It seems summer is well and truly over, with rain clouds sweeping in and the temperature cooling down.
This abrupt change might have many people thinking about booking a holiday to enjoy some last-minute sunshine as we move into autumn.
If you’ve been considering taking a trip to Europe, you might want to consider doing some research before settling on a destination, especially if crowds aren’t your thing.
This is because you could end up accidentally booking a spot that’s a popular destination for cruises, meaning you’ll see an influx of thousands of additional tourists descending on the area each day.
Cruise ships vary in size, but a medium ship can carry up to 2,400 people, while larger ships can have more than 6,000 people onboard. At certain ports, up to five cruise ships can dock during a day, meaning more than 10,000 people could get off to go and explore the local area, taking part in excursions or tours.
This large number of people all packed into an old town can be pretty overwhelming, and even frustrating if you’re trying to get somewhere in a hurry.
As such, a travel expert has warned that the ‘smart’ thing to do would be to pick an area for your holiday that’s just outside of a main port town or city in order to avoid the chaos.
Melanie Fish, a spokesperson for Expedia Group brands, told Metro.co.uk: ‘By doing this, you ensure you can still visit the main attractions, but also experience local life and hidden gems that are off the beaten path.’
She went on to give some examples of destinations you might want to consider looking into as alternatives to popular ports. These include heading to Dobrota instead of Kotor in Montenegro.
‘You’re only 10 minutes away from the bay but can visit local beaches and communities,’ Melanie explains. ‘And 20 minutes outside of the Port of Palma is Majorca’s wine country, with the market town of Consell offering an authentic Spanish village vibe.’
She continues: ‘Expedia’s summer travel searches revealed that Brits holidaying in France looked to escape the crowds. Stays in the port town of Marseille were up 25% this summer, however, nearby Cassis, where you’re more likely to spot fishing boats than cruise ships, was up over 130% year-on-year in comparison.’
Other popular cruise destinations include Corfu, Dubrovnik, Civitavecchia, Naples, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Barcelona.
If you’re looking at other port destinations and aren’t sure how often cruise ships stop there, you can always double check using a site like CruiseMapper. This allows you to track ships from all the major cruise lines, and look at port schedules.
Those still looking for some inspiration for their next holiday, might be keen to hear about another little-known location that’s home to one of Europe’s most affordable beaches according to new data.
Plaża Jastarnia in Poland, nestled just north of Gdynia, is located on a peninsula that juts off into the Gulf of Gdansk – and it just squeezed in at number 10 on the cheapest beaches.
For one day, a sun lounger in Plaża Jastarnia costs just £11.16, while an ice cream will set you back a mere £1.81 – a delicious bargain.
When it comes to tipples, a pint of beer comes with a price tag of £3, an Aperol Spritz £4.89 and a bottle of water a teeny tiny 45p. Who said holidays needed to be expensive?
Elsewhere in the data by Omio, taking the top spot was Playa de Las Canteras in Gran Canaria, Spain, where a sun lounger costs as little as £2.57 per day and an ice cream £1.80.
Kleopatra Beach in Alanya, Turkey, came in third place, while Playa de la Concha ranked third.
Another unlikely winner came in the form of Warnemünde Beach in Germany, found in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region on the Baltic Sea.
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