To ease the burden on citizens and make train travel more attractive, the German government initiated the 9-Euro-Ticket. In June, July and August, anyone could use regional buses and trains throughout Germany for just €9 ($9) a month. Over 52 million tickets were sold and crowded trains with plenty of delays were the result. But there's a silver lining: The cheap ticket will be back!

Anyone intent on having a vacation in Europe had to be stress-resistant this summer. Since most airlines and airports cut staff massively during the pandemic period, chaos broke out when the summer travel rush began. Travelers had to wait hours at check-in and security checkpoints, like here at Düsseldorf Airport. Many flights were also canceled.

After two years with few tourists, many popular vacation spots were ill-prepared to deal with the onslaught of travelers. Plans to avoid overcrowding which were carefully prepared during the last two years fell to the wayside as even lesser-known vacation spots filled with travelers, like here on the beach of Cala Pi on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

Due to the very hot and dry weather this summer in many parts of Europe, large forest fires broke out all over the continent, including at southern French seaside resort of Pyla sur Mer (pictured). Although the sky is black with smoke, tourists continued to swim peacefully.

In some parts of Europe, such as Lac de Sainte-Croix reservoir in southern France (pictured) water levels were extremely low. The sun, heat and lack of precipitation created a drought that the French Prime Minister called the worst ever recorded in France. Yet a vacation is still a vacation, and canoeists and standup paddlers made the most of it.

Crowded streets and squares, lots of noise, garbage and high rents — there were many reasons the inhabitants of Barcelona were fed up with mass tourism. With the onset of the pandemic, the city was able to recover, since only a fraction of the tourists came. This summer, however, the masses were back, and with them the problems. The city has now established some new rules for tourists.

At the end of July 2022, Barcelona limited tour groups to a maximum of 30 people within the city and 15 people in the old town. In addition, groups of more than 15 people are no longer allowed to shop in certain markets. Also, tourist groups may now only stand in certain squares, and tour guides are prohibited from using megaphones.

In recent years, the inhabitants of Venice suffered greatly from overtourism. 2020 and 2021 were the exception, as the COVID-19 pandemic meant fewer tourists, particularly those from outside of Europe with whom Venice is especially popular. But not everyone was happy with this extreme drop in tourists. Sales were down by 80% in some locations and many businesses had to close.

Although only 50,000 people live in the historical center of Venice, before the pandemic, up to 33 million tourists came each year — that's 90,000 per day. The overwhelmed city devised a plan which requires tourists visiting Venice for the day to pay an entry fee of €3-10 ($3-$10) per day, depending on the season. It comes into effect as of January 2023. Will it work?

Yet paying a fee to enter a city may not stop tourists, since rising prices didn't seem to be an obstacle to traveling this summer. The cost of taking a vacation was especially high due to rising inflation, rising food prices, and the increasing cost of energy and gasoline. Fuel used for airplanes is also on the rise, yet nevertheless, vacation-hungry people eagerly booked flights and hotels.

"Revenge travel" is a term that was coined to describe the fact that many people were eager to travel abroad after two difficult pandemic years, despite the flight chaos, high inflation, and other challenges. It was almost as if travel in the summer of 2022 was taking revenge on the coronavirus dampening travel plans in previous years. The Acropolis in Athens remained a popular destination.

Although German cities lack the tourist crowds of Barcelona and Venice, plenty of tourists still came to Germany this summer. Not only was it the sunniest summer ever, with 817 hours of sunshine, the €9 ($9) train ticket available in June, July and August was another draw. Tourists took advantage of both and headed to popular spots like the Bastei Bridge in Saxon Switzerland (pictured).

Summer, sun, sand and sea ― what more could you want? Well, ideally, a place to stay near the coast. Campingpark Kühlungsborn offers just that and is located on a 12-hectare (30-acre) nature reserve by the Baltic Sea. Here you'll find sunny and shaded sites, some only 50 meters (55 yards) from the beach. Plus, the seaside resort of Kühlungsborn is nearby.

Wulfener Hals is also located close to the sea, on the island of Fehmarn, between Burger Binnensee and the Baltic Sea. It's a paradise for surfers and water sports enthusiasts. You'll find campsites, holiday apartments, hotels and restaurants here. Fehmarn is Germany's third-largest island, with sandy beaches, small villages and an average 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.

Let's continue south, to the Mecklenburg Lake District. Here you'll find the Havelberge campsite on Woblitzsee lake, featuring a beach and large lawn for sunbathing. This place is perfect for a relaxed holiday. You can chill out by the lake, or rent canoes, kayaks, motorboats and even dragon boats.

You'll find the impressive LuxOase campsite in Saxon Switzerland, western Germany, making it ideal for exploring the region's stunning rock formations. If you fancy staying on-site, you won't get bored, either, as LuxOase offers sports and spa facilities, including a sauna. Children can enjoy the campsite playgrounds. There is also a golf course nearby.

You will find Südsee-Camp in the middle of spacious Lüneburg Heath, much of which is a nature reserve. The campsite is near Wietzendorf, on a lake with a sandy beach, making it perfect for long and short stays alike. Amusement parks like Heide-Park Soltau or Serengeti-Park are also easy to reach from here.

The Mosel River flows through a picturesque part of western Germany, passing vineyards, quaint villages and numerous castles. You’ll find Sonnenwerth campsite right here, on an island in the middle of the river, near the village of Hatzenport. The views are nothing short of sensational.

Five-star Münstertal campground nestles amid the meadows of southern Germany's Black Forest. It boasts a swimming pool, sauna facilities and sports grounds. The Black Forest itself is a popular spot for skiing and summer hiking. If you just feel like chilling out, the mountain panorama from Münstertal campground is quite spectacular, too.

Moving on, we reach Strandcamping Waging am See in Bavaria. There are plenty of things to do here. You can swim, play sports, enjoy the spa facilities and even catch a movie at the open-air cinema. In the surrounding area, Herrenchiemsee Castle, Salzburg and other destinations make for fantastic day trips.

Bannwaldsee campsite, in southern Germany's mountainous Allgäu region, sits on a gorgeous lake. That means it's ideal for nature lovers who get a kick out of hiking, swimming and the like. What's more, the campsite is just a few kilometers from the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

The camping resort Zugspitze is located in the very south of Germany. You'll find it at the foot of Zugspitze, which, at 2,962 meters (9,717.8 feet), is the country's tallest mountain. Here you can go hiking, mountaineering and cycling. If you come without a tent or caravan, you can also spend a night in Bavarian mountain huts.