*GASP* did she just say Europe can be overrated??? Yes, she did.
Paris? Athens? Venice?? The European cities that deserve a visit… and the ones that don’t.
I will only discuss my travel from the past year… id est dicere [that is to say] I won’t include Iceland…. but you should 100% visit; it is beautiful.
Italy🇮🇹
Now, I am sure you’ve seen plenty of vids on Insta or TikTok that make the gondolas in Venice seem like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone must have. I certainly saw my fair share of these videos and thought this too.
The reality of Venice is EXTREME overcrowding even during off-season and the gondolas truly put the ‘reality’ in expectations vs. reality. ALSO, I GOT F*CKIN SHOOK DOWN BY COPS WHO CLAIMED MY FAIRY TICKET WAS INVALID SO I HAD TO PAY $140 TO THEM (THE ALTERNATIVE WAS GO TO COURT)👹like 👹What👹The👹F*ck👹!!! If the Venetian cops are reading this, I hope that both sides of your pillow are worm, that you step on a Lego, and that your phone charger only works at a certain angle.
*AHEM
Anyways….
Where I recommend going? BURANO! A smaller island off the coast of Venice with beautiful glass making, cheaper food, rainbow buildings, and 10x less people. I got the best mocchaccino EVER here. The best things are almost never in the most popular cities. The best pasta I had? In Verona: home to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Best gelato? Lago di Como. Best views? Bellagio. Also, Venice’s signature drink is the Aperol Spritz which was completely disgusting imo🤮 10/10 do NOT recommend.
Croatia🇭🇷
Croatia is a country that typically flies a bit under the radar when it comes to travel destinations, but it is 100% worth a visit…. if you choose the right city. As someone who is super into Ancient Roman culture, I was excited to see Split, which is home to Diocletian’s Palace (he was ruler in like the year 300… yea he’s super old). BUT!, my excitement went away when I was met with graffiti covered buildings and dirty streets. The best thing about the city was the gelato so like 🤷♀️.
So, where in Croatia should you go? DUBROVNIK!! Dubrovnik is absolutely beautiful. It is a limestone paved Old Town which is surrounded by big city walls and boat ports with some of the bluest waters I’ve ever seen. There is a plethora of museums and art. There are cute shops, restaurants, and cats everywhere. And weirdly, I got the best tomato soup (linked here) I’ve ever had (it had these weird little rice things in it that worked really well for some reason).
France🇫🇷
Out of all the places you would think I’d call overrated, France is actually not one of them. Emily in Paris may lead you to believe France can only be experienced through a touristy lense if you’re American, but this is not the case.
Paris is an incredibly walkable city which, if you’re willing to explore, will allow you to find amazing restaurants, cafes, shops, and views. Seeing the entire city from the Sacré Cœur and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night from an empty street were incredible sights. Plus, the Louvre wasn’t as gross and crowded as I expected; I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to explore quite easily, besides the room with the Mona Lisa and the Last Super. Also, it’s fun to just listen to people speak French sometimes so yeah.
Now, Cannes is a bit different. do NOT go to Cannes if you don’t have money to throw around. I’m talking “me and my buddies were planning on going to Vegas for our bachelor party and want to throw ones at strippers for 72 hours straight” money. Each day, in addition to my hotel stay, I spent 18 euros per piña colada, 110 euros per beach chair and towel, and about 200 euros on meals. Weirdly, the cheapest thing here was the champagne and vodka from the local convenience store which was under 10 euros per bottle… and the frugal people that my friends and I are, decided to spend our money here 😎
Anyways, there were still plenty of cool things about Cannes. If you wander off the beaten path, you’ll find a small town which will remind you of Lake Como (it even has those tall pointy trees). And the best thing about Cannes is that is is home to Bobo’s. Bobo’s is an Italian restaurant which has the best pasta I’ve had in my entire life (yes. it was in fact better than Italy). I got gnocchi pomodoro and caprese salad and it was the best meal of my life and I will never stop talking about it. This is actually an ad for Bobo’s 😉.
Montenegro🇲🇪
Montenegro. God. Where do I start?? Montenegro must be the most underrated European country.
It’s perfect for someone who can’t decide what kind of vacation they want; it has mountains to hike (I recommend hiking Kotor Fortress), beaches to swim and sunbathe at, an old town to explore culture and beautiful architecture, and the best tiramisu I’ve ever had in Budva Old Town (I didn’t even like tiramisu prior).
And even with this being the most versatile country, it is the cheapest one as well. Ik y’all want to travel for cheap, so you’re welcome.
Greece🇬🇷
Does Greece have beautiful destinations? Yes, but there’s a lot that isn’t seen based on social media. I haven’t been to Santorini or the most popular cities with white and blue buildings, so what I say does not apply to them (all I know about those cities are that since they are so touristy, they are incredibly crowded).
I did, however, go to Corfu and Athens. Corfu is a beautiful spot if you are on the northwest coast of the island at the beaches, but if you are in the city, it quickly becomes a bit junky. The town (especially in the south) is filled with tourist shops and it’s hard to feel out the actual vibe of the area. There isn’t much authenticity.
As for Athens, the monuments are beautiful. I loved visiting the Acropolis to see temples such as the Parthenon dedicated to Athena. There were some amazing rooftop restaurants such as Attic Urban Rooftop (decorated with flowers and a swing). I went to an all pink cafe called Ellyz Cafe which had delicious colorful desserts and drinks.
Unfortunately, much of the main city doesn’t look like this. The main strip of tall buildings alternated between business buildings and strip clubs (literally every other building). I started to think I accidentally went on vacation to Las Vegas rather than Greece.
This is not to say that there weren’t nice parts of the city. I recommend frequenting Monastiraki and Plaka district which had a ton of fun (non-touristy and touristy) shops, awesome restaurants, and I even saw a spa that had those dead-skin eating fish to make your feet smooth like in Carly🤣🤣
(ICarly Fish)
I spent most of my time in Athens here and I recommend you do the same. I recommend lunch at Ydria Bistro to get spanakopita and trying a Tsipouro shot if you feel like playing with death (it’s like 50% alc and tastes like fire is going down your throat). Have fun with that!
That’s all for today folks.
If you wanna check out my previous post click here.
love ya❤️
-S