Tagged: crowds

How to Avoid Traffic at Yosemite National Park's Entrances

After years of keeping traffic and crowds under control, California's Yosemite National Park has once again become a nightmare to visit, and federal mismanagement is clearly to…

What's the Cheapest National Park Trip to Take This Year?

The cost of plane tickets is on the rise, thanks to spiking oil prices caused by the war in Iran. Throw in other economic woes such as stubbornly high inflation, and you've got several…

Rome's Trevi Fountain Now Requires a Ticket and Entrance Fee

As of February 2026, tourists who want to get close to Rome's Trevi Fountain—of La Dolce Vita, coin-tossing, and nightmarish overcrowding fame—will need to buy a ticket. Rome's mayor,…

Mona Lisa Getting a Room of Her Own in Major Louvre Overhaul

Big changes are coming to the Louvre museum in Paris. Chief among them: The Mona Lisa will get her own room. Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Italian Renaissance painting, known as La Joconde…

How to Find Out if a Cruise Port Will Be Crowded When You're There

Cruise ships keep getting bigger and bigger, but the delicate historic sights of Europe and the Caribbean remain the same size. When locals complain about overtourism, cruise ships are…

Tourists Welcome! Uncrowded Travel Destinations in Spain

“Tourists go home.”Those words, daubed on walls and reproduced in countless news stories in recent years, make uncomfortable reading for anyone thinking of visiting Spain. The…

The U.S. Hasn't Fully Tested Airline Evacuations in Years. Experts are Alarmed.

This year of aviation started ominously on January 2 with the fiery runway collision between Japan Airlines Flight 516 and a military aircraft in Tokyo. Five died on the Coast Guard…

25-Plus Holiday Travel Tips From an Industry Expert: Save Money, Beat Crowds, Dodge Delays

Last year was arguably the worst holiday travel season we’ve ever seen. The Southwest Airlines operational meltdown lasted 11 days encompassing Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New…

Which Greek Islands to Visit to Avoid Crowds: 8 Great Escapes

Greece’s most popular islands—Mykonos and Santorini chief among them—are more crowded than ever. For travelers dreaming of a quieter Greek island getaway, here are eight havens for…

Avoid Cruise Ship Port Crowds By Using These Websites and Strategies

Now you see them, now you don’t. Like flash mobs, cruise crowds can seemingly pop out of nowhere, flooding down gangplanks and transforming serene port towns or nature areas into ones…

Venice Really Is Finally Adding an Entry Fee—Here’s How It Will Work

UPDATE, May 31: Officials in Venice have reportedly decided to postpone the implementation of the city's entry fee for day-trippers described below. Though the program's trial run was…

Why Now Is a Great Time to Visit Italy's Most Popular Cities

Rome, Florence, and Venice have signaled that they're ready to welcome visitors again after the pandemic lull—though residents understandably prefer the sort of measured tourism that…

Great Smoky Mountains Adds Parking Fee to Access Beloved Waterfall

There's no entrance fee at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, when Tennessee and North Carolina turned over the land to the federal government in the 1930s, one of the…

How to Survive the USA's Crazy-Busy National Parks This Summer

America is entering a summer of pent-up travel energy following more than a year of homebound life. And as long as most international countries remain unready to fling open their doors…

Yosemite, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks to Require Reservations This Summer

Even in the great outdoors, social distancing can be a challenge—especially in peak vacation season. To keep national park visitors safer, rangers at Yosemite National Park (pictured)…

Too Soon? Jacksonville, Florida, Already Reopening Beaches

Jacksonville, Florida, is among the first locations in the United States to loosen social distancing restrictions—the city's beaches reopened to the public Friday at 5pm. According to…

Venice Has Adopted the Ultimate Means for Reducing Crowds: Admission Fees

Just about everyone will agree that the worst current problem in travel is overtourism—the crowded conditions in the world’s most popular cities and destinations. In places like…

Watching the Sunrise at Maui's Haleakala Volcano Will Soon Require a Reservation

One of the most unforgettable—and most popular—sights in Maui is about to get a little more difficult to experience.Starting February 1, you'll need a reservation to hike to the…

Reservations for Maui Volcano Sunrise, Great Barrier Reef in Peril, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's oceans, volcanoes, and airplane cabins.* THIS YEAR'S LOSS OF GREAT BARRIER REEF CORALS IS THE WORST ON RECORDIt might be…

25.3 Million People Will Fly Over Thanksgiving: 10 Airport Strategies If You're Going to Be One of Them

The industry group Airlines for America is predicting that 65,000 more people PER DAY will fly this year than last, between November 20 and December 1. That's an uptick of 3%, and…

Volcano Eruption Grounds Cruise Travelers, Disrupts Sailings

If the explosion of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano earlier this month has proven anything, it's that the world has become too reliant on the airplane. I mean, really: Should a…

Your Couch or Mine? Hospitality Exchanges Make Backpacking Even Cheaper

I checked my watch nervously, as my travel companion frantically tried to pick up a cell signal so we could call and alert Vincent to our delayed arrival. After difficulty in…