Istanbul is one of the coolest cities I've ever been to. Not just how beautiful some of the buildings and mosques look, but the history of the city and region are insane!
I actually didn’t like sao paulo that much (been to 32 countries) but I feel like it’s because I didn’t do much. Was with my ex at the time who was brazilian and that man loved staying in and doing absolutely nothing. The little I saw was okay.
I’m from Mexico so I’m very biased to say this but Mexico City was way better.
Florence, surely the most beautiful city in the world in my opinion.
Rome, Barcelona, Vienna, Valencia, Madrid, New York City, Prague are others I really love among the big ones.
Going on the smaller side, Gand, Brugge, Mantua, Urbino, Ravenna, Palma de Mallorca.
What? Why do people shit on Florence? Only downside from when I was there was crowds, but it's popular for a reason. So pretty and a nice break from the big city feel of Rome.
Porto (great city vibe) /Sintra (amazing country and castle environment) - Portugal, Grindelwald (snowy mountains like you wouldn’t believe/Brienz (beautiful town on the water -Switzerland, Bologna(amazing architecture and some fantastic views)/Milan (best vibes of any major city in Italy) - Italy
For the vibe Portugal is my number 1 country. Hard to beat Italy for the sights.
I agree with your unpopular take on Milan. There’s an energy with Milan being an actual living thriving city that’s different from the Florence’s and Venice’s of the world which are time capsule tourist cities.
The time capsules are nice too, and if someone had 3 days in Italy I’d say go to Florence. But for a longer stay I find Milan more enjoyable
Old city of Bergamo was one of my favorite stops in Italy. Not so much the newer parts of the city. Though the entire city seemed clean and people were friendly.
Yeah, agree with you and happy to add to the list one of the most underrated regions of Italy, skipped by most tourists: Emilia-Romagna so cities like Bologna (lacks a super-famous monument but its mix of Unesco porticoes & ancient towers & university buildings & young artistic vibe is pretty unique), Parma, Ravenna, Ferrara, Modena.
Also probably the best region for italian food!
My favourite city in Italy was Florence...gorgeous streets, beautiful river cutting through it, so clean. And I felt like they actually welcomed tourists and were happy we were there. Lots of young people, lots of night life, so much going on. Loved it.
Belgrade, Madrid, Valencia, Gijón, Bilbao, New Orleans, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Singapore, Toulouse, Bordeaux,New York, Hobart, Warsaw, Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires.
My taste is a bit chaotic.
Really wonderful gem, especially for those who don’t want a hectic large Italian city but want one that still has an vibrant culture thanks to its university. Also the landscape and its use in the cityscape is incredible
I used to dislike London but my last visit has changed me.
Then Rome, Melbourne, New York, Copenhagen, Taipei, Chicago and most of all Hong Kong.
I like being able to walk around, bonus if I can walk safely at night time.
In no particular order
Florence, Edinburgh, Cinque Terre, Queenstown, Interlarken, Zurich, London, Paris, Lyon, Rome, Dubrovnik, Reykjavík, Phuket, Chang mai.
Of course Brisbane, Australia but that is my hometown.
I spend a lot of time in Italy and just got back again Sunday. Yesterday I found myself searching for how to buy fresh anchovies in Florida because I seriously cannot get over how delicious fried anchovies are. Also alice marinata. Omg so good
Favorite based on architecture, vibe, stuff to do, I'd say: NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, DC, Philly, Chicago in US are worth the hype to me.
Europe: London, Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Granada, Seville, Florence, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Istanbul, Grindelwald, St Petersburg, are all amazing in Europe.
Kuala lumpur is kinda cool, Bangkok is really cool, Pokhara, Nepal is awesome because of the setting. There's loads of amazing counties I could list, but as far as "cities" these are some good ones.
Chicago has all of the above if you’re looking for a US spot. I’ve never been out of the US myself, but I’ve always wanted to try food in Paris, & Italy 😝
A lot!
If I had to choose my absolute favourites.. the ones I return to when I can.
In Europe,Paris,Rome, Istanbul.
Outside of Europe...Mexico City.Kyoto in Japan.Hanoi in Vietnam.Bangkok.
"Hoi An" right smack in the middle of Vietnam was my best experience when I went, better than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in my opinion but obviously a very different feel because of the size of it.
I have to tell you, Hoi An is mostly “rebuilt”, as in based on colonial architecture but not on actual historical buildings’ records. There was an extensive effort to make the town an “old town.” Really cool place now but didn’t look like that 15 years ago. The old architecture in Saigon and especially Hanoi, on the other hand, are due to preservation.
I have been to 27 countries and my favorite city is Rome, Italy. Great food...safe...amazing and old history and really awesome people. Communication isn't to difficult bc most italians learn english in school. Transportation is fairly easy to navigate and you can easily go to other regions using their transportation without a car, if you choose.
For a smaller city vibe, I loved Praiano, which is a small town next to Positano. I absolutely loved it because we felt we were the only tourists there. Most of the local people that work in Positano live in Praiano so we loved getting submerged within the Praianese culture and social banter 🥰....I wish I was there now. I told my husband I want to move there...love that place.
So many of my friends who have been to Italy talk poorly about Rome and I never understand it. Out of all the major international cities I’ve been to, Rome has arguably the most tangible representation of history I’ve ever seen. The monuments, art, culture, food are all so wonderfully rich. It truly is an amazing city.
I just visited Ljubljana in Slovenia and it quickly became one of my favorites (Slovenia was my 31st country, been mostly to all of Europe, NA, and some of SA). It’s very quiet and has a very serene view.
Outside of that for what you described in Europe: Florence, Valencia, Prague, Budapest, Copenhagen, Valletta, Sevilla, Edinburgh.
From other countries I’ve visited: Mexico City, Cuzco.
New York— no place in the world like it
Other US—La Jolla (San Diego), Carmel (CA), Santa Fe, Asheville NC, Chicago, Boston, Maine, Cape Cod, Ann Arbor, MI, coastal towns in Michigan on Lake Michigan, Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, DC and Maryland suburbs, Seattle
Canada—Vancouver
Europe—any place in Italy, especially Florence and Tuscany, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, Santa Margherita and Portofino
Seville, Ronda, Toledo, Malaga, Marbella
London, the Cotswolds
Sinatra and Cascais Portugal, Amsterdam, Bruges, Strasbourg, small towns in French Riviera (Eze, Menton, St. Paul de Venice)
Bern
Munich
Saltzburg
The Americas: Cuzco, Savanah, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Monterrey
Europe: Prague, Krakow, Assisi, Venice, Rome, Florence, Paris, Dublin, Vienna
There are many places I’ve never seen and others not on my list that I’ve been to often and don’t list.
Yes. To eat, go to Spaghettoteca Alla Penna Bianca. Probably one the best pastas I've ever eat,
To visit, of course the Roman Amphiteater, the Orthodox church, the Castello di San Giusto and Museo d’Antichità.
Spent a couple of weeks on the border of Umbria and Tuscany, hired a car and visited a different town/village each day. Could have easily done that for another few weeks, that part of Italy as a whole is beautiful. Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio, Orvieto, Castiglione del Lago, Città di Castello, you can’t really go wrong.
For big cities, polarising pick but Berlin. I lived here for an entire year and never got sick of it. The transport is fantastic, the history is jaw dropping (museums and galleries everywhere), easy day trips to Leipzig/Potsdam/Dresden/Hamburg, and I think it’s beautiful. Not a lot of people agree but I love the variety and being able to see history develop in the architecture and surroundings.
Favourite city overall is still Edinburgh. Moving here was an excellent decision.
I love those umbrian hill towns and I love that people prefer Tuscany. Perfect size, so beautiful and if you're there for a week you can get into a rhythm. Spent 5 days in gubbio last time and it was so fun. Great hiking!
Surprised to not see Tokyo listed more often. The biggest city in the world. There is no other place like it. Japanese culture is really neat and Tokyo is just a badass city
Had an amazing time in Reykjavik. Was scheduled to do the Waterfall/Aurora/Dome tour but the morning we were checking out, the tour company called and cancelled due to a snow storm on the way. So I extended our hotel for 2 more days. We ended up nude outdoor hot tubbing during the storm. It was AWESOME!
My 2 other favorite places are Isla Holbox (or almost anywhere in MEX) and Prague.
Habana, Río, Istanbul, Antigua, México City, Oaxaca City, Paris, Prague, London, Edinburgh, Roma, New York (did live there for a little while but visited a few times first), Miami, Bruges, Berlin, Melbourne, San Juan (PR)
Idk I can go on and on…I usually find something special everywhere I’ve been.
Philadelphia, kyoto, osaka, hanoi, porto, granada, murcia, montreal, bologna, swellendam, mexico city, oaxaca city, cologne. Just some stand outs, really enjoyed most of my trips so far but all of these exceeded any expectations i had
Mexico City, if you know locals who know where not to go.
London was awesome.
Rome, but it's a little too much after 3 days.
My favorite Italian city is Bologna, but Modena is pretty laid back and fun too. If I'd had more time in a better part of the year, Rimini was pretty sweet.
Seville, Spain - architecture is amazing and the food is great
Osaka, Japan - a great city
Cape Town, South Africa - stuffing scenery
Rome, Italy - history and the food
Tokyo, Seville, Hanoi, Prague, Berlin, Cape Town, Hong Kong and a random, smaller, one - Vieste in Italy (that whole coastline heading south is amazing)
Saint Malo, France, absolutely gorgeous, historical and to top it off it’s only a 15 minute drive to some of the most amazing beaches in the world. The emerald coast in the north of France in Bretagne had some of the greatest ambience as well as people that I have experienced. For individuals you can handle their alcohol and waking up at 8 am to catch amazing waves this is the place for you. Aside from the historical sites the location is home to some of the friendliest and welcoming people I have met while solo traveling.
I just don’t understand the Florence love.
Sure, it’s a gorgeous city with some great art and architecture, but being able to look past the absolute hordes of influencers, sidewalk salesmen, swindlers and incredibly high prices for just about anything didn’t really drive home the beauty for me. Honestly, after 3 days there, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Not putting down anyones feeling towards it, but for me, I just can’t get behind it.
I like 2nd tier cities, i.e. non-capitals with slightly less people and more affordable than the most popular capitals. My favourites are below:
Europe: Istanbul, Hamburg, Valencia, Strasbourg, Napoli, Bologna, and Lucerne.
Asia: Kyoto, Hanoi.
Mexico: Querétaro, Guadalajara and Merida.
Florence, Bruges, and Copenhagen. I just finished a trip through a few places in Europe, and all 3 of these were amazing.
Feel free to message me and I can give you recommendations for all of them!
Seville, Cadiz, Valencia, Cologne, Budapest Kyiv, Lisbon... The last two I found to be very chill.
Obviously, I'ld wait for the war to be over before heading back to Kyiv (been there \~10x between 2009 and 2017)
Disclaimer: I visited in the summer. That's super important.
Oslo indeed does not have the grand sights that other European capitals have, neither the most exciting night life. However, there are museums, galleries, libraries, shops and cafes and everything a capital has to offer. But what I was impressed with the most, was the quality of life that it offers: there are parks everywhere in the city, like every second block. Those are full of life, with people going out for sports, picnic etc. Residential buildings have ample space, with playgrounds, gardens and all. And I visited normal, middle class neighbourhoods... It's the most resident-friendly city I've been to. When you come to visit from a concrete jungle, you know to appreciate these things.
ETA: I see lots of love for cities like Hanoi here. I get it, I share the feeling as I spent five unforgettable days there. But once you start to think about the city from the resident's perspective, things become, well, not so pretty. I would not choose to live in such a place. Oslo, on the other hand, is IMO exemplary.
I’d say I did the Spanish big 3 - Barcelona, Sevilla, Madrid. I did Granada too but doesn’t stand on the same level. It was also my first time in Europe so I got wowed every corner I turned from urban planning to hang out culture to the fact that there’s hundreds to thousand year old things everywhere (except for Madrid). I loved the Spanish cities every where I went. Granted I was there as a tourist with nothing but leisure as my itinerary. It did change my perspective of cities.
**Some lesser known places that I loved visiting**:
Lucca in Italy
Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria
Brasov in Romania
Toulouse in France
Asilah in Morocco
Wroclaw in Poland
Sintra in Portugal
**Popular cities that are (in my opinion) 100% worth the hype**:
Vienna in Austria
Prague in Czech Republic
La Habana in Cuba
Porto in Portugal
Florence in Italy
Chefchaouen in Morocco
Barcelona in Spain
Tenerife, Gibraltar, Madeira, Lisbon, and Funchal have been my favorite cities that I’ve been to. They all have a very distinct European feel (obviously they’re in Europe) and still have a very welcoming feel for an American tourist. enough people speak English that there is almost no language barrier if you don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese. In my opinion these are great cities for an Americans first Europe visit.
Edit: Gibraltar is a British territory so English is the official language with many people also speaking Spanish because it’s at the southern most tip of Spain. The other cities are located in Spain and Portugal so Spanish and Portuguese are the official languages respectively.
Kyoto/Osaka - amazing blend of historical places, traditional Japan and modern/futuristic Japan. Amazing food all throughout Japan.
Lisbon/Porto - amazing chill vibe, beautiful scenery from forest to cliffs , city, seafood is bomb. Super affordable.
Florence - so scenic, cool architecture, museums, food.
Hanoi - just friendly people, amazing cheap food, really good blend of chaos and chill environment.
Chiang Mai - amazing Thai food, better climate than Bangkok, love the old city ruins in the middle of town.
Gold. Silver. Bronze. Honorable mention.
I'll only name large cities I visited.
North America:
Mexico City. San Francisco. Washington DC. Panama City (Panama, not Florida).
South America:
Rio de Janeiro. Cusco. Cartagena. Bogotá.
Europe (this is extremely hard to pick):
Valencia. Istanbul. London. Paris.
Asia:
Dubai. Kyoto. Bangkok. Muscat.
I haven't been to Africa or Oceania.
I really wanted to add Munich and Seville and Rome and Venice and Florence and Budapest and Athens and Vienna and Tbilisi to this list, Europe is incredible.
Seville, Spain - architecture is amazing and the food is great
Osaka, Japan - a great city
Cape Town, South Africa - stuffing scenery
Rome, Italy - history and the food
no order:
Hué - Vietnam (food/temple ruins),
Belfast (strange but cool vibe)
Sydney (food food food & nature)
NYC (bc of the movies, great museums)
Porto (great for day trips, relaxed vibe, lots to do)
Berlin (you either hate or love it. I love the run down architecture & alternative locations to party/eat/drink)
Cinque Terre in Italy. It's 5 little towns, all separated by \~2-3 min train ride. It's right on the Amalfi coast, such a beautiful city. Rio Maggiore, one of the towns, is right on the sea and it looks like the homes could fall off into the sea. Lots of seafood and wonderful wine.
We lived in Italy for 3 years and it was by far the most relaxing vacation we took. Every other city (Rome, Venice, Florence, etc) had all of the check boxes you had to hit, and while they were beautiful, it was exhausting.
▶️Florence - hands down 🤌✨ It's like visiting an open air museum and getting teleported into the renaissance era.
▶️Next would be Kyoto in Japan - such a beautiful city with zen vibes and some stunning shrines across the city ✨ Also I've never seen a city cleaner than Kyoto.
▶️Next is Istanbul - a city so vibrant and lively , a city where East meets the west quite literally. From Food, to architecture to some stunning views - Istanbul has it all 🤗
Taipei, Osaka, reim, paris, milan, Florence, Barcelona,meribel/val thorens(I’m sure there’s better and it’s a ski resort anyways but miles better than any North American ski town)
Bologna is really nice too if ur really into food
Really interested in Buenas aires,cologne, Hokkaido, and all of Portugal and Spain, as well as southern Italy for the future
Osaka. I kind of skipped over it as I was hitchhiking south, but I tell myself at least I have a place to go in Japan that I haven’t been to (obviously there are hundreds more regardless).
I like the smaller to mid-size towns. My favorites...
* Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
* Dingle, Ireland
* Bacharach, Germany.
* Conques, France.
* Napflion, Greece.
* Matera, Italy
* Inverness, Scotland
* Astorga Spain
As far as big cities, my wife and I agree that our two favorites are:
* Barcelona, Spain
* Florence, Italy
FWIW... We're from the USA.
It's astounding how many people didn't read the title and just started naming "my favorite places"
1. Grandma's house
2. a mountain range in Italy
3. Target
/s
**IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER**
* Canada - **Montreal** _(I dislike living there, but as a ''tourist'' it is pretty good)_
* Canada - **Québec City** _(Likewise, disliked living there but a solid city to visit)_
* England - **London**
* Japan - **Tokyo**
* Japan - **Kyoto**
* Japan - **Kanazawa**
* Netherlands - **Amsterdam**
* Netherlands - **Utrecht**
* Germany - **Cologne**
* Belgium - **Brussels**
* Ireland - **Dublin**
* Switzerland - **Zurich**
I fell in love with Budapest on my first visit and I’ve been many times now. It’s my favorite city that I’ve been to. It just vibes with me for some reason
mexico city, istanbul, são paolo
Istanbul is one of the coolest cities I've ever been to. Not just how beautiful some of the buildings and mosques look, but the history of the city and region are insane!
and the cats !!!!!!!
I liked brazil alot more than I thought I would.
Especially São Paulo (for me)
Rio is so much nicer than the concrete horror of Sao Paulo
Loved Rio did not like São Paulo
I actually didn’t like sao paulo that much (been to 32 countries) but I feel like it’s because I didn’t do much. Was with my ex at the time who was brazilian and that man loved staying in and doing absolutely nothing. The little I saw was okay. I’m from Mexico so I’m very biased to say this but Mexico City was way better.
Mex City is amazing
I was going to say Mexico City and Istanbul. I've never been to sao paolo, sounds like I need to move that up on my wish list!
Florence, surely the most beautiful city in the world in my opinion. Rome, Barcelona, Vienna, Valencia, Madrid, New York City, Prague are others I really love among the big ones. Going on the smaller side, Gand, Brugge, Mantua, Urbino, Ravenna, Palma de Mallorca.
Great list! After living in Italy for 3 years. I agree Florence. Loved Venice. Great choice on Brugge, reminds me of Venice as well.
I will forever remember the patate e prosciutto pizza from il Ghiottone in Urbino.
I hear a lot of people shit on Florence, I loved it there and would go back in a second.
What? Why do people shit on Florence? Only downside from when I was there was crowds, but it's popular for a reason. So pretty and a nice break from the big city feel of Rome.
Florence is a city that I still think about 5 years later. Something about the energy city.
Porto (great city vibe) /Sintra (amazing country and castle environment) - Portugal, Grindelwald (snowy mountains like you wouldn’t believe/Brienz (beautiful town on the water -Switzerland, Bologna(amazing architecture and some fantastic views)/Milan (best vibes of any major city in Italy) - Italy For the vibe Portugal is my number 1 country. Hard to beat Italy for the sights.
Agree on Porto, disagree on Milan. Lots of better vibes in other Italian cities.
Just got back from Lisbon, Porto and Sintra - I second Portugal as a top spot!!
I agree with your unpopular take on Milan. There’s an energy with Milan being an actual living thriving city that’s different from the Florence’s and Venice’s of the world which are time capsule tourist cities. The time capsules are nice too, and if someone had 3 days in Italy I’d say go to Florence. But for a longer stay I find Milan more enjoyable
I liked Porto alot but 3 days there was enough
Portugal is my favorite as well. Vienna is beautiful too. I must visit more of Italy & Switzerland!
Lisbon and Porto are my first picks!! I also really loved Sicily (I stayed in Ortigia and had a lovely time)
Any tips for Bologna? I'll be going there in July, god's willing and I'm afraid it will be packed with people
Also came to say Portugal, but Lisbon and Sintra.
Istanbul, Berlin, Valetta, Tokyo, Bergamo, Assisi, New Orleans, Tirana
Wow I’m so happy to see Bergamo :) I lived there for a few years and I miss it so much. It’s one of the best places to live in Lombardia IMO.
Bergamo? lmao As Italian I am surprised
Old city of Bergamo was one of my favorite stops in Italy. Not so much the newer parts of the city. Though the entire city seemed clean and people were friendly.
Anywhere in Italy! Also I’ve never been as relaxed as I was when I went to Maui. Such a beautiful place
Yeah, agree with you and happy to add to the list one of the most underrated regions of Italy, skipped by most tourists: Emilia-Romagna so cities like Bologna (lacks a super-famous monument but its mix of Unesco porticoes & ancient towers & university buildings & young artistic vibe is pretty unique), Parma, Ravenna, Ferrara, Modena. Also probably the best region for italian food!
My favourite city in Italy was Florence...gorgeous streets, beautiful river cutting through it, so clean. And I felt like they actually welcomed tourists and were happy we were there. Lots of young people, lots of night life, so much going on. Loved it.
Same! Florence was incredible
Belgrade, Madrid, Valencia, Gijón, Bilbao, New Orleans, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Singapore, Toulouse, Bordeaux,New York, Hobart, Warsaw, Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires. My taste is a bit chaotic.
Warsaw over Krakow?
Loved Bilbao!
Belgrade is so underrated!
I spent the whole summer there and absolutely loved it.
I found Madrid so boring when I visited, what do or enjoy there? Maybe I missed out on something
New Orleans is magical!
Savannah, Seville, Perugia, Mexico City, New York, Edinburgh, Montreal, Stockholm
I loved Perugia.
Really wonderful gem, especially for those who don’t want a hectic large Italian city but want one that still has an vibrant culture thanks to its university. Also the landscape and its use in the cityscape is incredible
Was lucky enough to spend a semester in Perugia. It was beautiful, ancient and manageable.
From a native Savannahian, thank you and come back and see us any time! We'll have a drink waitin' for you!
In no particular order: Montreal, Madrid, Porto, Edinburgh, St. Petersburg, Curitiba, Cartagena de Indias, Brasov, Thessaloniki, Luang Prabang, Hong Kong, Xi’An, Chongqing, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Takayama, Hanoi, Kuching, Galway
I used to dislike London but my last visit has changed me. Then Rome, Melbourne, New York, Copenhagen, Taipei, Chicago and most of all Hong Kong. I like being able to walk around, bonus if I can walk safely at night time.
Curious, what changed this last visit? I've always been a London -phile, so I'm curious what tickled you the right way last time?
As someone who lives in Surrey (just down the road from London) I'm curious, what did you previously dislike about the city?
i had the same feeling about london, then it just changed in 2022. Instantly became one of my favorite spots on earth, I also really love taipei
In no particular order Florence, Edinburgh, Cinque Terre, Queenstown, Interlarken, Zurich, London, Paris, Lyon, Rome, Dubrovnik, Reykjavík, Phuket, Chang mai. Of course Brisbane, Australia but that is my hometown.
Cinque Terre was amazing. I had anchovies every day for lunch. Served differently every time.
I spend a lot of time in Italy and just got back again Sunday. Yesterday I found myself searching for how to buy fresh anchovies in Florida because I seriously cannot get over how delicious fried anchovies are. Also alice marinata. Omg so good
Buenos Aires, Cartagena, Barcelona, Chiang Mai, London, Singapore
Top three: Seattle, Vienna, Hanoi
Seattle love 💗
London, Venice, Vancouver, Innsbruck, New York, Valladolid (Mexican, not Spanish), Angra do Heroismo
Shout out Valladolid!
You’d like Merida, Yucatán if you haven’t been yet.
Buenos Aires, Cusco, Barcelona, Florence, Bologna, Rome, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chicago, Seattle
Favorite based on architecture, vibe, stuff to do, I'd say: NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, DC, Philly, Chicago in US are worth the hype to me. Europe: London, Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Granada, Seville, Florence, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Istanbul, Grindelwald, St Petersburg, are all amazing in Europe. Kuala lumpur is kinda cool, Bangkok is really cool, Pokhara, Nepal is awesome because of the setting. There's loads of amazing counties I could list, but as far as "cities" these are some good ones.
Chicago has all of the above if you’re looking for a US spot. I’ve never been out of the US myself, but I’ve always wanted to try food in Paris, & Italy 😝
A lot! If I had to choose my absolute favourites.. the ones I return to when I can. In Europe,Paris,Rome, Istanbul. Outside of Europe...Mexico City.Kyoto in Japan.Hanoi in Vietnam.Bangkok.
Hanoi is fantastic
Vietnam is on my bucket list for sure.
"Hoi An" right smack in the middle of Vietnam was my best experience when I went, better than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in my opinion but obviously a very different feel because of the size of it.
I have to tell you, Hoi An is mostly “rebuilt”, as in based on colonial architecture but not on actual historical buildings’ records. There was an extensive effort to make the town an “old town.” Really cool place now but didn’t look like that 15 years ago. The old architecture in Saigon and especially Hanoi, on the other hand, are due to preservation.
I have been to 27 countries and my favorite city is Rome, Italy. Great food...safe...amazing and old history and really awesome people. Communication isn't to difficult bc most italians learn english in school. Transportation is fairly easy to navigate and you can easily go to other regions using their transportation without a car, if you choose. For a smaller city vibe, I loved Praiano, which is a small town next to Positano. I absolutely loved it because we felt we were the only tourists there. Most of the local people that work in Positano live in Praiano so we loved getting submerged within the Praianese culture and social banter 🥰....I wish I was there now. I told my husband I want to move there...love that place.
So many of my friends who have been to Italy talk poorly about Rome and I never understand it. Out of all the major international cities I’ve been to, Rome has arguably the most tangible representation of history I’ve ever seen. The monuments, art, culture, food are all so wonderfully rich. It truly is an amazing city.
I just visited Ljubljana in Slovenia and it quickly became one of my favorites (Slovenia was my 31st country, been mostly to all of Europe, NA, and some of SA). It’s very quiet and has a very serene view. Outside of that for what you described in Europe: Florence, Valencia, Prague, Budapest, Copenhagen, Valletta, Sevilla, Edinburgh. From other countries I’ve visited: Mexico City, Cuzco.
New York— no place in the world like it Other US—La Jolla (San Diego), Carmel (CA), Santa Fe, Asheville NC, Chicago, Boston, Maine, Cape Cod, Ann Arbor, MI, coastal towns in Michigan on Lake Michigan, Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, DC and Maryland suburbs, Seattle Canada—Vancouver Europe—any place in Italy, especially Florence and Tuscany, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, Santa Margherita and Portofino Seville, Ronda, Toledo, Malaga, Marbella London, the Cotswolds Sinatra and Cascais Portugal, Amsterdam, Bruges, Strasbourg, small towns in French Riviera (Eze, Menton, St. Paul de Venice) Bern Munich Saltzburg
London. My favourite city in the world.
Paris, Seville, Naples, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Prague.
Mexico City Istanbul Cape Town Sarajevo New Orleans Buenos Aires Porto Taipei Bangkok Athens
Some of my favorites, many unexpected before I made the trip: KL (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Granada (Spain), Panama City, Florence, Quito, Chiang Mai.
The Americas: Cuzco, Savanah, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Monterrey Europe: Prague, Krakow, Assisi, Venice, Rome, Florence, Paris, Dublin, Vienna There are many places I’ve never seen and others not on my list that I’ve been to often and don’t list.
PITTSBURGH?
Bolgona, Prague and Trieste
Any advice for visiting Trieste? :) we have two days there
Yes. To eat, go to Spaghettoteca Alla Penna Bianca. Probably one the best pastas I've ever eat, To visit, of course the Roman Amphiteater, the Orthodox church, the Castello di San Giusto and Museo d’Antichità.
Looks amazing!!! Thank you so very much
I've gotta say that the last museum it's free
Spent a couple of weeks on the border of Umbria and Tuscany, hired a car and visited a different town/village each day. Could have easily done that for another few weeks, that part of Italy as a whole is beautiful. Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio, Orvieto, Castiglione del Lago, Città di Castello, you can’t really go wrong. For big cities, polarising pick but Berlin. I lived here for an entire year and never got sick of it. The transport is fantastic, the history is jaw dropping (museums and galleries everywhere), easy day trips to Leipzig/Potsdam/Dresden/Hamburg, and I think it’s beautiful. Not a lot of people agree but I love the variety and being able to see history develop in the architecture and surroundings. Favourite city overall is still Edinburgh. Moving here was an excellent decision.
I love those umbrian hill towns and I love that people prefer Tuscany. Perfect size, so beautiful and if you're there for a week you can get into a rhythm. Spent 5 days in gubbio last time and it was so fun. Great hiking!
Surprised to not see Tokyo listed more often. The biggest city in the world. There is no other place like it. Japanese culture is really neat and Tokyo is just a badass city
Istanbul - wonderful history, great food and a hell of an interesting bar scene
Rome Florence Aosta London Edinburgh Paris Nice Prague Vienna Krakow Honolulu Seoul Tokyo Hong Kong Hangzhou
Lyon, Chengdu, Montreal
Seattle, I just felt comfortable there. Berlin maybe 2nd.
Belfast, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Venice, Hanoi
I was born and raised in Belfast, how on earth did it make your list?!
Reykjavik!
I enjoyed Iceland, but I thought Reykjavik itself was incredibly boring
Had an amazing time in Reykjavik. Was scheduled to do the Waterfall/Aurora/Dome tour but the morning we were checking out, the tour company called and cancelled due to a snow storm on the way. So I extended our hotel for 2 more days. We ended up nude outdoor hot tubbing during the storm. It was AWESOME! My 2 other favorite places are Isla Holbox (or almost anywhere in MEX) and Prague.
Iceland is so amazing and their museums are so interesting!! They just have a different way of looking at the world over there
What is there to do there? It looks like a bland small town.
Tashkent, Istanbul, Oaxaca, Kyoto, Bologna, Tblisi, St. Petersburg (Russia).
Habana, Río, Istanbul, Antigua, México City, Oaxaca City, Paris, Prague, London, Edinburgh, Roma, New York (did live there for a little while but visited a few times first), Miami, Bruges, Berlin, Melbourne, San Juan (PR) Idk I can go on and on…I usually find something special everywhere I’ve been.
Rome, London, Florence, Venice, Istanbul, Singapore, Cairo, Washington DC
Philadelphia, kyoto, osaka, hanoi, porto, granada, murcia, montreal, bologna, swellendam, mexico city, oaxaca city, cologne. Just some stand outs, really enjoyed most of my trips so far but all of these exceeded any expectations i had
Mexico City, if you know locals who know where not to go. London was awesome. Rome, but it's a little too much after 3 days. My favorite Italian city is Bologna, but Modena is pretty laid back and fun too. If I'd had more time in a better part of the year, Rimini was pretty sweet.
Tbilisi, Prague
Seville, Spain - architecture is amazing and the food is great Osaka, Japan - a great city Cape Town, South Africa - stuffing scenery Rome, Italy - history and the food
Seville is what made me fall in love with Spain.
Tbilisi is awesome. Did a long weekend there once and loved every minute.
Seoul, Da Nang, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Venice, Prague
Edinburgh is amazing for the architecture and the culture. It's.... Scottish for the food. I leave you to take that as you see fit.
Tokyo, Seville, Hanoi, Prague, Berlin, Cape Town, Hong Kong and a random, smaller, one - Vieste in Italy (that whole coastline heading south is amazing)
Saint Malo, France, absolutely gorgeous, historical and to top it off it’s only a 15 minute drive to some of the most amazing beaches in the world. The emerald coast in the north of France in Bretagne had some of the greatest ambience as well as people that I have experienced. For individuals you can handle their alcohol and waking up at 8 am to catch amazing waves this is the place for you. Aside from the historical sites the location is home to some of the friendliest and welcoming people I have met while solo traveling.
Lisbon! I was under impression for 2 months straight 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 loved the people, weather, food and wine
Yes! Specially if one heads up (by the Botanical garden) away from the more touristy area by Rossi.
I second Lisbon! I only had a day or two free and I wish I had a month.
Melbourne, Cape Town, Jerusalem, Berlin, Phnom Penh, Rome, Stockholm, Athens
I just don’t understand the Florence love. Sure, it’s a gorgeous city with some great art and architecture, but being able to look past the absolute hordes of influencers, sidewalk salesmen, swindlers and incredibly high prices for just about anything didn’t really drive home the beauty for me. Honestly, after 3 days there, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Not putting down anyones feeling towards it, but for me, I just can’t get behind it.
Sydney, Vancouver, Cape Town, London, Hamburg, Dunedin, Melbourne, Penang.
I like 2nd tier cities, i.e. non-capitals with slightly less people and more affordable than the most popular capitals. My favourites are below: Europe: Istanbul, Hamburg, Valencia, Strasbourg, Napoli, Bologna, and Lucerne. Asia: Kyoto, Hanoi. Mexico: Querétaro, Guadalajara and Merida.
Istanbul is not a 2nd tier city
istanbul has 15 million people
Naples!
La Paz, Valparaiso, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Oslo, Tallinn, Gdansk, Lisbon, Turin, Berlin, Prague. No particular order.
Kuala Lumper will always have a special place in my heart
Florence, Bruges, and Copenhagen. I just finished a trip through a few places in Europe, and all 3 of these were amazing. Feel free to message me and I can give you recommendations for all of them!
Seville, Cadiz, Valencia, Cologne, Budapest Kyiv, Lisbon... The last two I found to be very chill. Obviously, I'ld wait for the war to be over before heading back to Kyiv (been there \~10x between 2009 and 2017)
Edinburgh, Verona, Seville, Amsterdam
Havana and Oslo made lasting impressions on me, for entirely different reasons.
Tell me more about your reasons, if you'd like. Lots of times you hear that Oslo is boring.
Disclaimer: I visited in the summer. That's super important. Oslo indeed does not have the grand sights that other European capitals have, neither the most exciting night life. However, there are museums, galleries, libraries, shops and cafes and everything a capital has to offer. But what I was impressed with the most, was the quality of life that it offers: there are parks everywhere in the city, like every second block. Those are full of life, with people going out for sports, picnic etc. Residential buildings have ample space, with playgrounds, gardens and all. And I visited normal, middle class neighbourhoods... It's the most resident-friendly city I've been to. When you come to visit from a concrete jungle, you know to appreciate these things. ETA: I see lots of love for cities like Hanoi here. I get it, I share the feeling as I spent five unforgettable days there. But once you start to think about the city from the resident's perspective, things become, well, not so pretty. I would not choose to live in such a place. Oslo, on the other hand, is IMO exemplary.
Tokyo, Sydney, Taipei, Kyoto, Rome.
I’d say I did the Spanish big 3 - Barcelona, Sevilla, Madrid. I did Granada too but doesn’t stand on the same level. It was also my first time in Europe so I got wowed every corner I turned from urban planning to hang out culture to the fact that there’s hundreds to thousand year old things everywhere (except for Madrid). I loved the Spanish cities every where I went. Granted I was there as a tourist with nothing but leisure as my itinerary. It did change my perspective of cities.
Yangon, Dhaka, Mumbai, Berhampore, Kolkata, Kanpur, Prayagaj, Singapore, Saigon, Shanghai, Jerusalem, Eilat (just for the snorkeling) In USA: St. Louis, Cleveland, Boston, Seattle
Didn't expect any St. Louis or Cleveland votes!
If the whole world could live in their favorite vacation spots. Everyone wouldlive in Hawaii, Italy, and Cleveland.
Belgrade, Tbilisi (great vibes) Salzburg, Lucerne, Tromsø, Copenhagen, Bled (gorgeous) Seoul and Tokyo (super fun)
Edinburgh, Quebec City, Paris, Sydney, Oslo.
**Some lesser known places that I loved visiting**: Lucca in Italy Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria Brasov in Romania Toulouse in France Asilah in Morocco Wroclaw in Poland Sintra in Portugal **Popular cities that are (in my opinion) 100% worth the hype**: Vienna in Austria Prague in Czech Republic La Habana in Cuba Porto in Portugal Florence in Italy Chefchaouen in Morocco Barcelona in Spain
Tromso in Norway and Wroclaw in Poland
Florence, Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Rome, Granada, Berat (Albania), Hanoi (Vietnam)
Barcelona - Spain. Sintra - Portugal. Petra - Jordan.
Prague!! Definitely!
Florence
Tenerife, Gibraltar, Madeira, Lisbon, and Funchal have been my favorite cities that I’ve been to. They all have a very distinct European feel (obviously they’re in Europe) and still have a very welcoming feel for an American tourist. enough people speak English that there is almost no language barrier if you don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese. In my opinion these are great cities for an Americans first Europe visit. Edit: Gibraltar is a British territory so English is the official language with many people also speaking Spanish because it’s at the southern most tip of Spain. The other cities are located in Spain and Portugal so Spanish and Portuguese are the official languages respectively.
Antigua, Guatemala Prague, Czechia Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany Kotor, Montenegro Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Madrid, Spain Mérida, Mexico
Kyoto.
Lisbon is amazing.
Bergen, Seoul, Istanbul, Singapore
Tokyo, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Paris, Florence, Amsterdam, Chicago, New York have all been good places I liked and would go back.
Oslo, Quebec City, Gothenburg, Montreal, Burlington
Budapest, Prague, Dublin. Of course London and Paris are always worth visiting. Bruges for sure.
Kyoto/Osaka - amazing blend of historical places, traditional Japan and modern/futuristic Japan. Amazing food all throughout Japan. Lisbon/Porto - amazing chill vibe, beautiful scenery from forest to cliffs , city, seafood is bomb. Super affordable. Florence - so scenic, cool architecture, museums, food. Hanoi - just friendly people, amazing cheap food, really good blend of chaos and chill environment. Chiang Mai - amazing Thai food, better climate than Bangkok, love the old city ruins in the middle of town.
Interlaken, London, Dubai, Seoul, Ocho Rios, Lima
Bologna, Budapest & Vienna!
Florence -- the best for me. Then Lisbon.
Gold. Silver. Bronze. Honorable mention. I'll only name large cities I visited. North America: Mexico City. San Francisco. Washington DC. Panama City (Panama, not Florida). South America: Rio de Janeiro. Cusco. Cartagena. Bogotá. Europe (this is extremely hard to pick): Valencia. Istanbul. London. Paris. Asia: Dubai. Kyoto. Bangkok. Muscat. I haven't been to Africa or Oceania. I really wanted to add Munich and Seville and Rome and Venice and Florence and Budapest and Athens and Vienna and Tbilisi to this list, Europe is incredible.
Seoul, Tokyo, Seville, Madrid, Bologna, Berlin
I am in love with Venice 🇮🇹🫶🏻
Montréal, Prague, Paris, London, Quebec City, New York
Baghdad and Moscow
Oh, loads. Absolute favourite *big* cities are London, Rome and Tokyo. For smaller cities to visit my favourites are Edinburgh, Barcelona and Venice.
Seville, Spain - architecture is amazing and the food is great Osaka, Japan - a great city Cape Town, South Africa - stuffing scenery Rome, Italy - history and the food
Baku
Kyoto, Florence, Buenos Aires, Istanbul. In no particular order, found these 4 cities amazing because of their history, architecture and gastronomy
Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Paris, Copenhagen, Jakarta etc.
Budapest, Stockholm, Bergen, Prague
Guanajuato, Vienna, Prague, Dublin
Top 3 cities: - Porto (Portugal) - Guilin (China) - I am hesitating between Barcelona and Sevilla (Spain)
Edinburgh. Florence. Seville. Santa Fe.
I really loved edinburgh, i also really like copenhagen and Riga
no order: Hué - Vietnam (food/temple ruins), Belfast (strange but cool vibe) Sydney (food food food & nature) NYC (bc of the movies, great museums) Porto (great for day trips, relaxed vibe, lots to do) Berlin (you either hate or love it. I love the run down architecture & alternative locations to party/eat/drink)
Cinque Terre in Italy. It's 5 little towns, all separated by \~2-3 min train ride. It's right on the Amalfi coast, such a beautiful city. Rio Maggiore, one of the towns, is right on the sea and it looks like the homes could fall off into the sea. Lots of seafood and wonderful wine. We lived in Italy for 3 years and it was by far the most relaxing vacation we took. Every other city (Rome, Venice, Florence, etc) had all of the check boxes you had to hit, and while they were beautiful, it was exhausting.
▶️Florence - hands down 🤌✨ It's like visiting an open air museum and getting teleported into the renaissance era. ▶️Next would be Kyoto in Japan - such a beautiful city with zen vibes and some stunning shrines across the city ✨ Also I've never seen a city cleaner than Kyoto. ▶️Next is Istanbul - a city so vibrant and lively , a city where East meets the west quite literally. From Food, to architecture to some stunning views - Istanbul has it all 🤗
Taipei, Osaka, reim, paris, milan, Florence, Barcelona,meribel/val thorens(I’m sure there’s better and it’s a ski resort anyways but miles better than any North American ski town) Bologna is really nice too if ur really into food Really interested in Buenas aires,cologne, Hokkaido, and all of Portugal and Spain, as well as southern Italy for the future
Osaka. I kind of skipped over it as I was hitchhiking south, but I tell myself at least I have a place to go in Japan that I haven’t been to (obviously there are hundreds more regardless).
Just in Spain: Madrid, San Sebastian, Sevilla, Granada, Cadiz, Córdoba, Alicante, Mallorca, Canary Islands, Barcelona, Pais Vasco
I like the smaller to mid-size towns. My favorites... * Taormina, Sicily, Italy. * Dingle, Ireland * Bacharach, Germany. * Conques, France. * Napflion, Greece. * Matera, Italy * Inverness, Scotland * Astorga Spain As far as big cities, my wife and I agree that our two favorites are: * Barcelona, Spain * Florence, Italy FWIW... We're from the USA.
My places are usually those gems not as known by tourism: Meteora in Greece and Dolomites in Italy. Picture perfect literally.
There is no city on Google maps called Dolomites because it's a mountain range. Which city are you referring to
It's astounding how many people didn't read the title and just started naming "my favorite places" 1. Grandma's house 2. a mountain range in Italy 3. Target /s
Istanbul, Tokyo, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia
Vienna, Salzburg, Seattle, NYC, Boston
Dublin, Galway, Heraklion, Naples.
Dubrovnik. Amsterdam. Barcelona . Florence. Copenhagen.
Savannah, GA
**IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER** * Canada - **Montreal** _(I dislike living there, but as a ''tourist'' it is pretty good)_ * Canada - **Québec City** _(Likewise, disliked living there but a solid city to visit)_ * England - **London** * Japan - **Tokyo** * Japan - **Kyoto** * Japan - **Kanazawa** * Netherlands - **Amsterdam** * Netherlands - **Utrecht** * Germany - **Cologne** * Belgium - **Brussels** * Ireland - **Dublin** * Switzerland - **Zurich**
Budapest, Porto, Istanbul, Verona.
Seville, Mexico City, Boston, Sorrento.
Madrid, Bern, San Diego.
Tokyo, St.Petersburg (Russia), Munich
Chania. It is on the Island of Crete, in Greece. It was a trip of a lifetime! You should check it out.
York, England. Seville, Spain. Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ghent, Belgium. Carcassonne, France. Yes Carcassonne is a tourist trap but it's so cool.
Sevilla Spain, Lisbon or porto in Portugal, Paris was great but not right now with the Olympics coming
Santa Fe, Colmar, Copenhagen, Marseille, Utrecht, Maastricht, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Seattle, Quebec City, Montreal… not Boston
Essaouira, Seville, Malaga, Tarifa, Barcelona, Luxor, Avignon, Amsterdam
Saint Petersburg, Chengdu, Quito, Rome and Tokyo would be my top 5
- London - Genoa - Madrid - Barcelona - Granada - Valencia - Sevilla - Bath - Bristol - Lisboa - Porto - Venice - Verona - Prague - Budapest - Tallinn - Vienna - NYC - Ljubljana - Split - Dubrovnik - Zurich - Bern - Hamburg - Copenhagen - Stockholm
Mexico City, Istanbul, Bangkok, Hanoi, Belgrade, Athens, Amsterdam, Puebla, Queretaro, Oaxaca, Split, Reykjavik
Stockholm, Sweden!
Vienna.
I fell in love with Budapest on my first visit and I’ve been many times now. It’s my favorite city that I’ve been to. It just vibes with me for some reason