Megan Arz, who lives in Germany, has visited 30 countries and has a few in Europe that she would not revisit – and some of her choices might surprise you
Selecting the ideal holiday destination can prove tricky. With breathtaking coastal resorts across Greece and vibrant metropolitan breaks in Rome, options are plentiful.
Yet one globe-trotter who has explored 30 nations might assist you in refining your selections. Megan Arz, dubbed the ‘friendly neighbourhood tour guide’, has resided on the continent for approximately six years but reveals there are certain sought-after European cities she wouldn’t wish to revisit for different reasons.
Nevertheless, prepare yourself, her assessments are rather scathing and even feature a UK destination.
On TikTok (@meganarztravels), she began her catalogue with a ‘semi-obvious’ city which is ‘so easy to punch down’. “That is Frankfurt, my neighbouring city here in Germany,” she remarked.
“Frankfurt does lack a lot of character, especially when you compare it to other cities in Germany and smaller towns. It’s a banking centre and you can feel that.
“It’s the centre of the European Central Bank and it just doesn’t have that kind of warm and cosy feeling about it.”
Beyond this, Megan highlighted the absence of quality local beer and the dominance of bankers – or ‘financial bros’. She continued: “It just leads to the sense of like ‘eh’ – it’s not that cool.”
Remarkably, a renowned Italian tourist destination featured next on her criticism list. Despite her visit occurring some time previously, she condemned the location for its ‘cheap souvenirs’ and proposed it was rather a ‘day trip place’ than a week-long holiday spot, reports the Daily Record
Megan continued: “Can’t wait for some super defensive Italians in my comments here, but Italy made the list this time around with Pisa. Now, admittedly, I only went to Pisa once and it was quite a while ago, but I don’t remember there being anything to do in the town besides see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
“And that whole area around there is so mobbed with like cheap souvenirs and people trying to sell you things and pickpockets, and it just like didn’t have a very nice feeling about it.”
Third on her list was a destination you might not recognise.
Megan disclosed that Kiruna in northern Sweden, which sits practically in ‘the middle of nowhere’ ranked among her least favourite spots.
She continued: “You go there to hunt for Northern Lights and you can visit the original ice hotel here. But honestly, other than that, it’s a mining town that’s going through a major transition.
“[…] But it’s an odd place and definitely one of the most forgettable places that I’ve visited, sorry Kiruna!”
You might be shocked to discover that Prague claimed fourth place on her list.
Mass tourism and excessive stag parties were Megan’s primary complaints, and she felt she’d experienced everything the city offered in a single visit.
“Prague in the Czech Republic […] it’s a city that has a lot of bachelor [and] bachelorette parties and it’s suffering a bit from overtourism which leads to this feeling of just like: ‘what’s going on here?’,” she said.
“I’ve only visited once and while I would consider going back, I would only consider going back if I had a local perspective and someone who could show me other parts of it […] I was there for five days before and I kind of felt like I saw what I needed to see.”
Brits might be shocked to learn that the final destination on her list was actually a UK city.
Despite enjoying her stay, she described it more as a ‘launching pad’ for exploring elsewhere.
She disclosed: “The last European city that I probably wouldn’t visit again is Inverness in Scotland. I absolutely love Scotland and while I did have a good time in Inverness, it’s quite a small city and doesn’t have that much to offer from a tourist perspective.
“It’s a great jumping-off point for seeing the Highlands or visiting Speyside, but honestly after a couple of days there, I feel like I saw everything I needed to see and probably wouldn’t come back for a return visit.”
Predictably, the assessment sparked a flurry of responses on TikTok, with countless viewers weighing in with their own opinions about each destination.
One individual concurred, stating: “I super agree with you on Pisa! I was staying there for a day and I got soooo bored after seeing the leaning tower and main attractions and even that wasn’t as impressive tbh.”
Another added: “Just got back from Inverness and I agree! It’s a great place to base yourself to see the Highlands, but the city itself just isn’t great.”
However, not everyone agreed with Megan’s perspective. One viewer countered: “I’ve been to Prague dozens of times and would be glad to visit it again. Love that city!” Another added: “So sad to see Prague here, it’s my favourite city I’ve seen in Europe so far.”
