Wizz Air shares the idyllic European beach you can visit without catching a flight

We book beach holidays to relax, but the popularity of some glistening European shorelines can make them overcrowded and stressful places to visit. 

While many of these beaches are already tourist hotspots, Wizz Air has compiled a list of lesser-known hidden gems that offer a quieter, relaxing escape. And, Brits looking for a spacious seaside break won’t have to journey far as Camber Sands, East Sussex, a mere one-hour train journey from the capital, ranked as the second least overcrowded beach in Europe.

To determine the most and least overcrowded beaches Wizz Air analysed over 50 European countries and their top beaches. They then used their travel expertise and a calculation that involved measuring the beach, dividing its area by the size of a beach towel, and then dividing that by the average number of daily visitors. This gave an estimate of how much space each beach offers per person.

Thanks to its expansive, near-five-mile sandy beach, Camber Sands has enough space for an impressive 61.1 beach towels per person. So, holidaymakers taking in the breathtaking scenery can look forward to having plenty of room to stretch out, take sandy strolls, and play watersports. 

With unspoiled views, sand dunes and crisp, blue sea, the beach has boosted in popularity thanks to TikTok, with 73,000 searches in the past 12 months, up 174% over the same period.

Unlike much of Europe’s idyllic beaches, Camber Sands is on the doorstep of many Brits, with trains taking just over an hour from London St. Pancras to Rye (the closest station).

Top 10 least overcrowded beaches in Europe

And, Camber Sands isn't the only English beach to rank in Wizz Air’s top 10 least overcrowded beaches. Brighton (also in East Sussex) ranked 6th and has several direct trains from the capital that will take you straight to the shore in under an hour.

With enough room for 27 beach towels per person, visitors to Brighton have more than enough space to enjoy the pier, pebbled beach and food offerings.