Several years ago at the Palace of Versailles, just outside Paris, I was unable to avoid lumbering through the ch芒teau on one of the most crowded days of the year 鈥� a Tuesday in July. A steady crush of visitors shuffled through the muggy one-way route leading to the payoff: the magnificent Hall of Mirrors.
Sights such as these are a thrill and worth every sweaty second, but I could have avoided the worst crowds by coming late on a Wednesday afternoon instead (it鈥檚 closed on Mondays, so Tuesdays are always packed).
Sometimes, I make mistakes so my readers don鈥檛 have to.
Here are some more tips for dodging crowds in Europe.
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Timing Is everything
In the most crowded European cities, it pays to get out early and stay out late. This is especially true at places popular with cruise excursions and big-bus tour groups. In Athens, cruise passengers swarm the Acropolis until 5听p.m. That鈥檚 when I head in, and I鈥檒l stay until the guard blows his whistle at me to leave.
In Italy, midday crowds fill the streets and blockbuster sights in Venice, but at 7 a.m., you鈥檙e able to enjoy the beauty of St. Mark鈥檚 Square alone. In the evenings, caf茅s on the square can be relatively empty, even with the allure of their mini-orchestras. The moral: Get up early and stay out late, and you can experience the city almost all to yourself.
In bigger cities, many sights are open late one or two nights a week. For instance, London鈥檚 Tate Modern stays open Friday evenings, when you can enjoy Dal铆 and Warhol in near solitude. When most tourists are lying exhausted in their rooms, I linger alone.
At state-run museums in Italy, such as Florence鈥檚 Uffizi Gallery, admission is free on the first Sunday of the month 鈥� so they鈥檙e very crowded. It鈥檚 not worth enduring the mob scene to save a few dollars 鈥� visit on a paid day instead.
Traveling off-season (November 鈥� March) lets you avoid the peak-season pig pile. Big cities offer plenty to do year-round 鈥� and you鈥檒l avoid the stampede of busier times. Ponder Rome鈥檚 Forum in peace, kick up sand on lonely Adriatic beaches and stroll by Big Ben in London as you wonder: 鈥淲here are the tourists?鈥�
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Research shortcuts
Use an up-to-date guidebook. Even at the most packed sights, a good guidebook can usually suggest a strategy for breaking out of the herd, whether it鈥檚 a side entrance with a shorter wait, a guided tour that includes jumping the ticket line, a better place in town to pick up your ticket, or a museum pass with line-skipping privileges. Sometimes, it鈥檚 just a matter of picking the right door. Grand as the Louvre鈥檚 main entrance is, that glass pyramid stops looking impressive as you wait to get through security. You can鈥檛 bypass security checks, but you鈥檒l encounter shorter lines if you use the underground entrance.
Self-service ticket machines often intimidate travellers, but usually provide a faster way in to a sight.
On my last trip to St.听Petersburg, I bought my ticket to the Hermitage at a kiosk and walked right past a ticket line bulging with cruise-ship travellers 鈥� and within minutes was enjoying the czars鈥� grand art collection. Many museums now also offer convenient mobile ticketing, saving time and paper.
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Buy advance tickets or听passes
Many popular sights, such as the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, sell advance tickets online that guarantee admission at a certain time (often with a small booking fee). Given how precious your vacation time is, it makes sense to get reservations for any must-see sight that offers them 鈥� it鈥檚 worth giving up some spontaneity.
Many cities offer a citywide sightseeing pass. These aren鈥檛 always a great deal 鈥� it pays to do the math 鈥� but more often than not they can save you serious time and money. The Paris Museum Pass covers many top sights and allows you to skip ticket-buying lines. Combo-tickets can save time, too: Purchase the ticket at the less-popular sight, and avoid the ticket-buying line at the popular sight. For instance, if you鈥檙e in Madrid and planning to see both the Reina Sof铆a Museum and Prado Museum, there鈥檚 no reason to wait in the ticket line at the Prado 鈥� buy your combo-ticket at the less-trafficked Reina Sof铆a.
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Avoid the beaten path
Visit less-well-known destinations. The beaches of Greece鈥檚 Peloponnesian Peninsula enjoy the same weather and water as highly promoted islands such as Santorini and Ios 鈥� but are wonderfully deserted.
If you鈥檙e travelling by car, leave the well-worn tourist routes. Europe away from the train tracks is less expensive and feels more peaceful and relaxed.
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Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.