After a summer filled with headlines about iconic European sights buckling under the pressure of overtourism and moronic tourists running amok on the continent, it’s now more obvious than ever that you need to arrive in Europe with a game plan to avoid some of the most crowded situations.
How do you go about pulling it off?
Well, you could only go to destinations that are completely off the beaten path. Which is effective—and really fun—but also something that probably isn’t going to happen until somebody’s second or third trip across the pond.
You could also visit in the dead of winter. A move that will greatly reduce the amount of fellow tourists you’ll bump up against. The downside: you’ll miss the best of Europe as many attractions are closed and some of its most charming small towns are essentially shuttered. Plus, it’s cold.
Or, you could just set your alarm for the crack of dawn and take an early morning walk.
Look, I enjoy sleeping in on vacation just as much as the next traveler, but getting up early is one of the last remaining sure-fire, set in stone, gua-ran-teed ways of having some of Europe’s most romantic cities and scenic spots almost all to yourself.
(For the record, I’m talking six or seven-something o’clock, here.)
I know it’s pretty early, but the rewards of waking up and taking a stroll through a historic city center or rural beauty spot far outweigh the cost of those extra couple of hours of sleep.
Gamla Stan, Stockholm (Photo via Hans Brunk)
Case in point is a recent trip of mine to Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla Stan—the city’s famed Old Town—sits on an island all its own and it is unbelievably beautiful. It’s also very, very crowded with tourists. We’re not talking Venice numbers here (this is Scandinavia after all), but enough to try your patience.
So I activated my early morning “escape the crowds” plan and it worked like a charm.
My wife and I got into Gamla Stan somewhere in the 7 a.m. hour and the place was a deserted dream come true.
Squares that had been teeming with tour groups the day before sat empty except for a solitary sea gull. Cute little cobbled alleyways that had been filled with social media photoshoots the day before were quiet and chock full of charm.
Stortorget Square in Stockholm, Sweden in the morning. (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
The early morning mist was also very atmospheric.
Sure, there were a few people milling about, but somehow they only ended up adding to the enchanting atmosphere.
The city worker watering the flowers near the fountain in historic—and Insta famous—Stortorget Square.
The parent giving a child a piggyback ride up the steps of the much-photographed & visited Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the skinniest alley-street in Stockholm.
The Royal Palace in Stockhom, Sweden in the morning. (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
The guards at the Royal Palace, who were keeping a trained eye on us. (Hey, they had no choice, we were the only two people standing in front of the palace.)
Seemingly every sight in Gamla Stan that is usually overrun with people, we pretty much had to ourselves.
The experience was borderline magical and was one of the highlights of my time in the city.
And it can be applied to anywhere in Europe.
Of course, there are many things that simply cannot be done early in the morning due to opening hours, but the great feeling you'll get from an early morning walk might just keep a smile on your face when you run into those crowds later in the day.
Give an early morning walk a try on your next trip, you won’t regret it.
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