test 9

reply 12208/22/2015
Nice is still not Marseille BUT Marseille has gotten better in the recent past.
The weather isn't as lovely in Marseille.....it's less 'palm tree riviera'....and it has that horrid wind.

—The Mistral

reply 12308/22/2015
The mistral is a dealbreaker for me. Went to Aix en Provence and St. Remy, two of my favorite places, but the wind was crazy for 3 days straight! I still love those places though, but would not want to deal with the mistral regularly. [R122], Naples is in Campania. Puglia is lovely, no it doesn't have the same landscape at Tuscany but it does have beautiful white hill towns and vistas of the sea. Great beaches too which Tuscany it not really known for. Great food in Puglia too.

—Anonymous

reply 12408/22/2015
Overrated: Kharkiv

Underrated: Dnipropetrovsk

—Anonymous

reply 12508/22/2015
Overrated: Kharkiv
But the museums are GREAT!

—major eye roll

reply 12608/22/2015
Which one has the best McDonald's and the cleanest bathrooms?

—Typical American Tourist

reply 12708/22/2015
[R111], go to Stockholm. You won't regret it. Be prepared for a BUDGET though, it is very expensive. Totally worth it, I would love to live there (though I have yet to see Sweden outside of summer).

The poster who mentioned Dresden: what??? I was there two days ago, and No. As you arrive in Altstadt quarter from Neustadt you are at first charmed by all that's left, which is indeed quite pretty and monumental and you do get a strong feeling re: bombings etc. And then you get inside Altstadt, and it is quite frankly a caricature of a tourist city. Horrible. And not to mention the people are not particularly friendly (in fact, downright unpleasant, which might be understandable).

If you are going to Germany, visit Weimar instead.

Hamburg is on my list too, but I haven't been there yet.

—Anonymous

reply 12808/22/2015

Which one has the best McDonald's
It's actually an interesting question because European McDonalds' use a different meat supplier than the USA. The Chicken Legend in the UK and Ireland is actual chicken, not whatever patty crap it is in the usa. And, the fries are really good in Dublin...I forgot London. (Sometimes I'm in a rush, don't judge me.)

—Anonymous

reply 12908/22/2015
Lisbon is beautiful, careworn and romantic. Marseille has a lot of ungentrified charm. While raffish and untidy, Bucharest offers pleasantly sleazy nightlife and intriguing nooks and crannies to explore.

—Anonymous

reply 13008/22/2015
Hamburg's problem is that there's always a large body of water between me and wherever I want to go. It wouldn't be a problem if you lived there, because the public transportation is very good, but to a casual tourist it's very frustrating.

My main problem with all German Cities is their complete inability to invent an automatic ticket dispensing machine for their public transportation that makes the slightest bit of sense to an outsider. Even if you understand German it's pointless because they use bizarre abbreviations, the machines generally refer to Zones you're expected to know (and they never bother to explain), the rules are completely different between S Bahn and U Bahn, and while you're trying to figure it out there's a long line of Germans behind you muttering about what an idiot you are. If they had used the damned machines during WWII they would have managed to send a total of about 84 Jews to the camps.

—Anonymous

reply 13108/22/2015
Bruges?!

—Anonymous

reply 13208/22/2015
Yeah but that water makes Hamburg so pretty. It's the richest city in Germany which shapes it a lot. Cool Germans though (the bitch Germans were always in Munich for me).

They are so orderly that their trains run to the second (trust me, I missed more than one by said second) -- but they can not form a line to save their lives. One will be going and then someone will suddenly stand a foot away and chaos ensues. It is so weird, perhaps a subliminal reaction to years of following directions or something.

—Anonymous

reply 13308/22/2015
Copenhagen really got no love here...that's too bad - the men from that part of Europe look super hot (to me / my type). Are any of the "Nordic" countries fun to visit? My BF (of Swedish descent) won't allow me to go to them (jokingly) because he knows I will turn into a slut pig there...but maybe after he dumps me, I can fill the void with Nordic cock?

—Anonymous

reply 13408/22/2015
Glad to hear Naples got cleaned up a bit. I went with a friend and she was robbed 150 feet from the train station -- and we are both seasoned travelers. She could have been badly hurt. The area was squalid and nasty.

—Anonymous

reply 13508/23/2015
Overrated: Barcelona, Budapest, Edinburgh, Venice, Munich, Berlin, St. Tropez

Underrated: Madrid, Vienna, Greek Isles

—Anonymous

reply 13608/23/2015
St Tropez has got a terrible reputation in France. It's a very tacky destination.

—Anonymous

reply 13708/23/2015
Yes [R134] go to Sweden. You won't regret it. It is very beautiful. I don't know about the men (or women for that matter), the setting is just gorgeous at all (most) times! And it is so clean...

—The Sweden Troll

reply 13808/23/2015
That should have read Trollet, by the way.

—R138

reply 13908/23/2015
[R138], what part do you recommend? Stockholm?

I kind of want to get away in november, but it's so far north, the sun sets at 3 PM. I guess august is the best time to go?

—Anonymous

reply 14008/23/2015
The Chicken Legend in the UK and Ireland is actual chicken
WTF is a Chicken Legend?

—Anonymous

reply 14108/23/2015
St. Tropez is OK for a day trip from your superyacht. You can go to Nikki beach where the vultures at la voile rouge will bring your party tons of seafood and champagne you didn't order to try to rack up a 10K aperitif. Fun times!

—Anonymous

reply 14208/23/2015
[R141] - according to the website - "Succulent chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating with Batavia lettuce and Cool Mayo in a warm, toasted bakehouse roll." It's a bit naff. Far better going to Nandos and trying their not-quite-spicy sauces.

—Anonymous

reply 14308/23/2015
Yes, August is the best time to go. I would definitely recommend Stockholm. Plenty of accomodation (watch out for the prices!), Langholmen if you like a leafy tiny island, The Red Boat Mälaren if you want a more "vibrant" experience (I enjoy the quiet myself).

Plenty of people jogging everywhere. The Swedes are very fit, except maybe in the suburbs (like anywhere else).

Djurgarden is a must (Vasamuseet! and the island itself), few places are un-recommendable really.

Great ice-cream in Vaxholm.

—Anonymous

Read More»

test 8

reply 10708/21/2015
But aside from just museums Amsterdam is pretty but homely, small and dull - it really lacks any sort of wow factor - which is not helped by the persnality of the local population. They are quite delusional about the appeal of their city. And in the winter it really is the 7th circle of hell - grey, cold, dank, depressing Go there in November and December and have a laugh when the white folks dress up in blackface, big Afro wigs and huge red lips (it's their version of Santa Claus). If you mention that it might be just a touch racist they will spit on you. 'It's tradition' they will say. Well slavery and apartheid were Dutch traditions as well but they don't like to be reminded of that.

—Anonymous

reply 10808/21/2015
Meant "Well,...."

—r107

reply 10908/21/2015
[R100], you've heard of Mozart, perhaps?

—Anonymous

reply 11008/21/2015
Over-rated: Zurich; Stockholm; Bologna; Athens; Brighton.
That's a shame. Stockholm is top of my list of places to visit.

I liked Athens very mush and it has a horrible reputation.

& I'm not sure Zurich is overrated. Who rates it as a place to go, other than a place to park your money?

Under-rated: Delphi; Dresden; Annecy (Fr); York; Ghent; Lago di Garda.
Actually, I think your whole list is pretty shit. Dresden? Ghent? Dear, God...

—Anonymous

reply 11108/21/2015
you've heard of Mozart, perhaps?
He's still there?

—Anonymous

reply 11208/21/2015

I liked Warsaw more than I thought I would. There are some top museums there (sorry, [R106]) and the hotels are cheap.

Vilnius in Lithuania is also worth visiting.

I'd rate Belgrade as the ugliest European city I've seen, but it's cheap and lively.

—Anonymous

reply 11308/21/2015
I'd put Nice, France, as very underrated . I used to love going there. Great city. Very nice beaches. Well located along the French riviera.

But in recent times more and more very cheap flights from the UK has made it crowded to bursting point and dirty and grim. Reminded me of New York in the '70s (& not in a good way).

—Anonymous

reply 11408/21/2015
Has anyone mentioned Berlin?

I'd love to go.

Naples, I agree, is stunning but it's evil. Naples is a beautiful bitch.

Don't just hide your money. Lock it up.

—Anonymous

reply 11508/21/2015
I'm from Napoli and I thank all the people who suggested going there (we need more tourists, not just the pass-throughs to Capri and the Amalfi coast. [R115] is right, she is a beautiful bitch. But tourists don't really need to worry about crime -- there is only the occasional pickpocket for cruise ship tourists, and now that the area around the train station has been fixed up (it used to be really dicey) that's made the city safer too. Camorra violence is reserved for other mob members. Please visit Naples!

—Anonymous

reply 11608/21/2015
The old saying "See Naples and die!" has been updated to "See Naples, be robbed and die!".

—Anonymous

reply 11708/21/2015
Very good [R115]. True of the rest of Italy too, really.

—Anonymous

reply 11808/21/2015
Berlin, [R115], is worth visiting -- no matter what others say. Pergamon Museum, Neues Museum -- 45 minute train ride to Potsdam from main train station.... Lots in Berlin worth seeing.

—Anonymous

reply 11908/22/2015
Where's the overrated and underrated Alabama city thread?

—Anonymous

reply 12008/22/2015
I was in Amsterdam in December and loved it. Shortest days but it was Christmas and quite beautiful. I have never had a problem or felt unsafe in Italy. I did get homophobic vibes one time in Florence, otherwise never felt like I was threatened or about to be ripped off. Same goes for Sicily but I didn't go to Palermo.

—Anonymous

reply 12108/22/2015
[R100] Athens is an eyesore like Naples is There are many other cities in Italy that are nicer. Go to Campania skip Naples. As for Athens ...the people are freindly?! Since the downturn they have changed quite a bit. Before that some of them were worse than The French. Salonica is very nice for a Greek city which isn't saying much.

People are trying to turn Puglia into the new Tuscany,big fail because it isn't. Though I must admit both Bari and Lecce are the jewels of Southern Italy especially Lecce.

[R114] Nice is still not Marseille BUT Marseille has gotten better in the recent past.

—Anonymous

Read More»

test 6

see offsite link on jimbo-platform.nl
—Anonymous

reply 8908/21/2015
[R81] - where, cardiff or london? It seems like all the hot Welshmen live in England. Everyone in Cardiff was VERY nice, but there were not too many cute guys when I was there.

—Anonymous

reply 9008/21/2015
Male eye candy is the criteria? = Krakow, Bratislava, Belgrad, Zagreb, Naples, Palermo, Istanbul, Seville

—Anonymous

reply 9108/21/2015
I love Amsterdam especially in the off season. What about Valencia? I haven't heard anything about it.

—Anonymous

reply 9208/21/2015
Another factor in Amsterdam's and Rotterdam's favour = reliable supply of tall guys with size meat. Also Hamburg.

—Anonymous

reply 9308/21/2015
Lanky tall guys with sizemeat that smell like cheese

—Anonymous

reply 9408/21/2015
[R80], Paris is a lot dirtier than London. Depending on neighbourhoods, in both cases.

The person who posted Bruges meant Gent.

—Anonymous

reply 9508/21/2015
Copenhagen is the most vapid metaphor for narcissism I've ever seen. City and citizens all well manicured and pretty enough but cold, lifeless, empty and dull. Down to every other store you walk past selling cosmetics for some reason.
Copenhagen is very boring indeed, but I don't hear much about the place at all, so I didn't choose it as most overrated.

—Anonymous

reply 9608/21/2015

Underrated: Glasgow and Lisbon. Found them both special places to visit and glad others on this thread agree. I'd add one not mentioned -- Oslo. Loved it. Stockholm as well --can get out of both those Scandinavian cities easily and see special places

—Anonymous

reply 9708/21/2015
[R90], Wales in general. Cardiff has lovely men with black hair and eyes. My fav. Sorry you didn't experience the same.

—Anonymous

reply 9808/21/2015
Let's face it, the 20th century wasn't kind to a LOT of Northern Europe.

—Anonymous

reply 9908/21/2015
Underrated: Athens. It's a fascinating city. People are friendly. Great restaurants.

Overrated: Salzburg. It's okay, kind of small; a little boring. Big claim to fame: Some of Sound of Music was filmed there. Hmmm, a bit of a yawn.

—Anonymous

reply 10008/21/2015
Salzburg has big music festivals. Its a cultured city. Its claim to fame is not a schlocky American movie setting.

—Anonymous

reply 10108/21/2015
Sure, all those trashy tourists who go there only for pot and the hookers can be a bit annoying
You don't have to go to Amsterdam for that. Prostitution and hashish is legal in most European countries. Unless all those trashy tourists were Americans ....

—Anonymous

reply 10208/21/2015
You don't have to go to Amsterdam for that. Prostitution and hashish is legal in most European countries. Unless all those trashy tourists were Americans ....
The American college kids are annoying. Their "look at me, I'm getting stoned in Amsterdam!" act is weird considering it's exactly the same thing they do every weekend back at Michigan State, but they're nothing compared to the endless packs of roaming Brits. They're too loud, too drunk, and way too into the hookers. And God help you if there's a UK football team playing in Amsterdam the weekend you're there.

—Anonymous

reply 10308/21/2015
The thing about Amsterdam is that it is simply not as impressive as city as it thinks it is.

The drugs and tourists aside, it is a very pretty place, but it is small. The museums - Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk museum are fairly interesting but come nowhere near museums in London or Paris or Madrid. The architecture is cute and homely but not breath-takiing. The people are tall and goodlooking but oh so rude and coarse. Amsterdam is in an awkward position that it tries to compete with the 1st tier European cities - London, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Rome - and ends up looking very dull by comparison. And then of course are the hordes of gross, stoner tourists.

—Anonymous

reply 10408/21/2015
Well Amsterdam you can easily be in a very unique countryside. The beach is close and lovely. And you can spend a day in The Hague which has wonderful museums.

I hate Amsterdam in bad weather. Bone chilling. Its a summer destination ONLY.

—Anonymous

reply 10508/21/2015
The museums - Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk museum are fairly interesting but come nowhere near museums in London or Paris or Madrid.
Who gives a fuck about the fucking museums all the fucking time?

I don't travel to a foreign country to spend my time in the fucking museums.

—Anonymous

reply 10608/21/2015
We, haven't much to say after [R25]'s post (minus the bath-houses, haha!); it says it all, including living in London! But I'll play:

Over-rated: Zurich; Stockholm; Bologna; Athens; Brighton.

Under-rated: Delphi; Dresden; Annecy (Fr); York; Ghent; Lago di Garda.

—Anonymous

Read More»

test 5

Paris has hordes of tourists but once I was there in a heatwave in July/August and avoiding the tourist spots, the city was empty and dreamlike. A particularly memorable visit to Versailles, among several, was during January, when I bundled up and walked the empty gardens for hours. Hit Venice during the right moment and its perfect. I spent a month in London one summer when continental Europe was in a terrible heat wave. London was sublime, sunny, 70 degrees, sweater at night. Perfect. Lovely.

—Anonymous

reply 7308/20/2015
Bilbao wins for the rudest, coldest folks I've run across.

—Anonymous

reply 7408/20/2015
I lived in Berlin for months at a time, usually right on the Ku'damm, and must admit I never quite got it. Just felt cold and industrial somehow. And the bars indeed felt like what Bette Midler said about her concerts in Germany: "It was like performing in front of a chain link fence."

—Anonymous

reply 7508/20/2015
When did Majorca become a city, [R72]? BTW, please spell it MALLORCA, which is the Spanish/Catalan spelling, thanks.

—Anonymous

reply 7608/20/2015
I think Mallorca can stand on its own as a single destination, without getting all caught up in specific cities.

—Anonymous

reply 7708/20/2015
Sorry, but I lived in Mallorca for a few years and just like any major city, it has its bad places and good places. But in Mallorca the good outnumber the bad. Get away from the crap, like Magaluf and Santa Ponsa, and head inland and east and you'll find places that just ooze quality. I'd rather go to a, say, tapas bar or proper family-run Spanish or Mallorcan restaurant and eat good, proper Mallorcan food than deal with the slags of Magaluf and their chips-and-egg approach. Especially the ex-pat crowd. *shudder*

—Anonymous

reply 7808/21/2015
Great thread, I'll add Weimar to the underrated. It's really tiny but so pleasant. Plenty to do in at least two full days, which is amazing for a place so small.

And since this is DL, if you're in Lisbon go to Sintra! The mist, the castles up in the forest...

—Anonymous

reply 7908/21/2015
I have a friend who lives in London and I went to visit him quite a few times. I just don't get London, the ugly 80s architecture the snobby, rude people, the dirty busses, rubbish everywhere, the shitty weather. Give me Paris, Barcelona and Vienna every day.

—Anonymous

reply 8008/21/2015

Tons of these running around when you go there. Yum!


Handsome Welsh Men (spot the odd one out!)
My wife

listal.com
Get theDL on Gossip
—Anonymous

reply 8108/21/2015
Overrated: Copenhagen

Underrated: Glasgow

All of Switzerland is so boring and super expensive. But it's a clean place and I guess a good place to retire if you want to spend the rest of your life being bored.

—Anonymous

reply 8208/21/2015
I was just in Siracusa and it was beautiful, even the modern city was nice.

—Anonymous

reply 8308/21/2015
Overrated: Florence (a renaissance Disneyland with no nightlife or cafe scene)

Underrated: Siena

—Anonymous

reply 8408/21/2015
Because people go to Florence for the discos.....

—Anonymous

reply 8508/21/2015
Copenhagen is the most vapid metaphor for narcissism I've ever seen. City and citizens all well manicured and pretty enough but cold, lifeless, empty and dull. Down to every other store you walk past selling cosmetics for some reason.

—Anonymous

reply 8608/21/2015
Overrated: London

Underrated: Bruges

—Anonymous

reply 8708/21/2015
Someone mentions Bruges. Thread closed for lameness.

—Anonymous

reply 8808/21/2015
I'm a bit surprised by all the hate for Amsterdam. Sure, all those trashy tourists who go there only for pot and the hookers can be a bit annoying, but I thought the city itself (its architecture and unique layout) were spectacular. I really enjoyed exploring all those quiet side canals and feeding the swans while listening to the carillion from the nearby belltower (I know I know, MARY!). The city also has some gorgeous suburbs which are completely off the tourist radar. Nieuwendammerdijk (photo below) is especially nice.

I also liked nearby Brussels which everyone seems to hate, so perhaps my taste is a bit strange.

Read More»

test 4

Overrated: Rome - when I went there, it was very touristy, hot, full of people trying to steal your shit, overpriced, and when you got to see something finally - it was rushed. The food was good, though.

Regarding Italy, I liked Florence considerably more than Rome...and the small cities in Tuscany where we did day trips (I can't spell them).

Underrated: Cardiff, Dublin

—Anonymous

reply 5408/20/2015
I was born and raised in Amsterdam and I can't think of a city that I hate more.

I think it's the people that make Amsterdam a markedly shitty place, especially the self-congratulatory yuppie-types, who live in the city-center and the south part of the city . Also the people who work in the service industry (mostly students or school kids) treat their customers like scum.

—Anonymous

reply 5508/20/2015
Overrated: Berlin Underrated: Potsdam

see offsite link on staticflickr.com
—Glorious ochre

reply 5608/20/2015
[R56]

I gotta disagree. I've been to Berlin twice and loved it.

—Anonymous

reply 5708/20/2015
Overrated: Milan

—Anonymous

reply 5808/20/2015
I lived for 8 years in Berlin and I miss it terribly at times. It lacks old-world charm, but there are some very pretty areas and interesting modern buildings. Arts and culture - more than you can shake a stick at. Every kind of nightlife on offer all of the time. I would only call it overrated in the sense that it was starting to become overrun with young hipsters, wanna-bes and tourists when I moved there (and I suppose I was in at least one of those categories) & more and more kept moving in all of the time. It's not as cool as it was 10-15 years ago, but it's still pretty great.

—Anonymous

reply 5908/20/2015
Amsterdam is a special kind of misery, like many have said.

—Anonymous

reply 6008/20/2015
Bilbao, Dublin and Manchester are the three notable shitholes I've been to, that don't at least have the excuse of being bombed out during the War.

Milan might be the most disappointing one that does.

—Anonymous

reply 6108/20/2015
I don't think London is overrated at all.

But it doesn't show the best of itself to strangers immediately.

You need explore the back streets the hidden alleys and parks and residential squares.

But if you go as a tourist and just hang around in the center and do all the touristy things it can feel disappointing.

Climb Primrose Hill and go explore Hampstead Heath the next time.

see offsite link on blogspot.com
—Anonymous

reply 6208/20/2015
The view of London from the top of Primrose Hill

see offsite link on ltstatic.com
—Anonymous

reply 6308/20/2015
[R63] There are views, and there are views. THIS is definitely a view. From the Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, with the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio.


Offsite Link
opentravelinfo.com
Get theDL on Entertainment
—Anonymous

reply 6408/20/2015

Dublin a shithole? I think not.

—Anonymous

reply 6508/20/2015
Outside of Trinity? Absolutely.

—Anonymous

reply 6608/20/2015
I used to go to Rome in the fall but now I'm wondering if there is any time to go except the middle of winter to avoid the hordes of tourists which have been increased with the influx of Russians and Asians.

—Anonymous

reply 6708/20/2015
This thread needs criteria for the ratings...

Overrated: London / Underrated: Belfast is meaningless

—Anonymous

reply 6808/20/2015
Overrated: Venice (dear fucking God the crowds), Geneva (duller than week-old oatmeal).

Underrated: Lisbon, Naples.

—Anonymous

reply 6908/20/2015
Overrated: Oslo, Norway (boring and ugly)

Underrated: Bergen, Norway (fun and beautiful)

—Anonymous

reply 7008/20/2015
I preferred Budapest to Prague as well. Service staff in Prague are borderline miserable.

—Anonymous

reply 7108/20/2015
Overrated: London, Madrid, Brussels, Majorca and Rome

Underrated: Dubrovnik

—Anonymous

reply 7208/20/2015
The best cities for me are often the ones where I have a friend or acquaintance willing to show me the inside daily life, meet locals, and also hints on where to go, what to see, and what to avoid. Also, in my 20's and 30's I was a sex tourist sometimes and supply of hot dick could make a visit wonderful. In those years, London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Barcelona, were always welcome for a few days or longer. Taking a course in a city, or having a work placement, and having the month or two to get to know it lazily, also makes it shine. Geneva, Paris, Vienna, Cologne, Munich, Hamburg, Genoa, Seville,

blahblahblahblahblah

Read More»

test 2

milan

—Anonymous

reply 1408/19/2015
Underrated: Ypir

—Anonymous

reply 1508/19/2015
[R11] I've been in Rome. Prefer the art/architecture of Florence and Venice.

—r4

reply 1608/19/2015

Overrated: Madrid, London, Milan Underrated: Toledo, Granada, Gerona

—Anonymous

reply 1708/19/2015
Overrated - Amsterdam Underrated - Rotterdam

Why is Amsterdam so popular (ok aside from the drugs) - it is small, massively overcrowded, unfriendly and not that pretty Rotterdam is ugly but there is a lot more to see and do in comfort there, plus it's by the sea

—Anonymous

reply 1808/19/2015
overrated London, underrated Madrid

—Anonymous

reply 1908/19/2015
Overrated: London

Underrated: Athens

—Anonymous

reply 2008/19/2015
Overrated: Barcelona, Copenhagen, Berlin (all, in very different ways, good places to live but overrated as travel destinations)

Underrated: Madrid, Seville, Antwerp, Amsterdam (its reputation spoiled by potheads and hen/stag parties)

—Anonymous

reply 2108/19/2015
Most underrated: MIlan.
I found Milan to be what it is: A business city. Not really a great tourist destination, but within a quick train ride to Florence, Venice (go at night, in the Fall or when it is raining hard) and Lake Como.

—Anonymous

reply 2208/19/2015
I don't think I've visited a European city I'd consider overrated. I've liked them all. Certain sights, yes - I don't see the appeal of the Eiffel Tower for instance.

For underrated I'm going to pick Sofia. All the travel forums write it off, but I really liked it..

—Anonymous

reply 2308/19/2015
Overrated: Zurich. Extremely expensive, no nightlife, no "scene" of any sorts.. I can imagine why Tina Turner retires in Zurich, for she has money, the air is clean and the surroundings are truly beautiful. Underrated: Valencia! A true gem. Spain's third city, accommodates a whole different breed of tourists (no drunken Brits!), stunning architecture and the people are truly wonderful.

Americans: Skip Barcelona, which has sold its soul out to tourism, just like old Amsterdam.

—European

reply 2408/19/2015
I go to European cities more for what they contain than what they are. Since, with one exception, I have no interest in living in any of them, I don't really investigate what that's like. Also, because I don't drink, and have no interest either in alcohol or the people who consume it, bars mean nothing to me. (Bathhouses are another story..... ha ha ha, although, to tell the truth, I've only been to them in Paris, once, decades ago.)

Naples does have a gorgeous location, and possibly one of the best museums in Europe, if only because that's where many of the treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum are exhibited. Incredible stuff, like the amazing "Alexander Mosaic," which has to be seen to be believed. (And to think this was once located on the floor of a Roman house in Pompeii... the mind reels.)

Venice is wonderful if you visit with someone you love. Truly, the combination of everything there creates a milieu that invites romance. On the other hand, I don't think it would be much fun without companionship. (See Katherine Hepburn in the early sections of "Summertime," particularly that scene of her alone at a table in the Piazza San Marco, and you'll see what I mean.)

Visitors to Italy, I have found, end up in two groups: those who love the Renaissance, and those who love the Ancient World. I'm firmly in the latter, and much prefer Rome, but my ex-wife, on the other hand, loved Florence. I found a real delight in walking in the same places where Caesar stood. (The doors on The Pantheon, my favorite place in Rome, are actually the original doors from the Roman Senate, while the original Pantheon doors, paradoxically, are to be found on some church. Funny, that, but typically Italian, where every building seems to be made of a combination of older ones. Take a good look at the Vatican, and you'll discover a lot of stone from the Colosseum....)

Sometimes, I just like walking around European cities, being in the same place as so much history, especially history that I've been reading about for years. Nothing like that in the U.S., and Colonial America has never done it for me at all, despite the fact that my mother was so proud our our ancestors living here back then. Ah well.

Probably the only city I could live in there is London. They speak English, there is great theatre, and lots of little nooks an crannies to explore, like the Camden Town flea market, or tons of secondhand bookstores. I love all that stuff. As for living there, I once spent some time with a man I met at the National Theatre, who had a flat with no central heating, but with hot-water-heated small pipes in the bathroom, to keep the towels warm! I still find that very funny. And London restaurants have never been known for their great cooking. But I like the English; we think very much alike. Must be all my Anglo-Saxon heritage, coming to the surface in that environment.

Enjoy!

—JohnSpike

reply 2508/19/2015
It depends on what you want. Big capital cities have never been more representative of the life and diversity of a nation than right now. They are more prosperous, their prices are higher, and there is a whole lot more to do than elsewhere. However, it is difficult to extract from them what is different and unique about a culture, or a sense of its historic roots. Obviously, smaller cities are easier to visit and understand, and if they aren't ONLY tourist traps, can provide a more authentic feel. Both these options tend to be "overrated" or "underrated" depending on your prejudices. But if you pick a city which is large enough to contain a certain relevance and present influence, but small enough not to be the capital, but with intermittent periods of historic greatness, well then these would be your best underrated cities.

Examples would be Genoa in Italy, which has some of the most dramatic architecture in the world in its private spaces; Bordeaux, France for its non-Frenchness; Koblenz, Germany (occupied by the French after the war, not the Brits or Americans and therefore largely unfamiliar to them), etc....

—Anonymous

reply 2608/19/2015
Underrated: Bologna. Overrated: Rome.

—Anonymous

reply 2708/19/2015
Underrated: Glasgow. Turin. Brno (Czech Republic), St. Petersburg, Riga, Santiago de Compostela.

Overrated: Barcelona, Amsterdam, Budapest.

—Anonymous

reply 2808/19/2015
The only city I've ever visited in Europe that was a big letdown was Trieste. I had heard from lots of people about how speical and charming it is, and I actually found it ugly and boring.

Amsterdam was OK. I found it much less pretty than other people do, and I was constantly trying to avoid being hit by people on bicycles. I'm not much interested in pot, but it did have great art and great history.

My favorite European cities have been Prague (despite the obnoxious hordes of teenagers), Rome (dirty but unbelievably spectacular), Bath (spectacular Georgian architecture), and most of all Istanbul.

—Anonymous

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test 1

Overrated European City and Underrated European City
What do you think is the most overrated and underrated European city.
—Anonymous (2757 views)

224 replies08/19/2015
Most overrated: Budapest. That corny "the new Prague" nickname is very misleading and set my expectations way too high. Good museums and some wonderful buildings, but the city as a whole just isn't very inviting.

Most underrated: Naples. Most people connect it with garbage problems and mafia and only use it as a jump-off point to the Amalfi Coast and Capri, but the city itself is also gorgeous and has some of the best and cheapest restaurants I've ever visited. And the city's breathtaking natural setting in the bay of Naples beneath the Mount Vesuvius is second only to that of Rio in my opinion.

—Anonymous

reply 108/19/2015
And I would say the MOST underrated is Budapest. Much more inviting that Prague, with great food, baths, and truly the Paris of the East.

Most over rated Prague. Loaded with people trying to sell you everything at every turn, truly tacky.

—Anonymous

reply 208/19/2015
I never, ever, ever, ever want to travel with [R1]. What appalling taste!

—Anonymous

reply 308/19/2015
Overrated: London, Madrid, Rome, Brussels

Underrated: Lyon, Thessaloniki, Split, Trieste, Antwerp

Never found Euro capital cities worth a look (ok, except for Paris). The smaller cities provide much better insight into the country's culture and beauty.

—Anonymous

reply 408/19/2015
I found Zurich unbearably clean and Naples unbearable dirty.

—Anonymous

reply 508/19/2015
Underrated: Madrid

Overrated: Barcelona

—Anonymous

reply 608/19/2015
Plus one for Zurich. That city is so restrictive that you could put coal up a Zurchite's arse and get a diamond. Underrated...I'll say Palma de Mallorca, Lisbon and Lyon.

—Anonymous

reply 708/19/2015
Underrated: Lisbon Overrated: Venice

—Anonymous

reply 808/19/2015
Walking around Zurich, I thought, "OK, now I know what it was like to live in Nazi Germany."

—Anonymous

reply 908/19/2015
I agree with many of these.

—Anonymous

reply 1008/19/2015
Never found Euro capital cities worth a look.
Rome... with it's centuries of art and architecture? Not worth a look? Oh dear...

---------------

[R8] Venice is a chore during tourist season, but see it in the winter. It delivers and there is no place like it on earth.

—Anonymous

reply 1108/19/2015
Most underrated: MIlan.

—Anonymous

reply 1208/19/2015
ooops...Milan

—Anonymous

reply 1308/19/2015

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