How the ‘two block’ rule lets you avoid the crowds on holiday this summer

A TRAVEL expert has revealed his clever “two block” trick that helps him avoid crowds and make the most of his holidays.

A lot of people hate the idea of getting stuck in touristy areas and missing out on an authentic experience while on their trips abroad.

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However, Ben Groundwater, a travel writer, columnist and author with more than 20 years’ experience of travel, has explained how to easily dodge the crowds and find somewhere that’s both “better” and “nicer”.

In article for Stuff NZ, he wrote about his “two block rule” that quickly gets him out of less desirable spots and into the places he actually wants to visit.

He said: “This is an oldie but a goodie. You’re in a heavily touristed area, near major attractions, surrounded by tacky T-shirt stores and restaurants with “menus in English” and waiters hanging around trying to encourage you in. Bad times.

“All you have to do to escape this touristy hell is walk two blocks.

“Walk two blocks away from the big attractions and you’re already in a neighbourhood with better restaurants, better shops, and a nicer feel. It’s that simple, yet so few tourists ever bother.”

The advice is something that some authorities at popular holiday destinations might like tourists to listen to, with crowding becoming a real problem for some holiday hotspots.

In Portofino in Italy, it’s become such an issue that the mayor has introduced no-waiting zones for pedestrians.

The small fishing village is home to picturesque cobbled streets and saw a rise in tourism over the Easter holidays, as it grows in popularity among both Italians and visitors from overseas.

Two “red zones” have been introduced to avoid crowding in restricted areas, where visitors are known to pause for selfies.

Other European holiday destinations are also bringing in their own rules to tackle overcrowding.

Amsterdam aims to deal with ‘over-tourism’ by limiting the number of river cruises and Airbnb rental properties.

Instead, a number of hotels will be repurposed into residential and office buildings.

The city’s deputy mayor, Sofyan Mbarki, said the restrictions mean that tourism won’t impact residents’ quality of life.

He tweeted: “Tourism is part of our city, but it should not be at the expense of quality of life. That is why there’s a long-term vision on tourism and a package of measures.”

Elsewhere, certain parts of the Canary Islands, previously announced plans to welcome fewer holidaymakers.

As part of a new tourism strategy, which was unveiled earlier this year, Lanzarote plans to declare itself a “tourist-saturated area.”

Meanwhile, some places are bringing in rules to ban stag and hen dos .

And these strict rules could prevent holidaymakers from doing other things on holiday in Spain.

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