Escape Artist
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • News
    • Field Notes
    • Trending
  • Your Escape Plan
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Second Citizenship
    • Events
    • Shop
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Scandinavia
      • Spain
      • United Kingdom
      • Rest of Europe
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Others
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • North America
      • South America
  • Travel Tips
    • Know Before You Go
    • Packing List
    • Food + Culture
    • Health + Wellness
  • Subscribe
Escape Artist
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • News
    • Field Notes
    • Trending
  • Your Escape Plan
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Second Citizenship
    • Events
    • Shop
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Scandinavia
      • Spain
      • United Kingdom
      • Rest of Europe
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Others
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • North America
      • South America
  • Travel Tips
    • Know Before You Go
    • Packing List
    • Food + Culture
    • Health + Wellness
  • Subscribe
👤

THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR EXPATS, DIGITAL NOMADS, AND DREAMERS.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • News

How to Avoid Summer Travel Hell

  • BY David Lepeska
  • July 19, 2024
How to Avoid Summer Travel Hell
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

It’s that time of year again. From late July through August, everybody and her mother are going somewhere. Whether you’re planning a European adventure, a vacation in Latin America or a beach break in the Caribbean, you’re likely to come face-to-face with travel trouble.

Peak season is a perfect storm of travel hassles, even without the sort of massive tech outage that grounded countless flights on Friday and stranded travelers around the world. Over July Fourth weekend, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) set an all-time record for single-day passengers, with more than three million. Those numbers are sure to remain high through August.

Extreme Weather and Unwelcome Guests

Wildfires and extreme weather events like hurricanes are most common in summer, and last year July saw nearly 8,000 flight delays in the US, according to federal data, the most since 2016. It’s no surprise, then, that air travel is getting more difficult: last year the US Transportation Department received nearly 97,000 complaints, a 13 percent increase from 2022.

Speaking of extreme, in the southern US, Latin America, and southern Europe, temperatures in July and August regularly climb into the triple-digits nowadays, making day-time activities difficult and putting many travelers at risk of health issues.

Summer also tends to be when airline workers go on strike, to ensure their walkout is felt in the boardroom. The mechanics of Canada’s second-biggest carrier, WestJet, walked off the job a few weeks ago, leading to 1100 flight cancellations and headaches for some 150,000 travelers. Now the flight attendants of United Airlines are threatening a strike of their own, which could have a seismic impact on global travel.

Finally, if you are ultimately able to reach your destination, there’s a distinct possibility you may not feel terribly welcome. Several of the world’s top destinations have begun embracing policies and initiatives that make it slightly more difficult to visit. Barcelona, where “Tourists go home” graffiti has become common, has outlawed short-term rentals like Airbnb, though the policy won’t be in full effect for a few years.

Lisbon and Porto, Portugal, have also placed limits on short-term rentals. A few months ago, Venice became the first city in the world to charge day-time visitors an entry fee (5 euros). Amsterdam has curbed the number of cruises that can stop in its port and launched a “Stay Away” campaign that aims to keep out visitors looking to party. Locals in several major summer hotspots have taken to the streets to protest against tourist overcrowding, including Barcelona, Venice, Dubrovnik, and the Canary Islands.

Ease Your Worries

So what’s a peak-season traveler to do? First, take a deep breath. This is vacation, after all, and it should be about reducing stress. Second, are you able to get there by train? If so, it’s often a smoother journey, especially in summer.

Third, consider alternative destinations. If you were thinking Barcelona, maybe consider Madrid, Seville, Marbella or Bilbao – they all have considerable charms. If you’re thinking Paris, maybe just go for a day and then head off to Bordeaux or Marseille. In fact, Scandinavian destinations like Copenhagen and Stockholm have seen a spike in bookings this year as tourists seek to get away from the crowds and heat of more popular spots like Greece and Italy.

Indonesia recently launched a sharp tourist campaign called “10 New Balis” – hoping to direct some of the love travelers have for that iconic province to 10 other domestic destinations. It’s an idea that could work around the world. I’d say we’re ready for “10 New Venices”, “10 New Pragues”, “10 New Miamis” and so on.

More Relaxing Emerging Destinations

A brilliant new satirical tourist ad from Norway perfectly captures this emerging shift in travel thinking. A 31-year-old Oslo native is seen in various spots across the city, while in voice-over he explains why he’s not a fan of the Norwegian capital. “I wouldn’t come here, to be honest,” he says as the ad opens. “I mean, is it even a city?”

Around him people are relaxing in the park, diving into the Oslofjord, strolling the sweeping roof of the Oslo Opera House, and generally having a lovely, relaxing time. “It’s just so available, y’know. There’s no exclusiveness,” he adds before visiting a museum. “If you don’t have to stand in line for a couple of hours, is it even worth seeing?”

A place like that sounds like a perfectly reasonable solution to the growing problem of summer travel hell. Maybe it’s time to take the road less traveled.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Previous Article
Yes, Soon AI Will Even Impact Travel
  • News

Yes, Soon AI Will Even Impact Travel

  • BY Aaron Kenedi
  • July 16, 2024
View Post
Next Article
Danger, Honor, and Survival in Pamplona
  • Your Escape Plan

Danger, Honor, and Survival in Pamplona

  • BY Michael K. Cobb
  • July 20, 2024
View Post
You May Also Like
U.S. Government shutdown - Travelers queue at airports
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Shutdowns, Spies & Soaring Gold
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • October 9, 2025
Australia’s Lord Howe Island restricts visitors to protect fragile ecosystem
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Crises, Convoys & Collisions
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • October 2, 2025
Onu building with flags under a blue sky in New York
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Fault Lines, Flotillas & Frontiers
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • September 25, 2025
Donald Trump has arrived in the UK
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Power Plays, Protests & Vanishing Giants
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • September 18, 2025
Latest News: Uganda’s conservation efforts show how species once lost can return stronger
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Fires, Fortunes & Frontiers
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • September 11, 2025
Latest News this Week: Molten lava arcs skyward from Kīlauea’s summit crater
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Lava, Leaders, and Lines in the Sand
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • September 4, 2025
Scientists argue wasps deserve more credit in the natural world
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Tradeoffs, Truths & Territorial Disputes
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • August 28, 2025
Scotland has reported a dramatic rise in whale and dolphin strandings.
View Post
  • News
Latest News: Fossils, Floods & Shifting Frontiers
  • BY EA Editorial Staff
  • August 21, 2025
Trending Posts
  • Hungarian Citizenship by Descent Journey from Amercia 1
    • Second Citizenship
    Our Journey from America to Hungarian Citizenship
    • October 1, 2025
  • Buying a Property abroad 2
    • Your Escape Plan
    Why More Investors Are Buying Homes Offshore
    • October 8, 2025
  • Abkhazia jewel of Soviet summer escapes 3
    • Field Notes
    Secrets of the Soviet Riviera
    • October 3, 2025
  • Expat Child Syndrome 4
    • Wellness
    The Untold Story of Expat Kids
    • October 6, 2025
  • Summer in Lapland: Lapland’s wild landscapes glow under the endless Arctic sun 5
    • Field Notes
    Before the Snow Falls in Lapland
    • September 29, 2025
InterNations
Know Before You Go
  • Cost of Living in New Zealand: 2025 Complete Guide 1
    • New Zealand
    Cost of Living in New Zealand: 2025 Complete Guide
    • October 10, 2025
  • Costa Rica Cost of Living Guide: Prices, Budgets, and Tips 2
    • Costa Rica
    Costa Rica Cost of Living Guide: Prices, Budgets, and Tips
    • October 10, 2025
  • Living in Paris: Digital Nomad Guide 3
    • Digital Nomadism
    A Digital Nomad’s Guide to Living Like a Local in Paris
    • October 10, 2025
  • Top 10 Best Places to Live in Mexico – Discover Your Ideal City 4
    • Mexico
    Top 10 Best Places to Live in Mexico – Discover Your Ideal City
    • October 8, 2025
  • Best Places to Live in Spain: A City-by-City Guide for 2025 5
    • Spain
    Best Places to Live in Spain: A City-by-City Guide for 2025
    • October 8, 2025
Learn More
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Why Subscribe

The newly imagined Escape Artist brings you fresh content with a global focus, and sharp, up-to-the-minute coverage of the joys, challenges, and opportunities of life abroad.

For a limited time, we’re offering a special discount on all subscription deals, so be sure to lock-in these incredible savings and start receiving top-notch travel and expat content today!

Sign up for the EA Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Escape Artist
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimer

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Newsletter Subscription
Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/