Are you traveling to Europe? Summer crowds aren’t your only problem.

Parla, who splits her time between Rome and Venice and leads tours of all the Italian hot spots, says they are all “absolutely flooded”.

Travel analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of the Atmosphere Research Group, said travelers should expect long wait times and large crowds at pretty much every stage of their European holiday.

“Be prepared for long lines at airports both in the US and in Europe,”[ads1]; he said. “Be prepared for lines to clear border control, airport security, crowds at train stations, busy hotels, crowded museums, crowded restaurants, crowded sights.”

“They’re not full and don’t charge the prices the big ones are,” Weinacht said.

“It’s just been kind of an out-of-control peak season like nothing we’ve seen before.”

— Katie Parla, a cookbook author and tour guide based in Italy

Travel writer Anne Roderique-Jones has enjoyed just that in the small Italian town of Ospedaletti, just east of Nice. She and her husband Nate planned their visit at the very beginning of the tourist season (which peaks in late July and August), and found cooler temperatures, zero crowds and plentiful food without reservations—a stark contrast to what travelers see in other marquee destinations.

In some big cities, such as Paris and Milan, the crowds are not as noticeable. Beyond standing by Notre Dame, the Sacré-Coeur, the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower, Paris feels pretty normal, Zimbeck said.

“A lot of what people do in Paris is to walk around the charming cobbled streets that are scattered throughout the city,” she added. “So you don’t really feel the crush the way I do, say, in Rome.”