9 places in Europe you can visit without the crowds right now
During any other summer, Europe would be heaving. But in 2020 there’s no standard-issue holiday season. With plenty of global travellers still grounded at home, even the most famous hotspots are much quieter than usual. It's important to remember that many European countries rely on tourism – in Italy and Greece, tourism accounts for 13 and 20 per cent of the national GDP, respectively – so choosing where to go, and where to spend money when you get there, is more crucial than ever. If you do decide to travel this summer, these are the destinations to support – and you can have them mostly to yourself.
Venice, Italy
Italy is bouncing back after a challenging start to 2020 and has been welcoming travellers from the UK since earlier in the summer. Heading there now offers an unprecedented chance to experience grand, dramatic Venice in all its glory without having to jostle for space. Huge amounts of visitors normally arrive on cruises (amounting to about 1.6 million people in 2019), but the city isn’t currently allowing cruise ships to dock at all – which means the canals are comparably empty right now. You can hit the classic sights such as St Mark’s Square without having to dodge selfie sticks but, crowds or no crowds, the joy of Venice has always been to simply get lost in its warren of crumbling backstreets. Fuel up on cicchetti at some of the best Venetian restaurants or go for home-baked pizzette – we like Pasticceria Rizzardini – followed by a pit-stop at Gelateria Nico for a scoop of gelato before checking into one of Venice’s best private rentals, to really live like a local.
Getty ImagesAmsterdam, Netherlands
The Dutch capital has been under threat of over-tourism for years. But as the numbers of visitors travelling around Europe stay relatively low, this favourite spot is feeling more peaceful than it has for years. Efficient systems to ensure that museums and galleries can operate safely are in place – no more hours spent queuing for the Rijksmuseum, as you’re now required to pre-book a time slot. Flea markets are being reclaimed by locals, while the city’s café culture can be experienced on the sunny cobbled streets, with uninterrupted views of the gabled townhouses and pretty canals. Grab artisan coffee to go from hip neighbourhood joint Toki and spend an afternoon exploring the Nine Streets, where homespun boutiques stock independently owned brands.
Getty ImagesEdinburgh, Scotland
August here normally means Edinburgh is completely taken over by the Fringe, with touts, performers and eager audiences filling the streets. With the festival cancelled this year, there’s a rare opportunity to get a taste of summer in the Scottish capital without the three million visitors who flock here every year. Yes, the buzz of the festival will be missing, but look on the bright side – you can book one of the city’s smartest hotels at a reasonable price, and you can do it last-minute, which is unheard of at this time of year. There’s a range of brilliant restaurants to try, or spend an afternoon thumbing through some indie bookshops – Topping is Scotland’s biggest independent bookstore – and strolling through the many art galleries.
Getty ImagesSantorini, Greek Islands
As in Venice, cruises account for a big part of summer visitors on Santorini – the show-stopping Greek island actually imposed a daily cruise-passenger limit of 8,000 in 2018. As it stands at the time of writing (early August 2020), no cruises are allowed onto the Cycladic isle, leaving the polished-stone streets relatively untouched. To visit the pretty town of Oia normally means dodging throngs of sunset seekers – Santorini is famed for its pastel sundown – but right now, the winding, bougainvillaea-draped alleys are yours for the taking. Seek out the best beaches on the island, or spend the afternoon at Theros Wave Bar. And if you’re into the idea of a crowd-free Santorini but can’t visit right now, learn why those in the know make the trip in the winter.
Getty ImagesRome, Italy
In 2020, Italy’s tourism federation is predicting a 43 per-cent drop in international visitors compared to 2019. Which leaves its eternally charming capital feeling sleepier than ever before. Simply wandering the streets is one of the best ways to get to know the place – read our guide to the most beautiful places in Rome for inspiration – and while this classic European break has more than its fair share of must-see attractions, there are also small wonders to be found with our round-up of the best things to do in Rome. Go for a drink at Bar del Fico, which feels like something out of a Fellini film, with old men playing chess in the piazza outside, or explore cobbled Via del Boschetto, lined with boho boutiques, to get under the skin of the city’s offbeat design talent.
Getty ImagesLondon, England
This is normally the most-visited city in the whole of Europe. But with many travellers swerving urban destinations in favour of remote spots, and Anglophile Americans grounded back home, London’s streets are undergoing a quiet revolution. Restaurants and bars are taking over the pavements to allow for socially-distanced dining in the sunshine – quirky neighbourhood Soho has the atmosphere of a huge Parisian terrace right now. Most museums and galleries have reopened (don’t forget to book ahead), markets are back and quieter than ever, and if you do need to take the Tube, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get a seat. Perhaps best of all, a handful of the most popular restaurants in the city are now taking bookings for the first time ever – this might be your only chance for a raucous Italian supper at chintzy Circolo Popolare or a delicious Indian breakfast at Dishoom without having to queue. Don’t sleep on it.
Getty ImagesThe Côte d’Azur, France
July and August are peak times in the South of France, as everyone from seaside-seeking Parisians to Londoners hopping off the Eurostar gravitates toward Provence and its rolling fields of lavender, cliff-top towns and buzzing markets. In 2018, nearly 90 million visitors travelled to France on holiday – a number that dropped considerably in 2020 as the country closed its borders for much of the start of the year. Now, things are cautiously starting up again in the region where high temperatures and sunny days mean that much of life is conducted outdoors even under normal circumstances. Grab a rosé and take to the terrace of a café in one of Provence’s prettiest towns – we like the traditional Café de la Place in market town Eygalières, where you might spot resident Hugh Grant – or head for the beach in seaside villages such as Cassis.
Getty ImagesDubrovnik, Croatia
So far, Croatia has been one of the European countries least hit by coronavirus – but as continent-wide travel continues to be quieter than it has been in the past few years, favourite city destinations such as Dubrovnik are having a much less busy summer than usual. In June, the city saw a 89 per-cent decrease in overnight visitors compared to the same time period last year. And similarly to Santorini and Venice, Dubrovnik isn’t currently permitting cruise ships to dock, which is lowering the numbers pounding the pavements. Wander the tranquil limestone streets and spend afternoons dipping into the glittery Adriatic or exploring real-life sets from Game of Thrones, much of which was filmed here.
Getty ImagesLake Como, Italy
It’s Italy’s grandest lake, visited by millions searching for a slice of the famed dolce vita way of life every summer. But Maryam Ghani, who visited in July and wrote about it for our guide on what it’s like to travel to Europe right now, found Lago di Como quieter than ever before. ‘Hearing barely any English-speaking visitors was one big difference,’ she said. ‘But the local mood was positive and restaurants were busy – although nowhere felt too crowded.’ For a splashy trip, check into Grand Hotel Tremezzo, one of the best hotels in the world and a perennial favourite on our Gold List (a round-up of the smartest classic stays out there) and spend the days on the water, drifting in a mahogany Riva.
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