Too many people??!!
 

This morning I came upon this line from Yogi Berra:

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

I understand the sentiment, if not the syntax. I immediately thought of you all and the various threads about mob scenes, especially in summer. Other than airplanes, where we may have to put up with the crowded conditions, like it or not, I tend to avoid elbow-to-elbow experiences and places - or go to some lengths to arrive before or after the throng.

Herewith an invitation: where have you been recently (or not so recently) where the crowds were just about insufferable? The Sistine Chapel would likely be the location for the Overcrowded Tourism Hall of Fame. What other sites/cities/etc should be nominated for membership?

The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, as well as the Castle. I usually travel off season and to off the beaten path just for this reason...but I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to do so. :)

Dubrovnik with 3 cruise ships in!
Ruined our day when we couldn't get into our favourite restaurant because they had a block booking.

I agree with the nomination of Dubrovnik, especially when several cruise ships are docked. I stayed in the old town, and very much enjoyed the early mornings, late afternoons and evenings, but the midday was ruined by enormous groups that traveled in herds, blocking streets and monopolizing restaurants. It was if they were glued to one another, one large organism oozing throughout the old town. Dubrovnik in the Winter, without the daytrippers, must be charming, but it can be overrun in Summer.

How can I forget to nominate the new Mona Lisa gallery at the Louvre (she now has her own room). Masses of people, many of whom find pleasure in following someone lifting an umbrella.

Something to be said for traveling 'off season'.

St. Peter's square and Pompeii.

Travel is not inexpensive even if you are trying to be very budget minded. I for one am not willing to invest that kind of money into a trip that I have to share so intimately with the masses. I never travel to Europe between mid May and mid September. And my experiences have been nothing short of wonderful. Granted at this point in time, you will rarely have these wonders entirely to yourself but there are crowds and then there are "crowds"! It can easily make the difference between you coming away feeling like "so what's so spectacular about this place" or feeling like you've just experienced a marvelous memory maker.

I agree with the off-season comment. Here's what St. Peter's Square looked like in January of 2007. The temps were in the 50-60's F.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&y=4oh7pm

very nice pic, sandi

Haven't been in the winter, but the difference between mid-Sept in Rome and mid-Oct seemed to be something like the contrast of rush hour at 6:00 PM and rush hour at 7:30PM. Which is the difference between road rage and road trip.

The centre of York, especially when you have to get into town, negotiate the crowds to get to the bank and back to work in your lunch hour!

Main tourist areas of Florence and Venice. However, you can escape to the interesting sidestreets,canals and neighborhoods.
Any port when a cruise ship unloads its passengers, especially Santorini.

Venice in July/August

Any Cinque Terre trainstation last
September.

Amalfi - what's Italian for zoo?

Papinafree...surely you are not suggesting that my beloved Cisternino is overflowing with tourists?

My Overcrowded Tourism Hall of Fame nomination...Westminster Abbey. We literally could not move an inch. It was like a standing-room-only rock concert, without the music.

I'm off to Paris 1st week in December. It'll be intersting to see the difference in the city from the usual summer peak.

Earth.

As long as a few major religions preach "go forth, be fruitful and multiply" without the slightest caveat, the planet will continue its downward slide.

I am thoroughly disgusted about how the media ooh and aah about some welfare sow who just gave birth to four, or five, or six offspring. It's not quantity we're in need of - it's quality.

You've got nineteen grandchildren? Shame on you!

What if all nineteen turn out to be genuises?

Eugenics now, Robes?

Postiano this June vs. Positano two Junes ago. Like night and day. Almost couldn't move through the little streets this year. Packed. It is losing its considerable charm for me. AND it is not a place to visit in January, I don't think.

The Charles Bridge in Prague!

http://tinyurl.com/36j235

"What if all nineteen turn out to be genuises?"

We have to risk not spawning in that quantity, because the odds overwhelmingly favor them turning out to be more hatracks.

Does limiting population equal eugenics in your tiny universe? Poor fellow.

Real numbers...assume 6.5 billion humans. Try a 1% increase per year. I get 65 million new humans! Next year the total will be greater. All tourist sites will have more visitors next week, next, month and next year! Solutions are many. Visit local sites. Improve your home site..add a swimming pool, put in a tennis court, start a hobby, learn to cook...

I don't mind a lot of people unless it's really hot outside and I rub into other people's bodies. Two places I went that were too crowded with heat - NY Times Square in May 2-3 years ago with 90 degrees temps, London several years ago when it was 87 degrees. Totally miserable trying to visit places with large crowds and sweaty people (myself included).

The Green Park tube station last month in London. It's been years since I've been crammed in with so many people.

Sure wish they'd finish the repairs on the District & Circle lines.

Wall to wall people in Prgue oldtown, can't see the charm anymore.

The Vatican museums. About the only place where I've felt like cattle being shuffled along to the slaughter. Cannot move an inch or view the artwork in peace. We were packed liked sardines all the way.

Agree w/prev. posters nominations of
Dubrovnik (in Oct) re cruise ships.
Fortunately, I was able to see alot
early before the cruise ship hordes
arrived. And the Louvre (in April)
To begin with, the Mona Lisa is small and the ropes are set far out & the
crowds were not orderly. Enjoyed the
Musee D'Orsay more for that reason.

Several people have sworn by the traveling off season theory to avoid crowds. Well I travel in March (off season) and in July every year (I get lots of vacation time but no choice as to when to take it). Yes, in many cases there are less crowds in March. Ile St Louis in Paris comes to mind. BUT - you can't go by this all the time. Someone just mentioned Venice in July as August as being very crowded. Well, it is, but according to the hotels, it is WORSE in May, June and September. Check the hotels price lists, July and August is NOT high season in Venice, spring and fall are. Also, everyone's experience differs. The first response to this thread mentioned the Royal Mile in Edinburgh as crowded. I was just there five days ago, I would definitly NOT call it crowded by any stretch. I think in August when the festival is on it probably is, but not in July (at least this July).

Also, there are definitly ways to make crowds less of an issue. Mainly, get up EARLY. I like to take photos early in the day and have found even the most crowded places to be peacefully deserted before about 10-11 in the morning. And, go a couple of steps off the main "tourist route" in any given place and you'll ususally find blissfull peace and quiet (and that includes Venice, Florence, Paris, etc in "high" season.).And spend the night in places that are crowded with bus tour day trippers between 10 and 5, usually a totally different experience (e.g. small Tuscan towns like San Gimi, etc).

There are just too many people on Earth and in maybe just sixty years there could be twice as many people about. Any tourist place worth going to is packed with people and even in off season people flock there.

It was one reason I could not wait to leave the UK for. Living in rural France I have maybe 60 people living within a mile radius of me and don't see anybody unless I leave my property.

Though many people here say how much they love Paris (not far away), I can't stand the place because of the crowds everywhere.

is there a difference between York in june vs. july, crowds-wise? we're hoping to go next summer and still have some flex in our dates. thanks!

kaneda, I'm in NYC, which possibly influenced why I asked the question in the first place: I love cities and city life, and most European cities (save London?) are still of a size one can comprehend as a traveler, while so many in other places have grown huge: Lima, Peru is 9 million! Shanghai, 12 million. Anyway, I don't mind at all living around people, but don't care for being cheek-by-jowl, even here in NY. You won't find me in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

I agree with Isabel about getting up early: insomnia while in Paris had me out on the streets well before 6:00 AM for a walk and first coffee several days running. Possibly the most beautiful hours I've spent in Paris. Though you can't get in to attractions, you can definitely see the architecture, see the city wake up, enjoy the early light (and photo ops, as Isabel points out) enjoy having the sidewalk to yourself! And though churches may not begin their "tourist hours" until later, you may catch a mass in progress. There will be warm bread and lots of locals stopping for morning coffee or whatever ritual fits the place. A great way to get to know a culture, actually.

I agree that the hotels consider July and August "off-season" but more people have vacations during the summer that not.

The beach (any beach) on Cape Cod.