Italy bursting at the seams! Packed streets and barely room to move

Italy’s picture-postcard towns, world-famous landmarks and idyllic beaches attract millions of holidaymakers every summer – but many of its biggest tourist H๏τspots are now buckling under the sheer weight of visitors.

Viral videos shared online show shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in Rome, snaking ferry queues on Lake Como and heaving train platforms in Cinque Terre, with some travellers admitting the experience left them feeling anxious.

With the school summer holidays now under way, thousands more Britons are expected to head to Italy in the coming weeks – and many could find themselves caught up in the chaos.

‘Rome today is not for the weak,’ one TikTok user, @hopedaviesx1, wrote alongside footage showing hordes of people inching through the Italian capital.

Rome welcomes millions of visitors every year, drawn to iconic landmarks including the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.

Another clip, shared by @gr1travel, warned: ‘The Rome crowds really are no joke, especially in the summer heat.’

Hordes of tourists have flocked to the Trevi Fountain in Rome

@hopedaviesx1

Honestly did not know today was Labour Day in Rome, it’s SO busy here 🥲🥲🥲🥲 #rome #tourism #busy #crowd #pantheon

♬ original sound – Lorelei @itsjuliaspy_

Thought I’d escaped the crowds… turns out everyone had the same idea 🇮🇹🤷🏼‍♀️🫩 #cinqueterre #fail #italy #xyzabc #5terre

♬ original sound – Our Awesome World 🌎

The video showed huge crowds of tourists gathering around the Trevi Fountain – an 18th-century masterpiece designed by Nicola Salvi.

Visitor numbers are limited to a maximum of 400 at any one time. Entry now costs €2 (£1.70) for tourists, while residents can still visit free of charge.

In an attempt to see over the gaggle of heads, the video showed some people stretched out their arms to take a pH๏τo. 

Several tourists commented they had experienced similar mayhem, and one exclaimed: ‘Plus the GARBAGE EVERYWHERE! I’ve never seen [so] many cigarette ʙuттs on the ground!’

Someone else said: ‘The amount of anxiety I felt for pickpockets at Trevi was insane.’

Many visitors opt to hop on a ferry to explore Lake Como, but footage shared on TikTok by @ariiahhhhmm showed long queues.

‘They were not kidding about how crowded Italy is in July,’ the video caption read.

Swarms of tourists can be seen getting off a ferry while a huge line awaits their turn to get on board. 

Video footage shared online shows packed streets in Rome

@gr1travel

the Rome crowds really are no joke, especially in the summer heat. Instagram vs reality #expectationvsreality #rome #italiansummer #traveltiktok #colosseum

♬ original sound – william springfield Inside the Italian island that’s on sale for €1.65m – less than 20km from Palermo

One visitor who experienced the same hᴀssle said: ‘Just back from a cheeky weekend. Yes, the boat queues in Varenna/ Bellagio/ Como were crazy I mostly took buses from their first stop or Nesso where a lot of people got off.’

Located in northwest Italy, Cinque Terre is another spot with heaving crowds. 

One traveller, @itsjuliaspy_, shared on TikTok how she expected to see beautiful buildings and calm beaches in the coastal area. 

Instead, she was faced with busy train platforms and long queues of people. 

‘Thought I’d escaped the crowds… turns out everyone had the same idea,’ she wrote. 

In a bid to tackle the mᴀsses of visitors who flock to the destination each summer, around 20 beaches in Italy have limits to the number of people who can go on them.

La Pelosa Beach, in Sardinia, boasts bright, turquoise waters and pristine sands. It even recently placed eighth in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best.

But those hoping to spend a sunny afternoon on its shores may be disappointed, as regular reservations for the beach are sold out until September. 

Cala Goloritzé is another Italian spot that requires booking, as is Tuerredda Beach in Sardinia.

Rome attracts millions of visitors each year, and clips show how the streets are packed with crowds

Italy’s struggles with huge amounts of visitors aren’t new. Across southern Europe, concerns about overtourism have sparked protests in recent years as frustrated locals complain that millions of visitors are driving up housing costs, overcrowding public spaces and placing increasing pressure on transport and public services.

Demonstrations have taken place in tourist H๏τspots including Barcelona, Mallorca and Venice, with campaigners calling for тιԍнтer controls on visitor numbers, cruise ships and short-term holiday rentals.

Last summer, videos circulated online that showed tourists crammed shoulder-to-shoulder as they tried to take in Rome’s famous architecture – one visitor likened the experience to being ‘part of one big sweaty herd’. 

And in Florence, the tourist crush reached such extremes that some travellers began siding with protesters. One said the situation was ‘out of hand’.