No choice but to travel during peak season? Do you tend to avoid a place because of crowds or just "grin and bear it"?
 

This reply seems to come up often on this board. Many seasoned travelers steer others away from an area/place since one is traveling during peak. Hmmm....if this is the person's first and possibly only time ever to experience these unique yet heavy tourist areas such as Venice, Cinque Terre, Vatican City, Paris, etc. to name a few...do we tell them not to go as to avoid the crowds? I'm curious.

If the trip is one of those "once in a lifetime" trips, I wouldn't discourage anyone from visiting a place, but if they're young and will probably be able to travel in future years, I'd suggest alternate destinations for this trip.

I think there's a difference between a specific venue that is jammed during peak season (perhaps the Vatican museum) and a town such as Paris which has room for zillions of residents and tourists even during busy times.

If you're familiar with a venue and can recommend a time when it will be less busy, I think that helps. For instance, advising someone to arrive early in the morning at Neuschwanstein would be a help.

Sometimes it's simply not possible to avoid crowds. We went to Italy in October, thinking we'd avoid crowds because so many families with children and so many young people would not be traveling. What we discovered was that senior citizens seemed to have the same idea, so there were crowds of us silver-haired folks.

If it's the only time they can go, then tell them to plan ahead and enjoy their trip!

I've been told areas of Italy are packed during certain months only to visit and find the towns totally empty. Large cities are always crowded year round just like NYC is, but it doesn't mean they aren't worth visiting.

If I find myself in such a situation, I mentally adjust my threshold for obnoxious and slow people and just deal with it.

Do they like crowds?

I suggest for them to be early risers and get a head start on the competition when going to main tourist attractions. Look at the schedules and see if there are evening open hours for museums and such to try and avoid the rush. Do research to see how to avoid the rush by prebooking tickets or whatever.

Personally, I don't like crowds but wouldn't miss an opportunity to travel.

Thank you for your thoughts. Great advice and insight!

Often I won't suggest that people do or don't visit someplace but instead give them the info and resources they need to make that decision for themselves.

If you can do things before 10 and after 4, it won't be too bad.

If you can live without doing certain classic tourist things (going up in the Eiffel Tower) it won't be too bad. There are better views of Paris.

Some places are always going to be crowded -- with senior citizens in the fall, with school tour groups (mostly not US) in the spring. Everyone wants to see them, or is told they should. Venice, Vatican, Florence, Mona Lisa, Tower of London, Oxford Street are always packed. You have to resign yourself to standing in line, which is why the regular posters here tell folks not to plan too much.

Go away from the tourist areas, even a few blocks, to eat. It will be cheaper and far more pleasant.

Get up and out early to beat the crowds and heat. Make reservations at the big tourist sights to avoid long lines.
Guided tours often meet and take you straight in, again by-passing long lines.
When you enter a site, if possible, go straight to the far end and work your way back - the opposite of everyone else.
Check when major sites are closed. The days immediately before and after that will probably be the busiest.
A little research will help avoid the tourist crunch, even if you're there in peak season.

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

-- Yogi Berra

I wouldn't avoid a place worth seeing because of crowds.

I don't like to travel in off season, myself, even though I guess I could in a way. There are lots of things I like about traveling in summer (warmer weather, stays light later, you can pack lighter easier, not as many potential weather problems, etc.). I have traveled in Fall and Spring okay, but I did have more issues with weather and some clothing when it was later in October. I just want a vacation in summer myself, I want to get away.

So I do just grin and bear it to some extent, I guess, but I don't usually go to some tourist attractions where that might be a big issue, anyway. Sure, I do go to some, but not as many as some tourists (ie, I don't care about going up in buildings like the Eiffel Tower, stuff like that). I visit museums early or late, etc.

As for Paris, it is a very popular city all the time, so you would have to go at a time of year like winter (and not the holidays) for it to be that much different, I think.

I'm the opposite of Christina. I do not like hot weather at all, and prefer to travel in spring. This year, however, if I decide to take a trip, it would probably have to be during the dog days of summer. So I'm really pondering whether that's something I want to do. I was in Paris this winter, but it was over the holidays, so very crowded. But at least it wasn't hot!

More great tips!

The verdict seems to be: Plan accordingly to make the best of it. Whether it be by selecting days/times less crowded,
altering your direction from normal crowd "flow" was a useful tip I hadn't thought of.

Spent this "Spring" in London and Amsterdam, and it was brutally cold, to the point of it putting a huge damper on our trip. It's no fun walking around in sleet, snow, hail, wind and rain. Always having to find "refuge", not being able to enjoy the parks, out door cafes and outdoor activities, etc.. Museums are fine, but I don't want to feel forced into them every single day because it's too cold outside to do anything else. What a drag. Never again.

I'd rather deal with the crowds and have warm weather.

I actually like travelling in the season, I don't fuss too much about lines, I learn ways to minimize my waits( there are often short cuts, passes, lesser used entrances, pre purchased tickets etc ) , and grin and bear it. I never go for short visits ( like less then 2 weeks) so I am not in a huge rush to see 5 sites a day and panic if I have to wait in a line.. ( some people make unrealistic schedules and then stress about time wasted in lines) .

I only warn people about things ,, like I have been to Rome 2 times, all in summer, and dang it is hot as hades, pack lightest clothes, buy frozen water bottles in am etc. And in Paris do not COUNT on it always being hot,, I had one visit that more then half of it was cool and rainy, in august, and I ended up having to buy some warmer gear.

Some sights are closed or have reduced hours in off season.

If you're going to the Sistine Chape, take a small mirror. The art work is, of course, on the ceiling and standing, staring up, can really give you a crick in your neck.

I tell them to expect crowds. I don't tell them not to go somewhere. And unlike some people here if there is a favorite place to stay or see I TELL people what it IS and WHERE it is.

Recently fighting the massive hoardes of tourists in Le Marais area was enough to make me bonkers. I say, go very early to those type of places and get the heck out once the huge number of people and the temperature starts to rise.

But, I guess a Grin and Bear it attitude is good.