8 Less-Crowded Alternatives to Europe's Most Overtouristed Destinations

Santorini, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Amsterdam are drawing record crowds again this summer, and 41% of travelers now say they're actively planning trips around avoiding them. These eight nearby alternatives deliver the same scenery and history with a fraction of the tourists — most reachable by a short ferry, train, or drive from the destination they're standing in for.

1. Milos Instead of Santorini

Distance: 2-hour ferry from Santorini · Best for: volcanic beaches without the caldera crowds

Milos has over 70 beaches, many reachable only by boat, and the same volcanic drama as Santorini's famous cliffs minus the sunset crowds — the white rock formations at Sarakiniko feel otherworldly before 10am, according to National Geographic's Milos feature.

2. Girona Instead of Barcelona

Distance: 38-minute train from Barcelona · Best for: medieval old-town charm without the crowds

This Catalan city's preserved medieval quarter and riverfront architecture give you Barcelona's history in a compact, walkable footprint, with far shorter lines at major sights, per a 2026 Girona travel review. Arrive early to beat the "Game of Thrones" filming-spot crowds that gather later in the day.

3. Kotor Instead of Dubrovnik

Distance: roughly 2 hours by road from Dubrovnik · Best for: fortress views over a fjord-like bay

Montenegro's Bay of Kotor swaps Dubrovnik's packed old town for turquoise water, medieval streets, and a hilltop fortress climb, though it's worth knowing Kotor gets busy of its own accord from June through August, notes a detailed Dubrovnik-to-Kotor comparison.

4. Utrecht Instead of Amsterdam

Distance: under 25 minutes by train from Amsterdam · Best for: canal-side charm at local prices

Utrecht's Oudegracht canal has a rare two-level design, with medieval wharf cellars now converted into candlelit cafés at the waterline, and hotel prices and restaurant availability are noticeably easier than in central Amsterdam, according to a comparative Utrecht guide.

5. Cilento Coast Instead of the Amalfi Coast

Distance: about 90 minutes south of the Amalfi Coast · Best for: wide beaches and local food without the traffic

Part of a UNESCO-listed national park stretching over 100 kilometers, Cilento is where Italians go to escape Amalfi's summer gridlock — more affordable and still undiscovered by international visitors, per a 2026 Cilento vs. Amalfi comparison.

6. Chioggia Instead of Venice

Distance: about 1 hour south of Venice by bus or boat · Best for: canals and a working fishing-town atmosphere

Venice draws a reported 25–30 million annual visitors against fewer than 500,000 residents, and Chioggia — a genuine fishing town with its own canal grid an hour away — is emerging as the top low-crowd alternative, according to a report on Venice's overtourism shift.

7. Vis Island Instead of Split or Hvar

Distance: ferry from Split, roughly 2.5 hours · Best for: Adriatic island life with no cruise-ship crowds

While Split and Hvar strain under peak-season crowds, Vis Island has no cruise stops and no airport, which keeps it genuinely disconnected from the mainstream Adriatic tourist trail, per a 2026 roundup of destinations to avoid and their alternatives.

8. Oulu Instead of Scandinavia's Capital Cities

Distance: roughly 1.5-hour flight from Helsinki · Best for: Arctic culture without Nordic capital-city prices or crowds

Named European Capital of Culture 2026, Oulu sits just below the Arctic Circle and is using the year to showcase Sámi Indigenous heritage and wild Arctic nature, a genuine alternative to overcrowded Nordic capitals, according to Euronews' 2026 itinerary picks.