I frequent the all topics forum almost daily, just to pick up tips and what not for upcoming trips. It's interesting how some countries have a lot of action for a few weeks and then die down to almost nothing. Switzerland was real busy a few weeks ago, now nothing. Spain and England had its day and now Italy is picking up. I wonder what drives that. Randomness or is some special algorithm at work here?
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
It may fluctuate with the start and end of the best time of year to visit a particular part of Europe.
In general, I've noticed traffic seems to pick up in the spring - before vacation season - then die down after summer ends.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32344 posts
Warren,
That's an interesting point and not something I've ever given much thought to, but I agree that some countries seem to be "busier" at certain times of the year. The more southerly countries likely get more attention in the winter, as they're still reasonably comfortable to travel in, while eastern Europe is much quieter as not many people travelling there at that time of year.
I'm sure the Webmaster has graphs that show the activity by month in each section of the forum.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15777 posts
It's hard to pin it down. Some people plan a year in advance, others barely a month or two. Some people do detailed planning way in advance, others do that part much nearer departure time.
What I've noticed (though maybe I just never noticed before) there are a lot more questions about small towns and off the beaten path destinations. Anyway, lots of places I've never heard of.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Maybe the interest in small towns is because people are picking up on the overcrowdedness of certain "classic" destinations. I've seen quite a few stories on the subject in the general media, and I also see a growth in the number of people on this board who seem to think that absolutely everything (not just a few huge-name attractions and blockbuster temporary exhibitions) has to be pre-booked to avoid huge ticket queues.