**Traveller Names Five World Cities She Wouldn’t Visit Again – Including a UK Favourite**
Selecting the perfect travel destination can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned globetrotter. While the world offers an abundance of charming capitals, serene beaches, and hidden gems, not every location leaves a lasting impression for the right reasons. Recently, experienced traveller and tour guide Megan Arz, who has journeyed through over 30 countries, has drawn attention with her candid takes on cities she would not care to see a second time – and her list includes a surprisingly familiar UK location.
Megan, who has spent several years based in Europe, took to TikTok to share her unfiltered opinions, prompting a lively discussion online. Her personal list, as compiled by WalesOnline, sheds light on some popular cities that did not meet expectations, each for notably different reasons.
She began her critique with Frankfurt, Germany’s financial hub, calling it ‘so easy to punch down’. In Megan’s view, Frankfurt misses the mark when it comes to character, especially in comparison to Germany’s smaller, picturesque towns. Describing the city as a centre for banking and commerce, she remarked that the dominance of finance gives the city an impersonal feel, eroding the sense of warmth found elsewhere in Germany. She also touched upon the lack of local beer and described the population as overwhelmingly orientated towards the financial sector, which only reinforced her indifference.
Her second choice might surprise lovers of Italian culture – Pisa. Despite its worldwide fame for the iconic Leaning Tower, Megan described her visit as uninspiring. She suggested that the historic site is essentially the only highlight, with the surrounding area cluttered with cheap souvenirs and persistent vendors. Megan openly wondered if Pisa is better considered a day trip rather than a destination for a longer stay, referencing the crowds and concerns about theft, which affected the overall atmosphere.
Northern Sweden’s Kiruna also made her list. Lesser known to many travellers, Kiruna is chiefly visited during the hunt for Northern Lights or to see the original ice hotel. However, Megan described the city as forgettable with little to offer beside these attractions. As a mining town in the midst of transition and with a population just over 20,000, she found the destination underwhelming and lacking enduring appeal.
Somewhat unexpectedly, she named Prague, the historic capital of the Czech Republic, among her least preferred. While acknowledging its popularity, Megan cited over-tourism and an excess of hen and stag parties as primary drawbacks. She also argued that the city’s main highlights could all be covered in a single visit, leaving little incentive to return unless she could experience the city with a local to explore hidden corners away from the tourist hordes.
Rounding off her list, Megan included Inverness in Scotland. Though she expressed her admiration for the Scottish Highlands as a whole, she saw Inverness mainly as a practical base rather than a destination in itself. She praised its convenience as a starting point for exploring the Highlands or Speyside, but felt that the small city offered relatively little to keep a tourist engaged for more than a couple of days.
Megan’s post quickly ignited debate, with hundreds joining in to share their own perspectives. Some agreed wholeheartedly, echoing her sentiments on Pisa and Inverness – one TikTok user admitted to quickly growing bored in Pisa after seeing the main attractions, while another agreed that Inverness works better as a Highlands launchpad than a tourist hotspot in its own right.
On the other side of the debate, passionate defenders of the cities named in Megan’s list made their feelings known. Several users leapt to the defence of Prague, labelling it their favourite spot in all of Europe and insisting that return visits never lose their appeal. Praise for Inverness’s culinary offerings also came from another TikTok creator, suggesting that the city’s food scene is worth exploring in its own right.
While Megan’s opinions have certainly stirred controversy, they also underscore an important truth about travel: each journey is shaped by personal taste and unique experiences. A destination that fails to captivate one visitor may be a cherished memory for another. As the debate continues, her impartial assessments highlight the value of seeking out authentic experiences beyond the familiar tourist trail.