Worst Tourist Traps in Europe

Europe is beautiful, but it’s also full of overhyped, overpriced tourist traps. Here are the worst ones and some alternatives:

1️⃣ NY Café, Budapest: Overhyped and overpriced for a cup of coffee. Sure, the interior looks like a palace, but you’ll spend more time snapping photos than enjoying yourself.

Alternative: Head to Szimpla Kert for Budapest’s famous ruin bar vibes—quirky, laid-back, and a slice of local life.

2️⃣ Manneken Pis, Brussels: It’s just a tiny statue of a boy peeing. Everything in the area is super expensive.

Alternative: Visit the nearby Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert for beautiful architecture and authentic Belgian chocolate shops.

3️⃣ Istanbul Taxis: Scams, overcharging, and meter tricks make for an unpleasant experience. One once scammed me for €80 from the airport to the centre.

Alternative: Use the Istanbul Metro or take a ferry ride across the Bosphorus for stunning views and a peaceful journey.

4️⃣ Venice Gondolas: Expensive and often overcrowded with tourists, gondola rides feel more like a cliché than a romantic escape.

Alternative: Hop on a vaporetto (water bus) for a fraction of the cost and explore Venice like a local.

5️⃣ Red Light District: Packed with tourists looking at windows, there’s much nicer places in the captial of my country.

Alternative: Go through the nearby Jordaan neighborhood for charming streets, canals, and cozy cafés. The Pijp is also a great area!

6️⃣ Las Ramblas, Barcelona: Overrun with pickpockets, chain restaurants, and overpriced souvenirs, it’s not the best way to experience the city.

Alternative: Visit the Gràcia district for boutique shops, authentic tapas, and a more local atmosphere.

7️⃣ The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen: A small, underwhelming statue in an uninteresting area that’s quite far away from the centre.

Alternative: Explore the Nyhavn harbor for colorful buildings, waterfront views, and plenty of Danish charm.

Hopefully this reel helps in your future trips!

#tourism #europe #europetravel #travel #europetrip #traveltips #solotravel #brussels #copenhagen #barcelona #amsterdam #budapest #istanbul #venice

[matthijsmaris]

a touristtrap is a scam. these are just overrated tourist hotspots

[Max_historie]

Why are the little mermaid and mannakin piss considert as tourists traps - you don't pay to visit these although they are overcrowded

[doubled]

I’m a seasoned traveler and I have to say that New York Café in Budapest is totally worth it. Maybe not the number one thing in the city but it really is beautiful and we had a wonderful time there.

[newbie]

Okay, mannequin Pis is absolutely not a tourist trap. It's simply an underwhelming statue. It's free to access, right in the middle of the city.

You shouldn't just go to see the thing coz just the statue isn't worth a trip. But even if you took the trip, the city centre area of Brussels is overall kinda pretty and you will have a good time in bars and restaurants in the area or even just walking around.

[RommelEarlDigo-qqbp]

Budapest's New York Cafe is a victim of its own reputation as "the best looking cafe in the world"

[arniedee]

Manneken Pis a tourist trap?? How? It's a monument on a street corner.

[jadogi]

And many Italian restaurants in London. They are not Italian at all. The owner is British the chef is Indian the Sous Chef is pakistani all waiters are Polish the furniture is Swedish cutlery is from China and food ingredients are from any place but Italy. Avoid any restaurant called ciao Italia or bella Italia or ciao bella these are precisely names no real Italian Restaurant would ever choose. And of course the food is over priced shi.t. if you want real Italian food make sure the owner is Italian the Chef is Italian the Sous Chef is Italian waiters are Italian and above all food ingredients come from Italy. It will still be expensive (it's London) but at least you don't eat shi.t and don't give your money to a bunch of fraudsters who are cheating you and selling you over priced crap. Watch it because 95% of all things London are a fraud or a scam.

[elifgulec]

If you are going to Istanbul to visit, do not use a taxi. Because of the traffic, If you are not going to work or school, it is absurd to drive in Istanbul. You can go to most touristic places faster by using public transportation.

[EvanGeLion]

The New York Cafe is very beautiful and worth going to.

[stefaancrucke]

Of you consider manneken pis as a tourist trap, you haven’t understood anything. It’s belgitude all over!!! 🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪

[pedromaio]

Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum is another tourist trap. Most people visit that musem just to take a photo of that painting paying no attention to the other 5 million pieces.

[krisztianfuredi]

New York Café in Budapest is simply beautiful.

[thebushmaster]

idk who goes around telling tourists to visit the red light district lol, i guess it's famous or whatever but it's really not something to visit if you don't want to get a prostitute

[yeseniasanchez]

I enjoyed my lunch at the New York cafe in Budapest 😊 and my góndola ride as well ❤😂

[JustKasper]

bro manneke pis is free so i don't think it is a trap

[martaferretti]

Yes, but to glide silently on the water in the little canals outside the busiest roads is really priceless.
Imagine being a rich 1700s venetian going to a rendez vous.
In Italy you can/must ask the locale to show you the best part ofvtheir country.
Tourists often just WANT the classic tour and be seen riding on a Gondola

[muratkaratas]

I from Turkey and use the Uber app. The taxi drivers who don't use Uber are often scammers. Always use uber😂

[CasaLaFragua]

I love the little mermaid and Manneke Pis and have always remembered them. Admittedly, this was in a time when there was not a single other person around, and it was poetry.

[adamsworld]

I absolutely disagree with Szimpla Kert as an alternative to New York Café. Yeah, sure, Szimpla has its own atmosphere and vibe, but it's something completely different than NY Café. Szimpla is beautiful, but certainly not a direct alternative to NY Cafe.

[Turba]

I disagree with the Little Mermaid. First, it’s free, it’s not that crowded, but the most important is that it’s a nice little area! If you walk around, you’ll find several interesting things like the star-shaped castle nearby and several museums.