The world's most stressful city to visit revealed - with millions of people filling its streets every year
But they can often be very overwhelming too.
New research has revealed which destinations are the most stressful to visit, after analysing the 51 most-frequented cities in the world.
The study looked at a variety of factors to determine the rankings, including weather discomfort, reviews, crime data and tourist density.
And it was Paris that proved to be the most stressful city to visit, cramming more than 47.5million tourists a year into just 105km² - making it ten times busier than New York.
Though the popular destination scored averagely in regards to weather discomfort and crime, the amount of people filling the streets earned it the crown.
It was followed by Hanoi, in Vietnam, which ranked second.
The Vietnamese capital scored the highest in humidity, meaning it was the most physically uncomfortable destination.
To top things off, it placed fourth highest for reviews mentioning stress and it left tourists feeling both overwhelmed and too hot.
In third place was Shanghai, in China. With 300million tourists each year, it crams in 47,318 visitors per km².
The city also placed in the top 20 for reviews describing it as stressful, and crime.
For those hoping to avoid the crowds and holiday somewhere with a more comfortable climate, Dubai ranked as the most relaxing city to visit.
With an expansive layout, the 17.1million tourists it attracts each year are more spread out and it has the second lowest crime rate out of the destinations analysed.
Interest in the luxurious location has fallen recently, meaning there's even fewer people to crowd the top attractions.
Munich, Germany, followed in second place with low crime, comfortable weather and not too many tourists.
It's a much calmer destination compared to other European cities.
While Melbourne, Australia, ranked third with the second-lowest tourist density of just 1,265 visitors per km².
It attracted few reviews describing it as a stressful place, too.
To top things off, Melbourne had a comfortable humidity level, meaning those visiting won't have to worry too much about the weather.
For a major city, there's plenty of space for tourists to relax while also enjoying the views.
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Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's hellfire: France's killer wildfire the size of PARIS continues to rage after tourists in Spain are evacuated and country reports more than 1,000 have died from the heat
France 's deadly wildfire is continuing to tear through the country and cause 'hellish' devastation while tourists are being evacuated in Spain as the country announces one of its highest monthly tallies of heat deaths. The rapidly-growing wildfire, currently burning through an area larger than Paris, in southern France that broke out on Tuesday burned through some 16,000 hectares and remains 'very active' as of Wednesday, according to officials. One woman died in her home and least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, while at least three people were reported missing as about 2,100 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to several wineries. 'It's a scene of sadness and desolation,' said Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, where all residents have been evacuated. 'It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down.' It is believed to be the nation's worst wildfire since 1949. Meanwhile, 1,500 tourists and locals have been evacuated in Spain as a dramatic forest fire near a beach resort caused chaos in Tarifa, often branded a 'surfer's paradise' due to its extremely wide beaches and tall waves. Regional authorities in Spain said late on Wednesday that a wildfire raging near Tarifa that prompted evacuations had been 'stabilised'. The blaze in France - the biggest the country has seen all summer out of 9,000 fires - has damaged 25 homes in the Aude department, where 1,500 firefighters have been battling to extinguish it. A 65-year-old woman died in her home while nine others were injured, including seven firefighters were hurt as they fought the flames. A De Havilland Dash firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant on a forest fire burning in Saint Laurent de la Cabrerisse, Aude department, France, 6 August 2025 'The resident absolutely wanted to stay in her house and unfortunately the fire quickly arrived and engulfed her house,' said the mayor of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, Xavier de Volontat, about the victim. 'People are losing everything,' said Aude Damesin, who lives in the town of Fabrezan. 'I find it tragic to see so many fires since the beginning of the summer.' 'The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control,' said Remi Recio, an official in the southern city of Narbonne. The Aude department in particular has seen an increase in areas burnt in recent years, aggravated by low rainfall and the removal of vineyards, which used to help brake the advance of fires. 'The fire is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress. We are monitoring the edges and the back of the fire to prevent flare-ups,' said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Planes have been dropping water on the flames but Roesch warned 'this fire will keep us busy for several days. It's a long-term operation'. In Spain, hundreds of people were said to have bunkered down in a shelter in Algeciras after being evacuated from hotels and homes near the fire in Tarifa, as beach bars and campsites were abandoned in the chaos. Firefighters were still working to extinguish the fire on Wednesday, having battled through the night to control the blaze that required a team of up to 17 aircraft. The flames began spreading in the hills of Torre de la Peña, behind the hugely popular resort of Tarifa. According to the Andalucia firefighter service INFOCA, there are gusts of 20-25km/hr that are favouring the fire's spread. The fire was snaking very close to the N-340 highway and the Estrecho Natural Park - the former of which has been partially closed between Las Piñas and Pedro Valiente. Tarifa Mayor Antonio Santos has described the situation as unprecedented. 'This is the fastest-spreading fire I've ever seen,' he said on national channel La Sexta. Hundreds of the people evacuated from hotels and homes by the fire were said to have spent the night in a hostel in Algeciras, while droves found shelter in a La Marina sports centre in Tarifa as 5,000 fled the area in cars. Fire stations from elsewhere in the province including Chiclana, Benalup and Los Barrios sent troops to assist the effort against the blaze in Tarifa, as attempts are being concentrated on controlling the fire on the north and east flanks. The heatwave is expected to last until next Sunday, according to Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). 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Some 800 firefighters and seven waterbombing aircraft tackled the blaze. 'There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation,' Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. 'It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access,' he said. Further north, a blaze raged from Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest. British tourists were put on alert as Greece wildfires spread amid a 44C heatwave in late July, causing homes to go up in flames in the coastal towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari 25 miles southeast of Athens. Some 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, ten firefighting planes and seven helicopters were deployed on site as residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS warnings to evacuate on July 26.
The Sun
9 hours ago
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We live in UK's ‘most beautiful village' ruined by tourists filming us through our WINDOWS & flying drones over gardens
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Telegraph
10 hours ago
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The 10 best coffee houses in Hanoi
From narrow alleyway haunts to clandestine design spaces, Hanoi's coffee houses offer extraordinary variety. Punchy Robusta beans power iced Vietnamese coffee (espresso is usually made with Arabica), often sweetened with condensed milk, yoghurt, coconut or egg yolk. This creates a dark, syrupy brew that lands somewhere between dark chocolate and melted coffee ice cream. As Hanoi has become increasingly cosmopolitan, so too has the city's café culture, promising that an artisanal latte is never more than a few streets away. Coffee shops open early and close late, and many double as smoothie bars, tea houses, art galleries and music venues. The vibe is generally unhurried, the seating is usually diminutive, and the drinks are reliably affordable – rarely more than a pound or two. Here are the best places to sample the local brew, including cosy coffee shops for quiet reflection and a couple of bakeries for sweet treats. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best coffee houses in Hanoi. Find out more below, or for more Hanoi inspiration, see our guides to the region's best hotels, restaurants, bars and things to do. In this guide: Best for the local brew Bancong This former Art Deco townhouse is now a gigantic café restaurant spread over several floors. The balconies are the café's standout feature ('bancong' is balcony in Vietnamese), as they offer elevated views over one of the Old Quarter's busiest crossroads. You'll find a range of coffees on the menu, but it's hard to pass up the coconut coffee, made with condensed milk, coconut milk, dried coconut and crushed ice, making it more like a dessert. Café Nuoi This tiny one-room corner café is about as classic as it gets, with cream walls, wooden stools and a retro sign that has probably been around for decades. The menu is startlingly large for such a miniscule coffee shop: in addition to classic Vietnamese coffee, they also serve tea and hot chocolate, as well as smoothies and juices made with fresh tropical fruit. When it gets too busy inside, the family that runs the place lines the outside walls with little plastic chairs. Address: 32 Luong Van Can, Hoan Kiem Loading T This early 20th century building once belonged to a wealthy merchant, but was appropriated by the government in the 1950s and split into more than a dozen family dwellings. The façade, though faded, still has the grand imperial staircase and olive-green shutters that would have been the envy of neighbours 100 years ago. Lead barista and co-owner Hoang Tuan Son brews several of Hanoi's speciality coffees, but it's his egg coffee that earned the café its fame. Café Duy Tri This might just be the best traditional Vietnamese coffee in the city, and the house – a spindly, multi-floor structure that hasn't changed in decades – will leave a strong impression. They specialise in an aromatic traditional Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk, but you might want to opt for their homemade yoghurt instead. Pair this one-of-a-kind coffee shop with fresh rice dumplings from Banh Cuon Nong Ho Tay, which is just across the road. Address: 43 Yen Phu, Tay Ho Return to index Best quiet, cosy cafés Blackbird (5 Chan Cam) Opposite Loading T, Blackbird excels at espresso-based coffees, but there's also French press, pour over and cold brew scribbled on the blackboard menu. The streetside seating offers views of the magnificent townhouse opposite, home to Loading T, while the intimate interior is a cosy place to warm up during Hanoi's chilly winter months. Keep your eyes peeled for the several other Blackbirds dotted around the Old Quarter. Phin Bar by refined This coffee shop sits just steps away from the Temple of Literature, so you can pop in for a quick pick-me-up before or after exploring the iconic Hanoi sight. Refined, the parent café, specialises in premium grade Robusta beans selected from boutique farms. This is where you can see the true potential of traditional Vietnamese coffee. While Phin Bar offers some welcome calm, grab the outside table if you can – it affords views of the temple. Website: Toka Coffee Stand Toka is one of a handful of cafés tucked down a quiet street that is quickly becoming one of Hanoi's hippest, understated enclaves. Seating wraps around a gorgeously weatherworn colonial-era townhouse while the smiley young baristas conjure up photogenic cappuccinos inside – a skill not lost on the ever-present gaggle of selfie takers. Toka only has a handful of tables, so if it's too busy then continue down the street for a broader selection of equally alluring coffee shops. Memoire 15 Attached to the rooftop of a narrow tube house, Memoire 15 serves its carefully crafted coffees with sunset views over the Old Quarter. Parasitic architecture – when new extensions are attached to old structures – are integral to Hanoi's aesthetic, but Memoire 15 has literally taken the concept to a whole new level. If you're already overly caffeinated, try their salted apricot juice, a traditional Hanoi favourite. Best for sweet treats BAKED and Friends If you find yourself in West Lake looking for something sweet, tuck into one of the cookies or cupcakes at BAKED. Singaporean baker Sheereen Amran usually has one or two fusion specials on the go, like baklava cheesecake and banana Biscoff cupcakes. The café itself is a friendly neighbourhood spot tucked away on a side street set back from the lake and overlooking a scruffy pond. Gau Coffee & Bakery Gau serves French pastries and other baked goodies alongside its western and Vietnamese coffees. The café opens at 7am, so if you're up early to explore the lake at dawn, you might want to retire here for coffee and cake afterwards. The classic croissant rivals a Parisian boulangerie, but the almond croissant is just as tempting. A broad pavement section outside means you can watch the world go by while munching on breakfast. Return to index How we choose Every café and coffee house in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood roasteries to high street favourites – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, drinks, service, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Joshua Zukas I've spent two decades digging deep into Vietnam, with over ten years rooted in Hanoi. When I'm not unearthing new neighbourhoods in this ever-evolving city, I'm probably exploring backroads in Vietnam's farthest-flung corners.
