If you\u2019re planning a trip to Europe this summer, you\u2019ll want to arm yourself with a few strategies to avoid the kinds of bottlenecks\u2014long lines, traffic jams, sold-out venues\u2014that can hamper a European vacation. We asked Wendy\u2019s Trusted Travel Experts to give us a few strategies for navigating tourist hot spots and to steer us toward some of their favorite lesser-known finds\u2014seaside villages, scenic drives, urban centers, island getaways, and historic sites that attract smaller crowds but are every bit as lovely as their more popular rivals. Here are a few of their insider tips for Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and the UK.<\/p>\n
France<\/p>\n
Instead of visiting Versailles, consider Vaux Le Vicomte. This ch\u00e2teau was actually the inspiration for Versailles, so why not see the first one? It has a lot of history, and it\u2019s amazing to visit and definitely less crowded.<\/p>\n
Instead of visiting the Louvre first thing in the morning when everyone tries to arrive early to avoid the crowds, it\u2019s a much better option to go during the late-night hours (Wednesday and Friday nights).<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t wait to buy tickets to key monuments. Prebooking tickets is always the best idea for popular attractions such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Catacombs. These lines can all be hours long if tickets are not prebooked.<\/p>\n
Italy<\/p>\n
Instead of Tuscany, savvy travelers should consider Umbria, a region right next door dotted with beautiful towns like Perugia and Assisi.<\/p>\n
Think Puglia. In the Gargano area of Puglia, you find inexpensive osterias and trattorias that offer great food, and the sea is amazing, with hundreds of sandy beaches.<\/p>\n
And Bergamo. Bergamo is one of the most important cities in Northern Italy, both historically and artistically. Bergamo Alta is by far the most beautiful and interesting part of the city.<\/p>\n
And Maratea. The small town of Maratea in the region of Basilicata is a hidden gem with a beautiful coastline, great food, and lovely people.<\/p>\n
Purchase advance tickets online for the Accademia Gallery, the Uffizi Gallery, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Doge\u2019s Palace, and other major attractions. That way, you won\u2019t have to wait in line when you get there.<\/p>\n
Portugal<\/p>\n
In the Lisbon area, base yourself in Estoril. The resort town of Estoril, 20 miles west of Lisbon, is a good base for tours of the capital and surrounding area. Another good choice is Arrabida.<\/p>\n
In the eastern Alentejo, base yourself in Monsaraz. Everyone stays in the Evora area, but Monsaraz is incredibly beautiful, with great boutique properties from which you can explore Spain and Portugal.<\/p>\n
In the Douro Valley, base yourself in the C\u00f4a Valley. Everyone stays in the area where the Six Senses Spa is located, but all the best quintas for wine are in the C\u00f4a Valley, the area of the Douro that is closer to Spain.<\/p>\n
Spain<\/p>\n
The time of day can make all the difference in the quality of your visit to Spain. Montserrat is a great day excursion outside Barcelona, but avoid visiting in the morning. Go after lunch. The place has half the visitors, and the Boys\u2019 Choir sings on most evenings. Likewise, tour the cities of Toledo, C\u00f3rdoba, and Ronda after lunch. Most of the crowd will be gone.<\/p>\n
In high season, stay in hotels outside the city you are visiting, or in a non-touristy neighborhood: If you\u2019re visiting Seville, stay in Carmona, a beautiful city with a great food market and an incredible parador housed in a castle. If you\u2019re visiting Barcelona, stay in the Gracia Quarter. And if you\u2019re visiting Madrid, stay in Toledo, Segovia, or Alcal\u00e1 de Henares, a beautiful small city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its university. Alcal\u00e1 has a great parador, a great street full of tapas bars, and it\u2019s very close to Madrid.<\/p>\n
For a quiet getaway, go to La Granja, a beautiful town built around a great royal palace with an incredible garden, or C\u00e1ceres, in the Extremadura region, which has a great hotel with a three-Michelin-star restaurant called Atrio.<\/p>\n
Ireland<\/p>\n
The Ring of Kerry isn\u2019t the only gorgeous drive. While the Ring of Kerry is so well known and often crowded in high season, there are many other gorgeous coastal drives in the southwest of Ireland, such as West Cork and the Beara Peninsula.<\/p>\n
When you fly into Dublin, instead of heading south or west, go north. Belfast is an incredible city\u2014so popular with Europeans yet still fairly off the beaten path for Americans. It is only two hours north of Dublin, and you can use it as a base to discover the great coastal drives of Northern Ireland, such as the Causeway Coast. It is also central to many Game of Thrones sites; world-class golf, such as Royal County Down and Portrush; the Giants Causeway; and so much more. Also, when you choose to go north, you can then make a second stop in County Donegal, which has some of Ireland\u2019s best scenery and outdoor activities, such as horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, surfing, and golf.<\/p>\n
Take advantage of timed entries, a feature offered by more and more sites in Ireland. You purchase your tickets in advance and it limits the number of people at each time. The Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Trinity College, and now Newgrange all have timed entries, which is great.<\/p>\n
Scotland<\/p>\n
Let the crowds have the Isle of Skye, and explore the Northern Highlands instead. The Isle of Skye has become so crowded, and there are so many other parts of Scotland with truly majestic scenery that you can visit without the crowds. Some favorites are along the NC500, a great coastal road in the Northern Highlands. You can also take wonderful day trips by ferry from Oban, such as Mull. Ayrshire is a beautiful coastal area overlooking the Irish Sea, and a fun day trip from there is the isle of Ailsa Craig, where most of the word\u2019s curling stones are made.<\/p>\n
England<\/p>\n
Some of England\u2019s best off-the-beaten-path areas are on the southern coast. In the Sussex area there are beautiful historic properties such as Gravetye Manor and Amberley Castle, fascinating historic towns such as Arundel, fantastic gardens like Sissinghurst, historic homes like Chartwell (Churchill\u2019s house) and castles like Hever (Anne Boleyn\u2019s family). A bit further west you come to the New Forest and Dorset. Two of England\u2019s best hotels are in the area: Chewton Glen and Lympstone Manor. A great day out is a visit to the Jurassic Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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