kanadajin

We may have unknowingly passed each other back then, cdnyul, or just missed each other by a few days. My first overseas trip was to France in that same year and started right near the end date of the MTL Olympics crowning Nadia with perfect 10s. What a thought !

Leely2

SusanP, I was in Puglia and Basilicata (+ Naples) in May--you will love it.

SusanP

Leely2, I'm looking forward to it! And I might still add Naples, which I also love.

cdnyul

I missed the Olympics but cheered for this his guy...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Spaggiari

CounterClifton

Fra_Diavolo - exactly. I'm all for the fees. Especially if there's a good program in it to fund maintenance, restoration, etc. For me, any complaint is solely about the queues created by the intake systems. In comparison, the Alhambra system was so good. At least it was years ago. I can't recall a single life experience that was all that enjoyable after more than an hour standing in a line. We've pre-decided that we haven't flown 20 hours to get to Europe just to stand two or three hours in lines. We're going to Paris first for 5 days and have already taken the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre off our lists for that reason. (our loss, yes... but hopefully also our gain in some way)

------

Ktravel and Leely - thanks so much for the advice and the alternate choices. I'll definitely be looking into these. Work has just been so crazy I haven't had time to research this surprise gift of a trip properly. Leely, do you happen to have the link to the ticketing sites you're looking at? I can't tell if my tech problems are a bad link in the NYT piece or our own Aussie hit-n-miss internet connections to the rest of the world.

If one pre-books at, say, the Colosseum (this one would break my heart to scratch off the list), is it a skip-the-line sort of deal? Or is everyone standing there usually a ticketholder too?

SusanP

CounterClifton, since you're keeping the Colosseum, I just want to recommend that you NOT take the night tour (in case you were considering it). It's so dark that you can't see much, and you really have to watch where you're walking because it's so hard to see where you're going. Those lights in the arches that you see in pictures from the outside don't penetrate inside.

Leely2

No one skips the security line, for obvious reasons. So there's really no such thing as "skip the line." You either have a pre-purchased ticket or you don't, but in any case you go through security.

For Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill tickets, this is the official ticketing site:
https://www.coopculture.it/en/tickets/

Vatican Museum:
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

christym907

A friend of mine went to Lisbon in June. she said it was like one big air bnb. She said there were hardly any locals. Just people who come into the city to work, but they can't afford to live there. We are still traveling, but as others said, I'm glad we saw some places long ago. we just travel differently these days.

hugo64

Have just completed our trip that was booked precovid so has been 3 plus years in the planning/booking
It took in a lot of interesting cities that we haven't covered in the last 20 years and we found these cities comfortable, uncrowded and not the slightest queue at any of the main sights.
We had a lease car and hotel parking was high on my list of priorities. Will probably be our last driving trip with the critair and ztl a complication that is just getting more widespread. Costs have also gone up considerably probably mostly due to the weak Aussie.
Our trip started in Lisbon minus car then up through central Portugal to Porto. Next Santiago de Compostela to Fuente De in The Picos de Europa. Bilbao, Bordeaux and Nantes to visit Les Machines and ride the elephant.
A few days in Brittany then Lyon via Bourges. Grenoble area and then Turin a lovely city with lots of attractions.
Our final stop was Genoa another fascinating city that was minus the car luckily so no problems staying in the old city.
The downside was two ships berthed on our departure day so that added 10000 people to the mix and the train was an absolute nightmare with huge suitcases everywhere and more passengers than seats.
We flew home from Milan with Qatar. One of our better flights without the huge layover we used to have.

CounterClifton

Leely, I haven't quite figured out what I'm doing wrong on the Vatican Museums site (I click a date and number of visitors but so far, it sort of goes no further) but I have nailed down tickets to the Colosseum and Forum thanks to you!

SusanP, sounds like good advice (and it's not like the place was famous for night games)

annhig

<<No one skips the security line, for obvious reasons. So there's really no such thing as "skip the line." You either have a pre-purchased ticket or you don't, but in any case you go through security.>>

Leely2 is of course quite right - you have to go through security. However there is [or was last time I went] separate queues to get through for those with rebooked and paid for tickets and those without. so make sure you get in the right queue!

zebec

Hugo, you really got around! Good on ya. Glad to see that your 3 years-plus of prep paid off.
Btw, Genoa was home to one of Italy's best-ever rock bands from yesteryear: Matia Bazaar with their great vocalist Antonella Ruggiero (think 'Heart').
A compact disc or vinyl album of their original line-up would be a great, if quirky souvenir.

I am done. the worth-its

CounterClifton

That's the thing that was mulling around in my mind! How many times I've played the lemming and stood in the wrong line. Is the signage pretty clear for us monolinguistly underachievers?

I assumed... hoped anyway... that there'd be security too, even with this "skip the line" thing. No shock or disappointment on my part there. But didn't really know what that means in terms of a queue, in this context. (I always go through security at the airport too - sometimes the line winds through the terminal, others I've practically walked up and put my carry bag on the conveyor).

IME, some tourist-heavy sort of places have a separate ticketing window at which people queue up to get the late arrivals up to speed, then they can join the same entry path as the pre-planners. Others essentially have a slow line (incl transactions) and a fast line (ready for action) sort of streaming in the same direction. The latter system usually befuddles me at first as to where to stand. lol. Wasn't sure which system is typical at the Italian sites where ticketing-on-arrival is still offered

Sue_xx_yy

CounterClifton, for what it is worth, this is Rick Steves visiting the Vatican Museums in a video he described, NINE YEARS AGO, as 'Muscling through the Vatican Museum.' You will get these crowds irrespective of whether you book tix on your own or book tix indirectly by booking a tour of the museums. Get ready, it's a zoo in there:


Now that you know what you and your daughter are in for, to wit, you will be but two of 19,000 daily visitors, you will at least be able to plan your strategy in advance.

Below is a Video 'Visiting the Vatican, how to plan ahead' by some guy called the 'Roman Guy.' The video gives details as well about how to buy Trenitalia tickets from machines. As for the VM, at t = 9:58 in the below linked video is option 2 'prepared solo visit' (as opposed to a tour, and the Roman guy sells tours, but as he says, he got into the industry for a reason. Note, I have no idea what his company is like, if it is any good, I haven't used it. But the option is there if you want to give it a shot.)


Whether you choose to visit the VM or no, heed bilboburglar and zebec's advice to find joy in activities that are low key and don't involve pre booking and fixed times etc etc.

Best of luck

annhig

CC - sorry I can't help with what the current queueing situation at the Coliseum is. I remember a queuing area for security that was divided into two - those with tickets and those without but that may have changed. I think we just waved our tickets at someone and they indicated the right [shorter] queue. Perhaps start a new thread asking that specific question or try Trip advisor or even google something like "security queue to Colosseum with prebooked ticket". And whatever you do don't take a photo of a gladiator!!!

stokebailey

​​​​​Good one, mlgb!
​​​

Treesa

I was in Paris end of May. Graduation present for granddaughter. The weather was glorious but the crowds were unpleasant. Fortunately we stayed in Saint-Maurice, no crowds, just a normal, everyday experience. I hope to continue to travel but to less appealing destinations and in off season. Have to curtail my expectations.

goddesstogo

This thread is very timely for me though not a happy one.
We were thinking of doing a European trip this fall (probably October -- I know, it's late to be planning), starting with a few days in London, then taking the train to Barcelona with a possible stop in France (Lyon). We've never been to Lyon or Barcelona and having read this thread I'm thinking that we might have missed our chance.
October would be considered high season, wouldn't it?
While we like to stay centrally wherever we go, we don't normally stay in the heart of the tourist area. We like to spend much of our time wandering, stopping into small shops and galleries, going to local markets and events and eating in local restaurants. Although we love good food, we're not foodies so we leave the 'hot' restaurants to those who appreciate them more.
Will we find Lyon and especially Barcelona unbearably 'touristed' in October?

zebec

Hello GTG! We done Lyon during a recent fall and it was def not overcrowded. Never been to Barthelona, so can't help about there.
Lyon: staying in Old Town is a good idea. Good bouchons and appealing historical buildings throughout. Got a great affordable apartment recco if ever wanted, part of the actual Tour Rose miraboule (not the hotel of same name nearby), a fantastic location if ever. Do. not. miss. the Quai Antoine weekly weekend market---one of the best in the country.
One could view our fotos of same (the apartment locale plus the immediate neighbourhood) back in Coquelicot's 'Photos of France' thread.

Unbearably touristed? Mais non, pas de tout.
I am done. the CNIB

Melnq8

We've never been to Lyon or Barcelona and having read this thread I'm thinking that we might have missed our chance. October would be considered high season, wouldn't it?

I was in Barcelona last October, and was surprised at how busy it was (and how hot and humid!). A taxi driver told us it was busier than usual due to make-up trips from Covid, but who knows. I can only compare it to my visit there in March 2020, which was definitely not busy...and short-circuited, thanks to you know what.