30 Cities That These Tourists Never Plan To Visit Again Because Of How Nightmarish The Trip Was

To be fair, whether or not a place is worth visiting will depend a lot on the traveler. Some folks might value wonderful food and pristine beaches and so they’ll be very critical of otherwise gorgeous locales that don’t impress them in those two areas. Others might want to immerse themselves in the local culture and don’t mind the chaos. However, some cities are simply hostile to tourists or downright dangerous for all visitors, whether they’re coming in from the next town over or flying in from abroad.

For instance, Listverse notes that Kabul, the capital and largest city in Afghanistan, is incredibly dangerous due to the threat of terrorist attacks. The same goes for Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, where hotels and recreational areas are commonly targeted by attackers. We’re not talking about ‘just’ being swindled out of your money in the local market or having to deal with ‘soulless’ skyscrapers—these are life-or-death questions you have to consider.

The World Population Review reports that in November 2022, the 21 worst countries in the world to visit included Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar, North Korea, Palestine, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The dangers there range from active military conflicts to the high risk of being assaulted, robbed, or held for ransom. The countries themselves might be beautiful and have a long and storied history, however, this doesn’t negate the fact that they’re incredibly unfriendly to tourists. Especially those unversed in local customs and who clearly act and speak like they’re foreigners.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom in all corners of the Earth. According to a recent report published by insurance company William Russell, the top 10 safest cities in the world include Taipei (Taiwan), Tokyo (Japan), Prague (Czech Republic), Copenhagen (Denmark), Singapore (Singapore), Vienna (Austria), Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain), Sydney (Australia), and Toronto (Canada). So if safety’s your primary concern as a traveler, these might be the cities to look into for your next trip.

Bored Panda was very interested to learn what had inspired the redditor to start the viral thread in the first place. They were kind enough to tell us all about it. Like many other people, the OP was dissatisfied with their trip to Paris. In fact, it’s a phenomenon that’s so widely known that it even has its own name—Paris Syndrome. In short, it's the deep disappointment that people feel after realizing that Paris really isn't all that it was 'supposed to be.'

“I finished a journey lately which led me—next to other places—to Paris,” u/Gourmet-Guy said.

They listed all the things that went wrong with their trip. For one, there were too many tourists (though the redditor is aware that they were one themselves) and plenty of “pissed-off locals” who were angry at them.

What’s more, the French capital was “too chaotic, too dirty, and in the end, the classic hot spots were overhyped.”

“In addition, the local scene is not really interesting to me,” they shared that this horrible experience made them want to hear about other redditors’ recent travel disasters, too.

In u/Gourmet-Guy’s opinion, some of the red flags that a city might not be worth the trouble include being overrun by tourists, “Especially from the American and Asian blocs who typically do rush-through travel.”

Some other red flags include vastly raised prices for goods and services, as locals try to scam tourists out of their hard-earned cash. What’s more, cities that tend to have nothing much going for them usually have one “super-hyped signature attraction, but nothing else.”

The OP didn’t want to share any of the awesome cities they think are worth visiting because they’ll “be flooded with tourists.” However, they were happy to share some tips and tricks to help travelers avoid getting scammed.

According to u/Gourmet-Guy, the most straightforward but complex piece of advice is learning to speak the local language. Even knowing a few core sentences can make a vast difference in how you’re treated.

Meanwhile, try to avoid street markets, and stay away from tourist hotspot restaurants. “The fewer English menus available, the better. Check out the restaurants that the locals frequent, too,” the redditor shared their thoughts with Bored Panda.

They added that you should try to avoid giving off too strong of a touristy vibe, too. “In some cities, you are regarded as a walking wallet if you strut around with your city guide, camera or smartphone, and funny T-shirts.”