Summer 2026 is going to be busy. Global air passenger numbers are on track to set a new record for the third consecutive year. European destination airports are already managing capacity constraints. Barcelona's mayor has made international headlines discussing how to limit tourist numbers in the city centre.
Against that backdrop, the most interesting question for anyone planning a summer trip is not where the crowds are going — it's where they're not.
Albania: Europe's Most Undervalued Coast
Albania's Riviera — from Sarandë in the south to Durrës in the north, with highlights at Vlorë, Himarë and the Llogara Pass — offers everything that has made the Greek and Croatian coasts famous, plus a fraction of the tourists and roughly a third of the prices.
The water is the same Adriatic and Ionian blue. The mountains descend to the sea dramatically. The food — grilled fish, slow-cooked meat, stuffed peppers, byrek pastries — is excellent. The wine, particularly from the Berat region, is underrated. Tirana, the capital, has reinvented itself over the past decade as one of Europe's most energetically interesting mid-sized cities.
Infrastructure has improved dramatically with EU investment. Direct flights operate from several UK airports. Accommodation ranges from boutique guesthouses to a growing portfolio of higher-end resort properties.
What to expect: genuine warmth from locals (Albanians have a strong tradition of hospitality), some construction noise along the Riviera as development continues, and the odd road surface that dates from the communist era.
Georgia: Wine, Monasteries and Impossible Mountains
Georgia — the country, sitting at the intersection of Europe and Asia between the Black Sea and the Caucasus — has been building a formidable reputation among independent travellers for years. 2026 feels like the year it graduates from well-kept secret to genuinely mainstream recommendation.
The draw is distinctive: arguably the world's oldest wine country (8,000 years of viticulture, unique qvevri clay jar fermentation), extraordinary mountain scenery in Svaneti and Kazbegi, ancient cave monastery complexes at Vardzia and Uplistsikhe, and one of the most generous food and hospitality cultures on earth. Tbilisi, the capital, is architecturally eccentric, café-saturated and lively into the small hours.
UK visitors can enter visa-free. Tbilisi Airport has good connections via various European hubs. The country is extremely safe for travellers, and prices — accommodation, food, wine, taxis — remain significantly below Western European equivalents.
Japan: Exceptional Value and Recovering Capacity
The weaker yen that has dominated Japan's economic narrative for the past several years has had a somewhat perverse benefit for inbound visitors: the country is remarkable value by the standards of Western European destinations. A high-quality ryokan stay, elaborate kaiseki dinner and bullet train journeys can be assembled for less than equivalent experiences in Paris or London.
The congestion problems that became a global news story in 2024 — Fujikawaguchiko limiting Mount Fuji viewing, Kyoto residents covering the approach to Gion, Overtourism protests in Osaka — have been addressed with access fees, capacity limits and visitor management strategies. They have not been solved. The practical advice: book everything well in advance, and prioritise itineraries that include less-visited regions alongside the must-see cities.
Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Matsumoto, the Noto Peninsula, rural Tohoku — these areas offer experiences as rich as the tourist-saturated equivalents but without the crowds. Japan rewards travellers who do the planning.
Morocco: Beyond Marrakech
Marrakech remains magnificent — the Medina, the Jemaa el-Fna, the riads, the food — but it has also become genuinely overwhelmed by tourism in peak season. The smartest Morocco itineraries in 2026 incorporate coastal alternatives.
Essaouira — the Atlantic-coast walled city with whitewashed medina, strong Atlantic winds beloved by kitesurfers, excellent fish restaurants and a more relaxed, artistically-oriented atmosphere — deserves a proper two or three nights rather than a day trip from Marrakech.
Agadir has a wider beach, newer resort infrastructure and milder water temperatures than the Atlantic northern coast. It is more package-holiday in character than Essaouira but highly competent for what it is.
Chefchaouen, the blue city of the northern Rif Mountains, has become extremely photographed — but remains genuinely beautiful and is experiencing its own overtourism pressure in peak summer. Visit midweek if possible, or in spring/autumn.
The Balkans: Montenegro and North Macedonia
Montenegro's Bay of Kotor is one of the most scenically dramatic settings in the Mediterranean — a fjord-like bay surrounded by limestone mountains, dotted with medieval churches, with Kotor's walled old town at its head. Yachts and cruise ships have discovered it; summer crowds in August can be significant. May, June and September are significantly more pleasant.
North Macedonia is the most overlooked country in the Balkans. Ohrid, on the shores of the ancient Lake Ohrid (one of Europe's oldest lakes), is UNESCO-listed, genuinely beautiful and visited by a fraction of the tourists who flock to Croatia's more famous Adriatic coast.
A Note on Travel Insurance and Disruption
Travel insurance premiums have increased significantly following a period of elevated claims — pandemic disruptions, extreme weather events and airline operational failures have all contributed. Do not travel without comprehensive insurance. Read the policy carefully for exclusions, particularly around weather disruption, pre-existing medical conditions, and the specific activities you plan to undertake (hiking in remote areas, water sports, etc.).
Book flexible fares where the cost premium is modest. The unexpected does happen, and the difference between a refundable and non-refundable booking can be significant when it does.
Summer 2026 has every ingredient for memorable travel. The difference between a crowded, expensive experience and a rich, discovery-filled one is mostly advance planning and a willingness to look slightly beyond the obvious.