Tourism can lead to large crowds in certain places and attractions. Here are some tips for traveling better and avoiding the crowds.
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Travel individually
In virtually every country in the world, it’s possible to travel alone, with your partner, or family, without joining an organized tour. Equip yourself with a travel guide (paper or digital!) that suits you and travel independently. This way, you’ll have a much better chance of having an authentic trip and meeting the locals of the places you visit.
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Plan your visits to the Museum
If you want to visit the big, popular museums, check in advance when they are less crowded; also, buy tickets online, as this usually skips the line effectively.
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Choose your travel dates carefully
Avoid periods when almost everyone is on holiday: July and especially August in France and to some extent in other European countries; the two weeks following the Chinese New Year in China and several neighboring countries; Golden Week in Japan; Thai New Year (April 13-15) in the regions of Thailand (Bangkok will be quieter, except for the festive watering in For more information, you can consult travel guides and look up festivals.
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Speak a little of the local language
Travel with a phrasebook so you can get by with the local language off the beaten track; don’t be discouraged, French speakers can pronounce many languages correctly, even Japanese!
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Choose a residential area
If you rent an apartment, settle in a residential area; for example, in Montreal in Villeray; in Paris in the 11th arrondissement ; in Bangkok, look near the Ari Skytrain You will live closer to people, markets (Jean-Talon in Montreal, d’Aligre in Paris, soi Ari in Bangkok) and will have less the impression of being surrounded by tourists.
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Opt for “secondary” cities
Don’t hesitate to spend time in “secondary” cities in terms of tourism. Treviso, for example, is a little Venice, with obviously far fewer visitors. In Spain, Barcelona is very popular… A little further south, Valencia, also a very interesting city, is much less so. In Thailand, the Isan region is very rarely visited, yet its Khmer temples are worth the detour.
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Visit lesser-known attractions
Look in the guidebooks for lesser-known attractions that you can enjoy away from the crowds. For example, in Bangkok, Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew are both extremely popular; nearby, Wat Racha Bophit and Wat Rachapradit are superb and almost deserted! In Paris, the Louvre is crowded, but the City of Lights has many other exceptional museums that are much less visited, such as the Musée Marmottant or the Petit Palais.
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Go out like a local
Check out cultural magazines, websites, and Facebook pages about activities you’re passionate about to find cultural events that interest you, such as concerts, dance, films, and exhibitions. This will allow you to participate in local cultural life, which is often overlooked by tourists. Don’t hesitate to ask your hosts for advice if you’re renting an apartment; they can point you in the direction of places and activities that are less well-known to tourists. Or, check out what the Alliance Française or the Goethe Institute offer on site.