Francis Hellyer, the founder and CEO of tickadoo, claims to have “been everywhere twice, and have some properly controversial opinions about Europe’s “best” cities”
A seasoned traveller and experienced jet setter has warned against travel to three places where “locals hate you” and food is “overpriced”.
Francis Hellyer, the founder and CEO of tickadoo, claims to have “been everywhere twice, and have some properly controversial opinions about Europe’s “best” cities.” When it comes to the “overrated” that he thinks are best to avoid, he highlighted three classic cities that receive millions of visitors each year.
Paris
“Unless you enjoy paying €15 for terrible coffee while dodging selfie sticks at the Eiffel Tower. The locals hate you, the metro smells like regret, and don’t get me started on Gare du Nord,” Francis told the Mirror.
If Francis isn’t alone in his dislike of the French capital, then the City of Love is responsible for a lot of very disappointed tourists. Paris received 48.7 million visitors in 2024, a post-pandemic high that surpassed the 2023 figure of 47.5 million.
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One cohort that has a famously difficult relationship with the city is the Japanese. A phenomenon called Paris Syndrome refers to the severe form of culture shock that affects some Japanese tourists. Visitors with highly idealized expectations, often fueled by media portrayals, can experience extreme disappointment and psychological distress when confronted with the realities of Paris, such as less polite service and dirtier streets than they’re used to back home.
“Everyone loves Paris because of the Eiffel tower, the Mona Lisa, and the late 1800s architecture. In all honesty, most of the people I encountered there were the rudest, most miserable people I’ve ever had to deal with. The food in Paris was subpar, and there was nothing good about the food. London has a lot better cuisine than Paris,” one unhappy customer wrote on Reddit.
Venice
“Venice in summer is basically Disneyland with pigeons,” Francis said.
He is not alone in feeling like this. A popular protest Instagram page called ‘Venice is not Disneyland’ calls out the bad behaviour of tourists. “In the beginning, it was kind of a joke between friends. It started because we would see the wildest things happening around Venice! Like tourists taking a bath in the canal or eating and sleeping anywhere,” the anonymous person behind the page told Spotted by Locals.
“It is not just about tourists though! Many locals are also behaving inappropriately, like leaving old electrical appliances in the streets. So we decided that we need to talk about this on social media to show just how far that would go.”
When asked what common tourist issues occur in the city, they said: “A very common one is taking a bath in the canals! You might think it’s an innocent activity, especially on a hot summer day, but we should really avoid this. To begin with, the water is unsafe and dirty, so it’s not ideal for sanitary reasons especially if you’re going to a restaurant or hotel afterward! And also, canals are used for transportation, so taking a bath can be very dangerous for you and others. It’s really like chilling in the middle of the street – you wouldn’t do that in any other city.”
Amsterdam
According to Francis, “Amsterdam is just stag dos and overpriced chips.”
The Dutch capital is one of the most-visited cities in Europe. Its 800,000-person population welcomes up to 20 million tourists a year. It is clear to see why, given its world-class museums, beautiful green spaces and tranquil waterways.
However, in recent years, Dutch locals have grown increasingly tired of Amsterdam’s reputation as a destination for stag dos and bad behavior. To such an extent that authorities have taken steps to mitigate the effects of rowdy visitors. Smoking marijuana and drinking in public is illegal and considered poor etiquette by Amsterdam natives. Similarly, taking photos of sex workers in the Red Light District is strictly prohibited.
In 2023, the city council banned cruise ships from its city centre in July to prevent overtourism in its most popular areas. The same year it launched a “stay-away” digital campaign, targeting men aged 18 to 35 in the UK, attempting to curb visitors coming for drugs, alcohol and sex.
As for the cost of chips, a portion goes for between €3.50 and €6.50, according to Amsterdam Tips.
Some alternatives
As much as Francis isn’t a fan of the Dutch, French and Italian heavy hitters, there are some European cities he loves. They include:
- Prague – All the beauty of Paris, half the price, triple the beer quality. Try the fried cheese.
- Porto – Lisbon’s cooler older brother who doesn’t need to show off. Proper city. Great locals.
- Cardiff – Yes, Cardiff. Arcades, castle, rugby, brilliant nights out. Fight me.
- Ljubljana – Slovenia’s capital that nobody can pronounce but everyone falls in love with. Like a fairytale that serves excellent wine.
- Birmingham – Genuinely. More canals than Venice, curry better than Bradford, and they’ve finally sorted the Bullring out.
- Ghent – Bruges without the coach parties. Medieval as hell, students keep it lively.
- Split – Where Romans built a palace and Croatians turned it into the world’s best bar crawl.
