Europe’s most famous holiday hotspots are busier than ever this week – despite anti-tourism protests taking place across the continent.
Images show swarms of holidaymakers packed shoulder-to-shoulder 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 comes 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.
Disappointed sunseekers have taken to social media to share how their dream holiday didn’t quite match reality.
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
Another Lake Como visitor likened the long queues to ‘the tourist hunger games’ and posted a picture of an endless line of people
This image shows tourists walking beside Lake Como in 2023, before it was overcrowded with tourists
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.
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.
A third posted an image showing the scenic views she expected in Portofino, before revealing the overcrowded reality
Pictured: The overcrowded reality of Portofino
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.
‘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.
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. She wrote ‘you travelled to a ‘secret beach’ in Portofino, except it definitely isn’t secret anymore’
Pictured: What tourists expect when visiting Portofino
‘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.
The municipality had already attempted to combat troublesome tourists in 2023.
During that period, stopping at particularly popular viewpoints across the picturesque town was prohibited.
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 holiday makers. Pictured: A crowd in Positano, Italy
Another person visiting Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, expressed her disappointment at the experience in a TikTok clip. She said: ‘Social media lied. I’ve been dreaming of going to Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast for years.’ Pictured: The quiet beach the woman expected
She wrote: ‘I was expecting all of the stairs, but I wasn’t expecting the magnitude of the crowds and the lineups.’ Pictured: The crowds in Positano
This image shows a quiet street in Positano, before the town suffered from overcrowding
Santorini has also introduced new rules and measures to manage the influx of tourists.
These include a tourist tax, restrictions on access and parking, and a proposed ‘saturation law’ limiting daily visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Balearic Islands have stopped using influencers to promote holiday hotspots and warned that ‘selfie tourism’ is ruining the region’s most beautiful beaches.
The move comes a year after jeering Mallorcan protestors descended on an Instagram-famous beach and blocked visitors from entering in a bid to combat mass tourism.
Local authorities had originally hoped social media stars would help relieve the strain on some locations frequented by tourists by encouraging visitors to explore less popular sites.
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’
Pictured: A coastal path in Santorini before the tourism surge
But the strategy has seemingly backfired, as some of these remote locations have now become flooded with selfie-snapping visitors, causing even more overcrowding and sparking further fury from locals contesting ‘over tourism.’
‘It has had the complete opposite effect to what was intended and runs contrary to government policy on containing tourism,’ a spokesman for the Balearic tourism department admitted over the weekend.
As Covid-19 restrictions lifted in recent years across Europe, tourism has returned close to the levels seen before the pandemic – but some locals have had enough.
This return to normalcy has seen a rise in anti-tourism sentiment amongst locals living in the continent’s travel hotspots, many of whom are urging officials to implement measures that limit the influx of visitors.
Pictured: People march during a protest against over tourism in the Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain, Sunday, June 15, 2025
Pictured: Protesters confront police officers during a demonstration in Piazzale Roma against the introduction of an entrance fee to the city for day-trippers, in Venice, 2024
Complaints range from a lack of affordable housing for locals (with dwellings instead being used as holiday accommodation), vast crowds making cities and towns unbearable during the busiest months, or simply the wrong type of tourists.
While residents understand that tourism is vital for local economies, patience is wearing thin, and although such tensions have always existed between locals and visitors, this appears to have become particularly pronounced in recent years.
Angry protests and demonstrations against tourism have sprung up in Spain, while officials in Italy, France and Greece – among others – have started implementing limits on visiting sightseers, or are considering their options.