7 European Tourist Traps That Wasted My Time! Here’s Where You Should Go Instead…

Skip the Hype, Save Your Trip: What I’d Never Visit in Europe Again, and What’s Worth It!

Have you ever come back from a vacation feeling like you need another one?

You know the experience… 

Instead of that Instagram-worthy “transformational journey,” you ended up with a maxed-out credit card, a sunburn, and that icky feeling you got ripped off at every turn… like paying $15 for a bottle of water. 

“Yeah, me too.”

For years, I thought traveling was about seeing it all, doing it all, and proving it all. 

If I didn’t hit every landmark, pick up every cheesy souvenir, and suffer through at least one 6-hour bus ride next to a guy eating hard boiled eggs, was it even a trip? 

But somewhere between getting shoved in a mob at the Trevi Fountain and paying an offensive amount of money for a “bucket list” experience that felt more like a hostage situation, I had a revelation.

Some places just aren’t worth it.

That’s right, just because a destination is famous doesn’t mean it’s actually any good. 

The Eiffel Tower is beautiful…until you realize you’re wedged between 4,000 tourists, half-watching a sketchy shell game, while a pickpocket goes through your backpack.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa?

Great, if you enjoy the collective cringe of watching grown adults mime holding it up for a photo.

And let’s not even start on Mykonos unless you have a trust fund or an influencer brand deal.

But here’s the good news!

For every overpriced tourist trap, there’s a better, cheaper, and far more rewarding spot. One where you can hear yourself think, eat without going broke, and actually experience the place instead of just surviving it.

So before you book that next trip, let’s talk about the places that wasted my time, and where you should go instead.

1. Tourist Trap: Mykonos, Greece

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: Mykonos is Santorini’s evil twin.

In other words, it’s yet another Greek island of overpriced cocktails, overcrowded beaches, and influencers striking poses like their lives depend on it.

If you’ve ever dreamed of sipping ouzo while overlooking the Aegean, prepare instead to fight for elbow room with a group of TikTokers live-streaming their vacation.

Your wallet will also hate you. Everything costs double what it should.

1. Hotels? Overpriced.
2. Beach chairs? You have to pay for them or face the beach chair mafia.
3. A cocktail? Hope you’re ready to spend €20 on a watered-down margarita.
4. Hidden beaches are a lie. That “untouched paradise” you saw on Instagram? It’s currently hosting 500 tourists and a DJ blasting house music at 2 PM.
5. The nightlife is only for trust fund kids. Want a night out? Get ready to take out a small loan for the privilege of standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a club where drinks cost more than your flight.

Where You Should Go Instead: Naxos, Greece

• Want that Greek island beauty without needing to sell a kidney to afford dinner? Go to Naxos. 
• Same whitewashed beauty, fewer crowds. Naxos has the charm, the views, and the food, but without the influencer invasion.
• The beaches are actually enjoyable. Imagine lying on the sand without someone setting up a tripod two feet away.
• Food that doesn’t require financial ruin. Fresh seafood, real Greek hospitality, and actual affordability.

Go to Naxos. You’ll thank me later.

2. Tourist Trap: The Champs-Élysées, Paris, France

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: The Champs-Élysées is supposedly “the most beautiful avenue in the world.”

Unless you think being wedged between 5,000 tourists and pickpockets while dodging aggressive street vendors is beautiful, let’s rethink that.

1. It’s a glorified outdoor mall. Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and McDonald’s, because nothing screams “authentic Paris” like spending €15 on a cappuccino next to a fast-food chain you can find back home.
2. Scammers and street hawkers galore. Hope you like being aggressively sold miniature Eiffel Tower keychains every five feet.
3. A selfie-stick minefield. You won’t get that dreamy Parisian stroll. You’ll get stuck behind a group taking 27 photos of the same angle.

Where You Should Go Instead: Annecy, France

Want that romantic French experience without being elbowed by tourists? Annecy is your answer.

• Picture-perfect canals and cobblestone streets. They call it the “Venice of the Alps” for a reason.
• Genuine French charm. No overpriced luxury stores, just real markets, local shops, and a stunning lake.
• You can actually enjoy your coffee. And it won’t cost as much as a small apartment.

Skip the tourist circus, go to Annecy.

3. Tourist Trap: The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: After you take the obligatory “holding up the tower” photo, what’s left? A wildly underwhelming experience.

1. The tower is smaller than you think. It looks massive in photos. In real life, it’s… not.
2. Pisa itself isn’t much to write home about. You’ll find overpriced restaurants with mediocre food, all conveniently located to trap hungry tourists.
3. The gimmick is exhausting. Watching hundreds of people fake-holding-up the tower? More depressing than entertaining.

Where You Should Go Instead: Bologna, Italy

Want a real Italian experience? Skip Pisa, head to Bologna.

• Medieval towers you can actually climb. No awkward posing required.
• The best food in Italy. Tagliatelle al ragù, mortadella, fresh handmade pasta, it’s a food paradise.
• A city that feels alive, not staged. Bologna is vibrant, historic, and authentic.

Go to Bologna. Your stomach will thank you.

4. Tourist Trap: The Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: Legend says throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain guarantees your return to Rome. What it doesn’t tell you is that it also guarantees:

1. A stampede of tourists. You won’t have a peaceful moment here. You’ll be shoved, trampled, and yelled at.
2. An overpriced, chaotic mess. Street vendors, pickpockets, and the sheer volume of people make this an exhausting experience.
3. A rushed visit. Blink and it’s over. Hope you enjoyed the view (over the heads of 500 other tourists).

Where You Should Go Instead: Verona, Italy

Want a romantic Italian escape without the madness? Verona is perfect.

• Medieval streets, Roman ruins, and fewer crowds.
• Ponte Pietra: a stunning Roman bridge over the Adige River.
• Piazza delle Erbe: one of Italy’s most beautiful squares.

Rome is incredible, but the Trevi Fountain?

Not so much. Try Verona instead.

5. Tourist Trap: Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: It’s a fairy tale castle… until you realize the nightmare you signed up for.

1. Long lines, overpriced tours, and no photos inside. Fun!
2. The “scenic hike” is just a crowded walkway. Forget a peaceful trek, this is a human traffic jam.
3. The best views are from far away. Which makes you ask the question, “Why go in at all?”

Where You Should Go Instead: Burg Eltz, Germany

For a real medieval castle experience without the tourist insanity, head to Burg Eltz.

• Hidden deep in a lush forest. It looks straight out of a fantasy novel.
• Fewer crowds, more authenticity.
• No overpriced nonsense.

Neuschwanstein is for postcards.

Burg Eltz is for people who actually like castles.

6. Tourist Trap: Manneken Pis, Brussels, Belgium

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: Brussels’ famous Manneken Pis, is a tiny statue of a peeing boy. That’s it. That’s the whole attraction.

1. It’s ridiculously small. You’ll blink and miss it.
2. The crowds are absurd. Imagine a massive group huddled around something that’s two feet tall.
3. It’s in the middle of a tourist trap zone. Overpriced food, tacky souvenirs, the works.

Where You Should Go Instead: The Grand Béguinage, Leuven, Belgium

Want something actually worth seeing? Leuven’s Grand Béguinage.

• A beautifully preserved medieval quarter.
• Peaceful streets, canals, and incredible architecture.
• A real step back in time, without the tourist chaos.

7. Tourist Trap: Mont Saint-Michel, France

Why It’s a Tourist Trap: It looks mystical in photos. In reality? A logistical nightmare.

1. It’s packed with tourists. Imagine Disneyland on the busiest day of the year.
2. It’s filled with tacky shops. Half of them don’t even sell anything local.
3. Everything is overpriced, even the coffee.

Where You Should Go Instead: Étretat, France

For those “breathtaking coastal views” without the crowds, go to Étretat.

• Dramatic white chalk cliffs and stunning rock formations.
• A peaceful village, no tourist madness.
• It’s just as beautiful as it looks, no filters needed.

Not Every Famous Spot Is Worth It

Some places look incredible online but feel like a regret-filled money pit in real life.

Before you book that trip, ask yourself: 

Are you going because you truly want to? 

Or because the internet told you to?

Have you ever visited a place that didn’t live up to the hype? 

I told you mine…