A tourist has described Amsterdam as “so crowded” they “could barely walk” on the city’s pavements.
The Dutch capital is one of Europe’s leading city break destinations and receives about 18 million tourists a year.
The tourist ‘cleogray’ wrote on Reddit: “The last time I was in Amsterdam it was so crowded I could barely walk on the pavement.
“To be fair it was August. But I was really astounded by the sheer amount of people on the streets.
“I saw a local trying to make her way back from the grocery store with her shipping and she had to push past hordes of tourists just to reach her apartment.”
Amsterdam has struggled with overcrowding in recent years and has taken measures to limit tourism.
Cruise ships are going to be banned from the city centre in a bid to cut down on pollution and the number of visitors.
The city has also launched a campaign to stop stag parties coming to Amsterdam for hedonism.
While Amsterdam is likely to be crowded in summer, the tourist said there was a quieter time to visit.
They wrote: “On the other hand, I visited Amsterdam in February five years ago and it was lovely, not overcrowded at all but still bustling.”
The winter season is generally the quietest time to visit European cities and may also be cheaper.