India, June 1 -- With Prime Minister Narendra Modi championing domestic travel, Indians are eager to explore their own backyard this summer. The only problem? Everyone seems to have had the exact same idea at the exact same time.

As the summer break hits its peak, popular hill stations have turned into urban jungles of traffic jams, leaving travellers with the dreaded question: Jayein toh jayein kahan? With airlines cutting domestic capacity and operating fewer flights this season, escaping the crowds is proving harder than ever.

Travel and hospitality experts decode how you can still enjoy a peaceful, picture-perfect holiday without getting stuck in a mountain gridlock.

SD Nandakumar (SOTC Travel) and Rajeev Kale (Thomas Cook India) s...