Europe is suffering from overtourism

I have just returned from an amazing holiday in Europe, this is me talking, but could easily be a friend, family member or someone you follow on Instagram. Your social media feed is likely flooded with photos of them in front of a famous monument in the bright sunshine with a dripping gelati in hand. Europe is teeming with tourists at the moment, and it was no more evident than in the major cities such as Prague, Vienna, and Budapest where the volumes were overwhelming. Also, in tourist hotspots like Majorca. We made the mistake of venturing down to Palma from the beautiful village of Sóller (where we were staying) on the day three giant cruise ships gorged 8,000 star struck tourists into the tiny ancient town and completely engulfed it. Once we ventured away from the mainstream, we discovered the beautiful cities of Ljubljana and Bratislava and turning off the GPS, came across wonderful towns throughout Austria and Slovenia. The north of Spain was quiet with the Picos de Europa a standout region. My advice for your next trip to Europe is to seek out places where the hordes don’t go or visit the popular places in the off season.  Try Kitzbühel in summer or visit Bilbao instead of Barcelona, or instead of walking the Camino de Santiago, walk the Primitive way for a much more authentic experience. As for me, unable to avoid the lure of Europe, you will find me in a cottage on one of the outer islands of The Azores next April.