How Crowded Is Europe Right Now?

[OlsSalt]

Who else remembers doing Europe on $5 a day - which we did in the 1960's.

 

Staying in convents with early lock-out times, and eating in welfare food kitchens that served wine with meals. We were young and we did it. Back when we were known, even on our skimpy budgets,  as the "rich Americans". 

 

That book quickly ruined every recommended place too. But others were just around the corner, back then.

 

Come into a new town and look for the big blue tourist information "I"  signs at the train station and elsewhere. They spoke your language,  would call around find you a room in someone's home and still keep you within  in your limited travel budget.

[BetsyS.]

OlsSalt - Yes, I remember the book from the 60s "Europe on $5 a day." It had

great places to eat and visit if you were on a budget - very helpful book.

Years later another book came out "Europe on $25 a day." I used that too.

         Another good book was by Michelin - it had a green cover.

In the 60s I stayed in a convent in Montreal - a very nice place.

        Those were the days! 😊

        

 

[RD64]

40 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Who else remembers doing Europe on $5 a day - which we did in the 1960's.

 

Staying in convents with early lock-out times, and eating in welfare food kitchens that served wine with meals. We were young and we did it. Back when we were known, even on our skimpy budgets,  as the "rich Americans". 

 

That book quickly ruined every recommended place too. But others were just around the corner, back then.

 

Come into a new town and look for the big blue tourist information "I"  signs at the train station and elsewhere. They spoke your language,  would call around find you a room in someone's home and still keep you within  in your limited travel budget.

Those were truly the good ole days. And if there were no rooms available anywhere - or a train / ferry strike and you had to sleep on the pavement somewhere - with a damp towel and and extra pair of shoes tied to your backpack. I truly miss those days.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, ldtr said:

The original value in the Rick Steve's books compared to the other guide books was thr focus on local hotels, dining and out of the way places to visit.

 

I never used the Rick Steves books for those things. 

 

What I thought was most valuable were his self-guided tours (both for museums and other indoor sites and for city sightseeing/walking tours). Plus his clear explanations of how to get around using public transportation. He made me feel confident about doing things on my own in Europe at a time when I couldn't have afforded private tours and such....

 

Other guidebooks have hotel and restaurant suggestions -- ever look at Fodor's or Frommer's guides, or Lonely Planet???

 

 

[Galley Slave]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Lets put all in perspective   We have long recommended the Rick Steves books, primarily for fellow DIY/independent travelers.  But we always added a caveat which was to generally avoid his restaurant recommendations.  Muchj of his advice and excellent walking guides are simply about the major and most popular tourist destinations.  Nothing wrong with that and it is what most travelers (especially first time visitors) expect.  Go to Rome for the first time and you will probably want to go to the Vatican Msuesms, St Peters, Coluseum, Piazale Roma, etc.  HIs books do a good job telling folks how to get to these places, the hours,and some decent tips.  

 

Also keep in mind that major tourist sites are not just "overun with American tourists" but are often crowded with tourists from all over the world (including many Europeans.  When folks ask DW and I where to go in Paris (a city we know very well) we can give them lots of suggestions, but most first (or even 2nd) time visitors want to go to the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame, the Louvre etc.  I can certainly tell them our personal preference for the Musee d'Orsay...but that place will also be packed with tourists/art lovers.  Even the lesser known Marmotten will be crowded..year round.

 

Lets be honest, many of the most popular tourist places are crowded because they are good places to visit.  We can certainly advise somebody who has no interest in the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc, but that is what most folks want to see!  Going to Barcelona for the first time and not seeing Sagrada Famila might be considered a crime!  And yes, that place will be packed (year round).  The reality is that when you want to see the famous places you will have lots of company.

 

Yes, there are ways to enjoy less touristy places, and very well seasoned travelers will tend to seek out such places.  But if we told many travelers to do as we do, they would be very unhappy and complain that they "missed too much.  My only complaint about Rick Steves is that he has yet to publish guides on much of the world outside of Europe.

 

Hank

Rick was actually in Iceland if you look on his website, filming and writing a guidebook.  We usually take a HAL cruise and do an extension before and after the cruise.  We live near his headquarters and have taken many classes there and talked to him.  We took a cruise to Iceland in 2017 and took his class on Iceland prior to our trip.  We took his 14 day tour of Ireland and saw a lot more than we would, even taking independent excursions from a cruise ship.  His directions to get to a specific sites are very helpful.  We are taking another trip with him in September with a week in Budapest after the tour. His Travel Forum has been a wealth of information.  His guides are fantastic. I have private messaged people on how to get from the train to the hotel, the airport or far off sites.  People answer within minutes.  We cancelled a HAL cruise since we could not imagine being quarantined with Covid.  Rick pays you for the days you leave if you catch Covid and you can stay in a hotel, eat your meals and take walks at least.  I am not sure why he is getting so much criticism from people who may have never taken his tours.  He did a show on cruising in the Mediterranean and he was much easier on the cruise industry than this forum is being on him.  He was able to see the ports and surrounding areas based upon his research.  You never stand in lines on his tours, as the guide has pre-purchased tickets ahead of the tour.  So far, it has worked well considering how hard it has become to plan independent excursions on a cruise.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Galley Slave
grammar

[slidergirl]

On 7/16/2023 at 11:39 PM, Haljo1935 said:

It does - I'm so looking forward to it. Leaving the crazy American Thanksgiving travel behind sounds like something I can be thankful for, lol.

I would love to do that T/A, but my Winter work season begins that week...

[albingirl]

I love threads like this one.  Gives good information to figure out our next moves.  Thanks everyone.

[AncientWanderer]

On 7/18/2023 at 12:05 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

 

Finally, very few port stops are as short as six hours, at least on the cruises I take. BUT the HAL excursion may only be that long. Often on my Westerdam April cruise I was long gone from the ship, an hour or more before excursions ever met in the lounge for departure. I know for a fact -- because I timed it out to the minute -- that I could get more time in Florence by taking the (earliest feasible) train on my own than by taking one of HAL's excursions. Especially when you subtract the 30-minute rest-cum-shopping stops that occur enroute in both directions on the HAL bus tours, the time spent waiting for stragglers, etc.

 

 

 

 

Your post was much longer, Cruisemom, but addressing just the part quoted, one of my pet peeves with HAL excursions is that they are timed so that it's impossible to do two a day.  Princess often has morning tours and afternoon tours -- probably other cruise lines do, too.  I think one should be able to, for example, do an overview tour in the morning and then a more defined visit to a place of interest in the afternoon.  Or mix if up however one wishes.  

 

The HAL way of offering a five- or six-hour excursion during a much longer port day is not satisfying and not effective use of time for the cruise passenger.  

[John Bull]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:19 AM, RD64 said:

Those were truly the good ole days. And if there were no rooms available anywhere - or a train / ferry strike and you had to sleep on the pavement somewhere - with a damp towel and and extra pair of shoes tied to your backpack. I truly miss those days.

 

Those "good ole days" still exist. 🙂

 

What's changed is you. 😜

And me. 🙁

 

Youngsters in their late teens & early twenties still do that  - and do it further and further from home, back-packing in Asia and other far-flung places.

But it's many many decades since you and I were teenagers. The desire is still strong but the body is worn out - sleeping on pavements and arthritis don't mix well, nor do damp towels and pneumonia. Nowadays a comfortable bed and a proper bathroom feature high on my priorities. 😏

 

JB 🙂

[Kristelle]

I am going to Europe in September.

 

Will it be less crowded then? 

[Roz]

8 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

I am going to Europe in September.

 

Will it be less crowded then? 

Yes; students will be back in school.  Fewer families with children will be traveling. 

[Roz]

My last 4 trips to Europe have been in late fall/early winter. Much better temps for touring and fewer tourists overall. 

[Kristelle]

Would be too cold for me in winter but September is early autumn ( fall) so hopefully still mild weather and less crowds.

 

And was slightly cheaper than June/ July/ August prices..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Kristelle

[DarrenM]

On 7/18/2023 at 7:34 AM, CarlaMarie said:

 

They are very unfortunate facts especially the latter part. For those who are not aware, even ports in Britain are to feel the affects (particularly Portland Port).

Only be cause of an inhumane decision.

 

The rumours about overcrowding in the UK because of refugees is utter nonsense.

 

Absolute nonsense.

[mom says]

6 hours ago, Kristelle said:

I am going to Europe in September.

 

Will it be less crowded then? 

Where in Europe? When in September? For most of the major tourist magnets, September is still high season, so will remain crowded. Its just a matter of degree. September in Paris is the major month for big conferences and trade shows, so it will be packed. The Vatican and Colissem are always crowded  year round. Southern Europe will still be hot.

[K32682]

Never travel to Europe when North American school children and teachers are not in school. October is a wonderful month to visit. 

[Kristelle]

5 hours ago, mom says said:

Where in Europe? When in September? For most of the major tourist magnets, September is still high season, so will remain crowded. Its just a matter of degree. September in Paris is the major month for big conferences and trade shows, so it will be packed. The Vatican and Colissem are always crowded  year round. Southern Europe will still be hot.

We arrive in London 1st Sept. 3 nights in London, 2 nights in Paris then Amsterdam to Budapest River Cruise.

[mom says]

31 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

We arrive in London 1st Sept. 3 nights in London, 2 nights in Paris then Amsterdam to Budapest River Cruise.

Luckily for you, even though September is still high season, school is back in session when you arrive in London. All these cities will still be crowded, but the weather should still be mild. (low to mid 20s). But don't be surprised if there is a sudden hot spell with temps near 30. With so few days in each place, and crowds still a thing,  have your sightseeing pre planned and tickets bought well in advance whenever possible. If not doing the cruise boat excursions, have your independent sightseeing planned with advance purchase where possible. 

[DarrenM]

6 hours ago, K32682 said:

Never travel to Europe when North American school children and teachers are not in school. October is a wonderful month to visit. 

Don't forget the European kids are off thr same time 

 

Double the pain

[DarrenM]

6 hours ago, Kristelle said:

We arrive in London 1st Sept. 3 nights in London, 2 nights in Paris then Amsterdam to Budapest River Cruise.

London won't be that crowded

 

No more than it always is.

 

Paris the same.

 

Please ignore any stupid reports that London is overcrowded with refugees etc.

 

It's absolute nonsense

 

Enjoy.

[Kristelle]

9 hours ago, mom says said:

Luckily for you, even though September is still high season, school is back in session when you arrive in London. All these cities will still be crowded, but the weather should still be mild. (low to mid 20s). But don't be surprised if there is a sudden hot spell with temps near 30. With so few days in each place, and crowds still a thing,  have your sightseeing pre planned and tickets bought well in advance whenever possible. If not doing the cruise boat excursions, have your independent sightseeing planned with advance purchase where possible. 

Hot spells by european standards don't bother me. Am used to  Australian summers.

London is family catch up, not touristy time and we have a Paris day tour booked and Scenic is all excursions inclusive - so should all be good.

[SimplyMarvie]

11 hours ago, K32682 said:

Never travel to Europe when North American school children and teachers are not in school. October is a wonderful month to visit. 

 

October is half-term for most European schools, so you'll get a lot of families on vacation. Same with mid-February, although they often call that one "ski-week" and that's what a lot of people tend to do. 

 

Frankly, I love Europe in January, especially Paris and Germany. Bundle up, get a decent pair of waterproof shoes and you'll have everywhere nearly to yourself. 

 

[K32682]

4 hours ago, SimplyMarvie said:

Frankly, I love Europe in January, especially Paris and Germany. Bundle up, get a decent pair of waterproof shoes and you'll have everywhere nearly to yourself. 

 

 

Some of my most pleasant visits to London were in January. The weather is clement, at least from a Canadian's perspective, there is little or no wait at the major attractions, theatre tickets are readily available and there are excellent January sales at most of the major retailers. 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by K32682

[Roz]

I've always found Rick Steves' guidebooks and videos to be very helpful.  If that makes me an unsophisticated traveler, so be it.

 

I use his material to get an overview of the city and/or country I'm visiting, and to get an idea of possible sites to see or activities to participate in.  I think he does an excellent job with his city walking tours and art narratives. 

[ontheweb]

19 minutes ago, Roz said:

I've always found Rick Steves' guidebooks and videos to be very helpful.  If that makes me an unsophisticated traveler, so be it.

 

I use his material to get an overview of the city and/or country I'm visiting, and to get an idea of possible sites to see or activities to participate in.  I think he does an excellent job with his city walking tours and art narratives. 

Interesting that you used the word traveler; Rick Steves says be a traveler, not a tourist.