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'World's most overcrowded tourist spot with rude locals' is a European capital

'World's most overcrowded tourist spot with rude locals' is a European capital

Daily Mirror3 days ago
A recent survey has named the world's most overcrowded tourist destination, with one European city taking the top spot - but not everyone is happy about the accolade
Globetrotting can be a splendid way to enjoy leisure time, immersing oneself in varied cultures, but at times, the sheer number of tourists can detract from the travel experience. A fresh study has investigated tourist density per square kilometre and local population figures in cities worldwide.

The research reveals that Europe dominates the list of top 10 most congested tourist hotspots for 2024, with eight European destinations making the cut, while North America fills the remaining two slots.

'I visited Paris and there's one clothing rule you might not be aware of'
'I went for a weekend in Paris and was horrified no one had told me this'

According to Deluxe Holiday Homes' findings, Paris tops the chart with an astonishing 351,429 visitors per square kilometre and a visitor-to-population ratio of 1708 percent.
Despite being celebrated as one of the world's most captivating and historically significant cities, Paris hasn't managed to win over all its visitors, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Tripadvisor is packed with complaints, where unhappy travellers lamented lengthy queues and warn others about the nimble-fingered pickpockets targeting tourists in the illustrious French capital.

One disgruntled tourist expressed their frustration: "If you want to spend a lot money for waiting in the queues for hours and hours, visiting every place with thousands of people come and visit Paris. People are rude and you can't travel safely by metro after 9pm."
Echoing the dissatisfaction, another traveller commented: "This city is now well known for pick pocketing. Stolen mobile phone sellers, ill-mannered people, dirty areas, street fights and overly crowded areas."

They concluded with their advice: "Just to visit Eiffel Tower is not worth spending hard earned money, this city will spoil your holiday mood."
Nevertheless, Paris isn't without its appeal, featuring stunning panoramas, gastronomic treasures, and some of the globe's most legendary cultural landmarks.
One delighted traveller shared their encounter: "Ah, the pleasure of Paris! Going to Paris is like visiting a mausoleum, the grandeur of so many historic monuments is a memorable souvenir."
Another holidaymaker, well-acquainted with the city's magnetism, observed: "Having visited the city of light on nearly a dozen occasions, it's easy to think of it as a familiar friendly place."
Whilst many gravitate towards the traditional hotspots like art galleries and the Eiffel Tower, someone else noted: "Though the art museums and the Eiffel Tower are the sites most tourists flock to, it's the casual locations and wide bridges that make the city truly a pleasure to be in and stroll upon."
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I learned that the city is the birthplace of the pain au chocolat — but don't let the locals hear you call it that, they prefer chocolatine. In fact, some bakeries go so far as to charge you more if you order the former! It's also where the Inquisition originated, though there's a bit less to shout about in that regard. From chocolatines to goat's cheese that was just a few days old — at famous shop Fromagerie Betty — the tour packed a lot in terms of flavour. 11 Alejandro's food tours were informative and had delicious grub Credit: Supplied 11 The Capitole is a spectacular building and the centrepiece of the city Credit: Alamy 11 Basilique Saint-Sernin was one of the stops on the tour Credit: Supplied And with stops at the Capitole Square, the Victor Hugo Market, and the Basilique Saint-Sernin — we packed in a lot of sights too. Of course, unlike other days out, I didn't need to worry about when I was going to have time to grab lunch. GO TOULOUSE GETTING THERE: Ryanair offers direct flights to Toulouse from Edinburgh this summer. For prices see .STAYING THERE: For the best rates at the ibis Toulouse Capitole Centre see MORE INFO: For more info on visiting the city see It was a good start to a trip where my stomach was the biggest winner, in a city proud of its food. From the city's famous duck cassoulet to cordon bleu, I ate like a King — and was glad my shorts had elasticated waists! As well as its cuisine, Toulouse is also known for being Europe's aviation capital, being the headquarters of Airbus. We'd even been told on the tour that it was harder to avoid aviation workers in most bars than it was to bump into them. But this relationship with air travel goes back much further, I learned, with the city being a key site of aviation innovation more than 100 ago. My simple pleasures include looking at fighter planes and imagining I'm piloting them, like an overgrown child. 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