Isle of Skye, Scotland
In 2017, the infrastructure of Scotland's largest island creaked under the pressure as thousands of tourists in coaches and cars plied its narrow lanes, making a beeline for the remote fairy pools at Glenbrittle, the iconic sunset spot at Elgol and the rocky Old Man of Storr, with traffic snarl ups an inevitable result.
Eventually the residents of beautiful Skye said enough was enough after complaints of noise, overcrowding and even visitors urinating in public.
Police advised visitors to stay away unless they had already booked places to stay.
If you must go then...
Visit outside the summer season, when tourist numbers drop and iconic sites can be explored without having to battle crowds.
Alternatively...
Explore the Small Isles of Rum, Muck and Eigg or go south and get lost on Jura.
Barcelona, Spain
The Catalan capital saw 34 million tourists visit in 2016, a 25% jump from 2012. This has led to anger from locals, with anti-tourist graffiti emerging across the city.
Protesters even stormed the beach at Barceloneta in August 2017, decrying rowdy behavior as well as those using the sand to sleep off a night on the sangria.
Residents say services like Airbnb have sent rents soaring, forcing them from their homes. However the city's government has passed a law to limit tourist beds in a bid to tackle the problem.
If you must go then...
Remember there's more to Barcelona than walking along Las Ramblas.
Alternatively...
Why not head to Valencia for a less hectic break, with food and culture to rival the best of Barcelona.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
With UNESCO threatening to take away its World Heritage status due to extreme overcrowding, Dubrovnik has decided to take drastic measures in order to cut tourist numbers.
The city is capping the number of people who can scale its 15th century ramparts at 4,000 a day -- 10,388 did so in one day alone bay in August 2016, many drawn by the city's starring role in "Game of Thrones."
The mayor is also planning on cutting the number of cruise ships entering the ancient port. Nearly 800,000 people disembarked from cruise liners in 2016, most staying for just three hours.
If you must go then...
Travel independently and spend freely at local businesses that often miss out on money from those on cruises.
Alternatively...
Stay in nearby Cavtat, which has a picturesque old town and empty beaches, perfect for escaping the crowds.