Tourist Trap Alternatives

As more and more special unique places get loved to death, travel
guides need to suggest less discovered alternatives.

That is a bit of a contradiction in terms, a place that gets suggested by a travel guide will not be less discovered.

And yet, people still flock to Venice.

For myself at this point in my travels, I agree.

However when I first started, I would not have known how to go to less well-known locations. The fewer people who go, the less information we can easily access on how to get there. And guided tours have a set agenda.

Plus, add in the fact that we can only go to places we know about (it’s hard to plan a trip to somewhere you’ve never heard of) and you find people going to the same place as their neighbor = lots of the destinations we talk about on this forum.

I think seeing the less well-known spots comes as we grow in our travel skills and travel experience. Do I want to see Riga and Vilnius? Absolutely. Do I want to never have seen Prague because it gets crowded? Not a chance. Would I send my friend who has never traveled to Europe independently to Lucca and skip Florence for their first trip? Nope.

Edit: I plan to spend 2 weeks in Albania in May and it seems like so few people even here on this forum have been that I am having to research extra hard to plan (as opposed to taking a tour.) But it looks amazing! And not yet heavily touristed.

You do know the RS TEAM isn’t on this Forum. Webmaster might respond though.

Did you contact the RS Seattle office?

People who post here are fellow travelers trying to be helpful.

Montemarte is one of the 5 most popular Paris sites.
You chose to go there.

Uncertain why you felt you had to be “warned” about tourist trap alternatives by the RS TEAM.

The France guide does suggest when to visit Montemarte to beat the crowds, so advice was published.

Doesn't it make more sense to go where your interests lie instead of going elsewhere just to avoid the masses? Florence, for instance; with a healthy interest in Renaissance art, skipping that one wasn't even a consideration for me, crowds be damned! While I understand Bologna is a boon for foodies, I'm not one of those so it wouldn't be top of my list.

I also wouldn't personally label Montemartre a "tourist trap". Just because lots of people may crowd an area or attraction doesn't mean it's lacking in architectural, historical, scenic or other value? We had a pleasant morning walk to the neighborhood and Sacré-Coeur from our accommodation not far from the Opéra metro station, and enjoyed exploring Cimetière de Montmartre very much. Busy? Yes, Place du Tertre was very busy but we only spent enough time there to walk through it, and there were plenty of nicely uncrowded streets behind the basilica.

So while Montemartre might not be everyone's cuppa, and I wouldn't call it a "must do" for visitors with limited time, it's not without its reasons to take a look. I see from a prior post that you were looking for things to do in Paris on Christmas Day. Is that per chance when you made your visit?

How easily.a place can be accessed can be a factor as well. There are enough visitors who are uncomfortable with driving abroad to make it difficult for them to explore far off public transit routes.

I see a difference between the phrase “tourist trap” and a popular (oft-visited) site. To me, a tourist trap is something that is hyped up as something special when it is not, solely for the purpose of financial gain off unsuspecting tourists. A popular spot is one that has proven to hold special appeal so more people come.

I am not particularly fond of crowds either, but I recognize that I am part of someone else’s crowd wherever I go.

I am quite happy that RS guidebooks ignore many interesting spots.

a place that gets suggested by a travel guide will not be less discovered.

THIS. What you’re really wanting is your own personal recs nobody else will be privy to. To get that, you have to go do your own homework, ask fellow and more seasoned travelers, and spend more time seeking.

Traveling at a time when so much of the us and world has off (Christmas/New Year) and spending the day in one of the most popular sites? Yes you were going to run into crowds. At some point you have to make choices for yourself and try to think about things like inevitable crowds. If you are crowd averse avoiding said sites, find the quiet times, and find alternatives.

Wildly popular brands such as RS means millions read. That’s not who you need to look to for off beaten path.

You are a tourist, any place you go is, by default, a place tourists go. To bemoan overcrowding is a bit self defeating, the place is usually crowded for a reason. Listing "unknown", "hidden", or places tourists don't go is also self-defeating, since they will be the next crowded tourist traps.

I do support heading to under-touristed places, spreading the damage out so to speak, but in your example, the Accademia and David are not in Bologna. I have seen David and spent time in Florence, it would be a bit hypocritical of me to suggest people not go there, go someplace else instead. Same with a guidebook, if they included Bologna....and left out Florence, I can hear the howls now. Include everything, then it becomes an encyclopedic mess with little charm or detail. For what it is worth, plenty of tourists in Bologna and Lucca as well.

As for out of the way places, I start with my interests. If I am interested in Churches with unique architecture or art, I look for options, particularly those in lesser towns, or on the margins of a major city. Same with food, or beach, or crafts...follow your interests, you will have plenty of "off the beaten path" experiences. Looking for a town with lots to offer? That is where the tourists already are.

I remember a whole series of books called "---- (fill in the blank) Off the Beaten Path". Well, duh, once the books are published and read, those paths become the beaten ones and are no longer 'off'. Travel guide books are a double edged sword, always have been and always will be. They are very helpful for new travelers, but often are the reason popular places described in them become overrun with tourists - some of which read about them and some of which found them on their own. Famous places, such as Montmartre for instance, are going to be popular with tourists for a reason and therefore will often be overcrowded. The more travelers there are looking for these places, the more of them will become overcrowded in time. The best guide books, and Rick Steves' are excellent, will list those places of course, but will give you suggestions about ways to best avoid the worst of the crowds and will often give you suggested alternatives.

We chose to stay ten days in Bologna and use it as a hub for day trips, including one intensive day in Florence. So, I hear you.

Yesterday was probably exceptional on Montmartre, more like pre-Covid summer crowds, but there are ways around that. You'll find new ways around Montmartre and you'll eventually discover your alternative places.

No, RS isn't protecting Bologna, or any of the other places not mentioned. In fact, most of these places aren't in US guidebooks but they are in European and local ones.

We stopped in Valencia last month, only an hour from Barcelona, and will be going back. OTOH, my kids from the US are going to Barcelona this month for the first time. I live 3 hours from BCN and have been many times. IMHO Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter are like your Montmartre. But it's their trip to discover, so we only told them that we were impressed with Valencia. It's their time to see what everyone writes about, then, when they are ready they'll make their own discoveries, places that make memories. They are very good at that. Even if I recommended a place, it would have less impact than if they discovered on their own. And I doubt they'd listen to me anyway.

The RS books are geared for first- or second-time travelers to each country, offering the highlights (in the author's eyes). They're not meant to be comprehensive, as the Lonely Planet books are. The RS books also include places he thinks would be especially easy or convenient logistically, like Bath, Amboise, Beaune. Plenty to see there but their additional virtue is as a base for surrounding areas. He curates strategically rather than trying to "cover everything." And, almost by definition, a place mentioned in any well-known guidebook is going to be "crowded" relative to places that haven't received that kind of attention.

To me a "tourist trap" is something like the Trees of Mystery in California (or is it Oregon?), or the London Dungeon, or any theme park. Or the "shopping opportunities" too many guided tours offer too often for too much time with too few alternatives.

Makes me think of the old saying: "Nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded." Or the bad restaurant review: "The food there is terrible. And such small portions!" ;-)

While there are some insights above, there are a couple missing.

Yes, go to places that are not (yet) being loved-to-death....get ahead of the crowds.

But many people (including most of us) still want to be able to go to places that have been instagrammed and selfie-sticked to oblivion. If or when you're going to go to one of these places, be smart: you know it's gonna be super crowded, so go when the crowds aren't there (or at least when the crowds will be less). In fairness, most Rick Steves books do warn about the worst, most crowded places, and suggest crowd-mitigation tips. I learned the "one crazy trick" about dodging crowds from my Rick Steves guide book on my very first trip to Europe, and it worked.

Get up early (if necessary, painfully early) and be there in the quiet early morning hours. Be there in late afternoon and evening. Spend the night there. Avoid the core "day trip" mid-day hours. Above all, don't do a "day trip" to places that everyone does as a day trip (eg, Mont St Michel, Toledo, Carcasonne, Cinque Terre, and a hundred other places that half the world is dreaming about visiting). This works almost everywhere in the world.

There are some places that you simply can not "beat" (I'm looking at you, Charles Bridge in Prague...) but even those places are less packed at dawn in the off season.

And yes, discover places on your own that are every bit as cool and gobsmacking as the famous ones, which you can literally have entirely to yourself.

The places that are labeled tourist traps/overcrowded are usually places that are unique, beautiful and/or life changing. I would hate to have missed any of them.

I think visiting these type of places first thing in the morning or very late afternoon works well, I have not regretted any visits with that plan in place. It always baffles me when people don't have a plan and are suprised that every other tourist is also showing up on a leisurely schedule. Beating the tour buses in the morning or after they leave, is always ideal.

What time of year you go also makes a huge difference. I know many people are limited to summer travel, but depending on the location and weather, we love going in May, September and October.

There are so many travel forums and blogs, it is very easy to do research into experiences off the beaten path, I do admit, I do not book RS recommended hotels or restaurants because I am not looking to become an extended part of a tour.

Yes, there are crowds in the Montmartre area, but Montmartre has side streets where tourists don't go, that are just as charming and filled with lovely old buildings and lanes.
The idea is always to go a few streets away from the "hordes" in any place you visit and discover your own hidden wonders.

When I am in Montmarte, the last time in 2018, it's a given you will encounter crowds, especially in the summer, which the time I always go. I like going to Montmarte and Prague as cultural and more importantly , historical areas and cities.

What of the crowds? I put up , deal with them rather than choosing the other alternative of not being there....not an option. Obviously, I have been in Montmarte when it was inundated with visitors.

Going earlier prior to noon might help but not if everyone else is thinking along the same lines. I've been there prior to noon, around 11 AM, fewer folks then and also I have there purposely at the height of crowds.

Alternatives for avoiding crowds: In Germany the cities and towns I visit and explore, apart from the obvious, are for the most part exclusively off the North American and international tourist radar....no crowds to be seen.

More difficult in France so I expect that but still go anyway if I want to see these particular sights.

I went to Montmartre the last time I was in Paris (pre pandemic, late September, on a weekday). It was crowded, but honestly, not overwhelmingly so. I walked into the neighborhood behind the Sacre Coeur. Did you know there's a vineyard back there? I discovered it by chance, just exploring to get away from other people. I loved wandering those streets. They were charming. And empty of tourists, and quiet except for residents coming and going.

I am not nearly as well traveled as many on this board. I still haven't seen many of the most-touristed places. For example, I am going to Florence for the first time next month. In all my reading, one of the main things I hear is that it is jammed with tourists and to expect long lines everyone. That's why I chose to go in mid-January. I am also an early bird and love to be the first in the door at a museum, or go for an early walk to enjoy typically crowded sights (like watching the sun rise behind the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero, with only a few photographers and the sanitation crew for company).

There are ways to still see heavily touristed sites without being elbow to elbow with other tourists. There might be a trade-off (cold weather, early mornings) but it can be done.

And not to beat a dead horse, but IMO Montmartre isn't a tourist trap. It's a real, living neighborhood. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, the London Eye, Blue Lagoon, Times Square, the Blarney Stone - those are tourist traps.

hey hey CW3
i'm surprised you didn't explore montmarte with more research. one of my favorite places to visit, many side streets to roam about.
you traveled during one of the busiest times and maybe #1 city, paris. love the top, had a portrait done, sat with glass of champagne to people watch, had lunch further down for yummy french onion soup. make the best of what you can with "hordes of tourists"
let yourself look at a map, throw a dart at someplace else to visit. so much devoted to social media/instagram that everyone traveling need to see it for a picture to say "i've been there", mark off bucket list, on to next loved to death spot.
there are so many other places to investigate besides rick steves, more hill towns outside of tuscany that we adventured to & loved, not many want to put out their "gem/back door place" that will become a loved to death place with crowds.
if you haven't been to a place but hear negatives, i wanna know for myself to determine good bad ugly. go visit and enjoy
we are all tourists whichever way we look at
another place with so many traveling to is hawaii
it's overcrowded on all islands, so expensive like many other places, all wanting to see same things all year. big island is my home with family still there and after volcano erupted, people flocked like seagulls to see it and it's beauty. both volcanoes has halted for now but people still want to see it.
they confuse themselves thinking they will see volcano eruption instead of volcano village and hawaii volcano national park. becomes a disappointment.
hope you find other alternatives to visit
aloha

When it is really important I will go early. Several years ago in Florence I went to the Duomo and Baptistery at 7 am on a Saturday. I wanted the outside space to myself if possible. And I did. After 45 minutes the souvenir sellers started to set up and I saw my first tour group at 8 am. But I have photos and the memories of being the only one there for a short time.

Before Rick Steves ruined the Cinque Terre, I had spotted a picture of Vernazza on a calendar and said -- 'hey let's go there.' The day in May my husband and I walked the trail from Riomaggiore to Monterosso there were no other tourists on the trail and we saw no other AMericans the whole time we were there. There was one class of Italian 14 year olds and their beleaguered teacher -- and as we sat and drank coffee overlooking the beach near the train station , a group of Germans in lederhosen and with those feather hats arrived.

It was a totally enchanting place with nary a souvenir shop in sight.

We were also in Volpaia when we didn't see any other tourists and Montepulciano while popular, was a let less overrun than it is now.

It is sad when guidebooks hype hidden treasures; it soon turns them into tacky tourist traps filled with aimless wanderers, souvenir shops and terrible food.

We have been to Prague three times now and love it. That said, we have never walked across Charles Bridge and only accidentally saw the astronomical clock on our way to the Museum of Communism.

We stay in Vinohrady which is lovely and quiet, and travel in spring and autumn, not summer.

Piemonte worked well in an itinerary that took us from Nice, France to Tuscany. We loved the uncrowded Piemonte region and will continue to visit there.
We have been inside and all around Mt St- Michel and prefer the view of it from the coastline. There are other places like that too.
As mentioned by other posters above, sometimes walking only a few blocks away, or driving a few towns away, will take you to an uncrowded and charming place.

Travel in 2022 reminded me of the gates opening before a stadium event. I was also impressed by the varieties of nationalities represented during our 2022 trip. The flight out of Vegas was filled with UK travelers, which was wonderful because the more travelers we get, the more flight options there will be.
Palermo was jammed, but the majority were Italians enjoying the May 1st holiday. Vernazza was similarly packed, but the travel groups seemed to be Germans. My point is that we can’t blame RS guidebooks for all the crowds.

How many of us walked away from the pandemic aware of the ticking time clock? We certainly are.