In the early evening, the last ferry leaves, signaling the changing of the guard. The day-trippers have left and the night's guests are beginning to emerge from their voluntary isolation. They are taking possession of Capri again, at least for the night.
If you come in the evening, you'll see a completely different island, locals say. A more chic and relaxed island, with more dresses and loose hair.
It's another gangbusters season for Travel in Europeand the usual suspects have to deal with the usual headaches: sweltering heat and hordes of tourists. If you're heading to the most popular regions of the continent (Italy, France, Greece, Spain), you're bound to end up feeling hot and cramped for part of your trip. But you can avoid some of that discomfort and jet lag at the same time, by shifting your daily schedule.
Not earlier. So much later.
Here's how to embrace being a night owl in Europe.
Temperatures start to rise rapidly during the busiest hours at the Acropolis, from 9 a.m. to noon, said Ioannis Giannakakis, CEO and co-founder of Athens Walking ToursSince the Greek Treasury is open between sunrise and sunset, he recommends going before that peak time, or closer to closing time, when the heat starts to drop.
To kill the afternoon heat, “do nothing,” Giannakakis advises. “Have a few drinks, sit by the pool, take a nap.” That way, you’ll avoid the hottest part of the day, as well as a lot of the crowds, and get ready for your evening activities.
Avoid the Cruise Ship Crowds
In cities that are overrun with cruise ship crowds, the pace of the influx is predictable. Typically, cruise passengers disembark in the morning, explore all day, and then must return to the ship by early evening. If you plan your visit around this exodus, “you’ll avoid more people,” says a longtime Dubrovnik tour guide. Ivan Vukovic said.
The same goes for destinations that attract day tourists who have to take a ferry to reach their home base. You'll see this phenomenon on Italian islands, such as Capri, Ischia and Ponza, said Simone Amorico, CEO of private tour operator Access Italy.
Sightseeing tour at the end of the day…
As closing time approaches, when the typical tourist is starting to think about happy hour or dinner plans, popular tourist spots are few and far between. “That’s why I always recommend visiting the main sights in the afternoon,” says Sandra Weinacht, co-owner of the travel agency Travel experiences inside.
There are caveats to this advice. If you go close to closing time, you'll have less time to enjoy a place. You can also look for places that stay open late.
The most popular museum in Paris, the Shutterdoes not close before 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and offers tours on Fridays at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Yves Saint Laurent The museum remains open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. In Rome, a tourist guide and author Katie Parla That said, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum are both stunning to admire at night from the outside; the latter is open until 7:15 p.m.
…or visit sites outside opening hours
Private guides and organized tours may also open outside of opening hours for a fee.
You can find night tours of the Coliseum This can be more expensive than a daytime option, around $100 per person. Privatizing the Louvre for a visit, on the other hand, requires a “Don” of at least 30,000 euros. Weinacht and Access Italy can arrange private tours for high-end clients to popular locations like the Vatican Museums. Giannakakis said it’s possible to take a VIP tour of the Acropolis after 8 p.m., but it will cost you around 5,000 euros for a group of up to five people.
Look for unique nighttime experiences
Many popular tourist destinations offer special evening programs during the summer that can make a nighttime visit more appealing, even if you don't opt for a traditional tour.
At the Palace of Versailles, the palace hosts nightly fountain shows, accompanied by fireworks, which run until almost midnight every Saturday. plus some other special dates. In Rome, Parla recommends attending an opera performance at the Baths of Caracallathe site of the city's second largest Roman public baths, dating from around 200 AD.
Americans and Europeans have different dining preferences. Adopt the European ethic and eat late.
In Paris, “if you’re ready to eat at 9 or 9:30 p.m., it’s easier to get a good reservation and you’ll be surrounded by locals,” said Meg Zimbeck, who runs the food tour company and review site The Foodie. Paris by mouth.
Croatians “don't eat before 9 p.m.,” Vukovic says. He recommends booking a table at least then, if not later, and then enjoying the country's nightlife, with bars open until 2 a.m. and discos until 5 a.m.
In Greece, whether you're in a bustling city or on a picturesque island, locals wait until at least sunset to dine al fresco. To accommodate this schedule, it's not uncommon for kitchens to stay open until midnight.
Italians prefer to eat around 9 p.m., Amorico said, and many restaurants offer last service around 9 or 9:30 p.m. If you want to sit after 10 p.m. with a local crowd, stick to wine bars and gastropubs. Pizzerias also serve until 11 p.m. or midnight.
Know when staying out late is less effective
Staying up late isn’t a surefire way to avoid crowds. In destinations with fewer cruise passengers, more overnight guests and locals who enjoy the night, you can still encounter a lively scene well into the night. Amorico said that’s true for Rome, where he prefers to stick to early-morning exploring. If you visit churches when they open at 8 a.m., you’ll find them empty, he said.
Weinacht added that another way to avoid cruise traffic is to stay in local neighborhoods rather than tourist areas. In Rome, for example, the Prati is much quieter than the nearby Vatican district. In Barcelona, staying in the Eixample district will be a quieter experience than the Ramblas, no matter the time of day.
