Places you’ve been which have been insanely busy

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Friends have just come back from Santorini and they said that in one town (I can’t remember the name), they were literally queuing to walk around. They couldn’t actually walk, but just shuffled along behind the people in front. It’s my idea of hell. My parents said similar about the old town in Barcelona and parts of Lake Garda. Where have you experienced this?

St Ives and Mont St Michel both spring to mind.

I live in London and got caught out on Christmas Eve taking DD to the ballet in Covent Garden - I made the mistake of thinking we could get there a bit early and have a look round before grabbing a bite to eat. It was INSANELY busy!

Yes. Which sounds great but means everyone goes by car as the few buses are stuck in the huge queues. You can only get to it from an incredibly busy B road ( main coast road to Chichester ) and a an even tinier road off that. There’s no where to park except that car park.
Costs £15.45 at weekends or £13.90 in the summer (slightly cheaper after 3.00pm).

It’s the Leicester Square area of London for me. That’s the only place I’ve felt nervous due to the crowds. Specifically the walk from Leicester Square up to Oxford Street. Once we reached the shops they were mostly empty 🤷‍♀️.

I’ve not been to any of the places previously mentioned though and I am somewhat of a country bumpkin.

Rome this year (Easter) in parts was too busy, especially around the Trevi Fountain and the Vatican. But the rest of the city felt manageable.

We went to Venice in August last year and didn’t find it too bad at all. Just make sure you try and avoid the areas around St Mark’s and the Rialto in the day - go v early or late - and you’ll be fine. We found ourselves wondering along canals with no one else in sight at times. You just need to walk 5-10 minutes away from the crowds. And get a boat out to the beautiful islands.

Tenby and any exhibition at the British Library - although the latter is down to very poor lay out rather than space.

The medina of Fes - was expecting busy but I found it v unenjoyable.

Durdle Door - not busy as in crammed up against people, but busy as in huge carpark full, and loads of people going down to the beach. The carpark was £3 for an hour and £12.40 if you go over an hour, but there's no way you could climb down there and back and sit and have an ice cream or relax on the beach within an hour. Also only about four loos for all those people. Horrendous queue. I saw a school group queuing up - heaven knows how long it took them to all go. If you get funneled down there and then decide not to park you're stuffed because you can't turn round and go out without the camera clocking you. The carpark is badly maintained too. The place is privately owned so they are just raking it in without making it a pleasant experience. Don't bother.

Exactly the same. Santorini in early sept was quite chilled. We stayed in Imerovigli and visited Oia but it was fine.
Got married in Dubrovnik and have visited many times. Never seen it insanely packed but it was before the GOT madness.
Done most places in Cornwall but again mid sept.
We don’t have any little ones so can go off season.

Bath Christmas market is insanely busy! Don’t enjoy going there anymore!

Studland was insanely busy a couple of years ago. We walked a mile until the crowds had thinned out enough to put a beach mat and have a bit of space around us....and then a few hours later another family "pitched" their mat about 3cm in front and threw the baby's dirty nappy and their shoes on to our mat

‘Rome this year (Easter) in parts was too busy, especially around the Trevi Fountain and the Vatican. But the rest of the city felt manageable.’

Well, Easter in a Jubilee Year is like a combination of the Olympics and the Coronation , plus this Jubilee the Pope was dying and so a Conclave was on the cards, followed by an insanely popular election..

Santorini
venice
Lisbon
capri
positano
amalfi

While we are on seaside towns, Whitby is always packed but especially so on any bank holiday/ weekend/ school hol

Edinburgh for Hogmanay - I had a panic attack it was that busy just getting shoved along the street. Horrific!

@PinkPauline "Dubrovnik was insanely busy. We ended up going in the evening when the cruise ship people had gone. It was still fairly busy. I feel like there are not many places I want to visit anymore as they all seem to be too crowded."

We went to Dubrovnik April 2024 and it was amazing. Could walk round easily, just walk up to any restaurant and get a table. Weather was a lovely, sunny 24 deg. Timing is key. The cruises don't start arriving until May.

I was going to say this too. Although they have an another ghost shop it’s called the apothecary I think I got mine from there but York is always super packed around the shambles

@PinkPaulineyep we are talking about the same place unfortunately.

For the beach we now go to Cattersty Sands.

Bakewell on market day. Impossible to park. Pedestrians crossing road randomly.

1. Cairo
2. Rome
3. Paris

@Angela2222 As a local I hate it

St Ives. I love west Cornwall and go every summer, but avoid visiting St Ives at all because it is just so rammed. I dont know why really.

@Andbegin are you talking about West Wittering? I have family friends close by and really don't find it any busier than other seaside resorts. I love the fact it has parking!

It does confuse me that people drive to the car park and don't venture onto the beach though!

I couldn’t believe how busy Primrose Hill (London) was the last time I visited, literally queuing to get along the street, it wasn’t fun!

It’s brilliant in early June! Our favourite place.

would like to add
Taormina
Dubrovnik
Florence
Sirmione, Lake Garda

I have been to West Wittering a lot and never found it that busy. There is also restricted number of car parking spaces.

It’s quiet compared to an Italian beach in August.