5 tips on avoiding crowds while travelling
Don’t let the frustration of dealing with pushy travellers ruin your trip.
1. Book tickets in advance
Purchase tickets online before you leave home and skip the crowds and endless lines at your destination. Smart travellers can avoid the queue when visiting abroad – the London Eye, Britain’s Houses of Parliament, Italy’s Vatican Museums, and the Louvre in Paris all help you keep your cool with online ticket sales.
2. Talk to people
Your hotel’s concierge or the assistant at the tourist office know their city’s attractions inside and out. Have a chat and get their take on the best times to visit popular sites.
3. Sign up for special tours
Often special organisations get after-hours or behind-the-scenes access to famous places. You’ll get a guided tour and beat the rush. A note of caution – these tours can be costly, but if large crowds routinely ruin your experience, splashing a little extra cash will save your sanity.
4. Visit during the week
For shorter lines, fewer people, and better opportunities to interact and enjoy the attraction, stop by during the week. In many cases, you’ll have the place to yourself. Take it one step further, and head to museums, galleries or tourism hot spots after 2pm when visiting school groups will have returned to class.
5. Watch the weather
Spooked travellers often cancel their plans when there are reports of a storm on the approach. While some travel advisories are the real deal, sometimes they’re not as bad as they sound. By keeping an eye on weather broadcasts, brave souls can often score great last-minute deals or empty attractions.
Image credit: Shutterstock
This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.