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Summer travel in Europe too often means waiting in lines, jockeying for position at Buckingham Palace’s Changing of the Guard, or jostling in the queue at the Eiffel Tower. The trouble with the top spots is that they become—especially in high season—a monoculture of tourists. It’s hard to fully appreciate a British pub when surrounded by fellow North American tourists. Worse, hospitality standards can decline in crowded conditions. Still, many Americans continue down the same well-worn paths to the same tourist sites. According to a report by the European Travel Commission and the World Tourism Organization, the greater distance people travel, the more likely they’ll cover only the “must-see” sights at their destination; they’re often unwilling to venture farther afield. Perennial favorites such as Italy, England, and France are anticipating a flood of American tourists this summer, especially with the U.S. dollar buying more than it did last year. Our advice: Sidestep the Europe Americans know for the one Europeans know. |