A travel influencer has spilled the beans on three European cities she’d give a miss after a whirlwind tour of 17 different urban gems last year. Sooyeon, a social media star hailing from San Francisco, embarked on an epic journey across Europe.
Despite soaking up the culture in a host of cities, she was left underwhelmed by three European holiday destinations in particular. On her TikTok account @soos.foods, she dished out her travel advice: “These are three cities I probably would’ve skipped,” but added a disclaimer, “Doesn’t mean these are bad destinations, I just didn’t enjoy them as much as other cities.”
According to the Manchester Evening News, Madrid was the first on her list of let-downs. After a two and a half day stint in Spain’s grand capital following a trip to Barcelona, she admitted that the seaside city had stolen her heart, leaving Madrid in the dust.
She divulged: “The main reason is because I went to both Madrid and Barcelona on the same trip, and I feel like Madrid didn’t have as many interesting things to do for me at least, other than the palace and museums. …If I were to do this trip again, I would probably skip Madrid and spend more time in Barcelona.”
Catania was another city that didn’t live up to Sooyeon’s high hopes. Nestled on the east coast of Sicily, the historic port city seemed an idyllic ‘Italian holiday’ spot on paper, but reality fell short of her dreams.
Sooyeon remarked: “The city just felt a little run down and not the safest. People were also not afraid to stare at you – I’m sure they weren’t trying to be rude or mean, but it felt a little uncomfortable as a female traveller.”
Berlin also appeared on Sooyeon’s list, though her reservations about the German capital varied from her complaints regarding Catania and Madrid. She acknowledged Berlin’s ‘welcoming’ vibe and its array of ‘cool cafes, shops and roads’, yet sensed something was lacking.
“Don’t get me wrong, I would love to live in Berlin,” Sooyeon admitted. “But, as a tourist, I feel like the main attractions are history museums which I personally am not the biggest on, especially because at this point on my trip I was getting severe museum fatigue.”
She also noted that the culinary landscape was quite cosmopolitan, making it more challenging for her to uncover authentic regional cuisine, which remains her top priority whilst travelling.
“The food scene was also pretty international, so I didn’t find as many options for authentic local food, which is something I try to eat everywhere I go. Again, this is just my experience – what doesn’t work for me, could work for you.”
Sooyeon’s candid reviews sparked a flurry of responses on TikTok, with users divided over her opinions on these cherished destinations.
One user defended Madrid enthusiastically, stating: “I will not accept any Madrid slander! I’ve been like four times and it’s an incredible city.”
Others rallied to the defence of Catania, with one individual urging: “Everyone here pls don’t skip Catania,” while another commenter questioned her judgement on Berlin’s tidiness, retorting: “Berlin is clean? What girl?”.