Traveling to Europe in the summer is something of a rite of passage: muggy nights in southern Spain, nap-filled days on the most beautiful Greek islands, breezy afternoons sipping rosé on a terrace in the south of France. But after several calm years, as tourist numbers continue to grow and peak-season temperatures rise from Italy to Croatia, is the appeal of a European summer holiday fading?
Smart and conscientious travelers have always been aware of the pitfalls of going to crowded destinations in the height of summer and have chosen an alternative. That means visiting the most popular spots in the off-season or low season and avoiding these places in favor of lesser known or lesser known areas when traveling in summer. But where should you go? To answer that question, we called on our editors and contributors, and here they guide you through some of the most beloved alternative destinations to visit this summer, from northern Spain to Norway.
To travel to Europe in the summer of 2023 was to experience a season of contrasting extremes first-hand, with travelers now moving towards visiting lesser known and cooler destinations.
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Traveling to alternative destinations is a fast-growing trend: #dupe or #dupes has garnered 342,000 posts on TikTok as part of the growing interest. Thoughtful travelers are reacting to the world around them and visiting unconventional destinations instead.
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The Dolomites (meaning Pale Mountains) cover a vast area of 6,000 square miles, with over 2,000 peaks, and border Austria to the north (South Tyrol was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1919) and Verona to the south, with several regions included within their borders.
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This region of northern Spain has its own language, culture and cuisine, and is finally starting to catch the attention of nature-loving travelers.
Hugo Thomassen/Plant Reserve
Hugo Thomassen/Plant Reserve
Antwerp’s entrepreneurial and creative culture is cooler than ever. International tourists often shy away from other European cities, but Antwerp is a compact city at the crossroads of Europe that’s packed with attractions.
Dream of Salt
Long considered the jumping-off point to the Lofoten Islands, Bodø has a rich vein of arts-led reinvention and outdoor activities, with plenty of places worth staying in.
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Also known for their bustling ruin bars, bath towns have been luring travelers in search of medicine to cure their ailments for centuries, but these historic baths draw visitors not only for their healing powers, but also for their old-world ambiance.
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Just 25 years after its war-torn founding, this small country has made great strides in preserving a culture that was in danger of being lost forever.
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From the azure waters of Portugal’s Carpathian Peninsula (a popular sea turtle nesting site) to Malta’s cave-filled Ramla Bay, these are the best seaside spots to avoid the crowds.
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Editors: Sarah Allard, Charlie Hobbs, Sarah James, Shannon McMahon, Arathi Menon
Visuals: Andrea Edelman, Sophie Knight, Pallavi Kumar
Lead Social Media: Mercedes Blais
Social media support: Lucy Breton, Kayla Brock
Audience Development: Abigail Malbon, Amber Port
