What is your favourite and least favourite European city, and why?

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Opening_Limit_9894@reddit

Favorite: Nuremberg. Nice architecture, good food, felt safe, not too crowded and just a nice vibe overall.

Least favorite: Paris. Dirty, dangerous, overrated food, almost no food options for a Hindu as everything contains beef, hated the vibe, it stinks of piss everywhere. Lots of criminals in the RER and Metro. Only upside is architecture.

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SomethingPeach@reddit

Favourite: Gdansk. Poland in general is underrated.

Least favourite: Brussels. The centre is beautiful but the rest of it just feels so sketchy (especially the train stations). I was there for a day and couldn't wait to leave.

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TheDettiEskimo@reddit

Was looking at Gdansk the other day as flights are about £41 return. I absolutely loved Krakow when I went about 10 years ago. Dying to go back.

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muddleagedspred@reddit

Don't go back to Krakow. I used to live there, loved it, and I've been back so many times since I left. Went back last time, May '24, and it was so fucking bougie. Just not my beloved second home anymore.

All the things that made it so unique have been replaced with bland, overpriced, tourist traps. The funky, arty bars are now on a par with pubs in the UK price wise. Think £5/6 for a single and mixer. Craft beers and cocktails instead of Polish piwo.

Awitek's bakery, a proper bakery chain that was on every corner (freshly baked pretzel for 50 grosze) are now replaced by super pricey coffee shop type bakeries with fancy pastries.

And every cafe sells a full English breakfast.

😭😭😭😭

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Reoclassic@reddit

I wonder why that is 🤔🤔🤔

"I, a Brit, kept going back to Kraków again and again, until suddenly Kraków caught on that British tourists keep coming back and altered itself to suit the influx of British tourists more, so you shouldn't go now, it's another place British tourists ruined!!!"

Lmao

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muddleagedspred@reddit

You're making lots of assumptions.

I lived there, as a local. Spoke Polish, ate, drank, shopped Polish, and assimilated as much as possible.

Even while I lived there, I could see it becoming a Brit stag/hen party hell hole. The opening of the Three Lions pub was the nail in the coffin. Well, that and tourism companies offering stag trips to Auschwitz 🤮. There are plenty of cities across Europe that haven't changed their identity so completely. It seems counterproductive, removing the very essence that attracted tourists in the first place.

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Reoclassic@reddit

Actually you're right, I just woke up really bitter. Appreciate your awareness of it all.

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oovavoooo@reddit

Agreed, Krakow was great 15 years ago but it’s lost some of its charm to mass tourism.

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Klandesztine@reddit

£41 return yep. Oh you want hand luggage? That's £82 now. Checked in luggage? £141 please.

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Traditional_Pop4844@reddit

Yes that’s how budget airlines work, for a weekend you can pack into a backpack

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queen_of_potato@reddit

But you still have to pay for a seat or to check in or something ridiculous.. I am not against budget airlines in general but am definitely against Ryanair, like they will absolutely do their best to charge you something.. at the airport in Barcelona the other day we were watching this "got a tiny bit of power" man make people put on all their clothes to fit their bag in the thing, we saw a man open his zip up fleece and put a pair of shoes and a bunch of clothes inside so his bag was nothing and somehow the Ryanair guy was prancing about like he had a big win

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MagicByNature@reddit

But you still have to pay for a seat or to check in or something ridiculous.

No you don't. Online check-in is free, and a random seat allocation at check-in is also free. Sure, you might not sit next to your companion, but is it that much of an issue on a 2h flight? Paying for a seat of your choice has become an industry standard, even for legacy carriers. In BA, you might even have to pay to choose your business class seat on a cheap business class fare.

I have flown Ryanair 103 times in the last 20 years, and not once did I have to pay any of the extra fees. Ryanair has also been by far the best in terms of on-time performance, and is a lot better than other airlines (even BA) when it comes to handling cancellations.

Also, it's quite unfair to shit on Ryanair, when Easyjet (and Wizzair) have exactly the same policies when it comes to check-in, luggage, seats and fees in general. In fact, I'd say Easyjet enforces their cabin bag size limit a lot more often than Ryanair does.

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TheDettiEskimo@reddit

Yeah I just need a carry on.

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MerlinOfRed@reddit

Child: Muum, can we have Paris?

Mum: We have Paris at home.

Paris at home = Brussels

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Late-Champion8678@reddit

😂😂😂

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bisikletci@reddit

Two of the train stations and some other parts feel sketchy but "the rest of Brussels" other then the core centre does not feel sketchy. You were there for a day, you hardly saw any of it. Loads of it is fine and indeed nice.

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DonSergio7@reddit

Brussels' main issues are probably the fact that it's not intuitive in the sense that a lot of the nicer areas are actually outside of the immediate city centre, however what most people come for is Grand Place, Manneken Pis and sometimes the Atomium.

Another issue is that rougher parts are oftentimes only one wrong turn away from nicer ones. The stations are indeed a dump though.

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Wild-Compote5730@reddit

I booked a trip to Gdansk last night so I’m pleased to hear this. Agree with you- I’ve never had a bad trip to Poland. Krakow would be my pick for favourite European city.

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PM_ME_CAKE@reddit

Make sure to go to the European Solidarity Centre. It's an incredible experience.

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Wild-Compote5730@reddit

Thank you - that and the WW2 museum are definitely on the list!

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PM_ME_CAKE@reddit

If you're looking for less known recommendations, there's also the Oliwska Cathedrala in Gdansk, where every hour between 1000-1300 they have a free live organ recital. I made sure to pop my head by when I was in the tristate area and it was a really lovely stopping point.

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Wild-Compote5730@reddit

This sounds great- it’s always lovely to get recommendations from people who have been.

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BramScrum@reddit

Brussels doesn't just feel sketchy. It is sketchy. Especially around some train stations. If you ever do a Belgium trip again please go to Gent, Antwerp, Leuven or Brugge instead haha

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rositree@reddit

I'm heading to Bruges this afternoon, need to leave from Brussels early on Wednesday. Would you recommend 2 nights in Bruges, 1 in Ghent and just find accommodation by Eurostar station in Brussels the night before? Or give myself a little bit of time in Brussels in the day too?

Any tips for any of them appreciated!

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JennyW93@reddit

I found Brussels to be very stinky. Loved Ghent though

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queen_of_potato@reddit

It's gorgeous right!!

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CrossCityLine@reddit

Ghent is like Bruges but without the tourists. It’s prettier too.

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ldn6@reddit

And it has the Ghent Altarpiece.

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The_39th_Step@reddit

Antwerp is great. I had a lovely time there

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Combatwasp@reddit

Bruges 11/10

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Reasonable-Horse1552@reddit

It's like a fairytale place

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PeterG92@reddit

"How can Bruges not be someones fucking thing?"

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FarIndication311@reddit

Did you visit the alcoves?

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Combatwasp@reddit

No but we must have looked at everything else.

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OMITN@reddit

Yes! I love all those places. It’s been a while since I visited Belgium (2010 RvV I think - rode the full length sportive the day before and sank many beers in Geraardsbergen on race day!). Must go back to all those places. Gent is beautiful..!

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TheDeenoRheeno@reddit

We went to Antwerp and Ghent and they were absolutely lovely. But even getting the train through Brussels felt rough!

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barkley87@reddit

I must be completely oblivious because I didn't find Brussels sketchy at all!

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BramScrum@reddit

It's definitely not the roughest place in Europe by far especially if you use some common sense (don't wander alone too far at night and such), but compared to the other cities mentioned above it's quite rough. Wandering outside the stations should be avoided at night but the stations themselves are quite safe thanks to a heavy police presence.

Last time I was in Brussels for sightseeing (and not just travel) was because my UK partner really wanted to see it. And it definitely has loads of nice spots. But otherwise I tend to avoid the place and rather go to one of the before mentioned places.

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Big-Finding2976@reddit

So if you find yourself in a station at night you have to just stay there until the sun comes up?

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pointlesstasks@reddit

Brugge was nice when I went but I got picked on the way to the underground carpark.

Also, Oostende is quite nice I thought when I went.

Calais was lock your fucking doors on the way out and in from the ferry.

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Klandesztine@reddit

Brugge is fantastic.

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SomethingPeach@reddit

I went to Bruges years back and loved it! I was hoping I'd feel the same about Brussels but nope. Will definitely be avoiding if I go to Belgium again.

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Anal_Crust@reddit

What makes it sketchy? Full of junkies or what?

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Capital_Lynx_7363@reddit

Definitely agree with this. Gdansk is awesome (though not sure it is my favourite). Brussels is just so so dull and has some really dodgy as fuck bits which really aren't that far from the centre

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Anal_Crust@reddit

What makes it dodgy? Full of junkies or what?

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bisikletci@reddit

Brussels has some dodgy buts but if you think it is dull you don't know it or just haven't made the effort. I shit on it all the time and don't like living here but it has loads of good food, nightlife and stuff to do.

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jb-safc@reddit

Gdansk is so slept on (hopefully that doesn't change). Sopot is lovely too, I've been twice and would definitely go a third time and probably more.

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Reoclassic@reddit

How is it slept on, in the summer it's impossible to get through the main streets in old town becuase of all the british and swedish tourists

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Good-Surround-8825@reddit

We get ads on the TV here in UK to visit Gdansk/Poland.

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jb-safc@reddit

I've been both in June and October and from my experience it was only slightly busier in June. If June isn't a peak month, fair enough. I've only come across one other person who has been when I mentioned it as a nice place to visit.

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CoffeeandaTwix@reddit

I love Poland too. Wroclaw is also a lovely smaller city.

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Due_Figure6451@reddit

Yeah Brussels and Paris are not pleasant.

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Ok-Brilliant-9020@reddit

Happy cake day 🎊

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Cuclean@reddit

They're even coming from Gdansk, to see the fillum.

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Interesting-Kiwi-874@reddit

Favorite: Budapest - great bars, great architecture and the baths are cool

Least: Amsterdam- used to be my favorite 10 years ago but I agree it’s way too crowded now

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cobrarocket@reddit

Favourite: Paris - for the architecture and museums.

Least Favourite - Dublin - I don't get the hype (friendly people though).

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Penderyn@reddit

Yeah Dublin is shit. Honestly don't get what all the fuss is about. I'm sure it's fine to live in but you visit as a tourist? Meh.

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RickRollRules@reddit

I was shocked how little there was to Dublin. I had a great time in the bars, but aside from that there’s not much else to do.

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Penderyn@reddit

Yeah and tbh I can have a good time in bars almost anywhere, they were not anything special.

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Careful-Training-761@reddit

You're wrong it's not fine to live in it's a dump, I live in Dublin and can attest. Why someone would visit this city, other than to get pissed drunk because it has great bars, is beyond me.

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The_39th_Step@reddit

The thing is, while the bars are good, I can’t get pissed a lot cheaper in great pubs back home.

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Careful-Training-761@reddit

For sure I'm not exactly condoning spending a crap load of money to get drunk in another location, flights, hotel etc. But I've yet to go anywhere else where the pubs are as good as in Ireland.

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Shoddy-Computer2377@reddit

Dublin is a shithole. Easily one of the worst non-UK cities I've been to in Europe.

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ldn6@reddit

Dublin has hype? I only ever hear complaints about it being expensive with bad public transport.

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cmrndzpm@reddit

Yeah agree I think, Paris just seems popular to hate on but I really liked it.

Dublin was cool for a day or two but compared to European cities it doesn’t really measure up.

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Equivalent-Night-581@reddit

Favourite-Krakow. Cheap, lovely old town, lots to do, interesting stuff around.

Least favourite-London. Dirty, too busy, stinks, most people are full of themselves and rude, lots of tourist-trap type attractions, everywhere’s a money grab, WAY too expensive. At least there’s free museums I guess.

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SnooCauliflowers2264@reddit

I’ve never been to a city that I didn’t like. Reading the comments, some people are quite hard to impress. They find one or two aspects about it that they don’t like and that’s it - they condemn the city and declare it a shithole !

For me the best city is usually the one I’m visiting for the first time . Over familiarity with any place dulls my senses a bit , lucky there are a lot of cities.

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Jambronius@reddit

Favourite: Belfast, there's just something about Belfast loads of little side streets with bars, shops and artwork.

Least Favourite: Amsterdam, every single person no matter who you encounter is trying to extract every penny they can. The whole place reeks of desperation and I think it brings worse out its tourists.

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CliffordThRed@reddit

I've not been to a huge amount of Europeans cities but I found Brussels to be a bit boring when I went there so that's least fav. My favourite would be Edinburgh if it counts nowadays, or Berlin if not.

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CaptainMcClutch@reddit

Favourite Valletta, Malta, in general, has a lot of amazing places, and the local people are super friendly. I love the weather, atmosphere, and food.

Least Favourite - Plymouth, this is an entirely biased viewpoint and not really a fair reflection. I served in the Navy, and it doesn't bring back fond memories for me. I also found it to be quite boring when I was a young guy in my 20s. On the flip side, my parents loved it. It has nice weather (mostly, compared to where I'm from anyway), and it can be quite picturesque.

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intergalacticmouse@reddit

I loved Prague & Rome but this was years ago its probably too full of tourists now . I hated Paris, smelly, dirty and the Parisians were the nastiest, rudist and most miserable people I have ever met.

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ThePolymath1993@reddit

Favourite - Vienna. Me and my wife went there for Christmas one year and it was awesome.

Least favourite - Paris. It's basically all the things people complain about London being, but worse.

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Intelligent-SoupGS88@reddit

Same!

Vienna is relaxed, clean, friendly and beautiful architecture.

Paris is noisy, dirty and actually smells like urine particularly around the Seine.

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Brazzle_Dazzle@reddit

Agree with the positives you mention about Vienna but at the same time I can't think of a more boring capital city.

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UnusualSomewhere84@reddit

I liked Vienna, but it didn’t have much in the way of unique character. I much preferred Salzburg.

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90s_as_fuck@reddit

Went on a euro trip with a few lads across Central Europe years ago. Vienna was the only city where we struggled to find some nightlife. Granted we were only there for a night but it just seemed a bit dead. We found somewhere eventually, probably the only late night club open, but everywhere else we visited was easy to find bars and a bit of energy.

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GiovanniVanBroekhoes@reddit

Vienna has amazing nightlife, it's just not very obvious. You have to really know where to go. They don't really have a "main square" or anything like that. So it's a bit tricky to navigate without local knowledge. Especially if you are just around the first district.

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Grimms_tale@reddit

Vienna is fantastic if you love modern art, museums or history. We struggled to fit in all the museums we wanted to see while there. Had to flip a coin in the end!

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gridlockmain1@reddit

I’d love to live there and I enjoyed my visit but I won’t be going back in a hurry

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Outrageous-Garlic-27@reddit

Brussels is worse than Paris - wading through ankle deep rubbish on the streets, with the pickpockets and urine stained walls everywhere, and also without any of the nice sights.

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hairychris88@reddit

Not to mention the absolutely horrendous traffic. I spend a lot of time in Belgium, but Brussels is such a dump. BruxellesMaPoubelle, as they say.

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PlatformFeeling8451@reddit

The centre of Brussels (Market Square) is absolutely gorgeous, but yeah the rest of Brussels is very ugly.

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bisikletci@reddit

Lots of Brussels is ugly for sure, but "the rest" - no. It's a major centre of Art Nouveau architecture. You just didn't leave the downtown core.

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Outrageous-Garlic-27@reddit

Grand Place was a total mess when I visited last summer, but I think they fixed it for Christmas.

I could not sit at an outdoor cafe without being harassed by beggars every five minutes.

I was followed by a security guard around a pharmacy, which was also very uncomfortable. I think I was the only customer.

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SnooPredictions9477@reddit

Vienna's a lovely city. But, friendly? The Viennese take pride in being probably the rudest people on earth.

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Most_Moose_2637@reddit

The food vendors around the Eiffel Tower use the sewers to store their food. Enjoy this fact.

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CrossCityLine@reddit

Vienna is very pretty and civilised but it is very dull.

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Fandangojango@reddit

I did find Vienna a bit ropey around the edges, but loved the centre - great buzz to it.

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trainpk85@reddit

Oh god I love Vienna!! I went in the summer and I loved the restaurants and food and wine and there was an awesome funfair in the city square. The hotel we stayed at was amazing.

However I also really love Paris. I’m ok for Barcelona though. If I never went back then I’d be fine with that.

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Tramorak@reddit

Vienna was beustiful, but incredibly uptight. Granted I might have missed the more Boho areas but it just felt a bit staid to me.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Not towards smoking. Austria & Germany are still very liberal & indoor smoking is still permitted. Ex cigarette smoker, but I do enjoy the odd cigar.

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APx_35@reddit

Nope it's not. Banned since 2019.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

You some indoors in certain German states. Austria is really laid back. It might be banned by law, but I doubt it’s enforced.

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Freyit_08@reddit

Austrian here. Since 2019 there is a comprehensive general ban on smoking in catering areas and all other rooms (e.g. club canteen) in which food or drinks are produced, processed, administered or consumed. Smoking is only permitted in the guest garden or outside in front of the restaurant.

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Aggravating_Anybody@reddit

Yess!! I did a Fall semester internship at the US embassy in Vienna and it was amazing! The Christmas markets and decor were magical. Also, just the architecture in general blew my mind. I know everyone thinks of Paris as the most beautiful European city, but goddamn Vienna has got to be a close second and not nearly as well know for it.

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PatserGrey@reddit

Have more brief work trips to Paris than I ever care to remember. A couple of social trips too. I just don't think I'm a city person. Although on saying that, I had a couple of nights on a job on Nantes and I wished I could have stayed longer

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Siccar_Point@reddit

Vienna is the shit. Never been anywhere better just to walk around and enjoy. The whole centre and much of the inner suburbs are gorgeous, and there’s something cool round every corner.

Not sure how it would hold up as a “tourist destination”, but as a city to be in and do stuff in, there’s none better that I’ve experienced.

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MadJohnFinn@reddit

My wife hated Paris so much that she just got back on the Eurostar and went home after one day. She's Canadian, but the "wonderful" locals thought she was American. She could understand everything they were saying about her to each other.

The streets were apparently covered in dog shit, too.

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Jlaw118@reddit

I found the city and the architecture absolutely stunning but me and my friend didn’t really end up enjoying that trip. I’d ended up booking a rubbish hotel, it rained for the duration of the trip and spent most of our time either in the Hard Rock Cafe or sat watching buffering films in the hotel because the WiFi was also rubbish 😂

I’d like to go back

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randomaccess24@reddit

This is like the Four in a Bed episode when they complain about everything and say ‘Yes’ when asked if they would stay again

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heliskinki@reddit

St Germain Des Pres is wonderful, I could sit in a cafe and people watch all day there, love it.

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petrolstationpicnic@reddit

I’m going to a wedding in Vienna later in the year, so this is good to know!

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Batsy2025@reddit

Leeds

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Electronic_Charity76@reddit

Prague is a fantastic city. In fact Czechia in general is utterly slept on as a holiday/honeymoon destination.

I admit I wasn't in Paris long but I hated it there.

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Calm-Raise6973@reddit

Favourite: Bucharest - friendly, opinionated people, great nightlife, well-maintained parks, easy to get around.

Least favourite: none. I didn't greatly enjoy Barcelona or Sofia, but I wasn't in either city long enough.

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hairychris88@reddit

Sofia isn't great. I'd recommend Plovdiv to anyone though.

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Bbew_Mot@reddit

Favourite: Innsbruck- stunningly beautiful city in the Alps with easy access to hiking trails and endless breathtaking scenery.

Least favourite: Monaco- If you're not a millionaire then there's not really a lot to do there and I just can't get down with that!

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ALA02@reddit

I do think Monaco is worth seeing once just to get some idea of the levels of insane wealth inequality in the world, compared to a developing country. Also, the oceanographic museum is pretty good

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hairychris88@reddit

I've always wondered why F1 drivers are so attracted to the tax haven of Monaco

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SISCP25@reddit

Visited a friend studying in Innsbruck about a decade ago. Absolutely stunning little city. Also worth it for the flight in, doing a 90 degree bend in a valley was pretty cool.

Monaco is worth going once for a day trips just for what it is. Also you’ve got Nice, St Tropez and the rest of Provence right next door for the rest of your holiday.

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noodlesandwich123@reddit

When I was a teenager my mum booked a week-long coach tour holiday of Italy that covered Venice, Florence and some other cities.... then right at the end hopped the border to Innsbruck.

We absolutely loved it!! Deffo the highlight of the holiday. I still remember the snowy mountain tops peeping over the old buildings and the pretty little fountains everywhere...

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cloche_du_fromage@reddit

Agree about the vileness of Monaco, and I'm well off.

5 miles down the coast into France is completely different. Still hugely affluent but much more relaxed.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

But you have to pay tax there.

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Bbew_Mot@reddit

I'd rather pay tax than live in Monaco 🇲🇨

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RobTheMonk@reddit

I had a great few days in Innsbruck about a decade back. Moustache bar and then some dingy club called Aftershave where people were doing coke in the toilets and I thought I was going to get beat up by a bunch of black guys. I asked one "Are you okay?", as he had a cast in his arm. He thought I asked "Are you gay?". We then figured out I was asking about his arm and then everyone started laughing.

It was a lot of fun lol.

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AmsterdamBob@reddit

Favourite - Liverpool. I just love everything about the City and despite having no ties to the place at all, I always feel very "at home" there. The people are the best in the world.

Least Favourite: Paris or London. Shitholes full of spectacularly rude people.

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fussyfella@reddit

Favourite(s):

Venice: ignore the naysayers, yes it gets crowded, just go out of season, it is unique
Prague: a beautiful city, but like above avoid high season
Dubrovnik: like Prague but with sun for longer and beaches
Donostia-San Sebastian: the nicest most fun city in Spain, and there lots to choose from

Least Favourite:

Moscow: and that is based on experiences before they started a war with a friendly neighbour. Unwelcoming, ugly and I got my worst case of food poisoning anywhere there (and I have a famously iron gut)
Naples: gateway to a lovely area, but despite a few bit of shabby chic, essentially an ugly place I have never felt safe in
Barcelona: sure it has sights, but has never felt welcoming to me, way too much low level street crime like bag snatching almost anywhere else in Spain is much nicer but see next entry.
Benidorm: perhaps not quite as bad as its reputation, but really it is still full of pissed up Brits who give the whole country a bad name
Blackpool: see above but with shit weather

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rabbit92@reddit

I'm with you on Amsterdam being least favourite.

My favourite city is Helsinki- friendly people, good beach and saunas everywhere

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muistaa@reddit

Yes to Finland representation here. I also like Turku.

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rabbit92@reddit

I liked Turku too!

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deiprep@reddit

Amsterdam is much nicer when you leave all the touristy bits. The city centre is too busy for my liking.

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NeilinManchester@reddit

Just stay in Haarlem.

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

I never think of the Finns as especially outgoing, but I suppose I’ve never been there.

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SeatSnifferJeff@reddit

I always tell people the number one thing to do in Helsinki is go to Tallinn 🤣

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BalthazarOfTheOrions@reddit

Favourite: even between Strasbourg, Edinburgh or Munich.

Least favourite: pick any dull, decaying, grey industrial town. All respect to their working class history, which makes their decline even sadder, but what's left today is just a shallow husk of lifeless concrete.

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Weary_Rule_6729@reddit

Favourite: Budapest. Its cheap, theres lots of history and some lovely architecture.

Least: Berlin. I found the people surprisingly really friendly and it has so much amazing/awful history but it loses points because everywhere is so unwalkable! Having to get the (very efficient) trains everywhere becomes annoying and expensive. Theres some really ugly architecture and it was bitterly cold too. Thought the nightlife was too spread out too. We walked out of a Beer Hall onto basically a dual carriageway.

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tiacalypso@reddit

Favourite: Edinburgh. Friendly Scots, lots of fun times to be had, great little cafés and pubs. Lovely atmosphere of doom and gloom for Samhain, stunning in the summer.

Least favourite: Berlin. Dirty. Poorly maintained. Less fun vibes.

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Enough-Ad3818@reddit

Favourite: Reykjavik. Incredible landscape around the city, very clean and tidy, plus the cathedral is incredible.

Least favourite: Marseille. Constant smell of shit, multiple rough neighbourhoods where we were advised not to go at night, and lastly, I had a knife pulled on me in an attempted mugging, the first day I was there.

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Tildatots@reddit

Honestly the fact Marseille is tipped as the next hot destination is mad to me. Yes the old parts are fairly pretty but growing up in France is was always a bit of a no go, known for high crime

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DonSergio7@reddit

Because it's gentrifying rapidly. A lot of Parisians (esp. young creatives) who cannot afford to buy property in Paris are moving down south as the housing market in Marseille isn't much of a mess just yet.

Also it helps that it's virtually always sunny.

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ryunista@reddit

Wondered how far down I'd have to scroll for Marseilles. Awful, nasty, ugly place.

Reykjavik is decent. Surprised I've not seen Budapest mentioned more. Similar to Prague but much bigger with more variety.

I'd add Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Annecy and Eindhoven

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I_love_sloths_69@reddit

Agree with Marseille, what an absolute crap-hole that city is. Some cities are gritty but have cool things to see, Marseille is just fucking horrible. It really does smell of shit, and you feel like any moment, you're going to get mugged by gangs of ne'er-do-wells on scooters. Would not recommend.

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ohboyoboyoh@reddit

What a shame about your experience in Marseille - personally I loved it. Had a great time there with a young family last year, never felt unsafe. If you’re down near that part of France in the future the surrounding towns are beautiful and well worth a visit.

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CakeAndFireworksDay@reddit

Hated Marseille :) glad I’ve been so I don’t have to go again!

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Leckie15@reddit

Absolutely hated Marseille

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Drammeister@reddit

I didn’t like Reykjavik that much. I thought the rest of Iceland was incredible.

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Scrambledpeggle@reddit

Favourite: Grimsby.

Least favourite: Hull

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HassananeBalal@reddit

Rome and Prague are both amazing location to visit. Milan is by far the worst major city I visited in Europe - maybe the world.

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01watts@reddit

Favourite: Gothenburg. I loved it. Sometimes described as better than Stockholm, although I’ve not visited the latter.

Least favourite: Manchester. I’ve actively tried to have a good time including doing a lot of research and being prepared to spend money, but I just couldn’t manage it. I think it’s just more of a partying/drinking city which isn’t my thing.

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coleslawontoast@reddit

Worst Paris, dirty smelly and over hyped

Fave Dublin, good fun and good music

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Bungeditin@reddit

Favourite- Barcelona….lovely people, beautiful city, architecture up the ying yang.

Least- Paris- horrible people, dirty streets, worst place to drive (in Europe)…..don’t Judge France by its capital. Paris is an absolute shit hole France is stunning.

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bisikletci@reddit

Why would you drive as a tourist in Paris

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Bungeditin@reddit

I live near a ferry service and on occasion like to take my car over.

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eb675@reddit

Fav vilnius chilled ( berlin close ) least fav Barcelona way overrated

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_LizardMan_@reddit

Favourite - Athens. The city landscape is just stunning. Every section just oozes so much history and culture.

Worst - Torquay, all the things you can dislike about a place packed in one.

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silverman96@reddit

Favourite - Budapest. Might be the time of the year I was there but felt very Mediterranean. Perfect temperature, food was hearty and meaty without trying too hard. Nice mix of hot spots and casual areas. Loved the underground network too.

Leasst favourite - Krakow, the other end of east European big cities. Too tourist focused, more italians/French eateries instead of local food.

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Good-Surround-8825@reddit

Favourite is Edinburgh and least favourite is Cluj

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aBlastFromTheArse@reddit

Waiting for someone to say London 😂

[-]

Royal_IDunno@reddit

Some of us did and got downvoted for it people are allergic to facts 🤣!

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surfinbear1990@reddit

London, absolute shite hole

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Royal_IDunno@reddit

Downvoted for speaking facts? Typical Reddit moment 😂.

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ohboyoboyoh@reddit

Favourite: Annecy. It’s just picture-book stunning, food was glorious, people were lovely. Everything about it made me want to drop everything and move there.

Honourable mentions: Seville, Evian-Les-Bains, York, Reims, Troyes, Dijon, Barcelona were all fantastic

Disliked: Albufeira was the low point of an otherwise brilliant time in the Algarve. Just full of pissed up lobster-red Brits and nothing to do other than get pissed in overpriced English pubs.

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Ayman493@reddit

Favourite: tie between Zurich and Antwerp - like the former better, but the latter is more affordable

Least Favourite: Paris - victim of its own success on steroids

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Dualyeti@reddit

My gf lives in Zurich, I stay in her apartment for a month, I went out 5 times last year. I love public transport, so reliable. As for the city, it’s super clean and nice to look at. It just doesn’t really have a soul in my opinion. You have the Jewish sector, HB, gold coast bit, Langstrasse, but it all feels the same. Even the super markets, you can only really choose between Migros or COOP. I love Zurich in the summer though, sunbathing in Werdinsel and swimming in the river.

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Abject-Direction-195@reddit

Warsaw for me A real Phoenix from the Ashes city for me

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heliskinki@reddit

Favourite is Florence, Italy. I’m not going to shit on anyone’s home city.

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New-Pumpkin-428@reddit

Beautiful city.

I went in July though.

Every second person was an American tourist. It didn’t ruin it for me just changed the vibe a little.

[-]

JohnCasey3306@reddit

🙄 describing a city as your least favorite is not "shitting on it"; you grossly overestimate the power of your opinions — I can assure you nobody cares in the least if their city isn't your favorite, it's fine.

[-]

popsand@reddit

Yep we know - and yet we're choosing not to talk shit anyway.

You can too. But it sounds like you're just a bit too eager to talk shit

[-]

muistaa@reddit

Have you seen how people on Reddit phrase things? Because they definitely shit all over everything.

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heliskinki@reddit

You’re fine to shit on any city you please. I’m not going to.

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Mein_Bergkamp@reddit

Fully agree there, you can't really get a feeling from a place unless you actually live there, not everywhere is set up for tourists and not everywhere wants or needs them.

Having said that, Grimsby is the most depressing place I've ever been.

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heliskinki@reddit

If Grimsby was a city, I wouldn’t have had a problem in calling that shit hole out.

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Nervous_Week_684@reddit

Lincoln is lovely especially round the Cathedral. Grimsby/Cleethorpes the polar opposite. Went to see a game there at Blundell Park, saw my team concede a last-second equaliser and couldn’t get home fast enough

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

I know what you mean about Grimsby, having done my rounds of Division 4 football team towns and been in that tiny little away bar under the stairs at Blundell Park.... But I thought the town had a strong character and a certain pride among the decay and decline and despair. Maybe it's coming from East London that it reminded me a bit of pre -yuppification Docklands. I'd not want to live there but somehow it felt less hopeless to me than Mansfield or Crewe, and less shitty overall than Gillingham. And as for Hartlepool..... I do agree that Lincoln has a lot going for it. Boston though can get in the sea.

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Mein_Bergkamp@reddit

The frightening thing about Grimsby is just how good it makes Cleethorpes look.

When you breath a sigh of relief that you're in Hull you know something is up.

As you said I've been to many place people call shitholes but you can tell it's more to do with lack of investment, or the death of local industries and people are doing the best with what they can. Grimsby just felt like a perpetual tuesday night in a flat roofed pub.

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Tomatoflee@reddit

God choice. Florence is so beautiful. The people are super friendly. The food is amazing. Plus, it’s small enough to walk around. The only issue with it is over tourism imo. For most of the year it is rammed with people and, at peak season, it can be verging on unbearably crowded.

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heliskinki@reddit

It’s absolutely fine around Easter time, I wouldn’t go during the summer.

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EmuSea4963@reddit

Unless there's a lack of public toilets and you're a long way from the AirBnB

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Kat8844@reddit

Came here to say the same thing, Florence is absolutely beautiful.

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OffMyDave@reddit

Our lord and saviour everyone

[-]

Archaemenes@reddit

You can express your opinion cordially. Shitting on something is not part and parcel of conveying your dissatisfaction with it.

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heliskinki@reddit

You’re still dissing someone’s home. I’d rather focus on positives.

Unless it’s Grimsby.

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Accomplished_Bake904@reddit

Great answer.

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New-Pumpkin-428@reddit

I thought Paris was unbelievable.

Absolutely loved the place the buildings were beautiful.

Each to their own I guess.

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AmbitiousSpread9061@reddit

Favourite - Madrid - so underrated

Least - Brussels - possible to cover the whole city in a day!!

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

Favourite: Genoa. Amazing food and drink, quite reasonably priced, great architecture, lots of history. I went to four museums in one day.

Least favourite: Amsterdam. I don’t blame the locals for being sick of tourists and the seedy red light district and coffee shops. It was great about fifteen years ago but it’s just so fucking busy, tacky and unpleasant now.

[-]

popsand@reddit

Wow, such a surprise to see Genoa.

I had the most divine focaccia there and then stumbled around the old town getting lost. And then i had a fishy mix called frito misto.

I did pretty much the whole of italy, but that facial and the frito misto were highlights in terms of food.

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

Oh the focaccia is divine as you say, dripping in olive oil and the texture is perfection. I really need to see more of Italy, Florence is probably next on the list.

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Reoclassic@reddit

Wow rare that someone appreciates Genova!! Went there as my first trip abroad as a 17 year old and It's still one of my favourite places in Europe to this day.

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

Went for a Bob Dylan gig in 2018. Would love to go back. It was my first holiday alone too and I really like travelling solo since then.

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popsand@reddit

How was Dylan?

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

In fine form. Good set list, I was surprised he had so many fans in Italy particularly younger people. I recall Desolation Row and Thunder on the Mountain were the highlights of that set. I left feeling pretty exhilarated, I’d not seen him since 2011 prior to that and had a bit of a lapse in fandom but became totally obsessed again in 2017. That obsession has never faded, I have since seen him another five times. Lyon 2023 was probably my favourite.

[-]

Reoclassic@reddit

Did you go to Camogli also? Magical place. For anyone reading and likes travelling on a budget, you can also get an itabus for about €3 to Torino, which is an amazing place in itself too. Highly recommend this face of Italy

[-]

SilvioSilverGold@reddit

Sadly not was only there three nights. Loved exploring the city though and couldn’t believe how affordable it was, could eat an excellent three course dinner in a trattoria for €21. The ravioli with braised steak was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Got a pass for €25 that included access to fifty museums and palaces and unlimited bus travel.

Bologna’s great too, I remember fondly the taxi journey back to the airport with the driver waxing lyrical about the local cuisine.

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Firm-Pollution7840@reddit

Honestly Amsterdam is great if you leave the touristy bits. Just avoid the centre and there's still so much to see and explore.

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MissionFig5582@reddit

Just back from a few days in Amsterdam with work.

Absolutely wonderful city. Uniquely beautiful, it's fucking fun, and the locals are chill.

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

Perhaps if I hadn’t been several times and seen what I thought was the decline of the city I wouldn’t be bothered. I just recall it being far too busy - coffee shops used to be relaxing, now the ones in the centre are packed like sardines and it’s ruined the atmosphere. That’s not just down to over-tourism but the local government trying to phase out coffee shops, when I first went there were 300 and last time I think it was down to about 100. Profitable for the ones that still exist but not great for customers.

There used to be a relaxed air to the people but I feel like they’re more crabbit and disillusioned now. I went to a newsagent and later a bakery that didn’t have prices on anything - they just make the price up on the spot according to how stoned, drunk and/or naive you look. Someone tried to charge me €18 for a slice of cheesecake and a cookie which is ridiculous now but even worse given I was last there seven years agox

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Botter_Wattle@reddit

Hard agree! Amsterdam is an incredible place, I'd love to live there.

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29124@reddit

The centre of Amsterdam feels like a circus nowadays. Rotterdam felt much more like a normal city and had interesting architecture.

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Nervous_Week_684@reddit

Been to Genoa, mostly to pick up a car at the airport but had to drive through the city and its fascinating architecture to go south to Rapallo, which itself is pretty. Great memories.

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aceachilleus@reddit

Genova is one of my favourite cities and I visit almost every summer when I see friends in Italy. I simultaneously want everyone to go and also want to keep it a secret. Let the annoying variety of tourist carry on through to portofino and cinque terre, nothing to see here people!

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reco84@reddit

One of our main EU offices is in Genoa and I absolutely adore it there.

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neurobonkers@reddit

Favorite: Krakow - so much so I moved here. Clean, uncrowded, beautiful, affordable, amazing food and dance scenes, amazing summers spent swimming daily in a stunning lake 3 mins from my front door and 5 mins from the city centre and winter wonderland vibes in the winter.

Least favorite: Paris - dirty, crowded, expensive and full of tourist traps and pretentiousness.

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No-Band-9572@reddit

Favorite? Strasbourg France Least fav? Berlin.

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springsomnia@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona (worth the hype!) and Seville

Least favourite: Paris (overrated, sorry to any Paris fans here)

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metroplex313@reddit

Favourite: Rome, it’s like a walking museum with great food everywhere.

Least favourite: Paris, dirty shithole populated by rude arseholes.

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queen_of_potato@reddit

Rome is amazing right! No matter how many times I visit I'm still awed by the fact that around every corner is something amazing

Paris grew on me on each visit .. yes it's dirty but it's also amazing, can't speak to rudeness as I haven't experienced that

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dungloegirl@reddit

Rome is incredible. Local churches there would be major attractions in other cities. You would need a year there and you still wouldn’t see everything. Really disappointing that there is so much graffiti everywhere. Do the people not realise what they have.

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Accurate_Prompt_8800@reddit

Favorite: Lisbon - beautiful tile-covered buildings and charming streets. Affordable compared to other Western European capitals. Warm, sunny weather and fantastic seafood.

Close second is Seville for similar reasons.

Least Favourite: Athens - chaotic, too much traffic, pollution, and urban sprawl. Attractions like the Acropolis are rammed during peak seasons. It’s also comparatively less scenic than the other Greek islands.

I was going to go cliche and name Paris for obvious reasons but that’s already a clear non-favourite for many people.

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queen_of_potato@reddit

Ooh I was wondering if I had a least favourite but yes it's definitely Athens, partially just because we were there in summer and it was too hot which isn't the fault of the city, but I found it more dirty and with the most aggressive scammers of any of the 40+ European countries I've been to, like I had to strongly say "don't touch me" multiple times a day which I didn't enjoy.. glad I got to see all the historical stuff but wish I could have enjoyed it more

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bishopsfinger@reddit

Hard disagree on Athens. It's one of the oldest cities in the world, you've got to expect a bit of sprawl and messiness. The Acropolis, Agora etc. plus the food and nightlife in Monasteraki and Plaka are phenomenal.

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bisikletci@reddit

Sprawl is a modern phenomenon. Old cities tend to be compact. Athens isn't sprawly and wrecked by traffic because it's old but because it's a victim of terrible modern urban planning.

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RevolutionarySea72@reddit

Agree, and modern Lisbon is gentrified awful tourist nothingness.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Lisbon is definitely going on my list. Their wine too is amazing.

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BolterGoBrrr@reddit

Venice in January was fantastic

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douggieball1312@reddit

I went to Venice at the end of October and liked it. Crowds not too bad, and you can turn down a side street and walk along the pretty little bridges and the place suddenly feels deserted.

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Ok-Professor-6549@reddit

Valletta (and Malta in general) is my favourite marmite destination. It's not everyone's cup of tea but I love the scruffy bonkersness of the place and the history mixed in everywhere. The old city and grand harbour is beautiful with some great restaurants and hustle and bustle. Malta is hugely built up and roads/traffic is nuts but it's so tiny you can see it all in a long weekend (bit longer to include Gozo but is worth doing). Its a scruffy little place and not as green as say Sardinia or other Mediterranean islands but there's lots of charm and history. Everyone speaks English very well too.

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queen_of_potato@reddit

Oh we had such a crazy and weird but great time in Malta years ago, our GPS took us maybe through someone's farm and we were worried about getting murdered, also because we saw spy stuff and thought we shouldn't have been in the area, but didn't die and had a great time

Probably wouldn't recommend going in February though as most of the boats weren't running so we didn't get to gozo.. lovely and quiet though

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catbrane@reddit

The best two things in Malta are the Caravaggio and the Hypogeum!

Caravaggio was on the run for a murder in a street brawl in Rome. He washed up in Malta and the Knights let him stay if he'd do a painting for them. He did the nastiest, coldest, bleakest beheading of John the Baptist in art history, exactly as brutal as you'd expect for something painted by a murderer on the run, then they kicked him out.

It's in the main cathedral in Valetta:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beheading_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist_(Caravaggio)

The Hypogeum is a world heritage site. It's a 5,000 year-old underground neolithic complex, carved into the soft rock with antlers. It's older than stonehenge, older than the pyramids:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%A6al_Saflieni_Hypogeum

The most amazing thing is the level of finish -- there are carved dorways and lintels with elaborate tracery. The whole of the west of the island is peppered with interesting prehistory, we hired a mopend and explored them all.

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Ok-Professor-6549@reddit

No idea about the carravagio story that's a great travel fact!

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ALA02@reddit

Malta has all the best bits of the UK, Italy and North Africa in terms of architecture and culture, it’s great. The inland scenery is nothing spectacular but the coastline is very pretty at points, particularly in the west and north

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Ok-Professor-6549@reddit

Some great little coves for snorkelling, though I swear it's extra salty in the sea there!

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Cromises_93@reddit

I liked Malta, but the mosque bites I got whilst staying in Sliema are the worst by far that I've gotten anywhere!

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cursed_cucumbers@reddit

I do think the scruffiness adds to its charm for me. Some parts are a bit rough around the edges visually, however I have been 3 times now and I have never felt unsafe. The food is top tier and well priced. The bus network is usually reliable and you can get to most parts of the island. The climate is very hot / dry in the summer months but bearable if you dress appropriately. I absolutely love the culture and history, particularly the magnificent cathedrals. If you explore outside of some of the main cities and towns it is well worth a visit.

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cesena_@reddit

Having travelled a lot of Europe over a long period of time - the real secret to the best part of it is simply what you make of it. Anyone reading this who has travelled many European cities will know they end up blurring into one in many ways. Find the joy wherever you go and any crap will melt away. Fail to go in with the right attitude and you will have a horrible time. Simple. Enjoy this insanely fun continent!

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

What’s your favourite though?

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cesena_@reddit

Lyon, most underrated city in Europe.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Great geographic area of France too for other countries.

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bisikletci@reddit

Most people dissing Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are doing the equivalent of saying London is shit because you didn't like Leicester Square. All these cities have unpleasant parts of the centre but they also all have really nice parts and great stuff in them.

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Scottyrubix@reddit

Favourite - Rome. Got everything you could want, excellent food, archetiture, everything is walking distance and so much to see.

Least - Paris. Just a dive. Everything is miles away from eachother. I have no idea how it gets associated with romance

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bisikletci@reddit

Paris. Just a dive. Everything is miles away from eachother.

Paris is very compact for a city of its population size/for a major capital city. It has a lot of sites of interest in it, they can't all be right next to each other but they aren't miles from each other, loads of stuff is clustered together, and it has excellent public transport linking them. It's far from my favourite place but honestly people here just seem to be coming up with weird excuses to diss it.

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Kind-Photograph2359@reddit

Brussels, absolutely beautiful city, friendly, great restaurants/bars and you can whizz about on electric scooters.

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DivideOk8926@reddit

I’m with you. I don’t get the hate for Brussels in this sub

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white1984@reddit

The problem in my opinion on BXL is that very few people go beyond the centre and go to a couple of the "cities" like Ixelles. Part of it is also the car-centric culture of the Belgians which leads to massive roads everywhere, and the fact it is also the administrative and diplomatic capital of Europe. To see the nice parts you ready need to head to the suburbs or surrounding towns of Brabant.

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bisikletci@reddit

Parts of Ixelles are really nice with great architecture. I don't think many tourists even make it that far; the problem is people only seeing the centre (mix of nice and shitty), the train stations (shitty) and the EU district (shitty). Agreed on the stupid big roads spoiling it. If it wasn't ruined by too many cars, roads and aggressive drivers it would be a pretty good city.

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Kind-Photograph2359@reddit

Maybe I got lucky, only been once for 3 days but I enjoyed everything about it.

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MaxBulla@reddit

Favourite is London- greatest city on the planet and home Least favourite is Frankfurt - just dull on all fronts. As German as it gets.

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The_39th_Step@reddit

Yeah Frankfurt is a bit of a shithole, I can’t lie

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Greatest is New York obviously.

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Gastkram@reddit

Krankfurt

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Several-berries@reddit

Frankfurz

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upupupdo@reddit

I love Prague,too. Prague’s stunning architecture, rich history, charming streets, and affordable atmosphere make it a perfect destination for exploration and relaxation.

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PillarofSheffield@reddit

Favourite: Paris. Fuck the haters. If you can speak some most basic mediocre French and don't freak out when you see an Arab or African it is a superb city. Food, wine, architecture and wine are all off the charts. Would visit every year if I could (live in Australia now so not really viable).

Worst: Stockholm has one of the best museums in the world in Vasa, but aside from that it is so bland, expensive, cold and unfriendly I will never go back.

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DrunkenDitty@reddit

Favourite? Rome or Munich.

Least favourite? Naples... seriously can that entire city and all ots inhabitants be burnt to cinders already.

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CCFC1998@reddit

Favourite: Cologne. I love NRW in general, but really like Cologne. I'd say I prefer the nightlife in Düsseldorf but Cologne has so many great attractions, and having a couple of cans of beer in the park opposite the Dom at sunset is one of my all time favourite memories.

Least favourite: London. Hate it. Overcrowded, overpriced, overhyped, snobby, crime infested shithole. I avoid it as much as possible, but unfortunately I usually have to go there to get anywhere else in Europe (I wish I didn't)

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happy_smoked_salmon@reddit

As a person who lives in London, your description of the city cracked me up.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Agreed. London is an absolute shit hole. Haven’t been in fifteen years & hopefully it will be at least another fifteen.

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CCFC1998@reddit

I can just about tolerate it for a day or two, but would absolutely never spend any longer than that there if I could avoid it.

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Responsible_Blood789@reddit

Worst Paris joint best Brughe and Seville

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BiscottiTiny4964@reddit

Edinburgh - favourite

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Shoddy-Computer2377@reddit

Favourite: Utrecht. Like Amsterdam-lite and felt more relaxed

Least Favourite: Barcelona. Stifling hot, full of pickpockets and scammers, you clearly aren't welcome and the locals don't want you there

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PavlovsHumans@reddit

Sheffield, and Copenhagen as favourites. I’ve never felt so relaxed in a city and as at home as either of those.

I don’t have a lease favourite yet.

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Sad-Fish-3064@reddit

I feel as though I’m not going to the same places as everyone else, love Paris and London, Bratislava was boring Vienna is pretty but dull, Prague is alright but not great, Rome was smelly and dirty and the food is yuck.

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Bianca---Bianca@reddit

out of the more recognisable ones:

least favourite: Milan

favourite: Edinburgh

[-]

Wonderful-Cow-9664@reddit

Favourite (so far) is Rome. It’s stunning, in every way, and the people are bloody lovely! Not to mention the food!! The food is divine

Least is London. I like the sights, the history, the buildings etc (I’m English) but I hate everything else about it. Overcrowded, unpleasant, dirty, unfriendly and generally very unsafe feeling.

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Sad-Fish-3064@reddit

I think we went to a different Rome the food was awful and people weren’t great either

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Wonderful-Cow-9664@reddit

Oh you should definitely go to the Rome I went to

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Sad-Fish-3064@reddit

I wanted to go to the one you went to, I was so excited and was so disappointed

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docju@reddit

Favourite: Cologne, mostly for beer and easy access to other places

Least favourite: Paris for reasons others have mentioned but I did like Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Lille

[-]

MisterMotivator@reddit

+1 for Bordeaux

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Upbeat-Excitement-46@reddit

I loved Cologne. Went to Aachen too while I was there and loved that.

I just love Germany in general to be honest so picking a favourite city between them is hard. This might be unpopular but I think I'd rank Berlin the lowest out of the ones I've visited (it was a long time ago though).

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Silver-Machine-3092@reddit

Favourite: Arnhem. Small, friendly, surprisingly hilly for a Dutch city, close to some beautiful nature parks.

Least favourite: Vienna. Maybe I was expecting too much, everyone said it would be great. I found it really dull and surprisingly flat for an Austrian city.

[-]

MisterMotivator@reddit

Man likes his altitude

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Lambchops87@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona. Good vibes. Edging out Vienna and Amsterdam (which I feel is getting some undeserved flak).

Least favourite: Frankfurt. The Birmingham of Germany (thougb like Birmingham has a decent food scene as something of a saving grace).

[-]

Pizzagoessplat@reddit

Favourite: Kyiv (I was there in 2010) Sarajevo. I'm in Vilnius now and it's proving to be a great city

Worst: Paris and London both massively overrated. Bratislava was extremely boring and it pissed me off seeing "no English" on bar doors even though that was about twenty years ago u thought we'd passed all that illegal xenophobic behaviour

[-]

MysteriousAd8014@reddit

Recently went to Bratislava, got to admit there isn't much to do except drink beer and eat schnitzel. Definitely didn't see any 'no English' signs on doors though

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Bbew_Mot@reddit

I went to Kyiv in 2019, it wasn't very touristy but it was a really interesting city to walk around.

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MsWeary@reddit

Favorite: Salzburg. Gorgeous, safe, castle, river, swans, Mozart, The Sound of Music, Christmas market.

Least favorite: Paris. Smelled like over perfumed garbage, cost of everything is high.

[-]

Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

I think “Over Perfumed Garbage” could be Paris’s motto, although I don’t think it’s much dirtier than other major cities.

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Public_Theme_9514@reddit

Just got back from my 3rd visit to Salzburg. Amazing city.

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HeartCrafty2961@reddit

I liked Berlin. It's kinda different. We went with another couple who booked a hotel in West Berlin and I mistakenly booked us into a similar named one in East Berlin. So we saw both sides. Architecturally the West side is shopping malls and modern tall buildings. Everything is buzzing. The East is wide roads and brauhaus architecture and full of hipsters. It feels strange to be walking through two different countries in one city, and with iconic symbols like the Brandenburg gate and the mile odd length of the wall covered in graffiti by the river.

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98thRedBalloon@reddit

Favourite: Tallinn. Beautiful architecture, beautiful climate (even in winter), and the streets are spotlessly clean. Everything is incredibly modern, it has the best public transport system I've ever used. Every coffee shop is better than most in the UK, and as long as you avoid the obviously tourist-trap restaurants on the main square (sound advice for any city), you're bound to find great food at decent prices. There are several cities I'd consider moving to, but Tallinn is the one I'd probably choose first.

Least favourite: Barcelona. The endless grid street layout genuinely sent me a little bit mad. I felt like I was being slowly cooked to death because there's no way the air can move over the city, and the heat (even in October) was unbearable. The smell from the sewers was absolutely disgusting, and there were flies everywhere. It baffles me that La Rambla is a tourist destination. I genuinely cannot comprehend why. I'm glad I've been, just to say I have, so I don't have to bother again.

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pedunculated5432@reddit

Love this advice! I've been scrolling the whole thread looking for Tallinn, as I'm visiting for the first time next month

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98thRedBalloon@reddit

I'm happy to answer any questions, I really do recommend it as a destination.

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pedunculated5432@reddit

Favourite hidden gem? And do you recommend the Tallinn Card?

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98thRedBalloon@reddit

Absolutely yes to the Tallinn Card, if you're staying long enough. It's inexpensive and having it is better than not.

In terms of hidden gems, make sure you visit Katariina käik, even if you just walk through it while in the Old Town. It's a quirky little alleyway brimming with history, and some very old buildings.

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pedunculated5432@reddit

Thanks for the tips!

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BackgroundGate3@reddit

Totally agree on Barcelona. Glad I've seen it, no desire to return. Madrid is so very much better.

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Ponichkata@reddit

I fell in love with Tallinn. It's hugely underrated

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Firm-Pollution7840@reddit

Favourite city us London or Barcelona for me. Least favourite is Dublin, honestly it's just boring as fuck imo and it looks depressing too.

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McCretin@reddit

Favourite - Lisbon

Lear favourite - Brussels. Pure dystopian shithole

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TheSecretIsMarmite@reddit

Favourite was Budapest, really friendly locals if you actually have Hungarian a try. Good restaurants and just a good vibe generally

Least favourite was Barcelona, which I know isn't going to be popular. It's the only place in Europe where I've seen someone get mugged, and also the only place where I've seen the police be completely indifferent to theft. I felt safer in parts of cape town than Barcelona.

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29124@reddit

Favourite: Prague or Vienna. I used to live in Prague though so I’m a bit biased.

Least favourite: went skiing in Bulgaria and everyone there was just sour and miserable.

Bratislava was ok but felt like a B&M bargains version of Prague.

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aroleid@reddit

I've never been to Bulgaria, but I did find the people in Croatia Croatia rather miserable. It might be down to recent wars .That's why I prefer to go to Greece where everyone is friendlier.

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

Favourite - Budapest. So beautiful, civilised and cultured. And the baths. Including the ones off the beaten track. And the food. And the river. It's got everything a big city should have but with little of the hassle that others have. Love it.

Least favourite - really, probably also in Hungary, Miskolc, but that's obscure , so let's say Genoa. Squalid and filthy but not in a charming and interesting and appealing way (Naples and Marseilles are all of these things, Odessa kind of is too but a bit more cultivated). But Genoa. Like it's not just pleasant being there. Filth and smell. Graffiti, decay , messm Extraordinarily blatant street prostitution too. I generally love Italy (could even, under pressure, almost say good things about Milan), but not Genoa. Such a pity.

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

Favourite: Milan. Great food, great wine, good mix of modern while also having a lot of artistic and historic stuff.

Least favourite (assuming I can’t count the U.K.): Barcelona. It’s a good place, but it just feels stuck between the worst excesses of over-tourism and the understandable backlash from locals. Ended up walking past god knows how many shitty looking tourist traps while also feeling vaguely aware that my mere presence was upsetting people.

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randomaccess24@reddit

What’s your favourite if the uk is included?

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

Favourite probably London. Least favourite, Rotherham? If that’s a city.

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DaveBeBad@reddit

Favourite: Copenhagen, Stockholm or Berlin. Beautiful cities.

Least favourite: Venice. Smelly, hot, overcrowded, I lost my camera and had two different policemen wave their guns in my face.

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TheHayvek@reddit

I went to Stockholm last summer. Loved it and left feeling I'd barely scratched the surface. Will be going back for sure.

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Bskns@reddit

Favourite: Utrecht, Netherlands. Absolutely unmatched vibes there. Had a great time - great food, friendly locals and lots of easy connections within and outside of the city.

Least favourite: Barcelona, Spain. Nothing particularly wrong with it but it is the least friendly place I’ve been to. I found some of the locals pretty rude. I tried my best to order things in Spanish, although my Spanish is terrible and would often be met with a grumpy response in English, or even when I ordered patatas bravas the tapas bar staff brought me plain fried potatoes. I said “patatas bravas?” And gestured to the dish trying to look confused, they even said “we thought you like this better” which just ruined my day because I didn’t have the confidence (or the Spanish) to say “no I want what I ordered” so I just settled for it.

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NotForMeClive7787@reddit

Barcelona in August was absolutely hell on earth. I couldn’t believe how many people were packed into the city, it was madness.

Favourite one of San Sebastián, Vienna or Berlin

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ldn6@reddit

Favourite: Madrid. Amazing nightlife, museums, architecture, public transport and food.

Least favourite: Helsinki. Dull, felt empty everywhere, food is meh.

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TheHayvek@reddit

I'm married to a Finn so go back and forth a lot of the last 16 years. When people ask for recommendations I always recommend the north in winter (and so will most Finns to be fair). There's probably a really nice day in Helsinki (Suomenlinna, Allas Seas Pool, walk around some of the old bits, one of the old food markets) but beyond that you might struggle.

Feels like a great place to live though particularly during the summer.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Real Madrid too😏

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Ponichkata@reddit

Helsinki is the dullest place I've ever visited. You know it's boring when on the guided tour they point out their Burger King is the most beautiful in Europe.

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GeishaGal8486@reddit

Helsinki is the best city ever when the previous city you just visited is St. Petersburg! It feels very safe and they have soft toilet paper.

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

St Petersburg is sketchy with rough toilet paper? I’ve never been there, but it is on my bucket list. The Catherine Palace and the Hermitage are so beautiful!

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GeishaGal8486@reddit

It’s a beautiful city but I felt very unsafe there. I witnessed tourists being surrounded by groups of thieves and robbed. This happened in broad daylight in the center of the city.

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SeatSnifferJeff@reddit

I lived in Helsinki for a few years. It's a great place to live, but it's dull as hell.

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Frizzylizzy_@reddit

I loved Helsinki but sometimes wonder if it was just because I was at start of a relationship where everything was just oh so wonderful😂 Which goes to show each trip probably massively depends on who you’re with and where you are in your life!

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jru1994@reddit

Krakow

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No_Potato_4341@reddit

I haven't been to many European cities outside of this country tbf, and there wasn't any specification if we can use British cities so I'm gonna do my opinion for within Britain and outside it.

In britain:

Favourite: York - Just a stunning city with lots of history and many things to do. It also has a beautiful Minster.

Least favourite: Bradford - Just looks really run-down compared to other cities I've been to across the country

Outside of Britain:

Favourite: Prague - It is for the same reasons as York, Great history.

Least Favourite: Presov, Slovakia - Will go down as the most depressing place I've been in the world. There was tons of graffiti, litter, vandalised windows and the people were just miserable.

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

Does anyone outside of Bradford like Bradford?

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ddven15@reddit

It's got a large amount of very well conserved Victorian architecture and the public realm in its centre has been improved quite a bit in recent years. Unfortunately, it's a very deprived city.

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

Isn’t it supposed to be the most dangerous city in Europe?

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ddven15@reddit

Doubtful

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No_Potato_4341@reddit

Nope, that'd be marseille.

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Puzzleheaded_Toe2574@reddit

I like it! Great curry and great pubs.

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Jlaw118@reddit

Yeah Bradford and York are definitely a bit different to each other 🤣

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Kosciuszko1978@reddit

Agree on York being fav UK city

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luujs@reddit

Favourite: It’s either Florence or Split, both very beautiful cities in different ways, if I could chose to retire anywhere in the world, Split might be top of my list.

Least Favourite: Not technically a city but Morecambe for the UK. There’s nothing going for it, it’s just a bit of a hole to be honest. In Europe of the places I’ve visited I’d have to say Bologna. Not bad necessarily, just nothing much to do there. There are better places in Italy to visit.

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Correct_Basket_2020@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona Least favourite: Zagreb

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Dolphin_Spotter@reddit

Best: Berlin. Exciting, reasonably priced, loads of things to see and do.

Worst: Berlin. Drug dealers on public transport, graffiti everywhere, the airport.

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Charming_Apple6024@reddit

Berlin tends to have people divided

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Over-Boysenberry-452@reddit

Favourite: Berlin can be whatever you want it to be. Incredible place so much history.

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PaymentNo9778@reddit

Favourite: had a great time in Vienna about 10 years ago. Early December, freezing cold but stayed warm drinking mulled wine in the Christmas markets. Haven't been back because I'd hate for it to be a one off.

Least favourite: spent a couple of nights in Lyon during Euro 2016. Had to sleep in my clothes on a makeshift sheet made from plastic bags the hotel I booked was so filthy. Had a miserable time there.

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Capital_Lynx_7363@reddit

Favourite. Maybe Barcelona. Though the Baltic capitals are also great - Talliin especially.

Worst. Brussels was crap when I went. Also hated Warsaw when I went (but that was back in 2002)

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

Not Madrid?

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pedunculated5432@reddit

Love to hear that you speak of Tallinn so highly, visiting there for the first time next month! Keen for any recs. I've scrolled this whole thread looking for a mention of it.

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Teddy-Don@reddit

Favourite: Budapest - beautiful architecture, full of history, good restaurants and affordable.

Least favourite: common but Brussels. I just thought it was without personality, a city trying to represent everyone but reflecting no one at the same time.

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UniqueEnigma121@reddit

F1 too

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Nekyia__@reddit

Favourite is a toss up to be honest.

Bucharest was incredible, highly highly recommend Romania if you're looking for a unique getaway.

Florence because artwork, museums, palaces and Dante Alighieri

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bethdobson2705@reddit

Favorite: Budapest. Incredible mix of history and modern life, with stunning architecture (that Parliament building!), thermal baths to soak in, and a really vibrant ruin bar scene. Plus, the food is delicious and it's super affordable.

Least favorite: Venice. Undeniably beautiful and romantic, but it felt incredibly crowded and overpriced. I spent most of my time shuffling through throngs of tourists and dodging pigeons, which kind of killed the magical vibe.

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giannaxg@reddit

Agree with this Venice is one of those places I'm glad I can say I went but id never go again. It was beautiful but dangerously busy.

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dmmjrb@reddit

Hard agree. Venice was important 500 years ago but now it's just tourists and scam artists

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Programmer-Severe@reddit

Favourite: Salzburg. Lovely picturesque city, with lots to see all in a walkable package.

Least: Paris. Overrun with tat sellers and organised pretty criminals, unfriendly, dirty, and not in the slightest bit romantic. No idea how it gets it's reputation

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bowak@reddit

Favourite: Lugano. I love the scenery there, the view across the lake from the top of Monte Bre is something else. I got there 3 weeks into a cycle tour so that probably pays into it as well as it was when I was leaving the Alps and starting to feel like I'd got really quite far.

Least: Birmingham.

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cider-with-lousy@reddit

Favourites, Lviv,Ukraine (I was there before the war which started in 2014). Beautiful architecture and a fantastic coffee culture Helsinki, which in summer is fantastic with the white nights. Criticised as boring here, I loved it. Finns are laconic, which may partly explain it. There’s nowhere I particularly hate. Your experience depends on when you go, where you go and who, if anyone, you go with. The when is not only the season. For example, I spent a year in Poland thirty years ago, and enjoyed it, but it was a very different country then. I’m sure it’s great now, but if I were to return now it would be a different experience.

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Zubi_Q@reddit

Favourite has to be Barcelona. Just adored all the Gaudi stuff!

Least favourite would be tough as it takes a lot for me to dislike a place

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ThatGuyBob@reddit

My brother lives an hour away from Barcelona so I visit him every year and one of my favourite things to do is just wonder around and just admire the different buildings. My other is visiting the pier and just chilling there by the ocean lol

Lovely place with tasty food. Just need to make sure I don’t depart from the EasyJet terminal in Barcelona airport lol

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Zubi_Q@reddit

Such a gorgeous city!

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Fresh_Relation_7682@reddit

Favourite: Valencia. Beautiful centre, amazing food, nice beaches outside the city limits. The former river basin-as-a-park is stunning.

Least favourite - genuinely hated Paris when I was there. So overrated.

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dungloegirl@reddit

Valencia is a beautiful city. It just works well.

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TheMightyKoosh@reddit

It's been two years since I was there but every time my husband and I are out in a city we talk about the infrastructure in Valencia just seemed to work. Its such a nice city, and the park is wonderful.

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suppleriver@reddit

I lived in Valencia and 100% agree, it's a beautiful city.

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Breakwaterbot@reddit

Yeah I said Paris too. It's a shame because everywhere else in France I've been I have absolutely loved. But Paris was just not a nice experience. Don't think I'll ever bother returning.

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petey_love@reddit

Favourite - Copenhagen, just brilliant, no need for a car, clean and friendly, if a tad expensive.

Least favourite - Dublin, absolute shithole, full of gypsies trying to fight and Americans thinking they're liked. Good fun on a rugby weekend though.

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gols-e-but@reddit

reading and reading

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FeistyUnicorn1@reddit

Favourite: Prague, loved the vibe.

Least: Venice, so overrated!

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Sea-Still5427@reddit

Favourite: Amsterdam. Bike-friendly, several historic cinemas, beautiful yet designed to be lived in, trams, best chips in the world with mayonnaise.

Least favourite: Manchester. Grey, dank, chippy.

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Tesourinh0923@reddit

Favourite: Gent

This city is so beautiful. I spent hours just walking around it doing nothing but appreciating it. Everyone their was delightful, I still go back and look at my photos from my time there.

Least Favourite: Amsterdam

It's Chav Vegas. For how much people like to hype this place I didn't see it as magic, it's just trashy as fuck. The entire city feels like a massive grift, everything is way too expensive, it stinks of weed and piss and the locals are cunts. Go to Utrecht instead, it's much nicer.

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Cromises_93@reddit

Favourite: Reykjavik. It and Iceland as a whole has just some of the most incredible scenery. Just don't try to keep up with locals when out on the piss ☠️☠️

Least Favourite: Paris. Some interesting stuff, but the bins were overflowing and the lucky lucky men/street scammers are the most aggressive I've come across.

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a_engie@reddit

favourite Worcester, its just that right amount of quite, least favourite Birmingham, contains Brummies

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Kat8844@reddit

My favourite is Florence, although wanted to mention Madrid too, amazing city, definitely prefer it to the more touristy,less friendly Barcelona.

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The_Dude_Abides316@reddit

Stockholm.

Stoke.

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ohboyoboyoh@reddit

What a shame about your experience in Marseille. Totally understandable that would colour your time there! Had the opposite experience with my family, we had such an amazing time there.

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Due_Figure6451@reddit

Pleased to see the Parisian hate.

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LuckyPeach2020@reddit

They fully deserve it.

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slip-slop-slap@reddit

I adored Porto but really struggled with Dusseldorf

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demidom94@reddit

Favourite: Porto. Beautiful architecture, stunning scenery and the food is just to die for. Also, the most exquisite wines for daysssss.

Least favourite: Paris. For obvious reasons.

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Upbeat-Excitement-46@reddit

I wish I'd had the same experience of Porto. I didn't hate it, but it's not somewhere I'd hurry back.

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chellenm@reddit

Upvote for Porto, one of my favourites too

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Haunting_Badger7752@reddit

Favourite - Valencia, perfectly sized city, easily walkable with lots to see. Great food and people, unlike Barcelona still feels authentically Spanish without being overrun by tourists. Some of the best city beaches I've seen.

Least favourite - Athens, just couldn't vibe with it. The major tourist sites (Acropolis etc.) were so busy and crowded I couldn't enjoy it (this was in May). Food was good but repetitive. People not particularly friendly. Felt quite unsafe in the city centre of an evening.

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SwooshSwooshJedi@reddit

Barcelona probably doesn't feel authentically Spanish because many identify more as Catalan

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The_Big_Man1@reddit

Favourite: Sarajevo

Least favourite: Middlesbrough

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peachypeach13610@reddit

Favourite: Naples, beauty and art everywhere, full of character that I haven’t found anywhere else, amazing food and natural scenery.

Least favourite: Berlin is overrated af, visually it’s one of the ugliest capitals in Europe and I found people very rude. I’ve been to tons of raves in London/UK for years so the Berlin techno pseudo edgy scene doesn’t really impress me that much.

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aderi90@reddit

I agree with Berlin, it's not for me. If I go to a city I want to see cool architecture for a start and as you say, Berlin is pretty ugly.

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MoistSnow220@reddit

Favourite: Manchester

Least : London

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Nervous_Week_684@reddit

Not my favourites - they’re great, but surprised nobody’s mentioned Salzburg or Edinburgh

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ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit

Favourite = London. Basically a combination of every other city in Europe.

Worst = Naples - absolutely awful place. Dirty, rude locals, sexist locals, very unsafe.

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27106_4life@reddit

Least favourite, London. Grotty, dirty, shop fronts poorly designed and covered in cheap plastic signs. Crap roads, cars parked everywhere.

Favourite: Luxembourg. Pedestrian heaven, free public transport. Or maybe Vienna, so walkable, and police will keep the motorists from being stupid

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4321zxcvb@reddit

Favourite: Liverpool Least : Manchester.

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CautiousAmount@reddit

Favourite - Bologna

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I_am_Reddit_Tom@reddit

Favourite: Budapest. Clean and interesting with a nice river

Least favourite: Paris. Stinking shithole

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aChocolateFireGuard@reddit

Off the top of my head favourite is krakow, very clean and welcoming although got sick of being asked to go to a ‘titty bar’ every 50 yards Worst is paris, over hyped shithole in my opinion and everyone was so rude

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D0wnb0at@reddit

Fav is Barcelona. Yes it’s busy which isnt usually my favourite type of place but it’s the skateboarding Mecca. Not only that but the architecture is amazing everywhere and just a general great vibe. I’m 40 now and even tho I don’t skate anymore it’s crazy to walk around the streets and randomly find a skate spot from a video 20 years ago. “Holy shit that’s the spot Reynolds did a huge FS flip on the Baker vid”

Worst is every capitol city. London, Paris, Berlin, etc. way too busy and way too expensive. I hate capital cities with a passion.

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ArcTan_Pete@reddit

Zielona Gora, Poland is my favourite city. I consider it my sSeptembercond home. It's a large city but - sorta - off the beaten track (no major airport nearby, around 200km equidistant from Berlin, Poznan and Wroclaw) but it also has a major wine festival lasting a week, in september.

Least Favourite - Paris - Rude, Smelly, Nasty, up-it's-own-bottom, pretentious, ill-mannered, Expensive, Impolite and with a knock-off blackpool tower (and, did i mention, discourteous?)

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

I think everyone says that about the major city in their country- Canadians certainly say that about Toronto, and I understand the English, French, Italians, and Russians say that about London, Paris, Milan, and Moscow.

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coomzee@reddit

Brno Czech republic least favourite Brussels

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Honk_Konk@reddit

I love Prague. Beautiful medieval city, nice mixture of east and western European culture.

Least favourite: I wasn't impressed with Munich. Typical business German city, homeless, crime etc. (Migrant crisis problems)

Kraków is cool too. My wife is polish so I have seen that city over a dozen times. Safe and clean.

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Revolutionary-Ad2355@reddit

Favourite: Krakow Least Favourite: Paris

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Responsible_Oil_5811@reddit

Paris does seem to be a love it or hate it city. I don’t think it’s particularly dirtier or ruder than other major cities, but I will say the Metro is sketchier than the Underground. Also the scammers at the Eiffel Tower made it much less pleasant.

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stevegraystevegray@reddit

Favourite - Florence, it’s got it all, History, art, friendly people, great architecture and it’s driven by amazing food and drink! Plus it’s a great size, has a lovely climate and in my fave European country. The fact it’s in Tuscany is an enormous plus too

Least favourite - never been anywhere that I have really disliked. I don’t particularly like Manchester. I have had some great times there, but it is always miserable weather and I find the place quite depressing

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SnooRegrets8068@reddit

Favourite - Fuck knows I stay away from them, Swansea I guess cos I lived there and didn't feel like actively vomiting walking through it?

Least Favourite - Truro its nearest, there is nothing at all there except a 24 hour gym and they closed a ridiculously overperforming club in it's place before that and fucked the town then in a indirect way made me lose my job cos the thing went to shit with no nighttime economy and cuts so bye job. This is why theres no night time economy you dumbasses you closed it. There were people there people from other countries had heard of that had no business being playing to rooms smaller than my house.

Which is a bloody council house. A very nice one to be fair in somewhere extremely nice to be but what it is not is an international attraction for DJ's to play at.

Yes I have some club speakers but they are holding the desk up at the moment and the other one may not work after the garden flooded but its hard to judge with the tide mark on the bass bin.

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JohnCasey3306@reddit

Favorite is Oslo; least favorite is a coin toss between Paris and Berlin.

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Klakson_95@reddit

Favourite: Stockholm

Least Favourite: Venice

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robtheblob12345@reddit

Lecce in Italy, was absolutely blown away by it and I’d never heard of it before. Least favorite probably Reykjavik, cold; expensive; gloomy, just very blah along with the rest of Iceland. I don’t get the hype. The people were nice though

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send_n0odles@reddit

Surprising to hear that about Iceland. Was the weather just really crap when you went? I went in January and the lack of sunlight was tough, but the scenery even a 30min-1hr drive from Reykjavik was undeniably stunning.

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FarIndication311@reddit

Agree, we all like different things of course, me and a mate rented a car and racked up almost 2,000 miles exploring, complete sense of freedom and totally stunning scenery. Lost count of the awesome waterfalls, natural hot rivers to swim in, mountains etc.

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Miss_Type@reddit

Favourite: split between Florence and Prague.

Not choosing a least favourite cos that feels mean!

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ljh013@reddit

I found Prague very pretty but the abundance of British lads lads lads type stag dos was slightly distracting. Krakow a similar problem. Bit of a cliche but I have found Berlin to have an excellent vibe, especially when you get out the obviously tourist bits.

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Rocinante23@reddit

I absolutely loved Berlin, one of best places I've visited in Germany.

Didn't see a single person smiling when I was there.

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randomaccess24@reddit

This has made me wonder, does anyone in Europe go to the UK for their stag do?

Apologies for my assumed ignorance

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Jlaw118@reddit

Prague has been one of my favourites but it was just full of pissed up Brits on every street corner. Literally. There was this like booze bar bike sort of thing just constantly going round the city, it’s all we ever saw

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Letter_Effective@reddit

A few months ago, Prague banned night-time pub crawls to draw more 'cultured' tourists who visit to admire the history and architecture rather than solely get wasted.

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Chinotime@reddit

Loved: Rome, Budapest, Krakow, Brugge, Amsterdam, Tallinn, Ljubljana, London (home), Barcelona, Valencia, Florence, Wroclaw, Reims, Dijon, Copenhagen

OK: Milan, Bergamo, Warsaw, Pula

Sketchy: Marseille, Brussels, Paris

Haven't been but need to: Prague, Madrid, Split

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Remarkable-Wash-7798@reddit

Has anyone tried Instanbull? Techbnically some of it doesn't count as Europe as you can cross the bridge to switch continents.

For some reason I've always wanted to try it and I'm not a city person.

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Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit

Favourite: San Sebastian, genuinely incredible food, interesting city, great to look at.

Least favourite: Birmingham, awful accent.

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Rocinante23@reddit

Favourite - Lisbon

Least favourite - London

On Amsterdam, I'm always shocked to hear people say that it's crowded. I've been three times and never felt that at all.

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Redcar31@reddit

Favourite: Porto

Least favourite: Berlin

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Upbeat-Excitement-46@reddit

I found Porto rather boring to be honest, and way too busy. I was even there in the supposed 'off' or 'shoulder' season in April and I couldn't move for people. Nice in parts, but not much to do.

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McLeod3577@reddit

Favourite : Amsterdam - Nice canals, museums and coffee shops.

Least Favourite : Prague - Too many Americans.

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I-stupid-very@reddit

I was gonna say Ipswich then I remembered it was just a town 💛💚😂😂

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themonandhiswammal@reddit

Favourite: Berlin- history, people, beer, nightlife and was so easy to get around.

Least favourite- I was going to say Birmingham (I live near there) but I caught a mega bus from Brum to Paris 10 years ago and when we arrived in Paris I thought ‘I’d rather be back in Birmingham’. So Paris. Definitely Paris.

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buy_me_a_pint@reddit

Favourite in Europe , Siena (Italy) we spent a few hours here on a coach tour of Italy last year, Verona (Italy), Prague, Krakow, Budapest

Least favourite not been to any in Europe which I have not enjoyed visit, some in the United Kingdom are London (my parents took me here for a long break since I never been to London and this was back in 2013, very busy, )

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Cattlemutilation141@reddit

Reykjavik

City with the population of Preston that has mountains at every turn. Incredible

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TheTackleZone@reddit

I really love Seville. Incredible city.

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RevolutionarySea72@reddit

Favourite Lisbon 20 years ago

Worst Lisbon now

I‘ve not been to a European capital that’s changed so much. It’s now soulless. Gentrification of a monumental scale. I probably preferred Athens the first time I visited but that could have been the company and also went recently and still had enough local experiences that it was great. Lisbon was the biggest change for the worst, so disappointed.

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MJLDat@reddit

Favourite: Bruges, beautiful city, great memories.

Least: Caen, I know it was flattened in WW2, but it has been rebuilt terribly and has no soul.

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Bbew_Mot@reddit

I associate Caen with the Portsmouth to Caen ferry so it does have some positive childhood holiday memories for me! Whilst I do like travelling by ferry, I had some bad experiences with sea sickness on this route.

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LadyMirkwood@reddit

Favourite: Berlin. The fact its essentially two cities in one means you never run out of places to explore. You can eat cheaply and well, the public transport is excellent and it has enough edge to be interesting. Also, I'm a history nerd, so there's plenty there for me.

Least: Prague. I know this will be controversial, but it felt so gentrified. So many designer shops and touristy things, it felt hard to feel what the soul of the place was. Perfectly pleasant, but dull.

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MikeyButch17@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona

Least Favourite: Paris

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Reasonable-Horse1552@reddit

Favourite - Juan les Pins in the south of France.

Least Favourite - an area of Naples called Torre del Greco.

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jacq85@reddit

Favourite: Rome. Most beautiful city, incredible food, great people. Packed with tourists but I still love it.

Least favourite: Frankfurt. Grim!

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Reasonable-Horse1552@reddit

Bruges - it's like a fairytale place

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bookschocolatebooks@reddit

Favourite : Vienna. It's so chilled with lots of great cake and music, particularly as a classical music fan. The music museum is fantastic!

Least favourite: I'm going to agree with Amsterdam, I found it quite tacky and dirty. I wasn't hugely keen on Budapest when we went either, but it was as a day trip from Vienna and the weather wasn't great so I don't think we got the best impression of it!

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MeggieTheBrave@reddit

Favourite - Berlin, not even really sure why, it just has a whole vibe about it that I love.

Least - Paris. There are a lot of really cool things to see but the city as a whole is icky. Its filthy and has a real seedy feeling to it

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nnogales@reddit

Favorite: Paris - Food, walkability, stunning everywhere Least favorite: Zwolle. Hell. Cancelled train hell.

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lolathe@reddit

Favourite : Budapest - great food, fab wine, loads to see, cheap. Berlin is a close second.

Least favourite - toulouse - found it boring. plane junkyard museum was kinda cool though (next to proper plane museum) and you can easily get to carcassonne from there but I just didn't vibe with the city itself.

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v60qf@reddit

Copenhagen Paris.

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PublicSealedClass@reddit

Favourite: Prague, for similar reasons to OP. Love the architecture & cultural attractions.

Least Favourite: Brussels. Sketchy af. Avoid.

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Upset_Cow_8517@reddit

My favourite city is Preston and my least favourite is London.

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lmnopafmita@reddit

I’ve enjoyed every place visited (been all but 4 countries in Europe), but if I had to categorise….

Favourites: Bergen, Porto, Ljubljana, Krakow, Kyiv, St Petersburg, Rome, Sarajevo, Edinburgh
Gritty but cool: Naples, Athens, Brussels (so many soft people in this thread!) Worth the hype: Barcelona, Florence, Berlin, Amsterdam, Istanbul Liked but not as much as I hoped: Venice, Dublin, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik Least favourite if I had to select: Frankfurt - so big, so important, but a tad dull

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CrowApprehensive204@reddit

So far, Budapest, just gorgeous with loads to see and do. Close second was Krakow, we have also been to Wroclaw and agree with the others, Poland is stunning and the food is really good too.

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graken12@reddit

Favourite: Sevilla, feels like it’s a bit untouched by tourists still who largely go to Madrid and Barcelona in Spain but has great tourist spots, food is great everywhere you go, coffee and local beer are all great and all very affordable. People are all friendly and very patient when trying to communicate.

Least: Leeds, I don’t really know why. I just didn’t like the place

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UmlautsAndRedPandas@reddit

Favourite = Rome. Big enough to feel like a big city that people actually live and work in, but still manages to feel like a resort/holiday when you get off the plane. Also Rome has stuff to see and do year-round which is great and not every place can claim the same.

Least favourite = Amsterdam, I wouldn't turn down a chance to go again but I just didn't get the hype, and having now been to other cities across the Netherlands like Haarlem and Leeuwarden which are quieter, cleaner, prettier, and better laid out, Amsterdam just can't compete basically. To use a studenty analogy, it's like the Holloway Road area of north London. Also whoever runs GVB and Nederlandse Spoorwegen has shit for brains, oh my god. They have the most fucking awful ticketing payment systems and platform barriers I have ever encountered anywhere in the world.

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit

My favourite: Ljubljana, absolutely stunning and not yet ruined by mass tourism.

Least favourite: Paris, absolute shithole might aswell be a massive refugee camp. Never felt so unsafe.

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Far_Mammoth_9449@reddit

Thank you for being the only person on this thread to identify the true problem with all these European cities

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit

Many have been gutted by immigration and no longer resemble what they used to be. Awful. Such a massive difference from now vs twenty years ago.

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Far_Mammoth_9449@reddit

It just sucks. 20 years ago Eastern Europe was still ravaged by communism and Western Europe was the place to go on holiday. Now I feel it's trending toward the opposite.

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit

Exactly this. Eastern Europe is absolutely stunning though. I hitchhiked for two years out there and still have friends to this day from many countries including Bosnia.

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Low-Cauliflower-5686@reddit

Yes, Athens was the same.

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Far_Mammoth_9449@reddit

Really? That's eye-opening. I thought only Western Europe was really affected.

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Langeveldt@reddit

Favourite - Deventer, Netherlands

Least favourite - Birmingham, UK

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Chuy14@reddit

Favourite - Lisbon Least Favourite - Vienna

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thisisvic@reddit

Favourite is difficult - I love Málaga, Seville & Lisbon (although walking around Lisbon is not for the fainthearted/weak-legged). Bonus shout out for Cordoba for a day trip in Andalusia - absolutely beautiful, but a day was enough to see all the best bits.

Least favourite - I'm going to have to agree with the two most popular answers on here and say Paris & Amsterdam.

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Opposite_Orange_7856@reddit

Favourite: Lisbon- had low expectations, and it turned out to be a really great city break. Very underrated and fairly cheap.

Least favourite: Prague- in terms of expectations, Prague was a let down. Very tourist-centric which takes away from the authenticity.

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jaBroniest@reddit

Best - Copenhagen it's absolutely beautiful, lots to do for everyone, the buildings architecture is out of this world.

Worst - Amsterdam is a shit hole and it's quite dirty plus cyclists will try to murder you daily. The weed in the UK is just as good don't fall for the hype.

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Resident-Rhubarb8372@reddit

Favourite: Santander - stunning city, phenomenal transport, clean beaches and incredible food culture.

Least favourite - also Amsterdam for same reasons as OP

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perhapsflorence@reddit

Favourite: Berlin Least Favourite: Naples

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Stuvas@reddit

Favourite probably depends upon what I'm looking for.

Chilled vibes, good food, nice people and warm weather - Porto was fantastic.

History and beautiful buildings - Rome is my favourite thus far.

Honourable mentions to: Lisbon, Dubrovnik and I love Dublin but the prices are extortionate.

Least favourite is harder, we went somewhere in France on a school trip and the place was just covered in dog poo. To the point where it wasn't look at the floor to avoid the turds, it was look at the floor to find the clean stepping spots. Looking at GoogleMaps it could've been Nantes, it was a single day out 24 years ago now though, so maybe they've had a cleaner out since.

I've also only ever been to Disneyland for Paris, and a lot of people are saying exactly the things for Paris that my head has already decided will apply.

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idontlikemondays321@reddit

Favourite: Lisbon

Least Favourite: Naples

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stumperr@reddit

Favorite Dubrovnik

Least favorite Naples. Dirty, smelly and very unsafe looking

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No-Computer-2847@reddit

Favourite: Lisbon.

Least favourite: Paris. Or anywhere with a majority of French people, because they’re awful.

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Friendly_Stand_5138@reddit

Favourite - Athens

Least favourite - Paris

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Breakwaterbot@reddit

Favourite - Copenhagen. Everything about it is just fantastic. The way of life, the beer scene, the public transport, the people... Just everything works and is very much my kind of place. I've always been a countryside kind of person but have said if I had to live in a city then that would be my choice.

Least favourite - Paris. I've travelled all over France and really enjoyed the vast majority of places I've been but I really disliked going to the capital. I can't even really put my finger on why but I mainly just didn't feel safe or happy trying to get around. I felt quite alienated there for being a Brit despite trying my best with the language (I was probably just unlucky and the people I conversed with were dicks). So much about it made me never want to bother going back.

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janisace@reddit

Favourite: Toulouse, France & Sevilla, Spain Least favourite: Brussels - like everyone else is saying haha

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moffb88@reddit

Favourite is berlin for sure - least favourite probably something like Gloucester 😂

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Sinister_Grape@reddit

Favourite: Palermo Least favourite: Paris, soz

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cloche_du_fromage@reddit

Favourite is Budapest. Very interesting, lively photogenic, walkable, date and relatively safe.

Least favourite is Monaco. Soulless, wealth obsessed and tainted by the feeling of dirty money.

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Jlaw118@reddit

My favourite would probably be Prague or Amsterdam. As much as they tend to be quite party, stag do type cities, I’ve always found the trips overall quite relaxing.

Hotel I usually stay in in Amsterdam is quite far out of the main centre and right by one of the canals, it’s really nice just sat having a meal and/or drink sat by there on a hot summers day. There’s a few music festivals I used to like to go to in the Netherlands in general, and I feel like there are plenty of things to do there. Prague was similar but only been the once, we visited some less touristy parts and just really enjoyed it.

Least favourite would be Stuttgart in Germany. We went for a few days to visit a friend who was studying a semester out there and just found the people in shops and restaurants to be so rude to us because we didn’t speak German. We found some of the other cities in Germany to be fairly friendly and welcoming but for some reason not so much in Stuttgart.

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cluelessphp@reddit

I lived in Lyon when I was younger and loved it. London, it's just not somewhere I like going now due to the nonsense down there.

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Royal_IDunno@reddit

Favourite: Athens, very ancient city great for history lovers like myself.

Least favourite: London… overcrowded, extremely expensive, noisy, stabby and dirty.

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theeternal_420@reddit

Favourite - Amsterdam, amazing museums, loads of interesting history, good weed, good food, great people.

least - London, manic busy, everything’s a rip off, least friendly place visited

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Frosty_Thoughts@reddit

Favourite: Paphos. The history was amazing, the weather glorious and you're never more than 5 minutes from a beach and crystal clear water. I also went in late May so the crowds were effectively nonexistent.

Least favourite: London. Everything is so expensive, the people are very rude, the whole city is 50% tourist trap and 50% rich man's playground. It also smelt horrible the last time I was there, like everywhere I went there was a pungent sewage smell.

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aahhbisto@reddit

Favourite - Stockholm, lots to see and do with great transport links and everything you need close by.

Least favourite is Paris, dirty, rude people and horrid public transport.

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Frizzylizzy_@reddit

Haven’t been to tonnes of places but Berlin and Barca have to be my favourites. And least favourite was Milan. Found it incredibly boring.

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Tildatots@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona or Ljubljana Least is Prague, hated it

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Appropriate_Emu_6930@reddit

Favourite: Barcelona

Least favourite: Sheffield

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wroclad@reddit

Favourite: London. I lived there and loved it. Great night life and so many different parts with different vibes.

Least Favourite: Prague. I lived close to Prague and thought it was tacky and far too touristy. The architecture was nice though.

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itsYaBoiga@reddit

Haven't been to many so...

Favourite Bruges Least favourite Paris

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Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit

Favourite: Gdansk, Poland. Beautiful, interesting.

Least favourite: Paris. I have gone many times but fail to understand the charm.

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

Poland has a lot of beautiful architecture, Krakow was stunning when I went

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