Sign up for my newsletter to get a preview of 3 CRAZY stories from my book: lexielimitless.com/newsletter/​

I agree with most of the recommendations here. However, it’s easy for me and Lexie to say having visited most of these places already. It’s easy for me to say, “Don’t bother visiting Rome, it’s over crowded and touristy” when I’ve already been there and visited all the tourist spots.

Instead of avoiding these places, let's teach people how to travel responsibly, and encourage them to go in the off seasons, which are often less expensive and always less packed. I understand your reasoning behind avoiding these places, but as someone who's been to 7 of the 10 on your list, I can attest that there are _reasons_ why each of those places is so popular. True, there are ruins scattered all over Italy, but nothing compares to the Forum and the Colosseum in Rome. And all of Spain is amazing, but where else can you experience Gaudi's architecture but Barcelona? I think you _must_ visit these places, but do it responsibly so you're not a burden on the local infrastructure.

That only works for people that have already been to those places. I would love to go to Rome or Paris, because I have never been there, but once I go, I probably won’t come back and other options will be great for me.

"don't go to Machu Picchu. Go to this other place where you have to hike 4 days to get there and 4 days to come back " 😂 would've liked to see alternatives to all the spots and cities you mentioned!

I don't know about the big cities, but i am from santorini and in fact my familys income comes from tourism. The truth is that this is also the case for most families in the island. Most of the locals are either owners of small touristic businesses or work for one. When tourism struggles we struggle. The past year has been especially challenging because of the pandemic. Some businesses didn't work at all and some (including us) had to work without being able to afford paying employees so we had to do almost everything on our own and our employees had to find somewhere else to work for this season. My father sead if this keeps happening we will have a very big problem. The point is less tourism doesn't necessarily help the district. Tourism doesn not only benefit big companies but local families too. The solution isn't not visiting these places but actually trying to travel ethically(Staying and spending money in small businesses and also thinking about the environment while you explore and do activities on the island. Talking to and respecting the locals is also important.)

It's so easy to say this when you've already been and visited these places. I don't think people should entirely avoid visiting famous landmarks because there's so much value in experiencing these places, however I completely agree with encouraging people to be respectful of those that live there and supporting local businesses.

There’s a reason the touristy places are popular and if you’ve never been there it’s hard to pass on the opportunity to visit them. I would definitely go to all the popular places as well as the outlying areas. I just make sure to be responsible and respectful. I think it’s unfair to say go somewhere less popular when you’ve already been to all these places. Just don’t be a jerk and litter and if you’re on a cruise, support the places you visit.

Researching places to visit outside of common tourist destinations can feel overwhelming for a lot of people, and they might not know where to start. I think it would be great if you could do some videos offering more detailed examples of alternatives to popular destinations. Offers people somewhere to start their research :)

An underrated Italian city: Lucca, Tuscany

1:30 I got to see Mona Lisa around 8:30 in the evening on a Wednesday in April 2019 with barely any tourists around. Huge tip to go to the Louvre in the evening, it's gloriously lit up with this warm light and has this eerie feeling, plus zero queue to get in.

Guys, as someone who has visited most of central and northern Italy and lived myself in several different Italian regions, don't skip Rome, there's a reason why it attracts so many tourist, you would be missing out one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Verona is sure beautiful but let's be real, Rome is incomparable. If you have the possibility visit both, but if you must chose one I would never recommend trading a visit to Rome for Verona. Besides, since Verona is a much smaller city and with way fewer landmarks, going by the numbers presented by Lexie (10M/yr Rome, 3M/yr Verona) and my experience, the density of tourists in Verona is actually much higher than in Rome. So, Verona doesn't really suit the example and it's far from being a hidden gem, but it's actually more tourist-packed. In Italy, I dare to say, there is only one city that truly suffers from being overly touristic in some determinate periods of the year and during events, and that is obviously Venice. If you want better advice, here is a list of some cities in Italy worth a visit: in a somewhat subjective order (not to be taken too seriously) starting from what are in my opinion the absolute must-see destinations and going to the ones one that might have a lower priority in an itinerary planning. Keep in mind that due the limitations of my experience, I'm leaving out a lot of beautiful cities especially in the south. * Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples, Assisi, Porto Venere, Verona, Orvieto, Sestri Levante, Civita di Bagnoregio, Siena, Lucca, Amalfi, Bologna, Genova, Padua, L'Aquila, Pisa ... * (Notable left-outs that come to mind but that I've never been to: Palermo, Catania, Bari) Please feel free to correct me or point out some notable omissions!

I'm from a town near Venice called Vicenza. The whole of the Veneto region is so beautiful, not just Venice! Amazing architecture and art everywhere, beautiful landscapes, and lovely friendly people too! ♥

That didn't look like Machu Picchu to me 🤣

I agree, I’m Ecuadorian and the Galapagos are very well taken care of but its really hard for locals and authorities to keep it that way with the tremendous amount of tourists that visit each year. Ecuador has lots of great places to go to and lots of fauna and flora to explore if that’s what you’re looking for. I think the main thing is to open ourselves to more experiences, maybe not as popular but just as fulfilling.

as someone who has been to Rome, Barcelona and Paris as well as many other different countries and "tourist hotspots", I would never recommend you not to go. I would recommend you to respect the culture, the businesses, the land and the locals. these are popular places for a reason, full of history and beautiful sights. still go. just be respectful. dont litter. eat at local restaurants which are less crowded than the "toursit ones" to boost family owned businesses' profit and shop at small family businesses. do your part, learn the culture, but definitely experience it.

A little unfair to make people feel guilty for wanting to travel to these places especially if you've seen them yourself. Some of them are popular for the underlying significance or history behind them (like Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Mt Everest). This is what inspires a lot of people to travel to these sites and it's not easy to feel the same sense of wonder for a similar looking site that doesn't have the same story. Major cities like Rome, Paris and Barcelona are all worth seeing as well and it's not like a person won't get the chance to visit the rest of the country if they visit these cities - they'd most likely be flying into one of them anyway so may as well explore it. I'm all for sustainable tourism though so may be worth focussing on how people can travel more responsibly or else they may just ruin other less touristy parts of each country.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS! I LOVE THAT YOU ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM ONCE AGAIN.

Lexie, I totally understand your points, but this looks like double standards, you've already seen all of those places and now you're suggesting others who haven't seen them not to visit because of overtourism, it would be great if you would lead as an example. :)

Really enjoy your Vids! Keep killing it!

Thanks for the tips and also great video !!

Great video! 😍 I loved how informative and personal it was with your pictures and videos. Keep up the AMAZING work Lexie! 🌈🌻

I love your approach to travel and experiencing the world. Most people think about themselves when they travel rather than how their travel can make where they are going a better place by distributing your money to as many local businesses as possible.

Your videos just keep getting better and better. Thank you for all the information you share with us and I cannot wait to read your book!

Thanks for showing Lex!

Loved the free sample of your new book. Super inspired to have a deeper approach to travel. Thanks xx

You always have the best stories to tell, Thanks for sharing Lexie

Thank you so much for these useful information! It’s so important to spread the tourism 💕

Great video thank you for the valuable info!!

Well researched! Thanks Lexi 👍

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing 👍

Thank you for sharing this information!!! I often say this: people don’t respect the locals when they travel! ❤️

Love this video! You mention that there are many other islands to go to in these countries but you should do a video on those specific places you are talking about!

I really enjoy watching you. Please keep it up. ❤️

You share a lot of important messages and lessons in your videos and I really thank you for that! We need more people like you Lexie 🙂

Thanks for educating!

love your videos!

I'll most definitely get your book. Thank you Lexie 💕

You have such positive energy. Loved the video !

Your editing style and fast placed videos are so good. Please make more videos like this❤️🌟

It’s true that Santorini doesn’t feel like a Greek island. The sunset is incredible but the streets are so crowded that you can’t get an authentic experience. Wonderful alternatives are the islands of Milos, Paros, Naxos☺️

A lot of really important information! THANKS Lexi!

i love this so much your documentary is.very nice

amazing video . INteresting thought process

All these places are popular for a reason. Personally I enjoy seeing major landmarks and world wonders and I don't mind crowds (as long as I can still move). I've lived with locals in another country before but that isn't what excites me about traveling. I don't get people's obsession with being in a place with hardly any people. I live in Saskatchewan. I already have that 😄

You're videos are really amazing 😍

Thank you for talking about Venice! I lived there for my studies and it just brooke my heart seeing her like that! The tourism is swallowing the city and if I felt the struggle I know for sure that the inhabitants feel it too.

Fun to see some of the ideas from my Sociology of Tourism project in this video. I'm writing and presenting on the impact of tourism and traveler presence on the environment

hey lexie! I’m a local resident of hawaii and found your videos as I want to get off the island to become a solo female traveler myself. You stated everything perfectly and I’m really impressed by how respectful you were when mentioning locals living in these extreme tourist bound areas. The influx of tourist have been a huge problem and only getting worse here “post-covid” I hope to become a budget traveler who supports local businesses and gain genuine experiences with locals outside of the over populated tourist attractions.

Thanks, Lexie, I think respecting the culture and the country is the most important topic when traveling. And thanks for the list of destinations that are too touristy. One of my dreams is to go hiking in Hawaii and I will now even more try to find locally owned hotels/bed & breakfasts and of the beaten path places.

Great video! I would love to see your top most underatted or hidden gem travel destinations. Another viedo idea is ways to respects the locals and the area when traveling

Thank you for changing my perspective for my next travel destination

Such valuable information.

Loved your videos ♥️

For Europe, I would say go in the off season. I have been to Venice in winter and in summer--winter was beautiful and unforgettable and summer was a human traffic jam.

Thank you for the Great video

LOVE THIS SM

YES! This is so important!

Alternatives for France: Instead of Nice, go to Menton, Eze or Antibes. Instead of Marseille, go to les calanques/cassis/la ciotat. Instead of Bordeaux, explore the Arcachon bay area. Instead of Lyon, go to Annecy / Massif de Chartreuse/ Le Puy / Clermond-Ferrand. Dont miss out on Arles (+Camarque, flamingoes if you are lucky), Nantes (+ Trentemoult if you like colored houses + St Nazaire), Semur-en-Auxois or St Malo. Do NOT go to Le Mont-Saint-Michel and do not only visit Paris for the main tourist attractions. =)))

Hi Lexie, Hi guys ! I'm a college student in Paris and I can definitely tell you that Paris is not the only beautiful place you can go to when you visit France ! Our train system is pretty good and within two hours you can be in Normandy which is one of the most beautiful region of the country :) And visiting Paris with a local is for sure the best way to discover the city ! Thx for this video !!

Hi Lexie, great video. But this video is more relevant if we're not in a global pandemic. Right now in Bali the areas of the center of the tourist crowd is like a dead city

I love this so much!! I've definitely found that big tourist cities are so overwhelming for me when travelling and I have much better experiences travelling to places nearby that are smaller and less touristy. I'll often take maybe one or two days in the big cities just to hit the major bucket list items but spend the majority of a trip far away from lines and selfie sticks!

Lexie I'm so glad you mentioned my hometown Verona ❤️

This is very great advice! There are so many great hidden gems out there in every country. One example I did was when I went to Austria back in 2018. Although I did visit Vienna and Salzburg, I also went into the Alps to Saalbach-Hinterglemm. It is most popular in the winter for skiing, but I went in early October that year, and I had breathtaking views of the mountains all to myself! If anyone does go to heavily touristed areas, I agree that people should go to the more local spots and respect the culture.

Very very meaningful video Lexie. 💖

Keep up the Great work

Could you please do a video on what you recommend traveling with, your must haves? Clothes- what to bring and not to bring? Thank you very much!

Great video! Can you do one about how to pack light/ what to bring on a solo trip?

Good insight!

You are so right about Paris, and to visit with this city with locals...There are beautiful cities in France : Lyon, Strasbourg and so on . And beautiful regions like Normandy, Bretagne...

Good advice you are a true traveler

Wonderful effort to make awareness about respect and compassion towards local community and ecosystems 👍👍👍

I am currently studying in Hawaii for the semester and I can definitely agree with what you have to say, locals don't really like the tourists, and rightfully so. I have been doing everything I can to minimize my footprint on the island and spend time learning about the culture volunteering with sustainability organizations.

I love your perspective ❤️

Most competent traveler lexi 👍👍

i was lucky enough to go to hawaii to see family earlier this summer. the locals i met personally were so proud of their culture and happy to share it with me, all i can say is travel with respect for the people, animals and land, and go to random places you find or drive past, not the popular famous spots!!

This is great advice. And while I know the pandemic has negatively affected tourist spots economically, I have to believe the people in those places have also been given an appreciation of a year to move freely and breath again in their cities and towns without the overcrowded tourist influx. It would be nice if a balance could be found.

Thank you for making a responsible travel video 😀

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on over-tourism! I think it's rarely spoken about, this was fascinating 😁

I enjoy this video, cheer from Japan.

Thank you for mentioning Bali and the waste. Please be mindful wherever you all go ♥️

so true !! 100% agree with you xx

I can't get enough of this channel.

Definitely agree with overall point, the best places I have been too have often been the least known. However I have also been to Santorini and had an incredible time and I hate busy touristy places. My secret was to go out of season in April when it was getting sunny again, hotels and restaurants were cheaper and quiet and we had space on the beach

I have been to many of these places. I loved Rome, but I didn’t go there during the peak season, I went off the beaten path to buy water and food, instead of the crazy prices for stuff close to the Colosseum, and I always try to learn the language (at least general phrases and questions), and be polite. It also helps not to dress very American (dress a bit more local), and don’t overdo it with photos, because you don’t really go back and look at thousands of photos anyway. Just take pictures of really important things for you, and moments. Don’t waste money on a ton of souvenirs that will end up in boxes. Only get maybe one or two things from a country that have meaning for you and are a bit better quality. My best times traveling were unexpected and with locals, just having fun and experiencing life. They were SO much more fun than the big tourist destinations, although you should at least see something like the Eiffel Tower or go to Venice once. I don’t have Lexie’s experience, but I was in the military, and I’ve been to 36 countries, and I totally agree that you should never travel on a tourist bus or as part of a group. Maybe a friend or two, or significant other, but not a big group, rushing through everything. That isn’t nearly as fun, and sometimes ends up being more expensive.

The best way to avoid the masses is to stay home. Wonderful places stay crowded because they are so wonderful and should not be canceled just because everyone else might be there. After all, there is a concept called "off season."

I went to Barcelona on a school trip almost 2 years ago, and it was amazing! It wasnt even busy either!

i agree about Verona!! I lived there last year for my studies and there were not many tourists there at all. I saw a few groups of east asian tourists every once in a while, but its mainly all locals there. its a beautiful place to visit!

This is a very helpfull video. Are you planning to visit the netherlands again after the pandamic?

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Lots of love 💗 from India. Stay blessed.

I always love traveling to less populated towns, people there are more friendly and will help you every way possible

What a good vid !

Here in NZ they have cheap package deals to Bali and Phuket. Well pre covid anyhow. So it makes it easy for the general public to book. Personally I love doing more indepth research and booking my own out of the way air bnbs and trips. It's one of my favorite parts of the travel experience rather than being hand fed a deal.

Great video I’ve been waiting for one on this topic

You can travel also at dead seasons. We live close to Venice and we always go there in November and to Barcelona in February.

In Canada, the tourist hotspots are Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Banff, and Niagara Falls. The less traveled and off-beaten paths are Ottawa, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg, PEI, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia.

Nice video, lots of good advice. It is kind of ironic that right now most of these places are completely closed to foreigners due to COVID19, so hopefully they can recover a bit.

i thought rainbow mountain was waaay more spiritual than Machu Picchu!

Definitely can say that knowing locals it a big plus, somehow my dad has friends all over so it always helps, so many tips and secret places, my family also tries to avoid tourism dedicated places, but sometimes we do go there. I also try to look for specific places that I'd like to go, but not plan anything to have a more natural flowing trip. I have traveled to 15 countries already and don't plan to stop. :)

OMG. SHE SAID MACHUPICCHU AND SHOW THE HUACACHINA.