Travelers often flock to iconic monuments and tourist locations in their entirety, for various reasons and various sensations once they return home. The actual appearance of a destination may sometimes not live up to expectations.
A current analysis dated 2024 has revealed the most stressful so-called “tourist traps” in the world. The research analyzed reviews of the most popular destinations around the world, counting how many reviews used negative words such as “overrated”, “tourist trap” and “disappointing”.
The 10 worst tourist traps in the world
Times Square in New York is the world’s most stressful “tourist trap”, with 1,761 reviews calling it “overrated” or “disappointing”. Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen are also among the most disappointing. The worst in Italy is the Trevi Fountain, according to tourists there is no explanation why it attracts so many people
Rigardo Times Square, with 1,761 reviews labeling it “overrated,” “disappointing,” or a “tourist trap”; it is said to be too crowded, dirty and even boring. Its legendary fame attracts around 330,000 people a day, which can make it a stressful and overcrowded experience.
For Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, although most visitors agree on the historical importance, 1,425 of the reviews indicate that people were not impressed by the attraction. The main complaints are that it is small and disappointing, as well as being overcrowded.
In third place is the Eiffel Tower with 1,291 negative reviews. followed by The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen (1,248), Las Ramblas in Barcelona (1,203) and Manneken Pis in Brussels (1,154).
The 10 most stressful traps in Italy
The Trevi Fountain in Rome takes the top spot, with 917 reviews complaining about large crowds and suggesting that while it’s a famous landmark worth ticking off your list, Rome offers hidden gems that might leave you with a better memory.
The second most overrated tourist trap in Italy is Piazza di Spagna, also in Rome. 672 of the reviews analyzed were not impressed with the Steps, once again complaining about the huge crowds which can make the experience quite stressful.
Source: The online language course platform Preply – Photo: By Terabass – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
