Record-breaking tourist surges are turning Europe’s most popular holiday destinations into overcrowded hotspots – with only the rich and famous able to escape the chaos.
Dramatic footage from Italy’s Amalfi Coast shows tourists packed onto sweltering buses, struggling for space to breathe, while others battle through jammed streets, relentless queues, and suffocating crowds.
But, while the suffocating crowds have been inescapable for most, a handful of A-listers have managed to dodge the tourist crush by retreating to luxury super-yachts.
Photos of celebrities basking in the sun on private boats or partying the night away in exclusive locations stand in stark contrast to the unbearable scenes faced by everyday holiday makers.
Earlier this month several famous faces were spotted escaping the packed streets of Capri to join Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez aboard the billionaire’s mega-yacht.
Now, disappointed sunseekers have taken to social media to warn others not to be fooled by the picture-perfect Instagram posts, revealing a far less glamorous reality.
A tourist on a train from Naples to Sorrento filmed a packed carriage and complained the crowding was so ‘crazy’ she was told ‘elbows up’ to make more room.
Record-breaking tourist surges are turning Europe’s most popular holiday destinations into overcrowded hotspots
A tourist on a train from Naples to Sorrento filmed a packed carriage and complained the crowding was so ‘crazy’ she was told ‘elbows up’ to make more room
While the suffocating crowds have been inescapable for most, a handful of A-listers have managed to dodge the tourist crush by retreating to luxury super-yachts. Pictured: Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom on a luxury yacht with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
Meanwhile, another holidaymaker took a video of seemingly endless queues for transport on the Amalfi coast, with many passengers having to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for the entire journey.
It comes as Europe’s most famous holiday hotspots are busier than ever – despite anti-tourism protests taking place across the continent.
Earlier this month, images showed swarms of holidaymakers packed together and forming huge queues waiting for trains and buses in some of the most beautiful destinations in Italy and Greece.
In the Italian village of Varenna – famed for its tiny streets and colourful facades of houses – Brits have complained of crowds so dense they were barely able to reach down to take their phones out of their pockets.
Meanwhile, footage from the Greek island of Santorini – adored by influencers for its breathtaking sunsets and views across the Mediterranean – show thousands of people inching along narrow streets with barely enough room to pass each other.
It came as Europe struggles to cope with a surge in tourism – with some areas being forced to introduce special measures in an attempt to combat the problem.
A holidaymaker in Lake Como, Italy, posted a video warning others what to expect, showing packed coastal pathways and an hour long line for the ferry.
The clip is captioned: ‘Lake Como in June is so amazing, the views are stunning, but so many people and waiting times.’
Another visitor likened the experience to ‘the tourist hunger games’ alongside a seemingly endless line of people.
Meanwhile, a tourist in Portofino, a small coastal town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, revealed how even areas which are meant to be quiet have been swarmed by holidaymakers.
Another holidaymaker took a video of seemingly endless queues for transport on the Amalfi coast, with many passengers having to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for the entire journey
Another holidaymaker took a video of seemingly endless queues for transport on the Amalfi coast, with many passengers having to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for the entire journey
Pictured: Boats in Amalfi packed with passengers
Pictured: Passengers on a crowded bus on the Amalfi coast
She wrote across a TikTok video of a crowded beach: ‘You travelled to a “secret beach” in Portofino, except it definitely isn’t secret anymore.’
The caption read: ‘Expectation vs Reality in Portofino! Literally took one look at the crowds and left.’
Another TikToker posted a clip of a busy street in Portofino and simply wrote, ‘Watching Portofino get flooded with tourists’.
A third posted an image showing the scenic views she expected in the town, before revealing the overcrowded reality.
A woman visiting Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, was also left disappointed by her experience.
She said: ‘Social media lied. I’ve been dreaming of going to Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast for years.
‘And while it is definitely a very beautiful town, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.
‘I was expecting all of the stairs, but I wasn’t expecting the magnitude of the crowds and the lineups.
Europe is groaning under a tourism surge. Shocking footage reveal the extent of the crisis, with some streets so crowded that tourists are forced to shuffle shoulder-to-shoulder just to move. Pictured: A street in Positano, Italy
A holidaymaker in Lake Como, Italy posted a video warning others what to expect while visiting in the summer, showing packed coastal pathways and an hour long line for the ferry
A third posted an image showing the scenic views she expected in Portofino, before revealing the overcrowded reality
Pictured: The overcrowded reality of Portofino
‘Positano has become a travel destination where you need to have every moment of your itinerary planned out in advance, and book reservations for pretty much everything.
‘Otherwise, it will all be booked up before you even touch down in Italy.’
Meanwhile, in Greece, overcrowding is also frustrating sunseekers.
One woman revealed how much the island of Santorini has changed since her last visit two years ago, before the tourism surge became so severe.
She posted a picture of a packed street, writing, ‘Santorini! When we stayed here in 2022, we scoffed at the people who came off the cruise ships.
‘This time, we were those people! Santorini in summer is no joke. The heat, the crowds, the lines. No magic this time. Just sweat, nausea and swollen feet.
‘Don’t be deceived by the smiling faces.’
Some areas have introduced special measures in an attempt to crack down on overcrowding.
Portofino has banned walking barefoot, picnics and drinking booze on the streets among a swathe of other prohibitions.
Tourists risk being fined for carrying out a variety of actions typically enjoyed abroad.
From July 15, travellers in Portofino will no longer be able to walk through the town barefoot, in swimwear, or topless – or sit in the piazza in such attire.
Consuming alcohol on public streets has also been prohibited, with only restaurants, bars and designated areas left to booze in.
Begging, sitting, or lying on the streets, walls, sidewalks and parks has also been banned along with having picnics.
The new ordinance, signed by Mayor Matteo Viacava, will take effect during the summer season and temporarily expire on September 30.
Anyone who is caught violating the regulations before then will be subject to a fine of between £22 and £433.
The goal of the latest crackdown is to protect the ‘peace and quiet of residents and tourists’ in the exclusive coastal resort which brings in up to 100,000 tourists during peak season – despite the town only having a population of 400.
