In pictures: Empty European cities that prove now is the perfect time to travel

One senses that purveyors of city breaks are going to struggle in the coming months. What previously made our bustling metropolises so special, like buzzing restaurants and lively bars, have become a reason for many to steer clear.

But those who are willing to travel will get to enjoy some of the world’s great sights – the Louvre, the Colosseum, Sagrada Familia – minus the usual hordes. Restaurants won’t be busy, and you’ll get the best table in the house. Best of all, the welcome will be warm. So go now, before everyone else.

Venice

Overtourism? Not any more. Our very own Annabel Fenwick Elliott has been exploring the city this week, and described it as a "beautiful, glorious ghost town".

The Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, The Rialto Bridge – they’re all practically empty.

Kate Mann is another recent visitor to Venice. Writing for Telegraph Travel, she said: "It was how I imagine Venetian summers might have been in the past. We wandered through empty alleys and rode the vaporetto down a quiet Grand Canal. Gondolas still moved silently along the waterways, but only a handful."

"The main routes through the city, such as those with signposts to the Rialto Bridge or Piazzale Roma were slightly busier, as were some of the streets lined with bars and restaurants; but judging by the languages we overheard and the registration plates in the multi-storey where we left our car, most people were either locals or Italian tourists."

Paris

Our reporter Mark Stratton jumped on the Eurostar to Paris last week, and was one of the first inside the reopened Louvre. He said: "During my last visit in September 2019, I hurried turbo-speed through the Tuileries to overtake platoons of tour parties homing in on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for selfies with Mona Lisa. I vowed never to visit again during summer. Yet, with capacity reduced by 75 per cent, being able to dwell un-harried and ponder the finesse of great masterpieces seemed a significant reason to come to Paris right now."

Elsewhere in the French capital, the Eiffel Tower has reopened – but is distinctly quieter.

The Tuileries Gardens still bustle, but are not as busy as usual.

Dubrovnik

Another city synonymous with overtourism is Dubrovnik. But not right now. Between July 1 and 10, 600,000 tourist arrivals were recorded in Croatia, 54 per cent down on the same period last year.

Telegraph reporter Charlotte Lytton visited the city last week. "It felt around 20 per cent full," she said. "Loads of restaurants and bars were empty and offering big discounts, despite the fact that its annual summer festival (their version of the Edinburgh Fringe) had just begun."

Expect cheaper rates at hotels, too.

Amsterdam

The Dutch favourite is welcoming tourists – but they are slow to return.

Our expert Rodney Bolt writes: "In good weather, terraces appear as cheerfully busy as before, despite social distancing. Greater space between tables, if anything, makes terraces more pleasant. Indoors, numbers are more restricted and tables available only by reservation. Many restaurants reported being booked out the moment lines reopened.

"Most enjoyable of all is a visit to a post-lockdown museum. Numbers are severely restricted, and you need to pre-book a timeslot. This may be inconvenient, but it means that even for blockbuster exhibitions you no longer have to jostle to see the paintings. Now is the time to visit previously thronging museums such as the Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum."

Berlin

The German capital is known for its raucous nightclub. That will have to wait. But those who do visit will find a city free of queues and crowds.

Those who rely on tourism will be very pleased to see you.

Florence

I visited Florence three years ago, and the summer crowds made it utterly unbearable. In fact, I went rafting on the Arno to escape them. Things are rather different right now.

The reopened Uffizi is also eerily quiet. Plenty of time to enjoy Botticelli et al without being whacked around the ear by a rogue selfie-stick.

Bruges

This gorgeous little Belgian city put a limit on cruise ship tourists and daytrippers last summer because crowding was getting out of hand. Now look at it.

Rome

Rebecca Winke flew to Rome last week for Telegraph Travel. She wrote: "There may be no better time to visit Rome than now, as Italian borders remain closed to arrivals from countries like the US and Brazil, which normally make up a considerable percentage of tourists to the Eternal City."

She added: "With thinned-out crowds and caps on daily visitors, travellers can explore beloved sights such as the Colosseum and the Vatican without having to wait in interminable queues and elbow their way through the throngs."

Fancy somewhere else? There is always Milan, the best city in the world for aperitivo.

Or how about Prague, one of the most visited cities on the planet (but not this year)?

Lisbon: another option for the crowd-averse.

The normally busy strets of Krakow have also emptied.

The baroque masterpiece of Dresden is another option.

Or why not have a city break at home, and spend a day or two as a tourist in London. That’s what I did last weekend, and it was lovely.