Are you planning to Eurail across Europe and are wondering which season to travel in? In travel parlance the year is divided into three seasons: peak season (roughly late June, July, and August), shoulder season (May, early June, September, early October), and off-season (late October through April). Each has its pros and cons. Let’s explore the peak season.

• The sunny weather and long days are good reasons to plan your vacation in the peak season. Arrange your trip with crowd control in mind. Get yourself a Eurail pass to see the famous sights.
• Seek out places with no promotional budgets. Keep in mind that accessibility and promotional budgets determine a place's fame and popularity just as much as its worthiness as a tourist attraction.
• Explore the back streets. You don’t have to move with the crowd all the time. Explore the places that crowds don’t know about.
• Be an early bird. In Germany, walk around Rothenburg's ancient wall at breakfast time, before the tour buses pull in and turn the town into a medieval theme park. Crack-of-dawn joggers and walkers enjoy a special look at wonderfully medieval cities.
• See how the locals live. Wander beyond the destinations on the map and explore quaint places.
• Plan your museum sightseeing carefully. Avoid museums on their monthly free days, when they're most crowded.
• Arrive at the most popular sights early or late in the day to avoid tour groups.
• In much of Europe (especially Italy and France), cities are partially shut down in July and August, when local urbanites take their beach break. You'll hear that these are terrible times to travel, but it's really no big deal.