Skip the crowds: Uncommon day trips in Europe's most visited cities

Overtourism isn’t just about the number of people visiting a city – it’s the distribution.

With travellers flocking to the same places, and often at the same time if they are coming from cruise ships, parts of the city are overwhelmed while others are completely overlooked.

While you certainly can’t stop people from wanting to see Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower, you can encourage them to make sure at least part of their visit involves off-the-beaten-track spots to help with the problem. Which is exactly what Intrepid Travel’s new uncommon day trips aim to do.

Launched in Barcelona, Venice and Paris, the new small group trips will see no more than 12 people explore lesser-known neighbourhoods over the course of two to three hours.

“Overtourism in parts of Europe is a real and growing challenge, particularly in cities like Barcelona, Paris and Venice where local communities are feeling the impact of high visitor volumes,” Florencia Allo Moreno, regional general manager for west Europe at Intrepid Travel, said.

“We’ve worked closely with our local teams – who are themselves residents in these cities – to better understand the problem and identify how we can support responsible visitation that ensures the needs of both residents and travellers work in harmony, not in isolation.

“For us, that means focusing on how we travel: small groups, locally led experiences, and supporting local communities along the way.”

What to expect on the ‘uncommon’ day trips

The uncommon Barcelona trip will see tourists embrace life as a local by paying a visit to a community garden in El Born, and by spending time in the neighbourhood of El Clot, where they’ll stroll through the local market and rambla.

As for Venice, you’ll explore the Pescheria di Rialto market, which dates back to the Middle Ages, and take part in chocolate tasting at a women-owned artisanal shop.

Visitors to the French capital will see the Eiffel Tower from a number of different vantage points outside of the most iconic (and overtouristed) ones while visiting a neighbourhood market and local parks.

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