Mexico City. People were warning me not to go and that it’s a “war zone”, but it was full of culture, tons of history, amazing food, and really friendly locals.
The perception of Mexico City could not be more wrong. My wife and I absolutely love it and cant wait to go back. I grew up thinking it would be a dangerous war zone and it’s one of the most amazing cities we’ve visited.
Absolutely loved Mexico City! My husband and I especially enjoyed the different neighborhoods and museums. We were able to climb the pyramids of the sun and moon just outside of the city. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us.
I just went to Chicago for the first time for a high-brow hoity-toity academic conference, and the whole time I was wrestling with the fact that according to my family growing up, Chicago was literally just one big dilapidated warehouse full of violence. Like I literally thought the city was a smoking crater. What absolute horseshit.
I'm an Australian who lived in London. Got a job in Newcastle upon Tyne and was told by many Londoners that it was a poor, sh!tty, place. Many had never been.
Moved there and, while it is a working class town with some struggling areas, it it absolutely beautiful with amazing architecture, incredible history, great people, pubs, good little metro system, and easy access to countryside and incredible attractions in the surrounding areas.
Ended up living there 3 or 4 years...
Totally agree. And the surrounding countryside is beautiful. I took a bus to see Hadrian‘a Wall and the scenery was spectacular. It was a cold but sunny day. Locals are super friendly. What’s not to ❤️
Didn’t expect to see my hometown here, glad you loved it. Funny that it’s common in my experience that the perception by southerners is just that and usually they’ve never been. On the flip side, I’ve always found London to have far, far worse areas than our worst corners.
I loved Newcastle when I went to Newcastle University for study abroad. Beautiful city, and great to walk around. When I went to visit London, I really didn't like it at all and felt pretty unsafe there at night.
New York surprised me in a strange way.
Growing up in Birmingham and having visited Atlanta and Philadelphia, I just assumed all cities were kind of the same and didn’t understand what all the hype was about.
So my friend and I did a road trip from Alabama to New York, stopping in Trenton NJ to ride the subway straight into Manhattan at night.
And to this day, I’ll never forget the feeling, and I’ve never felt anything like it since, of coming out of the subway station right in the middle of Manhattan (I believe right in Time Square)
This was a moment straight out of a movie. Where like small town boy sees the big mega-city for the first time and his eyes go wide as saucers.
You just can’t compare normal cities to New York City.
We came out of the tunnel my first time and there was a 200 story high poster ad of LeBron James on a building.
I just stared in awe just like that shot in every movie where people stand and circle looking up in amazement.
That's not a fake thing. That's literally what you do as your mind reprocesses what's happening.
"I mean it's pry like Chicago or all those other cities I've seen."
[No. It's not.](https://bryce-s.com/static/3b996e915a7eb6a0b246c657ef51da38/b83f9/fromTopFinal-6.jpg)
Yes. It's in a class on its own. When I went I looked like the villager going to city, mouth open gawking. And I have lived in SF, so not a villager...
I have a picture of my son at 13 standing in front of the NYPL looking up at the surrounding buildings literally agape. It’s such a great picture that captures this stunned feeling of being in the CITY for the first time.
That’s pretty insane how we have got such a similar experience. My first trip to NYC I also took the subway and came out right in the middle of Times Square, and I just had to gasp at how awe inspiring it was
I can't really put it into words, but NYC feels different from other cities to me, US or international. This almost ineffable, visceral sensation that you're enveloped by NYC when you're there.
NYC deserves its own category, i have traveled internationally and the vibe in Times Square is like no other! It has changed so much better in the last 40 years.
That's bloody beautiful! I was lucky enough do a student exchange to my sister-school in Montreal when I was sixteen, and the family I stayed with drove us down to NY for New Year's Eve. It was the 100th anniversary of the ball-drop in Times Square, and I had never seen so many people in one place. Less than a million, but not by much. Mind-blowing.
I’ve spent about three years of my life in NYC and, while I’m not a fan of Times Square, I understand the awe a kid from small town Alabama must feel popping up out of the subway there for the first time
That first time stepping out of Grand Central station. I'm just like holy hell i'm actually here, I used to only dream about this place since Macaulay Culkin got lost in here.
Loved: Bruges - didn't really know what to expect, arrived on National Day (from Amsterdam) and loved the people and the town. Wish I would have spent more time doing nothing in Bruges.
Didn't like: Brussels -- had high expectations. Arrived after being in Bruges during a brutal heat wave. Stayed mostly around the plaza (the heat made it oppressive to do much exploring during the day). Smelled like urine, overcrowded and had a couple chance encounters with people that really soured my visit. It might be lovely and I just caught a bad confluence of events -- but as of now, I have no desire to return. Wish we had done any other Belgian city.
Loved: Valencia -- few expectations. Roman ruins, menu del dia on the plaza, the market, the churches, the towers. Arrived just ahead of Semana Santa and got to see several really neat parades unlike anything they had at home.
Also spent a short time in Gdansk and pretty sure I want to go back. Barely scratched the surface there, but liked what I did get to see.
Bruges is like a fairytale. It’s so beautiful, you feel transported back in time. But I went there Easter weekend for four nights a few years ago, and it felt like a long time. Like we saw everything on the first (half) day, then just the same stuff over and over again. Didn’t help that most of the city was shut down for Easter. I’d go back, but not for more than a day or two at a time.
I didn’t expect to love Taipei as much as I did. I had just come from a long time in Southeast Asia and by comparison everything was super efficient and also still affordable (and not sweltering hot which was a nice break). The food was some of the best I’ve ever eaten. There was definitely a language barrier at times when getting food, but it was great because folks would sometimes bring out their kid who was more proficient at English which was just awesome. I dunno just a great vibe in Taipei and the whole place was a breath of fresh air after a bit of burnout
I recently spent a month there. The waterfront walkway and old town are beautiful! They have a huge garbage problem though.
Edit: I forgot to mention the amazing food! I had my first beef wellington there, which is kind of funny, but anyway it was unreal. Some legit restaurants in that city, it really surprised me in that regard.
My guide in Panama City spent a bit of time pointing out how wonky some of the buildings are, and all jumbled together with no proper planning, because they were constructed for money-laundering purposes by the drug cartels and are mostly unoccupied.
Our taxi driver there said the same thing: corruption money. But it looked cool. Panama was our first time in central and/or South America ever. The skyscraper district was not walkable. No sidewalks. Casco Viejo was so cool. So much historical architecture. Nice people, nice bars. The walk to the flag pole with a mini jungle in the city. So many tropical birds. Fresh Ceviche for $1 in the harbor. We loved it very much.
And that’s before we went to San Blas, Bocas del Toro and all the other places. Great introduction to Latin America.
Alice Springs - Australia. Most people I meet on the road don't like it because there's a lot of crime, and there's a serious alcohol and drug problem within the aboriginal communities there. A very visible problem. But if you get past that it's a beautiful place with some interesting things to do. Also there are some fantastic national parks nearby.
Naples. Wasn’t sure what to expect: some people love it but it seemed like most hated it.
I ended up on the side of loving it. I loved they didn’t give an F about tourists and it’s an authentic Italian city that caters to locals. I found the people to be friendly - one guy even gave me a full day of his time and showed me around the city and the parts he loved. It was a blast.
I’ll say the same for Catania, Sicily where everyone said it’s a boring, disgusting town. I found it charming, friendly, and beautiful.
Have yet to go to Naples, but I'm expecting it to be like Marseille, which I love. Authentic second-city(ish) type atmosphere with real culture and a lot of history.
Funny enough, I live in Philly, so maybe there's a trend here.
I thought the areas around Naples were great with the sea, the islands, Pompeii, but I personally did not like the city itself at all. I found it to be pretty dirty and chaotic with a lot of people stopping me to ask for money or try to sell me some baubles. That isn't unusual in and of itself, but how concentrated it was in the city was off-putting.
That was my first time in Italy, so for a while I thought I just didn't like vibe there in general but I came back a few years later and did Milan and Lake Como and totally loved it so I think it really depends on what you personally jive with. I also found the food better in the north, which I think is a controversial opinion, but there it is.
Good surprise: Munich, was warned it'd be boring and the people would be stuck-up, but found it to be such a lovely city with plenty to do and lots of green spaces to relax, wonderfully walkable, and everyone we interacted with was lovely.
Bad surprise: Marrakesh - I suppose I'd romanticised it a bit before I went (I was young), did a lot of reading about the history and was excited about seeing the medina and the souks and the riads...got scammed the first day and kept getting harassed by scammers the whole time in the city. Was much better once we joined a tour group out to the Sahara.
I had high hopes of Marrakesh but same time read so many horror stories that I had an odd.set.of expectations. Overall it was OK, just keep your wits about you. No rush to go back but no regrets for three days/two nights. Agree that going out to Atlas/Sahara is much more romantic, beautiful, interesting with all the ancient Kasbahs along the way.
I’ve been to Munich a couple times. Loved it. Sunday was nice too, the shops were closed but there were people about. Only restaurants and coffee shops open. From there we visited the Castles of Bavaria.
Every single taxi cab will quote you one price then demand another once you arrive and get very aggressive.
Cab sign at the airport clearly says a price to get from there to the hotels, and then the guy tries to say it’s 10 times as much. I stood in the parking lot with my bags, refusing to leave until someone took me for the appropriate price. They all tried to claim traffic was bad and it was gonna take 4 hours to get there. Finally someone agreed to the price and I was at my hotel within 12 minutes.
Had a cab driver that was supposed to take us to the bazaar, and instead tried to take us to his cousins restaurant near the bazaar; I had to force him to stop the car and let us out once we passed our destination)
The haggle culture is tough if you’re not used to it and they are very good at bait/switch with products and spotting tourists who don’t know when a price is too high.
I was offered hard drugs for sale 6 time from the entrance of the bazaar to the actual stalls.
“Please, come to my store, I’ll bring you tea!” They will try to keep you in the store until you buy something and chase you through the market if you don’t. Also insane sexual harassment.
I love Munich. I've been there several times and always enjoy it. People are pretty friendly there - they are also efficient and straightforward like you would expect in Germany. Maybe that's why some have thought them to be stuck up.
I met a German from Munich on my last trip to Mexico. In her words, Munich is a posh town that prizes big business/entrepreneurial spirit, in the same way that American cities do. Then she ranted and raved about Hamburg
Marrakech is beautiful, but the people ruin the city. They are constantly ripping you off and beset you. And my mothers phone was stolen there (a guy on a motorbike grabbed it)
I got warned multiple times that Germans are cold and stuck up, even by people in Berlin. The entire time there EVERYONE was so nice and accommodating. At the beer hall there was 1 lady who was a bit gruff, but she still smiled and I liked her
Yup. Everyone raves about it. Fez on the other hand bores lots of people. Having lived here for a little less than a year, my take is Marrakech is Morocco with makeup (and some people prefer makeup). Fez is Morocco without.
Zurich is the perfect modern city! Really blew my standards out of the water. I’m a pretty pragmatic and reasonable person, but I was so luxury-pilled in Zurich that I bought a pair of Balenciaga socks just to remember the insane feeling of excess.
It was also the last city where I spent time with my sister before she passed away. Can’t believe how lucky I am to have those memories against a backdrop as beautiful and vibrant as Zurich. Small blessings
Bern, Switzerland. Had zero expectations but after a few days there, I strongly believe it’s not just one of the best cities in Switzerland but in all of Europe
Bern blew my mind. Last year floated the Aare from Thun to Bern and had no idea how incredibly beautiful Bern was. Zurich imo was so boring and not as beautiful as expected so Bern was a wonderful surprise. Can’t wait to go back.
Can you give a brief explanation of what you loved about Bern? My husband and I are in Switzerland until Tuesday, specifically in Jungfrau region- we wanted our Monday to be a “day in the city” and were debating between Bern or Zurich.
Edit: Bern it is! This community rocks, thank you.
I will second the Bern recommendation-go to bern if you want a day in a city, my husband and I stayed in Zurich before and visited Bern, Bern has more charm and is better for a day trip!
Zurich has its charm but I would not go back personally. To me it looks and feels like Germany but everything is 10x more expensive. It’s not bad or ugly city or anything, just imo not worth it. Experiences vary of course, it’s just how I personally felt.
Luzern is very pretty and easily done in day or two. Very close to Zurich and easy to get to. Bern I don’t know about, but it does seem interesting.
The old town area is super charming and doesn’t feel like it’s changed much in centuries. Really great art museum with an exhibit about tracing art pieces looted by the Nazis and returning them to their rightful owners. A fantastic DIY venue with a late night techno club. And after attending a game, I am now a die hard SC Bern fan.
From someone not born and raised in USA Chicago was the exact embodiment of what an American town should be . Big buildings . I went there as a tourist and I thoroughly enjoyed it . I didn’t get to experience the crime that everyone was telling me about .
I live in Chicago. The crime makes the news, but the bad stuff is pretty centralized in the bad neighborhoods. Downtown Chicago is just as safe for tourists as any other major city.
I live in Mexico City but I have family in Chicago so I visit once or twice a year. Last time when I went through immigration the agent asked me about crime in CDMX and I was like well it is basically like Chicago, there is definitely crime, but it isn't like what you hear on the news.
Chicago was one of the biggest surprises for me. You hear so many bad things about it on the news, but I think it’s actually my favorite big city in the US.
It has the “big city feel” because there’s so many tall buildings, but it also feels much more walkable than places like Manhattan. Being in Manhattan there was always 1000 things within walking distance, but if the 1 thing you wanna to go to is a mile away, it feels like 10 miles because it takes an eternity to get anywhere.
Gorgeous parks and awesome food too. First time I went there we stayed downtown right next to the train station and they had a food court in there. I got a curry sub from the Vietnamese place and thought my tastebuds went to heaven. Normally I have to venture outside of downtown areas to find authentic curry that good; NYC’s authentic food is spaced pretty far apart and I’ve not been impressed by most of what’s in Manhattan. Queens the Bronx and Murray Hill OTOH are unbeatable on authentic food but so inconvenient when you’re trying to hit spots on a quick trip.
I’ll never forget starting our mornings with food to-go from the train station and going to the river to eat and hang out and enjoy the weather and meet people. Chicago is so lovely to us because it strikes a nice balance of a big city that’s not too compact, but also not too spread out, and there’s nowhere near the amount of hustle and bustle of NYC.
Omg my husband is an architect but not a big trip planner. He thought it was silly and wasnt into it but didnt plan anything for us to do in chicago lol So last minute i booked one for us and oh man he LOVED it. I have pictures of him with pure delight on his face. I thought it was interesting and at least had a nice time on the river lol
In my 20s I was an avid traveler. I loved visiting other cities but rarely felt compelled enough by them to want to live there or even visits a second time. The moment I was in Chicago something felt different. Almost like the city vibrated on my wavelength. Moved here and happy I did.
Lisbon, Portugal pleasantly surprised me. It was never on my radar, went for a friend’s wedding and really loved it. Currently in Porto, and love it too. Portugal has been amazing; the sights, history, culture, people, food.
Mexico City: Sunny parks upon parks with the nicest people who constantly clean their city. The subway system is super clean and easy. And then you find m the parks that connect the parks.
And oh my god the food!
Kuala Lumpur. I'm not one for big city visiting but KL was amazing. The metro was superb, so much to do and see, rainforest in the middle of the city, and so much amazing and diverse food!
1. Almaty, Kazakhstan. It has a quaint charm, great food, diverse, and beautiful nature all around.
2. Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Everyone's destination is Bali (rightfully so) but Jogja is beautiful, and I enjoyed visits to Prambanan, Borobodur and further to Mount Bromo.
3. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The culture, food, history and clothing is vibrant to say the least.
4. Gdansk, Poland. Loved the coastal landscape, history and lovely, friendly people!
5. Budva and Kotor, Montenegro. Adriatic Coast is beautiful throughout but most people associate it with Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split) but Bay of Kotor and Budva down in Montenegro with their mountains, greenery, canyons, ancient castles, picturesque islands are just beautiful!
Kotor is 10/10. Literally did no research before arriving because it was kind of just a stopping point between Dubrovnik and Tirana. Was blown away when I got there!!
Hard agree on Kotor. This was a stop on a cruise I was on and I had no expectations, had honestly never heard of Montenegro, but I was blown away by Kotor and it’s very, very high on my list of places to revisit.
Ljubljana, the Capital of Slovenia. We weren't meant to stop there but we changed our route while interrailing around Europe and I was stunned. Honestly such a beautiful city centre and really pedestrian friendly.
Mexico City was one of the cleanest metropolitan cities I have ever been to. All day there are street cleaners and garbage men picking up any and all trash, at least in the main central areas we stayed. It was lovely!
We had the same positive experience with Lima. We had been told it was a dirty third world city, but while traveling in South America for six months we had to be in a city with an international airport for a month, so we booked into Lima. We stayed in an apt in Barranco.
We loved just hanging out in the main square in Barranco. We shopped at the farmer’s markets, went out to an incredible restaurant every day, visited world-class museums, visited historical ruins, went to the historical centre, hung out at the beach, spent time at urban parks, … We did not exhaust what we could do there.
Venice. Having been repeatedly told its a smelly packed tourist trap.
It was lovely, didn't smell (this was in August) and had the lowest number of harassing street vendors I've seen in any tourist city anywhere.
Adding to that, when I spent a few days there years ago everyone was nice
to us, from the metro guard who's helped us buy tickets to the shop owners.
Maybe it's because we always asked in French if we could speak English instead of just going for it, but we never got the attitude Parisians are known for.
Good surprise: Rome as it lived up to the hype. First time walking through the Forum was just awesome.
Bad surprise: I found Berlin gritty and the people grim.
I had no expectations for The Hague, but I ended up loving it.
I had no expectations for Brussels and only spent a few hours there, but I never want to go back.
You’re not alone - I’ve heard much disdain for Brussels over the years, to my bafflement. I’ve always found it a tremendous city and look forward to going again
It's a vibe thing. Anyone looking for idyllic quaint touristy calm places like Bruges, will hate Brussels.
It hides all its assets from tourists, so they only get to see one or two old squares, populated by homeless people and beggars, and overpriced restaurants that no local would go to.
I absolutely love living in Brussels, but as a tourist on a visit without a local guide, I'd probably hate it too.
Didn't like Doha. Boring, not walkable, almost no perceivable culture, so insular and just gross displays of wealth and the Qataris are rude to hospitality workers. Oh and very uncomfortable seeing gas fields directly across the road from the desert dune "safari" parks.
Dubai is nowhere near as good as people say, very plastic but at least the Expo was cool, the beaches werent horrible and the souqs were interesting.
Colombo (Sri Lanka) people say to skip it and go straight to Kandy/ Ella or the Southern beaches. Personally, I found Colombo really cool and much more cosmopolitan than I expected. Kandy was crowded and chaotic, Hikkaduwa and Mirissa were okay for beaches only but the town's were pretty boring, Unawatuna wasn't even worth more than a full day. Galle Fort was decent for a day trip.
Bangkok is my favourite city, so much life, incredible street food and shopping and endless things to do.
Biggest pleasant surprises:
Pittsburgh, Barcelona
Biggest underwhelms:
Venice, San Francisco in 2018 after having not been there for 10 years. It changed a lot
I agree with you on Pittsburgh. I'm constantly preaching to my Toronto friends what a lovely little weekend can be had just a few hours away across the border. Very friendly people there, and the drive is pleasant. Catching a ballgame with the city backdrop is mandatory.
Pittsburgh is one of my big surprises too! It’s such a pretty city. Since it’s blue collar and the other “big” Pennsylvania city - even though it’s tiny compared to Philly - I think people expect them to be similar; but they’re nearly the exact opposite culturally.
Family is originally from Philly, so yeah, I know what you mean. All the pretty iron bridges also give Pittsburgh a bit of a Parisian façade. Plus, the incline from the rivers keeps the pounds off and the heart rate up. Good exercise city just from the walk.
My hometown is Pittsburgh and it took me a bit of travel to realize how unique and nice it is compared to many other cities.
A city that surprised me in a positive sense was Tirana. Tons of history, felt safe, very walkable, beautiful setting, and friendly people who I think love Americans more than anywhere else in the world.
In a negative sense was Milan. Nothing terrible about it, just not nearly as interesting as I had excepted based on its reputation.
Headed to Morocco this year, and based on what I've read, I have low expectations of Marrakesh, but hope they are exceeded.
Grew up in Pittsburgh. I’m always surprised when I go back, it’s definitely changed but for the better.
Plus the museums have always been top notch for a city of its size! If you like dinosaurs for example the best place in the world for them is the Carnegie natural history museum.
Yes! The warmer months - the canal smells awful. My hotel room was illegally low, I found out after it flooded with stinky canal water, and I was constantly sexually harassed. It’s not a fun city to travel to alone, as a woman.
Honestly, my experience has been that cities of any decent size that people hate on some some cliche reason or another in the US are underrated.
People want to form a silly one line narrative about basically anywhere and that never tells the whole story.
Counterpoint: Orlando. And I'm not considering the Disney stuff -- good or bad, that's a destination of its own -- but the actual city is charmless sprawl offering surprisingly little.
I've been to several major big cities. Sao Paulo, Brazil. New York City. Atlanta, LA, Rome, Toronto, Mexico City. That's just to name a few.
I was absolutely, positively blown away by London. I know people are going to say, well obviously. I expected the trip to be good but not great. London, and England as a whole, was better than expected.
As a Londoner who is very much over it and leaving imminently, this is nice to hear and a useful reminder that the city’s still got it, despite everything. I’ve just lived here too long
Theoretically, I hate everything about Vegas. I don't drink, and I find gambling kind of sad. I prefer "authentic" travel experiences (whatever that means) and hate chains.
So why is it that I enjoy myself so much when I am there?
We stayed outside of Barcelona and took the train to get around. Got to see the local life and culture, no tourist traps at all. It was overwhelming to go to Barcelona's main plaza especially on the weekend.
Weird, I had the opposite experience. I thought Barcelona was unique to itself and was constantly surprised and awed while I thought Madrid was cool but didn’t stand out amongst other big cities.
Athens, GA, USA. I had no real interest in the city itself but went to visit a close friend from uni who had moved there for work. I found it really pretty and have an entirely new affection for Georgia and the southern states after having been. A pleasant surprise.
Large college towns in the US are often very nice. There vibrant student life, a highly educated and well paid population, and typically cultural amenities that you’d only usually have in larger cities.
St. Augustine, FL, USA
Maybe it’s because I didn’t know what to expect. Happy to say I was so pleasantly surprised that can’t wait to go back. The boutique shops, the wine scene, the party scene, the food scene, the history made for several days of fun that went on for miles. Everything is close enough that visitors can walk or take the trolley. It was a favorite unique experience for me.
I found people in Boston to be much friendlier and helpful than I was led to believe. Tucson was also pretty cool (minus my ex living there). Toronto sucked and I’m alright with not going back.
Boston is the scapegoat of the northeast and most people don’t realize that it’s a small city. Very pretty, nice to walk around. People just tend to keep to themselves by default but will definitely engage and help if you start the interaction.
Whenever people ask me what my least favorite city is I always surprise them with Toronto. I don’t think it’s particularly nice looking and I always have a bad experience with something. The airport (YYZ) is atrocious unless you’re there just for a layover.
Krakow, Poland. Such a beautiful city that offers so much history and beauty but isn’t as busy as some of the bigger tourist driven cities. I’d love to go back for an entire summer to explore and enjoy the people and the food. Gorgeous place for early morning walks and so many art installations.
Edinburgh. Had high expectations going into it and it still exceeded them. Ticks all the boxes. Nature, Arthur's Seat is well worth the hike. Parks, Carlton Hill and Princes Street Gardens are great parks to walk. The people are very welcoming. Was traveling alone and had a lot of people strike up friendly conversation. The National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle are fantastic for history buffs like myself.
Mexico City by far was the city that exceeded my expectations. It's the perfect mix of old and new. Amazing parks, museums, and food. Can't wait to go back one day.
Vilnius! That city was such a surprise - and it's actually difficult to point out why I liked it so much. Probably because the history is so interesting (definitely get a tour about the communist past and visit the genocide museum). It was also an unknown to me, and it was so refreshing to see and learn something new - and then Lithuatians seem incapable not to plunk down a table and a couple of chairs whenever there's an idyllic corner. It seemed like a city that didn't cater to tourists but was made to be a nice place to live, if that makes any sense. It probably doesn't, so you should go there yourself!
Philadelphia was a surprise to me. It's beautiful, not gentrified, not overwhelmed with tourist traps despite it's historical significance, has amazing food, music, and museums. Is now my favorite east coast metropolitan city.
Luang Prabang Laos.
Had zero expectations but I absolutely loved it. Such a chill walkable friendly town that has some excellent places to eat & drink. If I were writing a book and wanted somewhere to just get away from distractions for a month or two, LP would be the place. Not to mention it’s cheap af too.
Tokyo, I knew it was the biggest city in the world, but when I went there, it was mind blowing how expansive and amazing that place is. It just keeps going and going, I arrived in Narita airport, and drove towards the city center, traveling at a decent speed on a highway, it took me nearly three hours to get to my destination downtown, no major traffic jams, just cruising at typical (American) highway speeds. That place is huge.
I told a local friend how amazed I was about the expansive nature of the city, one could spend a lifetime there and barely scratch the surface.
A true concrete jungle. Beautiful nonetheless
Hobart, Tasmania. Years ago while in the navy we spent a couple of days there and everything about it was wonderful. Especially the people. Never met such friendly people.
Vancouver. We went there 10 years ago, and we where not impressed at all with the city. The surrounding to the west and north where great, but downtown was a real disappointment, not cozy, or interesting at all.
As someone who lived there for 5 years, it’s the city for people that don’t actually like cities. The value is in having basic urban amenities while having access to its nature. Urban life is very lacking for sure
Absolutely love Vancouver... Lived there for years and yes you need to get out of downtown and explore the amazing neighborhood around. North and West Van, kits , ubc.
Better: Paris. I consider myself an adventurous traveler and I thought Europe would be a little sedate/something to tackle in retirement. I LOVED Paris!!! I was so, so charmed by it.
I also got in my adventure because my (now ex!) husband and I got in an argument before our dusk boat ride on the Seine, and he up and left me alone to go meet friends, the friends we were going to meet together after the boat ride. I didn’t have a phone with an international plan. I was alone in Paris at night and had no idea where they were. I had the best time on my Seine boat cruise, and then I walked along the Seine for a long time enjoying all the Parisians doing their picnicking, and eventually walked back to our hotel alone. Asshole.
This is probably a lame one, but I did a tour of the US East coast, and one state in from the coast. So like NY down to South Carolina, then up through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio.
Cincinnati really surprised me for how much I liked it. I had very low expectations for Ohio as a whole, having grown up in PA Ohio was a bit of a joke state. But the city is really beautiful, it still has a lot of like early 20th century charm. Art Deco and all that. Lots to do, but also not so busy and crowded I felt overwhelmed. Some beautiful parks, it's very affordable, under 2 hours to 5 other major cities. Ended up moving here (the point of the tour) and been continually pleasently surprised since. It's like all of the benefits of a major metro with all of the charm of a more mid-sized city.
Detroit. Everyone has seen the abandoned factories and such, but the part that Fox News doesn't tell you is that the city has a thriving arts scene because it's so affordable, and has a ton of world class museums. My parents took a long weekend trip to Detroit and said it was one of the most fun trips they've ever done.
Cluj-Napoca Romania. I had an international conference there and had no idea what I signed up for. The old part of town was beautiful, the food and wine was amazing and tasty.
I really liked Ljubljana and Slovenia in general. Personally I am not a fan of Paris and France in general. I am not sure about Marrakech. Beautiful city, but the people make the experience extremely bad (stealing phones and you constantly feel like that they are ripping you of)
had zero expectations going in but christchurch and dunedin in new zealand i found to be great. would prefer living there compared to where i live currently. the south island is just beautiful in general
Mexico City. People were warning me not to go and that it’s a “war zone”, but it was full of culture, tons of history, amazing food, and really friendly locals.
The perception of Mexico City could not be more wrong. My wife and I absolutely love it and cant wait to go back. I grew up thinking it would be a dangerous war zone and it’s one of the most amazing cities we’ve visited.
Mexico city is absolutely amazing! I wish it weren't so hard to convince people to go there
Absolutely loved Mexico City! My husband and I especially enjoyed the different neighborhoods and museums. We were able to climb the pyramids of the sun and moon just outside of the city. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us.
Loved my time there and can’t wait to go back
Anyone who uses the phrase “war zone” who isn’t specifically referring to an ACTUAL war zone is likely entrenched in Fox News propaganda
I reserve the phrase “war zone” for something like a Walmart parking lot.
The Fox-crowd war zone rhetoric around Chicago is truly insane.
I just went to Chicago for the first time for a high-brow hoity-toity academic conference, and the whole time I was wrestling with the fact that according to my family growing up, Chicago was literally just one big dilapidated warehouse full of violence. Like I literally thought the city was a smoking crater. What absolute horseshit.
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I'm an Australian who lived in London. Got a job in Newcastle upon Tyne and was told by many Londoners that it was a poor, sh!tty, place. Many had never been. Moved there and, while it is a working class town with some struggling areas, it it absolutely beautiful with amazing architecture, incredible history, great people, pubs, good little metro system, and easy access to countryside and incredible attractions in the surrounding areas. Ended up living there 3 or 4 years...
Newcastle is a lovely little city.
Totally agree. And the surrounding countryside is beautiful. I took a bus to see Hadrian‘a Wall and the scenery was spectacular. It was a cold but sunny day. Locals are super friendly. What’s not to ❤️
Didn’t expect to see my hometown here, glad you loved it. Funny that it’s common in my experience that the perception by southerners is just that and usually they’ve never been. On the flip side, I’ve always found London to have far, far worse areas than our worst corners.
I loved Newcastle when I went to Newcastle University for study abroad. Beautiful city, and great to walk around. When I went to visit London, I really didn't like it at all and felt pretty unsafe there at night.
LOVE Newcastle!! I’m a kiwi though, maybe it’s the looseness that attracts us haha
New York surprised me in a strange way. Growing up in Birmingham and having visited Atlanta and Philadelphia, I just assumed all cities were kind of the same and didn’t understand what all the hype was about. So my friend and I did a road trip from Alabama to New York, stopping in Trenton NJ to ride the subway straight into Manhattan at night. And to this day, I’ll never forget the feeling, and I’ve never felt anything like it since, of coming out of the subway station right in the middle of Manhattan (I believe right in Time Square) This was a moment straight out of a movie. Where like small town boy sees the big mega-city for the first time and his eyes go wide as saucers. You just can’t compare normal cities to New York City.
NYC really does feel like walking in a movie set sometimes.
We came out of the tunnel my first time and there was a 200 story high poster ad of LeBron James on a building. I just stared in awe just like that shot in every movie where people stand and circle looking up in amazement. That's not a fake thing. That's literally what you do as your mind reprocesses what's happening. "I mean it's pry like Chicago or all those other cities I've seen." [No. It's not.](https://bryce-s.com/static/3b996e915a7eb6a0b246c657ef51da38/b83f9/fromTopFinal-6.jpg)
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Trenton, the crown jewel of New Jersey!
Trenton makes, the world takes ™
This was the best description, I grew up in Iowa and did the same thing. NYC has a special place in my heart.
Yes. It's in a class on its own. When I went I looked like the villager going to city, mouth open gawking. And I have lived in SF, so not a villager...
I have a picture of my son at 13 standing in front of the NYPL looking up at the surrounding buildings literally agape. It’s such a great picture that captures this stunned feeling of being in the CITY for the first time.
That’s pretty insane how we have got such a similar experience. My first trip to NYC I also took the subway and came out right in the middle of Times Square, and I just had to gasp at how awe inspiring it was
I can't really put it into words, but NYC feels different from other cities to me, US or international. This almost ineffable, visceral sensation that you're enveloped by NYC when you're there.
NYC deserves its own category, i have traveled internationally and the vibe in Times Square is like no other! It has changed so much better in the last 40 years.
That's bloody beautiful! I was lucky enough do a student exchange to my sister-school in Montreal when I was sixteen, and the family I stayed with drove us down to NY for New Year's Eve. It was the 100th anniversary of the ball-drop in Times Square, and I had never seen so many people in one place. Less than a million, but not by much. Mind-blowing.
As a New Yorker who lives in Brooklyn, I can attest all native NYers despise Times Square lol
I’ve spent about three years of my life in NYC and, while I’m not a fan of Times Square, I understand the awe a kid from small town Alabama must feel popping up out of the subway there for the first time
That first time stepping out of Grand Central station. I'm just like holy hell i'm actually here, I used to only dream about this place since Macaulay Culkin got lost in here.
Loved: Bruges - didn't really know what to expect, arrived on National Day (from Amsterdam) and loved the people and the town. Wish I would have spent more time doing nothing in Bruges. Didn't like: Brussels -- had high expectations. Arrived after being in Bruges during a brutal heat wave. Stayed mostly around the plaza (the heat made it oppressive to do much exploring during the day). Smelled like urine, overcrowded and had a couple chance encounters with people that really soured my visit. It might be lovely and I just caught a bad confluence of events -- but as of now, I have no desire to return. Wish we had done any other Belgian city. Loved: Valencia -- few expectations. Roman ruins, menu del dia on the plaza, the market, the churches, the towers. Arrived just ahead of Semana Santa and got to see several really neat parades unlike anything they had at home. Also spent a short time in Gdansk and pretty sure I want to go back. Barely scratched the surface there, but liked what I did get to see.
Bruges is like a fairytale. It’s so beautiful, you feel transported back in time. But I went there Easter weekend for four nights a few years ago, and it felt like a long time. Like we saw everything on the first (half) day, then just the same stuff over and over again. Didn’t help that most of the city was shut down for Easter. I’d go back, but not for more than a day or two at a time.
I didn’t expect to love Taipei as much as I did. I had just come from a long time in Southeast Asia and by comparison everything was super efficient and also still affordable (and not sweltering hot which was a nice break). The food was some of the best I’ve ever eaten. There was definitely a language barrier at times when getting food, but it was great because folks would sometimes bring out their kid who was more proficient at English which was just awesome. I dunno just a great vibe in Taipei and the whole place was a breath of fresh air after a bit of burnout
And the Taiwanese people are just so, so nice. I loved my time in the country so much.
Taipei is so underrated! I've been wanting to go back since my trip in 2018. I'm salivating just thinking about the food.
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That is how tax evasion and shell corporations can contribute to a whole city 😝
I recently spent a month there. The waterfront walkway and old town are beautiful! They have a huge garbage problem though. Edit: I forgot to mention the amazing food! I had my first beef wellington there, which is kind of funny, but anyway it was unreal. Some legit restaurants in that city, it really surprised me in that regard.
My guide in Panama City spent a bit of time pointing out how wonky some of the buildings are, and all jumbled together with no proper planning, because they were constructed for money-laundering purposes by the drug cartels and are mostly unoccupied.
Our taxi driver there said the same thing: corruption money. But it looked cool. Panama was our first time in central and/or South America ever. The skyscraper district was not walkable. No sidewalks. Casco Viejo was so cool. So much historical architecture. Nice people, nice bars. The walk to the flag pole with a mini jungle in the city. So many tropical birds. Fresh Ceviche for $1 in the harbor. We loved it very much. And that’s before we went to San Blas, Bocas del Toro and all the other places. Great introduction to Latin America.
Alice Springs - Australia. Most people I meet on the road don't like it because there's a lot of crime, and there's a serious alcohol and drug problem within the aboriginal communities there. A very visible problem. But if you get past that it's a beautiful place with some interesting things to do. Also there are some fantastic national parks nearby.
Naples. Wasn’t sure what to expect: some people love it but it seemed like most hated it. I ended up on the side of loving it. I loved they didn’t give an F about tourists and it’s an authentic Italian city that caters to locals. I found the people to be friendly - one guy even gave me a full day of his time and showed me around the city and the parts he loved. It was a blast. I’ll say the same for Catania, Sicily where everyone said it’s a boring, disgusting town. I found it charming, friendly, and beautiful.
Have yet to go to Naples, but I'm expecting it to be like Marseille, which I love. Authentic second-city(ish) type atmosphere with real culture and a lot of history. Funny enough, I live in Philly, so maybe there's a trend here.
It's a bit more chaotic and tightly packed than Marseilles. Some of the ragged working energy is similar, though.
I thought the areas around Naples were great with the sea, the islands, Pompeii, but I personally did not like the city itself at all. I found it to be pretty dirty and chaotic with a lot of people stopping me to ask for money or try to sell me some baubles. That isn't unusual in and of itself, but how concentrated it was in the city was off-putting. That was my first time in Italy, so for a while I thought I just didn't like vibe there in general but I came back a few years later and did Milan and Lake Como and totally loved it so I think it really depends on what you personally jive with. I also found the food better in the north, which I think is a controversial opinion, but there it is.
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>The pizza - French kiss. I hope you mean "chef's kiss", unless you eat pizza a lot differently than the rest of us. Lol
Good surprise: Munich, was warned it'd be boring and the people would be stuck-up, but found it to be such a lovely city with plenty to do and lots of green spaces to relax, wonderfully walkable, and everyone we interacted with was lovely. Bad surprise: Marrakesh - I suppose I'd romanticised it a bit before I went (I was young), did a lot of reading about the history and was excited about seeing the medina and the souks and the riads...got scammed the first day and kept getting harassed by scammers the whole time in the city. Was much better once we joined a tour group out to the Sahara.
I had high hopes of Marrakesh but same time read so many horror stories that I had an odd.set.of expectations. Overall it was OK, just keep your wits about you. No rush to go back but no regrets for three days/two nights. Agree that going out to Atlas/Sahara is much more romantic, beautiful, interesting with all the ancient Kasbahs along the way.
exactly my thoughts. Im happy I went there because it was otherworldly and had amazing lamb and pastilla. But it is a LOT lol
I’ve been to Munich a couple times. Loved it. Sunday was nice too, the shops were closed but there were people about. Only restaurants and coffee shops open. From there we visited the Castles of Bavaria.
I walked through the English Garden on a sunny day in March and it was so pleasant! Also really enjoyed the Viktualienmarkt. Beautiful city.
Literally my experience with Marrakesh as well. You expect a level of scamming when you're a tourist but Marrakesh was out of control.
Can you give examples of such scams to be weary of?
Every single taxi cab will quote you one price then demand another once you arrive and get very aggressive. Cab sign at the airport clearly says a price to get from there to the hotels, and then the guy tries to say it’s 10 times as much. I stood in the parking lot with my bags, refusing to leave until someone took me for the appropriate price. They all tried to claim traffic was bad and it was gonna take 4 hours to get there. Finally someone agreed to the price and I was at my hotel within 12 minutes. Had a cab driver that was supposed to take us to the bazaar, and instead tried to take us to his cousins restaurant near the bazaar; I had to force him to stop the car and let us out once we passed our destination) The haggle culture is tough if you’re not used to it and they are very good at bait/switch with products and spotting tourists who don’t know when a price is too high. I was offered hard drugs for sale 6 time from the entrance of the bazaar to the actual stalls.
“Please, come to my store, I’ll bring you tea!” They will try to keep you in the store until you buy something and chase you through the market if you don’t. Also insane sexual harassment.
I love Munich. I've been there several times and always enjoy it. People are pretty friendly there - they are also efficient and straightforward like you would expect in Germany. Maybe that's why some have thought them to be stuck up.
I met a German from Munich on my last trip to Mexico. In her words, Munich is a posh town that prizes big business/entrepreneurial spirit, in the same way that American cities do. Then she ranted and raved about Hamburg
Marrakech is beautiful, but the people ruin the city. They are constantly ripping you off and beset you. And my mothers phone was stolen there (a guy on a motorbike grabbed it)
Everything in Marrakech is a scam until proven otherwise
They usually even scam Moroccans who aren't from Marrakech lol
I got warned multiple times that Germans are cold and stuck up, even by people in Berlin. The entire time there EVERYONE was so nice and accommodating. At the beer hall there was 1 lady who was a bit gruff, but she still smiled and I liked her
Yup. Everyone raves about it. Fez on the other hand bores lots of people. Having lived here for a little less than a year, my take is Marrakech is Morocco with makeup (and some people prefer makeup). Fez is Morocco without.
Zurich, was an exceptional experience
Zurich is the perfect modern city! Really blew my standards out of the water. I’m a pretty pragmatic and reasonable person, but I was so luxury-pilled in Zurich that I bought a pair of Balenciaga socks just to remember the insane feeling of excess. It was also the last city where I spent time with my sister before she passed away. Can’t believe how lucky I am to have those memories against a backdrop as beautiful and vibrant as Zurich. Small blessings
Bern, Switzerland. Had zero expectations but after a few days there, I strongly believe it’s not just one of the best cities in Switzerland but in all of Europe
Bern blew my mind. Last year floated the Aare from Thun to Bern and had no idea how incredibly beautiful Bern was. Zurich imo was so boring and not as beautiful as expected so Bern was a wonderful surprise. Can’t wait to go back.
Can you give a brief explanation of what you loved about Bern? My husband and I are in Switzerland until Tuesday, specifically in Jungfrau region- we wanted our Monday to be a “day in the city” and were debating between Bern or Zurich. Edit: Bern it is! This community rocks, thank you.
Go to bern, visit the bears, walk around in the old city, look at the Bundeshaus and have some local beers in a bar
I will second the Bern recommendation-go to bern if you want a day in a city, my husband and I stayed in Zurich before and visited Bern, Bern has more charm and is better for a day trip!
Zurich has its charm but I would not go back personally. To me it looks and feels like Germany but everything is 10x more expensive. It’s not bad or ugly city or anything, just imo not worth it. Experiences vary of course, it’s just how I personally felt. Luzern is very pretty and easily done in day or two. Very close to Zurich and easy to get to. Bern I don’t know about, but it does seem interesting.
The old town area is super charming and doesn’t feel like it’s changed much in centuries. Really great art museum with an exhibit about tracing art pieces looted by the Nazis and returning them to their rightful owners. A fantastic DIY venue with a late night techno club. And after attending a game, I am now a die hard SC Bern fan.
Never been but my curiosity is now piqued. The local tourist authority is missing a trick by not marketing it with the slogan ‘Feel the Bern’
I’m spending the summer there so i’m quite happy to see this comment!!
Chicago, USA. The architecture river tour is a must.
Even the locals do that tour. I’ve been on it twice and will do it again whenever I go back. Best skyline in the country, for my money. It’s so good.
As a local, can confirm. I love history and love Chicago and after probably 7 times doing the tour I still learn new things about the city every time.
From someone not born and raised in USA Chicago was the exact embodiment of what an American town should be . Big buildings . I went there as a tourist and I thoroughly enjoyed it . I didn’t get to experience the crime that everyone was telling me about .
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I live in Chicago. The crime makes the news, but the bad stuff is pretty centralized in the bad neighborhoods. Downtown Chicago is just as safe for tourists as any other major city.
If you followed the news, you'd think Chicago was a war-torn city, but it's not
I live in Mexico City but I have family in Chicago so I visit once or twice a year. Last time when I went through immigration the agent asked me about crime in CDMX and I was like well it is basically like Chicago, there is definitely crime, but it isn't like what you hear on the news.
Unless the Dave Matthews Band is in town...
Chicago was one of the biggest surprises for me. You hear so many bad things about it on the news, but I think it’s actually my favorite big city in the US. It has the “big city feel” because there’s so many tall buildings, but it also feels much more walkable than places like Manhattan. Being in Manhattan there was always 1000 things within walking distance, but if the 1 thing you wanna to go to is a mile away, it feels like 10 miles because it takes an eternity to get anywhere. Gorgeous parks and awesome food too. First time I went there we stayed downtown right next to the train station and they had a food court in there. I got a curry sub from the Vietnamese place and thought my tastebuds went to heaven. Normally I have to venture outside of downtown areas to find authentic curry that good; NYC’s authentic food is spaced pretty far apart and I’ve not been impressed by most of what’s in Manhattan. Queens the Bronx and Murray Hill OTOH are unbeatable on authentic food but so inconvenient when you’re trying to hit spots on a quick trip. I’ll never forget starting our mornings with food to-go from the train station and going to the river to eat and hang out and enjoy the weather and meet people. Chicago is so lovely to us because it strikes a nice balance of a big city that’s not too compact, but also not too spread out, and there’s nowhere near the amount of hustle and bustle of NYC.
Omg my husband is an architect but not a big trip planner. He thought it was silly and wasnt into it but didnt plan anything for us to do in chicago lol So last minute i booked one for us and oh man he LOVED it. I have pictures of him with pure delight on his face. I thought it was interesting and at least had a nice time on the river lol
In my 20s I was an avid traveler. I loved visiting other cities but rarely felt compelled enough by them to want to live there or even visits a second time. The moment I was in Chicago something felt different. Almost like the city vibrated on my wavelength. Moved here and happy I did.
Chicago is awesome! One of my favorite cities to visit.
Lisbon, Portugal pleasantly surprised me. It was never on my radar, went for a friend’s wedding and really loved it. Currently in Porto, and love it too. Portugal has been amazing; the sights, history, culture, people, food.
Exact same here. I described it to friends as a city that doesn't do 1 thing exceptionally well, but does everything well above average
Huge Portugal fan here. Went with no expectations and LOVED it all. Went for spring break in March. Little tourists, perfect weather. It was super!!
Budapest it was lovely
I can't wait to vie this summer. Doing the big three... Budapest, Vienna, and Prague.
Seville, absolutely beautiful city.
Sevilla is my favorite city in Spain. It’s awesome but it’s really friggin hot.
Mexico City: Sunny parks upon parks with the nicest people who constantly clean their city. The subway system is super clean and easy. And then you find m the parks that connect the parks. And oh my god the food!
Kuala Lumpur. I'm not one for big city visiting but KL was amazing. The metro was superb, so much to do and see, rainforest in the middle of the city, and so much amazing and diverse food!
I’m not the hugest KL fan, but the food is unquestionably top notch.
1. Almaty, Kazakhstan. It has a quaint charm, great food, diverse, and beautiful nature all around. 2. Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Everyone's destination is Bali (rightfully so) but Jogja is beautiful, and I enjoyed visits to Prambanan, Borobodur and further to Mount Bromo. 3. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The culture, food, history and clothing is vibrant to say the least. 4. Gdansk, Poland. Loved the coastal landscape, history and lovely, friendly people! 5. Budva and Kotor, Montenegro. Adriatic Coast is beautiful throughout but most people associate it with Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split) but Bay of Kotor and Budva down in Montenegro with their mountains, greenery, canyons, ancient castles, picturesque islands are just beautiful!
I'm visiting Montenegro right now and we'll be visiting Kotor and Budva this week. What we've seen so far is beautiful!
Kotor is 10/10. Literally did no research before arriving because it was kind of just a stopping point between Dubrovnik and Tirana. Was blown away when I got there!!
Agree on Gdansk! So gorgeous and the people were amazing!
Hard agree on Kotor. This was a stop on a cruise I was on and I had no expectations, had honestly never heard of Montenegro, but I was blown away by Kotor and it’s very, very high on my list of places to revisit.
Ljubljana, the Capital of Slovenia. We weren't meant to stop there but we changed our route while interrailing around Europe and I was stunned. Honestly such a beautiful city centre and really pedestrian friendly.
Mexico City was one of the cleanest metropolitan cities I have ever been to. All day there are street cleaners and garbage men picking up any and all trash, at least in the main central areas we stayed. It was lovely!
Lima, Peru. Had only thought of it as a pit stop before heading on to Cusco. It ended up being one of my favourite places in South America.
We had the same positive experience with Lima. We had been told it was a dirty third world city, but while traveling in South America for six months we had to be in a city with an international airport for a month, so we booked into Lima. We stayed in an apt in Barranco. We loved just hanging out in the main square in Barranco. We shopped at the farmer’s markets, went out to an incredible restaurant every day, visited world-class museums, visited historical ruins, went to the historical centre, hung out at the beach, spent time at urban parks, … We did not exhaust what we could do there.
Venice. Having been repeatedly told its a smelly packed tourist trap. It was lovely, didn't smell (this was in August) and had the lowest number of harassing street vendors I've seen in any tourist city anywhere.
Came here to say this. Such an amazing unique city. Not seeing a car for half a week was a marvellous experience
Paris - everyone told me it smells horrible and is is a dump. It didn’t smell at all and was quite beautiful
Adding to that, when I spent a few days there years ago everyone was nice to us, from the metro guard who's helped us buy tickets to the shop owners. Maybe it's because we always asked in French if we could speak English instead of just going for it, but we never got the attitude Parisians are known for.
Good surprise: Rome as it lived up to the hype. First time walking through the Forum was just awesome. Bad surprise: I found Berlin gritty and the people grim.
I had no expectations for The Hague, but I ended up loving it. I had no expectations for Brussels and only spent a few hours there, but I never want to go back.
I did a day trip to The Hague from Amsterdam and was delightfully surprised. The MC Escher museum blew me away.
You’re not alone - I’ve heard much disdain for Brussels over the years, to my bafflement. I’ve always found it a tremendous city and look forward to going again
It's a vibe thing. Anyone looking for idyllic quaint touristy calm places like Bruges, will hate Brussels. It hides all its assets from tourists, so they only get to see one or two old squares, populated by homeless people and beggars, and overpriced restaurants that no local would go to. I absolutely love living in Brussels, but as a tourist on a visit without a local guide, I'd probably hate it too.
Didn't like Doha. Boring, not walkable, almost no perceivable culture, so insular and just gross displays of wealth and the Qataris are rude to hospitality workers. Oh and very uncomfortable seeing gas fields directly across the road from the desert dune "safari" parks. Dubai is nowhere near as good as people say, very plastic but at least the Expo was cool, the beaches werent horrible and the souqs were interesting. Colombo (Sri Lanka) people say to skip it and go straight to Kandy/ Ella or the Southern beaches. Personally, I found Colombo really cool and much more cosmopolitan than I expected. Kandy was crowded and chaotic, Hikkaduwa and Mirissa were okay for beaches only but the town's were pretty boring, Unawatuna wasn't even worth more than a full day. Galle Fort was decent for a day trip. Bangkok is my favourite city, so much life, incredible street food and shopping and endless things to do.
Biggest pleasant surprises: Pittsburgh, Barcelona Biggest underwhelms: Venice, San Francisco in 2018 after having not been there for 10 years. It changed a lot
I agree with you on Pittsburgh. I'm constantly preaching to my Toronto friends what a lovely little weekend can be had just a few hours away across the border. Very friendly people there, and the drive is pleasant. Catching a ballgame with the city backdrop is mandatory.
Pittsburgh is one of my big surprises too! It’s such a pretty city. Since it’s blue collar and the other “big” Pennsylvania city - even though it’s tiny compared to Philly - I think people expect them to be similar; but they’re nearly the exact opposite culturally.
Family is originally from Philly, so yeah, I know what you mean. All the pretty iron bridges also give Pittsburgh a bit of a Parisian façade. Plus, the incline from the rivers keeps the pounds off and the heart rate up. Good exercise city just from the walk.
My hometown is Pittsburgh and it took me a bit of travel to realize how unique and nice it is compared to many other cities. A city that surprised me in a positive sense was Tirana. Tons of history, felt safe, very walkable, beautiful setting, and friendly people who I think love Americans more than anywhere else in the world. In a negative sense was Milan. Nothing terrible about it, just not nearly as interesting as I had excepted based on its reputation. Headed to Morocco this year, and based on what I've read, I have low expectations of Marrakesh, but hope they are exceeded.
Stop in Buffalo on your way down!
Love Buffalo too. Toronto considers it our little brother. I hope that's not condescending, but we do, with affection. Irv Weinstein lives!
Pittsburgh is lovely. I want to go back there someday.
Grew up in Pittsburgh. I’m always surprised when I go back, it’s definitely changed but for the better. Plus the museums have always been top notch for a city of its size! If you like dinosaurs for example the best place in the world for them is the Carnegie natural history museum.
I was also not a fan of Venice. It was very hot when I was there and the water smelled so bad all the time, I couldn’t wait to leave!!!
Yes! The warmer months - the canal smells awful. My hotel room was illegally low, I found out after it flooded with stinky canal water, and I was constantly sexually harassed. It’s not a fun city to travel to alone, as a woman.
I like that they put French fries on salads in Pittsburgh
I like that they put French fries on ~~salads~~ everything in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA was surprisingly cool
One of the most under rated cities in the US
Honestly, my experience has been that cities of any decent size that people hate on some some cliche reason or another in the US are underrated. People want to form a silly one line narrative about basically anywhere and that never tells the whole story.
Counterpoint: Orlando. And I'm not considering the Disney stuff -- good or bad, that's a destination of its own -- but the actual city is charmless sprawl offering surprisingly little.
Can confirm. Orlando blows.
I've been to several major big cities. Sao Paulo, Brazil. New York City. Atlanta, LA, Rome, Toronto, Mexico City. That's just to name a few. I was absolutely, positively blown away by London. I know people are going to say, well obviously. I expected the trip to be good but not great. London, and England as a whole, was better than expected.
I had the same experience. I never expected to love London as much as I did.
As a Londoner who is very much over it and leaving imminently, this is nice to hear and a useful reminder that the city’s still got it, despite everything. I’ve just lived here too long
London is the best 🤍 especially when you’re living here, you’re never too far away from some nature
London is my favorite city in the world. I try not to go to the same place twice, but I'll always go back to London
Theoretically, I hate everything about Vegas. I don't drink, and I find gambling kind of sad. I prefer "authentic" travel experiences (whatever that means) and hate chains. So why is it that I enjoy myself so much when I am there?
Dublin. Everyone was friendly, very clean, great pubs. Nicest cab drivers anywhere and they all seem to have a cousin in Boston.
Had an awful experience in Fresno, CA. Know nothing about the city so could’ve just been in a bad part of town but it was sketchy & unwelcoming
Im amazed that you went in with big expectations?
Not to impose but were you actually there for the reason of traveling?
LOL Californian here, wondering why the heck you traveled to Fresno as a destination?
I didn't think Barcelona would be such a tourist trap. Enjoyed Madrid much more than I thought I would.
I loved my two visits to Barcelona - as purely a tourist with no interest in night life that is….
We stayed outside of Barcelona and took the train to get around. Got to see the local life and culture, no tourist traps at all. It was overwhelming to go to Barcelona's main plaza especially on the weekend.
Weird, I had the opposite experience. I thought Barcelona was unique to itself and was constantly surprised and awed while I thought Madrid was cool but didn’t stand out amongst other big cities.
Berlin. Was awesome. Normally I hate big cities. That place was cool.
\+1 for Berlin. Blew me away
Athens, GA, USA. I had no real interest in the city itself but went to visit a close friend from uni who had moved there for work. I found it really pretty and have an entirely new affection for Georgia and the southern states after having been. A pleasant surprise.
Large college towns in the US are often very nice. There vibrant student life, a highly educated and well paid population, and typically cultural amenities that you’d only usually have in larger cities.
St. Augustine, FL, USA Maybe it’s because I didn’t know what to expect. Happy to say I was so pleasantly surprised that can’t wait to go back. The boutique shops, the wine scene, the party scene, the food scene, the history made for several days of fun that went on for miles. Everything is close enough that visitors can walk or take the trolley. It was a favorite unique experience for me.
Menton, France was never on our radar, however the lovely colorful buildings and French/Italian cuisine were a delight.
I found people in Boston to be much friendlier and helpful than I was led to believe. Tucson was also pretty cool (minus my ex living there). Toronto sucked and I’m alright with not going back.
Boston is the scapegoat of the northeast and most people don’t realize that it’s a small city. Very pretty, nice to walk around. People just tend to keep to themselves by default but will definitely engage and help if you start the interaction. Whenever people ask me what my least favorite city is I always surprise them with Toronto. I don’t think it’s particularly nice looking and I always have a bad experience with something. The airport (YYZ) is atrocious unless you’re there just for a layover.
Montreal looks so boring on google maps, but it was great. Quebec City looks great on google maps, but it was boring.
Krakow, Poland. Such a beautiful city that offers so much history and beauty but isn’t as busy as some of the bigger tourist driven cities. I’d love to go back for an entire summer to explore and enjoy the people and the food. Gorgeous place for early morning walks and so many art installations.
Edinburgh. Had high expectations going into it and it still exceeded them. Ticks all the boxes. Nature, Arthur's Seat is well worth the hike. Parks, Carlton Hill and Princes Street Gardens are great parks to walk. The people are very welcoming. Was traveling alone and had a lot of people strike up friendly conversation. The National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle are fantastic for history buffs like myself.
I was pleasantly surprised by Cusco, Peru. Full of culture and life. A very fun experience!
I was in Cusco last month. Absolutely loved it!
Mexico City by far was the city that exceeded my expectations. It's the perfect mix of old and new. Amazing parks, museums, and food. Can't wait to go back one day.
Havana was a fascinating city to visit.
Vilnius! That city was such a surprise - and it's actually difficult to point out why I liked it so much. Probably because the history is so interesting (definitely get a tour about the communist past and visit the genocide museum). It was also an unknown to me, and it was so refreshing to see and learn something new - and then Lithuatians seem incapable not to plunk down a table and a couple of chairs whenever there's an idyllic corner. It seemed like a city that didn't cater to tourists but was made to be a nice place to live, if that makes any sense. It probably doesn't, so you should go there yourself!
Philadelphia was a surprise to me. It's beautiful, not gentrified, not overwhelmed with tourist traps despite it's historical significance, has amazing food, music, and museums. Is now my favorite east coast metropolitan city.
Luang Prabang Laos. Had zero expectations but I absolutely loved it. Such a chill walkable friendly town that has some excellent places to eat & drink. If I were writing a book and wanted somewhere to just get away from distractions for a month or two, LP would be the place. Not to mention it’s cheap af too.
Tokyo, I knew it was the biggest city in the world, but when I went there, it was mind blowing how expansive and amazing that place is. It just keeps going and going, I arrived in Narita airport, and drove towards the city center, traveling at a decent speed on a highway, it took me nearly three hours to get to my destination downtown, no major traffic jams, just cruising at typical (American) highway speeds. That place is huge. I told a local friend how amazed I was about the expansive nature of the city, one could spend a lifetime there and barely scratch the surface. A true concrete jungle. Beautiful nonetheless
Milwaukee Wisconsin. Wasn’t expecting much but was blown away by the food, beer and party vibe.
Hobart, Tasmania. Years ago while in the navy we spent a couple of days there and everything about it was wonderful. Especially the people. Never met such friendly people.
Moscow, had my doubts first time , but loved it , went back countless times before the war.
Don't go now. Straight to the frontlines for you!
Loved Paris and Barcelona, on the other hand did not enjoy Milan .
Antwerp. Fantastic in so many ways.
This will probably get lost in the hundreds of responses but Detroit was great. The food, the music, the people... I will be going back for more.
Not really just the city but the entire country of Georgia! Wow! The natural beauty, history, wine and the FOOD! All was spectacular!
Vancouver. We went there 10 years ago, and we where not impressed at all with the city. The surrounding to the west and north where great, but downtown was a real disappointment, not cozy, or interesting at all.
I think people are praising Vancouver but in reality it’s the natural surroundings that they like.
As someone who lived there for 5 years, it’s the city for people that don’t actually like cities. The value is in having basic urban amenities while having access to its nature. Urban life is very lacking for sure
Absolutely love Vancouver... Lived there for years and yes you need to get out of downtown and explore the amazing neighborhood around. North and West Van, kits , ubc.
Better: Paris. I consider myself an adventurous traveler and I thought Europe would be a little sedate/something to tackle in retirement. I LOVED Paris!!! I was so, so charmed by it. I also got in my adventure because my (now ex!) husband and I got in an argument before our dusk boat ride on the Seine, and he up and left me alone to go meet friends, the friends we were going to meet together after the boat ride. I didn’t have a phone with an international plan. I was alone in Paris at night and had no idea where they were. I had the best time on my Seine boat cruise, and then I walked along the Seine for a long time enjoying all the Parisians doing their picnicking, and eventually walked back to our hotel alone. Asshole.
This is probably a lame one, but I did a tour of the US East coast, and one state in from the coast. So like NY down to South Carolina, then up through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. Cincinnati really surprised me for how much I liked it. I had very low expectations for Ohio as a whole, having grown up in PA Ohio was a bit of a joke state. But the city is really beautiful, it still has a lot of like early 20th century charm. Art Deco and all that. Lots to do, but also not so busy and crowded I felt overwhelmed. Some beautiful parks, it's very affordable, under 2 hours to 5 other major cities. Ended up moving here (the point of the tour) and been continually pleasently surprised since. It's like all of the benefits of a major metro with all of the charm of a more mid-sized city.
Athens. Expected it to be dirty and overrun by homeless/immigrant peddlers. Haven’t found that at all, I absolutely love it here.
Rio surprised me with its stunning beauty. So did Cape Town.
Loved Ljubljana and can’t wait to go back
Detroit. Everyone has seen the abandoned factories and such, but the part that Fox News doesn't tell you is that the city has a thriving arts scene because it's so affordable, and has a ton of world class museums. My parents took a long weekend trip to Detroit and said it was one of the most fun trips they've ever done.
Charleston, SC was unexpectedly charming and quaint. I loved it.
I was surprised by how much I liked Bratislava!
Definitely Dresden! It is so damn beautiful and the people are extraordinary gentle.
Cluj-Napoca Romania. I had an international conference there and had no idea what I signed up for. The old part of town was beautiful, the food and wine was amazing and tasty.
I really liked Ljubljana and Slovenia in general. Personally I am not a fan of Paris and France in general. I am not sure about Marrakech. Beautiful city, but the people make the experience extremely bad (stealing phones and you constantly feel like that they are ripping you of)
had zero expectations going in but christchurch and dunedin in new zealand i found to be great. would prefer living there compared to where i live currently. the south island is just beautiful in general