small town that has only been a tourist destination for about a decade. Seeing how hectic it becomes during the summer is shocking. More importantly any financial benefits are way outweighed by the insane increase in rents and overall cost of living. Airbnb in particular has wreaked havoc in the local housing market. Locals can barely afford to rent for 400 euros (average salary is something like 850) and property owners can make that in 3 days on airbnb. So if you don't have property yourself good luck finding a place to live. Also salaries have barely benefited from tourism. The only ppl benefiting are big business owners and ppl in real estate.

[@gremlin5622]

airbnb's should be banned, imo.

[@Originalman144]

@@gremlin5622 no, they should not. homestays have been around for more than 1000+ years. It's just easier to book now with technology. If your opinion was more developed and thought out, you would be critiquing large real estate investors and fund who buy entire blocks and neighborhoods to put them on short-term rental sites. This is more the problem than a grandma in Italy or a family in Portugal renting out their empty studio to a couple of tourist to make enough money to live.

[@gremlin5622]

@@Originalman144 Goodness, b&b's for over a thousand years! I suggest the ex. you gave is not what is being discussed. Agree about the housing market investors.

[@Jane-he4xx]

Just back from a fabulous trip to Malaga... really lovely city! However we went mid week and and left for home on the Saturday! Couldn't believe the difference in the numbers of tourists when we were leaving😮! So definitely think mid week is a good idea!

[@disiostudio1559]

Andalusia is great; there are many worthwhile side trips. Just don't go in July and August when the heat and humidity are oppressive.

[@amberhon]

We went for Christmas and absolutely loved it!

[@RobertHuestis]

For the most part, this is a cruise ship problem. When I am in one of the popular places almost invariably locals will ask whether I am a real tourist or cruise ship tourist. It's just a fact, that when a cruise ship comes in., it's like a title wave of people, and they are not spending much money locally.

[@martinasandoval5326]

Oia in Santorini is like that, once the cruise ship leaves, the city becomes bearable

[@Spiritueli]

as a european, i so agree with you ... i think cities should cap the daily tourist/ migrant intake and have it at that level, that cities could handle ... its not only the pickpokets and crowds that are the problem, so many circumstancial extra problems arise, that are too vast to point out here, but again, the solution is to calculate how much extra people a city can handle, and cap it at that, on a global scale, such as with arrivals on airplanes, hotel bookings, relatives visitors, etcc, etc

[@joaodiniz7207]

the main problem is the housing, mostly when tourists and western immigrants are way richer than you.

[@scottcartwright1718]

Florence, as a number of folks have noted: and here, your advice of "get your tickets ahead of time" (to the Uffizi, Accademia, etc) is particularly crucial: can make all the difference in how you remember the visit. Thanks for the video!

[@JP-wt8jg]

I spent my holidays in 1985 in Montenegro and drove with the bus to Dubrovnik. It was a magical time. Many greets from Hamburg❤

[@SometimesPerplexed]

Any city that is a cruise drop off location is likely not so great during midday in cruise season.

[@stellarsjay1773]

Wow, I’m so glad I did my touring of Europe 20 years ago. I guess it was just before this boom. We visited Venice after dark and strolled around, just a small group of us. It was magical.

[@johanneswiegand5987]

Good video and good choices. I would add Salzburg, Prague, Ceske Krumlov in the Czech Republic to that list.

[@larrydalton2205]

Just never go to any of these in the summer. Spring or fall are still crowded but manageable. Thanks for showing those pictures from Dubrovnic, which bring back wonderful memories from a visit 50 years ago.

[@guidoferri8683]

Except with Amsterdam in spring when it's tulip season

[@DubCmusicTV]

@@guidoferri8683 what was that place like 50 years ago?!?

[@Joshua-fi4ji]

​@@DubCmusicTVdifferent place. It was still Yugoslavia and there was a lot less tourism. The old town would have been full of locals, whereas they've been priced out since. I think Dubrovnik only went crazy after Game of Thrones and they could solve muany of the problems by banning cruise ships Unfortunately Croatia is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, which is why they've had so much trouble joining the EU, and local officials probably don't care as long as they're making money.

[@larrydalton2205]

@DubCmusicTV I was there on a college choir tour in the 70's. The walls and that Plaza looked the same. From up on the walls you could see the stones on the bottom of Adriatic thru the clear water. We also went to Split and Sveti Stefan, which were gorgeous.

[@branko4033]

@@Joshua-fi4ji As a Croatian, I agree almost 💯. Almost, because the corrupt officials are TAKING money, not making it.

[@markuserikssen]

A few cities I would add to the list: Ghent/Bruges in Belgium, Prague in Czechia, Valencia in Spain, Edinburgh in Scotland, Cracow in Poland.

[@pinagrrrr2280]

Trust me nothing compares with Venice and Dubrovnik. They are small (well Venice is archipelago but most of the people are centered in few areas of two or three islands tops) and it is insane. Italy has problem bcs the filth of their own industry Adriatic currents return straight back to their eastern Adriatic coast so basically Amalfi coast and all what is in the west is overcrowded by Italians let alone other tourists. Barcelona is pretty wild but I don’t know at least has some space. Prague I never found that overwhelming.

[@Allofrancois]

Prague is crazy! Vienna is another overcrowded city. There was overtourism before Instagram but it just got worst with IG.

[@HawaiiWalkingTours]

Great video, we noticed Capri, Italy was so packed during the day.. worse than anywhere we've seen!

[@darlataddeo6376]

I would add Rome as well. We were there last October before heading to Sicily and it was jam packed! Looking back we wish we would have visited in November. A really cool city that does a good job of not being too “touristy” is Berlin. We were there several years ago visiting our friends and we rented a cool house in one of the out-laying neighborhoods (in former East Berlin) and had an amazing time. Was just a short U-bahn ride to the city center.

[@reececollison5101]

We went to Rome In February and even then the main tourist locations were packed, couldn’t imagine it in summer. I think this over dramatic to say the cities are ‘overrun with tourism’ when it’s just really the famous locations, moving around the cities are always fine

[@ausdemnorden]

As a resident of Lisbon, I would say Lisbon is way over touristed. The famous neighbourhood of Alfama and Baixa Chiado for example are so full of foreigners that it feels like Disneyland. It may look authentic but most Portuguese can’t afford to live there nor do they want to considering all the shops and restaurants are for foreigners. Now we are experiencing young tourist hen and stag parties…..so sadly Lisbon is now more like a resort town for party animals living their best life haha.

[@natolinaturephotography]

Couldn't agree more. We have just returned from 5 weeks in southern Italy. Starting in Vieste in the last couple of days of April and we noticed towns getting busier with each and every week into May. Last week we were in Sorrento with trips planned to Positano and Capri ... lucky we hadn't booked anything in those places as we decided not going there because it was getting too hectic. We did end up staying on the isle of Ischia for 2 nights and that was great ... bigger isle than Capri with less tourists. It was a great time in a great place. The problem with trying to visit some of the Italian coastline hotspots out of season is that they are not open year round with many of the places closing down for 5 to 6 months. The one thing I'd like to comment on, and maybe worth you discussing, is the way many of the Italians provide simple directions to their AirBnb's. Many of the locations we stayed in (of which we stayed in 10) were very difficult to locate. As an Australian resident when you are planning a trip and looking up the locations of the AirBnb's in the historic centres we're not thinking of narrow and tight lanes, walking through little archways that feel like a cave and then ZTL zones, etc. One place gave us just a street name and a number. When we got their we found more than 12 properties sharing the same address and not even our taxi driver (who was a born and bred local) could locate our booked property. It is worth recommending that gusts ask their AirBnb hosts for very detailed decriptions of how to locate the property. One owner gave us great details and provided us with photos of the street, the entry and the doorway ... but many other owners, because they live there, they assume that everyone one will find their property easily. Not the case. Thank you for your videos. They are invaluable.

[@flower-ss2jt]

Never use AirBnB as the chances are it is an investment property managed remotely by an agent.

[@globalfilmpaul]

As a Londoner there are a LOT of tourists but concentrated in small areas. Always look for other things beyond tourist traps. I found Reykjavik VERY tourist trap (although the volcanos might have changed that. Certain parts of Lisbon as well are over run

[@osasunaitor]

I visited in 2022, and I think Reykjavik is completely avoidable, nothing special to do there, just a museum and a few overpriced shops and restaurants. If you are taking the effort to visit Iceland, enjoy the absolutely outstanding nature and forget about the capital.

[@durchfallgurgler07]

Budva, Montenegro is also pretty turisted. I don't think as much as the other cities, but they are also more important and way bigger

[@donnawhittaker5197]

I totally agree with Venice and Amalfi Coast being overrun. We were there in May 2023 and it was jam packed. Don’t want to go back to either place again. Same with Cinque Terre. All great places but so very crowded. It was so obvious that the shopkeepers and store owners were done with the hoards of tourists.

[@hpfend]

Places ruined by overtourism. first place that comes into mind, i know it is not in europe, but it has become horrible, is Cancun and Riviera maya. it has become 100% americanised and is ridiculously expensive and overcrowded. last time i went was during the pandemic in 2020 and it was cheap and quiet. now prices have TRIPLED. it's not that special. i won't be back anytime soon. In europe the places that come to mind are Hallstatt in Austria, Salzburg, Rome, Venice, central London, Barcelona. I know some were on your list. i'm just agreeing with you. outside of Europe I would add Bali. that place has been ruined for me. lost its charme. so overcrowded and it is very dirty in the popular areas. garbage everywhere. public beaches are full of turds from stray cats and dogs. i would not walk barefoot there.

[@JAW242]

Just don’t stay in those crap holes like Cancun, Playa or tulum. Simple.

[@hpfend]

@JAW242 like I said... I wouldn't anymore. Went to Huatulco on the pacific coast instead last August and that was fantastic.

[@nebelung1]

For being a major European city, I think Berlin is worth mentioning like how "un-touristy" it is. Of course there are your typical tourist spots like Brandenburger tor but overall, very nice visit the times I've been there. It just feels pretty spacious, for a large city.

[@gilliandrysdale5306]

the Cork if you’re in Ireland it’s smaller less busy but still worth a visit

[@cloudyh6800]

never been to Cork, but I loved Galway (will keep Cork in mind if I visit again!)

[@gilliandrysdale5306]

@@cloudyh6800 I’m actually Scottish not Irish but I love going to Ireland I have extended family over there and the people are so hospitable enjoy!

[@cecilialeitet2794]

Loved both Galway and Killarney! Liked Dublin to to be fair.

[@jeanneknight4791]

Absolutely. Clonakilty was gorgeous, friendly and the in town hotel was attached to one of the highest rated restaurants in Ireland. I had seafood constantly and I live on an island in the USA known for seafood. It surpassed everytime. There are real bakeries everywhere and nice shops. You can walk along the waterfront which isn't far. I wish I had more time there but was there for a wedding. Not far from town is a large hotel and golf and recreation complex if you want a new, not old world accomodation.

[@OscarOSullivan]

Limerick as well

[@dogwithwigwamz.7320]

The first time I ever went to Valencia, Spain, it was to see a festival they have called " Las Fallas." I`d never been to a Spanish Festival before and expected it to be like an English Carnival. I went into the main square of the city and clearly the city was preparing for the fetival, having put up barriers to let the amuzements through. Oh, boy ! By the time the festival was due to begin ( 2pm sharp, every day for about 10 days ) I was comfortably placed behind the barriers but had about 40 people behind me - as did everyone else up at the barrier - and so there was little chance of any retreat for my part. Then `La Mascleta` started. The closest thing I can liken it to is when a Firework Factory is accidentally set ablaze - only ( thank God ) this festival is no accident. The explosive power and sound was absolutely incredible. I live in the north oof England and am surpirsed we can`t hear these Mascletas from here. If you go ( and have never been to a Spanish Festival before ) you`ll see things and hear things that will blow your mind. `Only drawback is, you have to share the town square with about 400,000 other people. It surprises me that most Valencians are not deaf. But you do see people taken into ambulances after what can only be described as a `concussive` event.

[@DubCmusicTV]

Went to las fallas last year for six nights. Loved it

[@dogwithwigwamz.7320]

@@DubCmusicTV "Rough Guide to Spain" describes it ( Las Fallas ) as "...about the most riotous festival in the whole country." What could I do - after reading that ? There`s a festival called ( amongst a couple of other names ) " Las Hogueras," held in early June of each year in Alicante. I actually enjoyed that ome more than I did Las Fallas - not least on the grounds that it was more accesible, there being not quite so many people going. I said to my wife ( we went together to Alicante ) that she`s got to prepare to hear sounds louder than she might well imagine. As La Mascleta began, she was off running down the street in an attempt to escape the madness.

[@rafarequeni822]

Amazing as it may sound, 90% of hospitalizations during Fallas are alcohol related, or heat strokes - there's years when Fallas is cold, rainy and windy (it's mid-March, after all), but there are years where it's nearly summer temperatures, and waiting for two hours in the sun in an overcrowded town hall square is not for the meek. :p

[@katalinrobin6222]

I've been to Fallas in 2000 and if you paid me I wouldn't repeat the experience again. The crowd is frightening and you can't move an inch in any direction. It's a hazardous situation. Then comes that mad, earsplitting firework, palm trees covered not to catch fire.

[@ShiningAoiTsuki]

If you are on the lookout for a place in Italy that's mostly not overcrowded and filled with amazing residents and beautiful scenery: Visit Assisi, Lucca and Siena ❤

[@SF-ku2hp]

Central Slovakia was great I didn’t hear English other than speaking to people that could speak English. An employee at a beautiful church I visited in levoca was so thrilled first US tourist for the year and it was mid July.

[@pb_8206]

We don't promote tourism in foreign countries and if they find out we exist they usually visit only capital.Most of the tourist like 70% are slovak 20% are czech, poles an d other neighbors.

[@SF-ku2hp]

@@pb_8206 I was primarily visiting Poland as some of my family was from Poland but also visited Slovakia. Central Slovakia is very much like where I grew up very rural and quiet. I would much rather spend time in rural areas than Bratislava or any large cities at that. Slovak paradise national park was amazing. Feels like great smoky mountain national park minus thousands of people.

[@pb_8206]

@@SF-ku2hp so basically any town because bratislava is too smal for a city. We have many old town in unesco with 0 tourist but people visit slovakia primary because of nature and in slovak paradise there is our last ice cave.

[@gregoryfelitto9034]

Lisbon is missing in your list. And the next one will be Valencia or Napoli.

[@DubCmusicTV]

Via Tribunale in Napoli yes.

[@HomerIncognito]

I was in Barcelona one week ago. It wasn't warm enough for swimming and it was few days before a multi-day festival. The city was relatively empty, but you could still feel many effects of overtourism. You can still find local and authentic places, but the sights are difficult to enjoy, you have to book most things many days in advance, they're always full and relatively expensive. Smaller cities/towns were in Catalonia were much enjoyable for me. On my visit to Rome last year in March I generally avoided the most touristy spots and it was a very pleasant visit.

[@generalkawasaki9485]

everywhere even Norway, ålesund has to deal with overtourism during peak season and the tiny strip of land called ålesundet is overrun with tourists brought in by cruise ships and roaming around aimlessly in giant RV rentals. Last year was the final straw as reckless tourists ran over pets with their rentals and chucked the dead cats aside.

[@reececollison5101]

Norway is in a lucky position where it can easily handle the tourism numbers. The vast majority of visitors are on cruise ships (apart from Oslo) so they can just allow one cruise ship into each town each day. I’ve been to Norway on a large cruise ship, with our ship always being the only visitors to each town, so now where ever felt overrun

[@Driver6M]

The first time I 'did' Europe all wrong. Spent 2 days in every capital city and visited all the tourist hotspots. Ticked a-lot of boxes but didn't get to relax and enjoy anything. The second time, I slowed down, avoided the tourists and had a much better time. Sure, there is no alternative to visiting the Eiffel tower but for most tourist hotspots there is often a better, quieter alternative nearby.

[@beth12svist]

I spent a couple hours in Paris years ago during a school trip to Bretagne. We split up: most people wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower, a couple of us artsier types including our teacher wanted to go to the Orangerie and then found out it was closed. So we just wandered leisurely around the Seine and sat down in a café and honestly, I never missed going to the Eiffel Tower, I think I got the best Paris experience I could have out of those few hours. 😉

[@MaraMara89]

My first time in Paris (my first actual abroad trip, not to neighboring country by train) was during Christmas, we actually went for Christmas' Market - one of last that was organized in Paris. And Eiffel tower was closed because of the strike of employees 😂 We were there for only two and half day :/ Next time we went for whole week, we took time to walk around the city, drink coffee and have picnic in some park. We went to museums, seen concert of our favourite Japanese band and finally visited Eiffel tower for my birthday :)

[@lydiamusima5840]

I went to Rome early Spring this year. It was my second time there after 16 years. I spent 1 day in Naples while there. It was jam packed. I couldn't get into the Colosseum.

[@cardsfanlv9371]

I didn't think Split was any less crowded than Dubrovnik.