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On a Sunday afternoon in September, Zagreb’s Ban Jelačić Square is mostly empty. A statue of Josip Jelačić on horseback stands in the town square. It’s one of the most iconic sites in Croatia, and just a few weeks ago, you couldn’t get a picture of it without fighting crowds of tourists.

But with the summer travel season over, things are much quieter.

“We had a busy summer,” says tour guide Ivana Mudronja. “Not as busy as 2019, but much better than last year.”

And this fall?

“We’ll see,” she adds.

This is part three of a series on fall travel to Europe. Here’s part one with the outlook for fall travel. And here’s part two on where to go and what to do.

That’s good news for American visitors, many of whom have Croatia on their bucket list. Fewer visitors means lower prices and more opportunities for an authentic experience as you travel around Europe. There are still European travel packages available to places you couldn’t see this summer — and yes, there’s still time for a perfect European vacation in 2022.

As far as destinations go, Europe has a lot of buzz this fall. A report released yesterday by Bounce found that 8 of the 10 best fall destinations were in Europe. Amsterdam, Paris, London and Berlin topped the list.

Can Americans travel to Europe now?

Yes. Most European countries have restrictions on the books requiring proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result when entering countries or areas with “high epidemiological risk.” However, no countries are on that list as of Sept. 17, 2022.

If you’re planning a trip to Europe, there’s one thing to know: Next year, the European Union is