23 Ways to Avoid The Crowds When Travelling

Are you tired of battling through crowds of tourists while trying to enjoy your vacation? Well, I’ve got you covered! In this article, I will share with you 23 incredible ways to avoid crowds when travelling.

To fully enjoy the experience without feeling overwhelmed, it’s essential to find ways to avoid crowds during your travels.

If you want to explore popular attractions without feeling like a sardine in a can, these informative tips will help you experience destinations in a whole new way. They will save you time, money and stress.

The best way to combat over-tourism is to avoid crowded locations. This will allow you to experience more authentic travel experiences while small businesses and local communities benefit greatly from visiting lesser-known or popular destinations outside of high season.

This post shares my top tips for how to avoid crowds easily when travelling, as I’m a strong advocate of slow, experiential, and minimalist travel.

Let’s dive into the insider knowledge that will ensure your next trip is crowd-free and truly unforgettable!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate advertising links. This means that if you click through any of the links on this page and decide to make a booking I get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the running costs of my site.

1. Travel during Off-Peak Season

The off-peak season is the winter season in Europe, except for the Christmas holidays when rates are lower and fewer tourists are present.

November, the first half of December and post-holiday January are the cheapest times to travel because it’s cold, the northern hemisphere has short days and there are no school breaks.

It may happen as well that the flight you’re on is half booked with plenty of room all for yourself! I’ve always tried to book tickets before Christmas and after the 2nd of January.

2. Research Destination-Specific Peak Seasons

When planning your travels, understand the peak seasons for your chosen destination. Research online or consult travel guides to identify when the crowds typically flock to the area.

Popular attractions publish crowd calendars online. They estimate the amount of visitors will visit based on historical data. You can also just follow logic, so we know the holiday days for example will be crowded.

Lastly, make sure you know when the high season starts! In Amsterdam, for instance, the high season starts in mid-March with the Bloom of Tulips and Keukenhof.

3. Consider Visiting During Shoulder Seasons

Shoulder seasons, falling between peak and off-peak periods, can offer a sweet spot with favourable weather conditions and reduced tourist numbers.

In Europe, shoulder seasons happen during March, April, September and October.

Booking your tickets in shoulder seasons will allow you to enjoy the sites with much fewer people, plus ticket fares will be lower than usual!

4. Use Google’s ‘Popular Times’Feature

One of my favourite free tools to avoid crowds when travelling is to check for the attractions I’ll visit on Google Maps.

How to use:

• Search for the attraction on Google, click on it, and scroll down on the info page until ‘Popular Times’ appears. There’s also an option of changing the day.
• The blue bars indicate the most popular hour.
• Below the bars, it also tells you the average time people spend at the site. This allows me to plan my visit in the lesser busy hours and days, or at least know what to expect.

5. Arrive Early or Visit Late in the Day

Beating the crowds can be as simple as adjusting your schedule. Consider starting your day early or exploring attractions during the late afternoon when many tourists have already finished their visits.

It’s so hard to think of getting up early when we’re on holiday, right? Consider the perks of being the first one visiting a site at 9 am! The site is mostly deserted, and if you travel to hot destinations, you can enjoy the cooler temperatures outdoors.

6. Utilize Weekdays for Sightseeing

It’s no surprise that weekdays are quieter than weekends when locals and even more tourists are wandering the streets.

Weekdays generally see fewer tourists compared to weekends so this can enhance your experience by providing a more relaxed atmosphere.

7. Understand Domestic Tourism Cycles

It is important to understand that locals generally have certain holidays off, there are national days, school breaks, and many others.

In the Netherlands for example, the country is divided into north, middle and south, so locals will get summer holidays on different dates, to avoid local overcrowdedness.

Meanwhile, in Greece, everybody gets the national summer holidays on the same days and crowds overflow to the beach destinations. On the other hand, that’s a great time to visit Athens or other major cities, because there’s much fewer locals!

Summarising, search the local calendar and check for the major public holidays, school holidays and long weekends to avoid the crowds.

8. Schedule your Lunch and Dinner Times

Remember Google’s ‘popular times’ feature? It also works for Restaurants.

I like to search on Google Maps for restaurants in the area. Then, I save anything that has more than 4.5 stars with lots of reviews (these are normally the best and safest options when looking for restaurants).

When at the destination, I’ll have lunch or dinner at less busy times. For instance, in Greece and Spain, locals eat dinner around 9 o’clock, so I’ll go at 8 o’clock instead to avoid the crowds and get served quickly.

9. Pre-purchase Tickets for Major Attractions

The major attractions give you the option to pre-purchase tickets beforehand so you can skip the line and avoid crowds. Some of the online tickets will offer discounts or extra features which is always a good idea.

This is one of the easiest ways to avoid crowds in cities where over-tourism has taken over like Venice, Amsterdam or Barcelona. Also, some attractions will only sell tickets online like the Anne Frank House.

My favourite platform for buying tickets online is Get Your Guide. They offer a huge selection of attractions and day trips at great prices.

10. Book Small-Group Tours

Going on large tour groups and free tours is the worst option when trying to avoid the crowds. Instead, book a small-group tour to get more personalised attention from the guide, meet other travellers and escape the crowds.

When booking the tour check to see if there’s a cap on group size, I wouldn’t choose anything over 10 people.

11. Consider Festivals & Events

Unless you want to attend a festival or special event, you’ll want to skip those special dates to avoid the crowds.

In Amsterdam for example, there’s the international event ADE that brings many electronic music players to play in Amsterdam’s clubs in October.

In Málaga, in August, there´s the big Feria of Málaga celebration when locals overflow the city and the Feria installations.

12. Travel to ‘Second’ Countries & Cities

It is obvious that some of the most popular countries or cities are visited during specific seasons, but this is also dependent on the time of year.

In certain years, some destinations are more popular than others, so go the opposite way.

Instead of visiting Barcelona, go to Granada or Málaga. Instead of travelling to Italy visit Croatia or the island of Corfu.

It’s easy to find second destinations; just Google the top destinations for the year you’re planning to travel and avoid them 🙂

13. Visit ‘Second’Attractions

Unless you’re a first visitor to Paris, try to avoid visiting the typical highlights.

You do want to see the Eiffel Tower if it’s your first time in Paris, but if you’ve been before, then explore different attractions.

The more research you do beforehand, the more likely you will find attractions that fewer tourists visit, and you will feel proud because you have discovered something special.

14. Seek Recommendations

Locals often know of less-visited spots that offer local experiences.

They are the ones who know the most about the city, so why not take advantage of it? Ask them for their favourite restaurant or site and Google them for yourself to see if that’s something you’ll like to visit.

Don’t forget that locals don’t always hang out where tourists do. They normally have other favourite less crowded areas for shopping or eating. I forgot how many times I’ve asked for a local tip and I ended up in a beautiful much lesser-known part of the town.

Lastly, nowadays there are many Facebook groups for every destination you can imagine. Research other travel tips and tricks for discovering hidden gems far from the crowds.

15. Pack Light

Avoid big pieces of luggage and check-ins by taking only the necessary with you.

You will save money, time and crowds at the airport.

I’m so happy when travelling with carry-on luggage as I skip the waiting and enjoy more time at the destination.

16. Experience Local Culture

Experience local culture while avoiding tourist hotspots by staying outside city centres or popular resorts.

Opting for smaller, locally-run establishments can not only offer a more intimate experience but also help you avoid the crowds associated with larger chain hotels.

17. Stay the Night

Many destinations are more popular as day trips, but if you stay the night you’ll find that early morning and later afternoons are peaceful.

This happens a lot for example in the villages around Amsterdam as many tour operators visit the sites during the day.

Choosing to stay the night at your one-day trip destination might be a special experience to get to know the place like a local.

18. Take Parallel Streets

It always happens that the main streets are overcrowded, but one or two streets away there are much less busy roads.

When walking in Amsterdam, everyone follows a similar route from Damrak to Rokin and the adjacent Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Leidsestraat. Take the parallel streets of Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Kloveniersburgwal.

There’s so much more than the ‘main’ streets.

19. Avoid Peak Commuting Hours

Public transportation tends to be busiest during peak commuting hours. Plan your travels to avoid these times by using Google Maps again!

In countries like Greece, Italy and Spain, it’s customary to take an extended break during lunchtime (in the middle of the day). Shops are closed and streets are much tranquil.

Unless it’s 40 degrees Celcius outside, these are the best times to commute and visit attractions.

20. Consider Renting Bicycles or Scooters

In some destinations, renting bicycles or scooters can be an efficient and enjoyable way to explore, providing the added benefit of avoiding traffic congestion and crowded public transportation.

21. Hire a Private Local Guide

By hiring a local private guide, you’ll have the chance to explore beyond most touristic places and avoid the crowds in tourist hotspots. You can normally change the itinerary and make it your own, so there’s more flexibility for exploration.

22. Stay in Neighbourhoods

Opting for smaller, locally-run accommodations can not only offer a more intimate experience but also help you avoid the crowds associated with larger chain hotels.

Instead of staying in the tourist hubs in centric areas, where accommodation and restaurant prices are higher, choose friendly local neighbourhoods to experience living like a local.

The neighbourhoods are generally close to the main attractions by walk or public transportation. Lastly, they are quieter, more authentic and cheaper.

23. Don’t Forget to Enjoy

Sometimes things don’t go as planned and we need to adapt and make the best out of the situation.

Understand that travel comes with unexpected twists and turns. Embrace spontaneity and be open to changing your plans if necessary.

Final Thoughts

By incorporating these strategies into your travel plans, you’ll not only sidestep the crowds but also improve your overall travel experience.

It all resumes with a bit of planning so you can enjoy your trip much more! I hope these are useful tips for you.

Would you add anything to the list?

Let me know in the comments!

Travel Resources

Here you can find links to some of the travel resources I use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.

Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, I usually search hotels via Booking.com or Agoda.

Tours: I usually go for GetYourGuide or Viator.

Rental Cars: DiscoverCars is the car rental to go!

Flight Tickets: I use Kiwi to book my flight tickets all the time.

Travel Insurance: EKTA is an insurance company that has competitive prices with a high level of service.

Also, AirHelp is great if your flight is cancelled at the last minute or delayed by at least 3 hours.