Also, for all Americans reading this: Brussels is exactly the capital of Europe BECAUSE of its insignificance. The big countries (UK, France and Germany) didn't want to give in on who gets to have the capital, so they decided to give the European capital to little Belgium in the middle who had suffered enough from the wars.
Seems they choose capital cities like this in several places. For instance, Canberra, Ottawa, Washington D.C. aren't known for being big cultural hotspots
What is now DC was literal swampland that nobody wanted when they decided to put the capitol there. They even established an independent district so the capital wouldn't fall in any state. So, no surprise that DC isn't much of anything.
I think Brussels was chosen as a capital because 1.) It is on the west coast = short flight from East coast of the US 2.) NATO headquarters are in Brussels. It makes sense to concentrate such institutions together as they are tightly bounded and do have overlapping policies naturally.....
aucourant Haha ! If you get the chance to walk in the centre of city in the evening, get it ! You'll never regret it ! I've lived here for a long time now and I love every piece of it ! Actually this is the first time I hear someone stating it's overrated ! I don't mind it, everyone has his opinion ! But really, give Brussels a chance, you won't be disappointed !
+aucourant It goes together with #5 and the fact that Brussels is the de facto capital of Europe - “you have seen the capital, you have seen it all”. Of course in any serious guide it is never ranked first.
+Nicolas Seigneur I don't think he is being mean or degrading Brussels, I think he is just giving a comparison so tourists can see the big sites because Americans MIGHT go to Europe once in their life for one week. So our time needs to be spent very carefully to see the big sites. If your European and visit America you would want to visit New York but not Indianapolis! Even though Indy is great, so I know how you feel.
+tobi - Man, I live in Portugal. I'm quite aware that people in Spain don't speak the same language I do, neither do people in France, Germany or Ukraine. I'm not sure you know what sarcasm is. Maybe I wasn't explicit enough, but my reaction was a sarcastic laughter because of how stupid the question was.
+Elise Tanis no Paris is just the best! I've been to all major cities of France like Marseille, Straßbourge, Nice,... but Paris is the city where you can see the most amazing things like la Sainte-Chapelle or the people in front of Sacré-Coeur and don't forget the Louvre... it just is amazing!
I've lived in Spain and am born in Germany (military kid), and have been to England, Ireland, Austria and France (briefly), and Venice in Italy. I want to add to the part said about people thinking they have been to Europe because they go to Paris and London. I would add ANYONE who just goes to London, Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, and other major city's did not go to Europe. Cities are international, so yes they have elements of the local culture, but unless you get out to the smaller towns you really are not visiting anywhere. You are going to safe havens where theirs more people around you that are also foreigners than locals. Go see the small towns, go out to the country side, THAT is Europe, away from the cities that are global centers.
Gnawer Shreth In theory, I agree. But then again... I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is far more representative of America than New York -- but I would never recommend it as an international travel destination.
Is it? Plus, it is America, most of the rules do not apply to this country as it does to others. America is giant, and has multiple cultures within it more so than others.
I'm planning on going to Europe later this year. It will be my first time out of the US. I haven't decided for sure where I'll be going, but I'm thinking Czech Republic. Thoughts?
TheBuzzardAndTheWorm I don't know for how long you're going, but if you're in that general area you could easily visit Vienna and Munich as well. You could also go hiking for a few days, in Switzerland for example. Most mountains in Switzerland have a little hostel near the summit, usually very cozy and homely. A good idea would be to go on weekdays.
It's the exact opposite in Malaysia, all the cultural stuff in in the city or towns, there's literally nothing in the countryside. If you want to experience Malaysia you can only go to the city.
Brussels was picked because it wasn't a Paris, Berlin or Rome. It hadn't a reputation or history as all pervasive or "contentious" as the more well known cities. And Belgium had been overrun in both wars so was a sort of neutral space, a no-man's-land between France and Germany. Didn't realise Americans went there.
What are you on about you dumb sir?? The reason Brussels was chosen was because it's socially diverse and succeeded in being a cosmopolitan city, while being central. Stop with "PaRiS dIdN'T wAnT tO dAmAgE iTs ChArM" or bullshit ideas like that. All these cities have actually competed to host EU buildings, but Brussels was preferred. Berlin and Paris have a lot of ugly ass buildings already, so it never was an argument.
For me the best city in Europe is Lisbon. Small enough to get round easily. Fantastic architecture, history, culture, food and people. Massively underated in my opinion.
@@mscarlson1498 Absolutely concur. There is something in the ambience of Lisbon. Something in the vibe of the place. In the attitude to life that the Portuguese have that draws me like a moth to a flame. Would ideally like to move there permanently one day. Best wishes from the UK.
it is, you just have to behave like you were a citizen, for example we werde in prague just a few weeks ago, and of course if you went to the supermarkets right in the downtown where all the tourists bought there stuff the Prices were quite expenisve, but when you just went like 15 minutes away from the downtown with an tram, to an area where mostly prague citizen lived the Prices in the supermarkets where insanly cheap, like the bread buns there costed about 3-4 Cents per Piece, like you would been able to get 100 (!!!) Bread buns for 3-4€ In Germany you will get about 10 or less, i think i still have photos of the Price tags of all the things, like we bought so much stuff and just paid a few euros!
Maybe it was in November or sth. I'm from Latvia and I looked at hotels in neighbouring Vilnius last week and you'd get maybe 3 nights max at 200 euro at a reasonably good hotel, so I opted for airbnb
Depends on what "very cheap" means. Yes, you can get many things in eg Poland for half or a third of the price at home in western Europe, but you cannot get it at a tenth of the price or even less like you could in the 90s.
+B Neervoort We American do feel that we are somewhat hated because we stick our noses into every country so we actually think we may be attacked by some American hating nut case! When I went to Mexico I said I was Canadian.....LOL, seriously!! It's a form of paranoia.
If you are going to go to Europe for the first time, I recommend travelling to the Scandinavian countries first (Norway, Sweden, Denmark)... You will have to budget very very carefully and get used to the expensive prices. After travelling in Scandinavia, then go to Central Europe and you will not complain about the "high" prices!
What you said about the statue in Belgium I've also heard about The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. People often are disappointed when they finally see it because it is so small.
The difference between manneke pis and the statue of l mermaid is that manneke pis has some real history. L mermaid is just placed by a restaurant as art. Manneke pus hundreds of years old and even has a legend was even kidnapped twice. Most tourist are zombies when they visit a city no awareness or knowledge of the history behind it. I would recommend a visit to the broodhuis on la grand place before visiting Brussels. Also some nice musea from the flemish primitives in the Brussels art museum. The most beautifully paintings in the world , Rubens and Bruegel Van Duyck Van Eyck ….just an amazing town Brussels
I have been to France twice during "off season". The people are GREAT. I limp by with my terrible French and they always help me, and speak fantastic English. The same with Italy. Most overrated thing from my few trips to Europe is don't wast your time at the Louvre. The Mona Lisa sucks. Spend a day at L'Orssay, Rodin, Monet musee-orangerie or the Vatican museum in Rome.
meatman66 same here. Paris one summer. Totally friendly even with my ridiculously basic few words of French they were very supportive and helpful. They seemed very very happy I was trying even just a few basic touristy words:)
Miles Forman I kindly disagree, sir. Brussels Waffles (not the Liègeois ones you can find on every street corner, also in Brussels, but the light waffles, not to sweet and with a crunch, served with sugar, or fresh fruit) are delicious. And I haven't eaten better waffles in Bruges. For good beer bars, Kulminator in Antwerp or the Waterhuis aan de Bierkant in Ghent are probably the best in Belgium, but the biggest (and most touristy, that's why I try to avoid it) is Delirium Café in Brussels, and there are Moeder Lambic, Restobière, Biercircus, Nuëtnigenough, and many others. Bruges has some fine beer bars, but in the neighbourhood, I'd go for 't Botteltje in Ostend, in stead of Bruges proper. And in the evening, Brussels is a lot calmer, but Bruges is close to death. Brussels, the biggest city in the Benelux, has more crap than most other cities, but also more good things, they're only often hidden away for the tourists. I've been living here for the last 7 years, and I'm still exploring, getting to know new things, and stuff. Brussels is not beautiful as is Paris with its yellow stone buildings, not as clean as Copenhagen (not to say it can get dirty, unfortunately), or gifted with almost endless good weather, as in Italy or Spain. But it has a vibe many cities in the Low Countries lack, a bit like Berlin is more interesting than, say, Munich, although the latter is defenitely more beautiful, Too bad, the main stations are often a dump, there is litter almost everywhere, some big infrastructure projects have devasted certain areas of the city (North South Junction, the monstrosity that is the Centre Monnaie, the shameless Tour Blaton, which replaced a beautiful Meeting house by Horta, the car tunnel in the Cinquantenaire Park...), the restaurants around Grand Place are almost all overpriced or overrated, etc. It's a city with scars, sometimes a little vulgar, but it has she's not without charm Brussels is a relatively small capital of a relatively small country, where a lot of the European institutions have their seat, NATO has its European HQ here, but it was almost a coincidence. NATO moved to Brussels in a hurry, because the French got out, the EU is here, because the French couldn't have a capital city in Germany, and vice versa, all without a real plan, and often without a decent preparation. For those people expecting the same things as Paris, London or even Berlin, it will be a disappointment. With 1 million people, you can't compare to those cities 10 times bigger. But I disagree when people saying you should skip Brussels, because there's nothing to see or to experience. That's simply not true, but it's not for people who don't have time to explore, as they will be disappointed.
Uncle Chuckles there's a lot to see but stay in a county if you're going and make the most of that one area, I recommend Suffolk, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Cumbria. These are the places best for tourists but there is a lot more in England than people think.
TheBrassHole Add to those Northumberland, Devon, Kent and several others. For cities you can try places like Durham, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, York, Bristol. In general the larger cities are industrial and more suitable to people who like shopping and clubbing.
Eastern europe is not cheap anymore? Mate what? I'm Belgian and I've did an exchange project with a slovakian school. I could get 1 liter beers for less than 50 cents, shot at 30 cents. Yes phones etc for that kind of things the difference is small, but hey if you're young and looking to go out? eastern europe might not be as fancy or classy, but your high school lunch money is enough to get some people in the ambulance...
+rsca is god I'm Polish and yeah, that's pretty much true. When I went to the UK and then returned back to Poland after a month I've noticed that I can do a small grocery for £5 (eggs, some cheese, rolls etc.), whereas in the UK I was paying £10 for a lunch. And £10 equals circa 63 PLN, in Poland you can buy two decent lunches for that (maybe not the best ones, but not the worst either). And when I've been to Gdansk in January 2015, I've found a pub in which you can buy a 50 ml shot of vodka for 5 PLN (80p) and that was pretty cheap, but it probably is common. So Eastern/Central Europe is still quite cheap for people from the USA or Western Europe.
+Kitchissime I think it has the Mona Lisa Syndrome. People get their hopes up and are really excited to see the Mona Lisa - but it turns out that the painting is really small and not all that impressive.
I think one of the most wasteful things you can do in Europe is stick to the cities. All your big familiar conveniences are there. It's what between the cities that makes Europe. Get a bike. Rent a car. Get a tent.
I nearly cried when you said that Europeans are not arrogant but really nice and friendly. Thank you Mark! Really touched my heart because it felt like you really try to erase the stigma about the different cultures and people in Europe. And you show that everywhere you go, people ARE friendly most of the times, you just have to get to know them :)
GREAT videos all. Thanks for sharing your insights. Europe is awesome, Americans NEED to travel to open their minds. Videos like yours are very helpful to prepare them. Keep 'em coming, please!
Sorry but Brussels is great. It maybe is a bit overrated but you should deffinitely not "get rid of it". I mean it's a great city and deffinitely worth a visit!
Love me some Prague! Went there in May with DH. My top 3 are Rome, Florence & Prague. You are right on target with your list. We must be open to new experiences when we travel as traveling is the best education!
Do not go to a supermarket they sell meat! gross! killing animals like cave men! You don't like it? don't do it Yes there are restaurants mostly in the south of Spain where they do the bullfights all year (not just for special holidays) where you can eat bull meat, specially the tail "rabo de toro guisado"(Google it) is really good. (The toreador meat is not allowed, pff liberals and their human rights...)
because living all your life in a cage for the only purpose of feeding humans untill you die is a great life, go to a butchery or a industrial chicken coop see for yourself, and wake up. Bulls live a very good life, and some of them are selected to fight and suffer for 10-15 mins then die.
Update from 2017. As said, prices here in Prague are mid European. UK or Scandinavian countries are very expensive for us, eastern or southern countries are still OK. Don' t be shy to travel outside of Prague or at least outside of Prague center. There are places locals would seldom go to as prices in the center are just horrible. People from countries like USA may have a very different mentality then us. Our country is small and in general we are more humble. We are mostly atheists and we never conquered another country for oil. People in Czech republic are mostly friendly and don' t really care where you come from. Have some local food and find a small brewery. Talk to people. Most people under 40 speak at least some English... PS: not even French are as arrogant as we may think
Hi! I'm a new subscriber from the Netherlands and I want to say that I really enjoy your videos!! I like your positive perspective and handy tips&tricks! Keep up the good work! You really seem to know what you're talking about and at the same time you're not bragging about it. Very nice! :D
I would say that Paris is overrated not because it is bad or anything; it can be stunningly beautiful, delicious, and has lots of history and culture to explore, etc...but because of HOW. MUCH. EVERYONE (especially stuff aimed at young women) treats it like the holy grail and how amazingly perfect it is. Paris can be great. It is also kinda dirty and smelly and it's hit or miss whether Parisians will help you. I think it's the non-American city that is most talked about, and most referenced (in pictures, iconography, etc...) but other places like Prague are wonderful, too, but don't get the same attention.
Lol, this name I chose as a hormonal teenager is haunting me now... :) Thanks again for another great video; I have not been to Belgium, so it was good to know about the Brussels thing, and alternate (very pretty!) recommendations. :) Btw, I know you've been to China, but have you ever been to Japan?
Slimy Weasles I have not been to Japan yet. But we are looking at it for 2016. We are buying a house so the next year or two of travel will be a bit slower... maybe... hell, we will still travel :) but Japan is a possible Spring Break 2016 trip. Thanks for all the watching and commenting!
I agree about Paris. There must be something about people having varied experiences there, though. I encountered arrogance from the people, and the only ones who were friendly wanted to sell you something. Yet, other people I know say they did not encounter this, so I don't know what to make of it.
I was in Prague and I live in switzerland, everything was literally 3 times cheaper there than I am used to, I don't know how it compares to the U.S. though.
lukaszepesi the US is more like germany pricewise even a bit cheaper :) but yea as a scandinavian i agree that eastern europ is cheap however so is most places outside the german languets area
lukaszepesi Switherland is more expensive than most of the Europe. You have also bigger salary. Here (CZ) we have costs similar to Germany (people sometimes travel to Germany by car to buy whats there cheeper and vice versa) but we have smaller salaries than you or Germans.
Where in Prague? Where in Switzerland? Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in the world, of course it's cheaper for you, but if you lived in a less affluent part of Switzerland, and compare the prices to the most expensive parts of Prague of course it won't be cheaper. It's all relative. Mala Strana vs. rural village in Switzerland, you would be surprised. :D
+MrVlekje5 you couldn't be more wrong. Brussels is a beautiful capital city. Being en having lived in Brussels for my entire life and I still am by the way. Brussels is the greenest capital in Europe. Brussels is the not only the European capital it also is the NATO's capital. This city is one where you need to open yourself to and it will open itself to you. Gorgeous buildings ( Cinquantenaire, Grand Place, the Royal palace, Royal Gardins, Basilic, Cathedral, etc...). The culture and history is one that differs from the Flemmish as the Walloon part of the country. If you don't see it now, I don't blame you, but take the time to know it, take the time to discover its hidden treasures and it will amaze you if you are open for it.
Mark, I’ve been watching some of your older videos. I’m from Northwest Arkansas, and if you haven’t been to Bentonville lately, I recommend another visit! A lot has changed since this video was posted!
What about using Brussels as a base to explore Belgium cities? Brussels is roughly the center of Belgium, so staying in Brussels and make day trips to other cities seem logical to me.
Much better to just move around from city to city. Why do you need a base? Don't bring too much stuff and travel around. Most Belgian train stations have good luggage lockers, so you can get somewhere early, leave your bags and check in your hotel later. I'd recommend this for two reasons: - You need to travel from Gare du Midi. It's 25mins walk from the center of Brussels, not in a pretty part of town. You'd burn a lot of time in the morning and evening just getting to and from the station. - Other cities are great for an evening meal, after dinner stroll, theatre, breakfast in the town square etc. If you limit your visit to the middle of the day you're missing a lot of the experience.
you can use basically any town as a base so you could do that, but I would use Ghent instead, but honestly if you want to you can. I like Brussels, but you need to think of it as a 2nd or 3rd "division" tourist city. It is not paris or Madrid.
albedo0point39 1. Berlin is a good base to explore the city and the surrounding municipalities. The same goes for Stockholm. I assume Brussels will be similar. If not, I will skip Brussels. 2. I will be traveling with my 70+ years old parents. Moving from place to place is challenging for us. "Don't bring too much stuff" is not an option.
woltersworld Since I'm planning this trip with my parents in mind, I'm wondering if you can make a few videos about the senior/disability friendliness of various cities? For example, maybe you can get a wheelchair and test the barrier-free facilities at various places. By conducting these tests, you will be doing the public a great service. Also, if Brussels is in the 2nd or 3rd division, which division is Stockholm in? Thanks!
Gene Tsao I understand your predicament. I travel to Belgium fairly often - and we took my mother there for her 70th a couple of years back. Of the Belgian cities I like Bruges and Antwerp best. Ghent is great, but I don't think it's as easy to get around as Bruges - and it's a bit of a walk from the station to the centre. Antwerp is more of a sea-port than the others, and less touristy - but it has good restaurants, shopping and museums (more of a small city than a large town). With my parents, we stayed in Bruges for 4 days. If you want to base yourself somewhere it's not a bad choice - the station is accessible and you can travel to Ghent, Antwerp and Ostend easily. Some really great theatres in Bruges too (if you're there later in the year checkout the 'December dance' season). Bruges is also a good place to get day trips to Ypres and the First World War sites, if that's of interest.
Just a thought on manneken pis. The low countries have a tendency to belittle things. Its part of the humor. So a tiny statue if a little boy peeing is funny for them. A giant statue of a little boy peeing might be hilarious elsewhere but would be completely out of place in the low countries.
@Francisco sergei creo que el problema acá es que tú cultura es un tanto barbarica y cruel con los toros. Si solo fueran soltar toros para esquivarlos, sería aceptable, pero en las corridas les prenden fuego, les entierran espadas y lanzas. Los fuerzan a una batalla injusta. El torero tiene equipos de apoyo, médicos listos para atenderle y entrenamiento previo, el torero tiene conciencia de lo que está haciendo. El toro no goza de ninguna ventaja real y solo sufre. Para ti y tu pueblo podrá ser una gran tradición y eres libre de continuarla. Pero los demás estamos en el mismo derecho de declararla salvaje, barbarica e inhumana
You need to go to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville. One of the best art museums in the US. They also have the Amazeum, an awesome kids museum. The Walton 5 and Dime Museum and old school soda fountain is nice and the historical downtown is quaint. There are beautiful natural spots nearby in the Ozarks. The town is actually quite interesting for a town of 50,000 and a lot better than it was 10-15 years ago.
Rudi Rüssel I remember when I went to a bull fight in Venezuela as a little kid. (My mother was from South America). I looked over the stadium wall seeing all the dead bulls. I told my mother that it made me sad. She told me they butcher them and the meat goes to orphanages. I don’t know if it is true. I just remember how I felt, Hemingway be damned.
@@johnbaugh2437 why cant they cull the bulls like normal cattle and give it to the orphanages? The fact that they feel like they have to do something generous to justify the act says a lot about it.
Bullfighting is needlessly cruel. I personally don't mind the killing of an animal as long as it is painless, but this is just awful torture for the poor thing. One of my friends told me that they got to see one of the weird spikey thingies they use in bullfighting, and they are HUGE. Spanish traditions are cool, like the twelve grapes at New Year's Eve, but I can't stand bullfighting.
From my experience, the most overrated place in Europe is Paris. It's great but it's not so much great than everything else as usually advertised. Rome, Prague or London are at least on par.
I fell in love with Paris. Right off the train, a very dear stranger, a Parisian lady immediately graciously welcomed me to her city and tried so hard to help me on the Metro (although neither of us knew each other’s languages). I will always be immensely grateful to her even years later. I loved the Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe and Saint- Michel. I eternally thank France for the Statue of Liberty. Thank you, dear France for your magnificent city!
Nobody forces you to attend a bullfight in Spain. If you don't want to go, you don't go. Now, you don't have the power to say what is "civilized" and what is "decent." Therefore, you cannot forbid people to go to a bullfight if that is what they want. Stupid fascist.
Consumer prices in Europe: Sofia (Bulgaria) is 61% cheaper than Oslo (Norway). Chisnau (Moldova) is 31% cheaper than Sofia. So yes, the price gaps are huge.
They used to be much bigger 20 years ago. But when it comes to alcohol, countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, etc, are a lot cheaper than Norway. Which is the reason why people from Nordic countries go there, and almost don't stop drinking. They are making an in-body alcoholic reserve before going back home :)
@@cinegraphics Don't people from Norway go to Finland for cheaper alcohol, people from Finland go to Estonia for cheaper alcohol, and people from Estonia go to Latvia or Lithuania for cheaper alcohol. lol
I just want to make it clear that Barcelona and its whole region, called Catalonia, is the only place in Spain where bull fighting and running of the bulls is already forbidden, so independently if you support it or not, do not relate this "activities" with Barcelona and its surroundings because you won't find anything like that. When you refered to a small village close to Barcelona, perhaps it was belonging to a neighbour region, but then is like somebody talks about New York City and something happening in a small village in Maine.
I was in Paris and this French lady was sitting at the table next to my family in Mcdonald's and asked if we're Americans. We said no, we're Canadian, but she didn't believe us and got this disgusted look on her face and moved to another table. It was kind of funny and ironic considering she was in Mcdonald's, the most American place in France. But thankfully most people weren't like that at all.
woltersworld I don't understand your hate for Brussels. It is so much more than just the Grand Place and surroundings! It has beautiful palaces (did you even visit the royal district? The royal palace is even bigger than Buckingham Palace), parks, art deco architecture, monumental buildings (you won't find anywhere else in the benelux), trendy districts (Dansaert, Flagey,...)... I would like to ask you to visit this photo-collection of beautiful Brussels, it wil amaze you! Don't forget to visit the multiple pages: www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1231597
***** Most of the French people I met were very nice, this was the only bad experience I had. This woman seemed a little crazy so I didn't take it too seriously haha.
You go to Brussels for the beer (look up delirium bar), waffles, triple cooked chips and mussels. You don’t go there for the sights. It’s boring but food / beer wise so good I’d go back.
Brussels is great and the good thing about it is it's not as big as Berlin or Paris. If you avoid the major tourist attractions you'll notice it's very interesting ! There are so many concert venues and you can party every day
johan bauwens mate, Brussels stinks, almost all the buildings are filthy and the people are awful. Brugge, Antwerp and Ghent are the most beautiful cities of Belgium.
Mats Koenen People are awful, seriously ?! I didn't see myself this way ! Please don't say such things. You've had a bad experience and i'm sorry about it. Each time i go out in Brussels (which is a lot), i meet new people which are far from being awful ! Please, don't say such generalized statements such as this one :) I agree Ghent is amazing and Brussels is not beautiful everywhere. But all the centre is, IMO, very nice :)
@Debbie Smith Krakow is amazing, and so are Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw ,Etc. Poland's definitely underrated and is rapidly becoming a desired destination.
Sorry wolter I've been to Paris and stuck in Paris ( which was worse due to it's poor signage) and was very disappointed, it reminded me of a ghetto. I'll save my money next time and see old Bavaria next round
Quite late to comment on this video, but just wanted to say it is spot on. We often holiday in the states (I’m a Brit) and have had some of these conversations with Americans. Europe was just London, Rome or Paris to some of them. I was surprised that not many have heard of my home town of Plymouth, particularly as that is where the pilgrim fathers finally set sail from in the Mayflower. Plus you have your own Plymouth as a result and even a car named the same I believe?! Met a really nice guy (and his family) from Little Rock, Arkansas though, who really wanted to visit Europe, but found it daunting. Didn’t know where to start etc. So we had a good chat and gave him some advice including don’t just stick to the three mentioned above!!
As a Belgian (living in Brussels, which there are cool stuff to visit, but generally is just a city like any other, nothing special) who has visited both Milano and Venice, I agree Milano was not special either, other than the Duomo and the big park with the castle, it's just a shopping city, and you can find cathedrals and parks and castles everywhere around Europe, so nothing special. Venice on the other hand is really special and I loved that place sooooo much!
I like Milano very much because it's not the "photogenic europe medieval city" you expect, it's a mix of everything. There are streets they look like Chicago in the "Al Capone Era" but there are also 1000 and more years old churches and finally there is even a Chinatown, so you really have everything in Milano. Maybe it's not that beautiful on the first sight, but it becomes it the more and more you discover it. I live just 3 hours from Milano, but already in Switzerland.
2:43 Actually, you cannot "enjoy" bullfighting anymore in Catalonia since 2012. Where was that, and when, if I may ask? Thanks Good video, Brussels is definitely overrated and I think Eastern Europe is quite cheap (I'm Spanish), I was surprised with prices in the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary... (not Croatia and Slovenia, not so cheap).
Belgium: Get a hotel in Ghent, Antwerp or Brussels or and do daytrips by train to the big cities and smaller towns from there. Lier, Bruges, Namur, Diest, Oostende, Dinant, Leuven, Mechelen, Liège, ... That's how I'd recommend you do it. My favorite (100% worth it, guaranteed) museums in Brussels are the House of European History (free), Train World and the Africa Museum.
Cannes is overrated. Because there is a famous Film Festival there, everyone thinks it must be the place to be. Not so. There are many, many better beaches and beach towns in Europe superior to Cannes.
***** It depends on why you're going. Park City, Utah (where Sundance is held) is a smallish town with about 10,000 full-time residents, about 50 km (less than an hour) from Salt Lake City. It's a charming town, but you can see everything in an afternoon. It's more of a starting point for outdoorsy things. They have a great ski resort, tons of bike trails, rafting, hot air balloons, campgrounds, that sort of thing.
I'm not sure it's rated that high to begin with. It's basically a place to hold business conventions and fairs and at that it excels. Not sure people are dying to go there for their beach holidays.
This American has loved every single city, in every country that I've ever visited in Europe. While there were definitely things that were overrated (Mannequin piss) there were things I found in every city that were Underrated as well (Atomium). Even entire countries are UNDERRATED.....Portugal for instance. I always enjoy your videos, no matter how old they are. :)
me and my friends forgot our Canadian patches, and we were treated fine, and true about London, it doesn't even count as real England! Good video! As for cheap city, nothing beats the cheap prices of Barcelona!
Barcelona is one of the most expensive city of Spain (with maybe San Sebastian/Donostia). Prices in Andalusia are half of Barcelona's one. And polish/roumanian/bulgarian ones even less...
really? We found it cheap, then again it was our only spain city, and the other cities we visited were Amsterdam, Paris, London which are all expensive cities in comparison
I've been to England for three months but I did not blind with locals I only blend with all other countries because we were in school together how you do it? Details please
In my opinion, Bussels is not overrated, it's definitively underrated. There is the magnificant Grand-Place, some very nice streets with medieval buildings, a lot of Bars with hundreds of different Beers, many kinds of Street Art and Cartoon Drawings on Facades (Brussels is also the capital of Cartoons) and at least there is not only Manneken Pis, there's also Jeanneke Pis, a statue of a girl peeing, a symbol of gender equality.
Hey Man, I'm french and I love your vids, thank you so much for your own vision of Europe but so truth, please next time in Paris, visit the Repetto shop 22 rue de la Paix, I'll be so honored to guide you! I love America and American people, I only know about NYC and L.A., sorry. I'm waiting for you and your family in" my" shop! Just ask for David!
Prague is definitely one of my favorite cities in Europe too Funny cuz when we were first going, I didn’t know anything about Prague or the Czech Republic So much rich history in that city The astronomical clock, in Old Town might’ve been my favorite part Along with st vitus cathedral as well Definitely want to return
I love Brussels, I don’t agree with you about it being overrated! And if you’re disappointed with Manneken Pis because it’s just 62cm, what would you say about Mona Lisa being less than one meter square?
Brussels is less overrated than Bruges for example. I never hear foreigners talking about how badly they want to visit Brussels anyway, so how can it be overrated? Also, Brussels is awesome, I've lived in both Ghent and Brussels, and if you think Brussels is overrated, you haven't seen the good parts. There's soooo much to do compared to other Belgian cities, there are awesome pubs, awesome museums, there are great music venues and I can go on and on. It's just not as focused on tourists as other cities like Bruges (which is great imo). Also, did you really say "there's not much going on?" But then you mention how great Leuven and Brugge are. I'd understand you if you said that there's not a lot going on in these cities, but saying this about Brussels, c'mon. Also, assuming Brussels is as big as London or Paris is just stupid, it's a city with 1 mil inhabitants, not a megacity like London, Paris, New York, .. So if you're expecting that, it's your own fault that you're disappointed.
Bruges is overrated? Man what the hell I went to Bruges and it was one of the best places I have been to ever, beautiful architecture amazing chocolate good walkability, perfect for a two-day trip
'Even Antwerp' ? Antwerp is an amazing 'little big city'. You can have the peace of a town, but the touristic atractions of Paris for instance. Go to Antwerp, you won't be dissapointed !
+Aquarian Christianity I see that +woltersworld has not responded, and so I'll just offer my two cents' worth. Having lived in France for 10 years, I can DEFINITELY recommend the small cities in France. They are very different from each other: just as Europe is not homogenous, neither is France. I would recommend, in particular, Bayeux and Rouen in Normandie (Normandy), Vézelay and Dijon in Bourgogne (Burgundy), Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in (where else?) Provence, and Sète and Narbonne in Languedoc. There are hundreds of others, but the ones I've mentioned are all easy to get to by train.
+Aquarian Christianity I would mention as well that France has wonderful large cities, too, such as Lyon and Toulouse. Lyon was the most important city in France until the fall of the Roman Empire, and is still the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the country -- a lot of Parisians have moved there to get away from the bustle of the capital. It's gorgeous -- a river runs through it -- and has fantastic Roman ruins. (Paris has extremely little to offer in that regard.) Lyon is also the gastronomic capital of France! On the other hand, I visited Bordeaux for three days in 2001 and found it extremely boring. The restaurants were overpriced and the taxis were more expensive than Paris. However, I've been told that it's much improved since.
The gastronomic capital of Paris! Wow! I've read that many Christians were killed in Lyons. Just wanted to know, if I tour France, what tour to take, one that takes in small cities or large ones! Thanks, Laura!
I am 51 and am just starting to travel outside the us. My first trip will be London is March. Your channel has been a great resource for me. Paris is next.
about 5th not only each country has different culture but there are also cuntries wich in themselves have lots of true different cultures. Belgium, Ireland, spain Italy are the first that comes to mind. In Italy for examples until the country united almost each city used to be a state therefore each city has its own history, its own language, its own way to live. you can easily tell a sicilian from a napolitan, from a roman, a milanese, and so on. about the 4th. you hit the nail on the head. No one hates american people. Actually americans are still considered kinda cool. those who have issues with america simply don't like america's foreing policies and attitude: expecially the fact that you use to go and screw in middle east than you keep the oil and the gas and we keep the wars at our borders and the refugees. Best advice just try to stick to the coolest thing about america ( like NewYork, hollywood, NBA, Apple, cowboys, music, natural places, things like that ) and don't talk about military or politics: we don't have fox news so no one, and i literally mean no one, here buys anymore things like "we only went there to export democracy and freedom" and you'll be fine. two more tips: Obama is considered quite cool here while Bush was considered an idiot. Evolution in all europe is simply a fact. Most of the europeans simply ignore the fact that in the U.S. so many people believe in creationism so if you're a creationist simply avoid the topic or everything you'll get will be facepalms and pity. It's not that all europe is secular, there are many religious people, only that most of them too have no problems with evolution here.
Andrea Roll aslong as they dont go around bragging and thinking Amarica is awsome... but yea amarican ppl are fine aslong as they are informed and dont go around and talking about how the US is better.. "if you cannot enjoy our cultur plz stay home"..
this is exactly why i love the manekenpis : it's so insignificant but so famous . I just is a fun statue with a fun story that by no mean is to be taken seriously
Here in Sweden, if You're an american it's like you're a celebrity - I'm not joking, Swedes just love to show off their perfect English :D Although we're shy, so we won't talk to You at first :p Where do You currently live? 13 years is such a long time! What countries are on your European bucket list? cheers
Are you are coming to Europe to travel? Go see London & Rome. Those are the best of the best for cities. Looooots of culture and you can spend easily 5 days. London for modern, Rome for old. Paris is severeeeeeeeeeeely overrated. There is even the 'Paris Syndrome', because visitors going to Paris are so dismayed and baffled that Paris isn't what it portrays to be. Nowadays it isnt even as safe, too. After that, you should go: Cities: Vienna, Zurich, Barcelona, Amsterdam Or go out to smaller towns around Switzerland/South France/Italy. Often more picturesque than the bigger cities
Sorry, I must disagree. True, I have never had a European get directly nasty with me about being an American but I always hear these little left-handed comments in which it seems like they want you to apologize for being an American (which is stupid). Things like...so what do you think of the war in Iraq? Clearly they want me to say what they want to hear, or like when they ask about Bush, etc. It's little loaded questions where they are clearly telling you something is wrong. It would be like if I meet a British person in NYC and said.....so, what are your thoughts on spending billions for a Monarchy that doesn't really do anything?
It's a good list. Prague is a real beauty. I talked to a lot of Europeans here in CA and asked them where I should go. One of the places they kept saying was Prague. So I went and it is spectacular. It's one of my favorites in Europe too as you said. Just a stunning beauty of a city. Yes I would call it Central Europe. People who say East have never been there.
Does really Americans do the Canadian flag thing? That's hilarious! Europeans are rather neutral towards a distant country like Canada. And they DO NOT HATE Americans, they actually like them!! Sometimes there can be some prejudices around but often just in response to American prejudices towards European (e.g. if you relate with French people with the idea they are rude they obviously might begin to be rude for real!). I often get the feel that Americans like to exaggerate on how things are different from their country... In Europe we are used to deal with other cultures, so PLEASE FEEL WELCOME :)
+Alex Sampsonite I guess is because of Russia influence on eastern Europe. Still I personally know a lot of eastern Europeans who really doesn't care about these things anymore.
haha I hate Americans though. They're usually looking down on Europe and really arrogant. Well, then stay in your ugly country I'd say. Nobody asks for them to come here.
While Italy has a ton of them, the ones I tell people to avoid are Pisa (though fun to get that photo of you holding up the tower but there's a line to stand on the stone), the tourist parts of Venice and Murano to start. You can add Cortona after "Under the Tuscan Sun" was published and Cinque Terre. Go visit smaller towns off the beaten track and really discover the many Italy's that make up this wonderful country.
Also, for all Americans reading this: Brussels is exactly the capital of Europe BECAUSE of its insignificance. The big countries (UK, France and Germany) didn't want to give in on who gets to have the capital, so they decided to give the European capital to little Belgium in the middle who had suffered enough from the wars.
And about Strasbourg?
Seems they choose capital cities like this in several places. For instance, Canberra, Ottawa, Washington D.C. aren't known for being big cultural hotspots
strasbourg aint more significant than brusselles lol ^^
What is now DC was literal swampland that nobody wanted when they decided to put the capitol there. They even established an independent district so the capital wouldn't fall in any state. So, no surprise that DC isn't much of anything.
I think Brussels was chosen as a capital because 1.) It is on the west coast = short flight from East coast of the US 2.) NATO headquarters are in Brussels. It makes sense to concentrate such institutions together as they are tightly bounded and do have overlapping policies naturally.....
How can Brussels be overrated? It's never been rated in the first place.
aucourant Haha ! If you get the chance to walk in the centre of city in the evening, get it ! You'll never regret it ! I've lived here for a long time now and I love every piece of it ! Actually this is the first time I hear someone stating it's overrated ! I don't mind it, everyone has his opinion ! But really, give Brussels a chance, you won't be disappointed !
+aucourant It goes together with #5 and the fact that Brussels is the de facto capital of Europe - “you have seen the capital, you have seen it all”. Of course in any serious guide it is never ranked first.
+Nicolas Seigneur I don't think he is being mean or degrading Brussels, I think he is just giving a comparison so tourists can see the big sites because Americans MIGHT go to Europe once in their life for one week. So our time needs to be spent very carefully to see the big sites. If your European and visit America you would want to visit New York but not Indianapolis! Even though Indy is great, so I know how you feel.
You are a shithole
thhey didn't get raped but groped.
Does anyone know if European is a difficult language to learn?
Ahahah funny -.-
+tobi - Man, I live in Portugal. I'm quite aware that people in Spain don't speak the same language I do, neither do people in France, Germany or Ukraine.
I'm not sure you know what sarcasm is. Maybe I wasn't explicit enough, but my reaction was a sarcastic laughter because of how stupid the question was.
lots of languages in Europe...
It's a sarcastic joke.
pretty sure you don't know if they're joking or not
Brussels is "the capital" of European Union. It's where European Council and European Parliament are. That's why you always hear it on news.
Yeah it's a political center rather than cultural.
For beauty and culture you should visit other cities-Rome,Paris,Vienna etc. ...
+Ella Finstad You forgot about Krakow dude -.-
+Ella Finstad Paris is overrated, other French cities are waaaaay more beautiful
+Elise Tanis no Paris is just the best! I've been to all major cities of France like Marseille, Straßbourge, Nice,... but Paris is the city where you can see the most amazing things like la Sainte-Chapelle or the people in front of Sacré-Coeur and don't forget the Louvre... it just is amazing!
Actually the main EU parliament meeting place is in Strasbourg, which is really a far nicer city than Brussels.
80% of people watching this are european :D
true xD
Valentina Anna Mihely I'm indian,okay
I am German
I'm half human, half Vulcan. LLAP.
Valentina Anna Mihely
80% of British watching this think they're not European :-)
Man I love Manneken Pis, trolling tourists since 1619.
I love this 😂
And sometimes he trolls in suit! Class troll :)
People take it way too serious. Cant they see the humor of it?
😄
😂
I've lived in Spain and am born in Germany (military kid), and have been to England, Ireland, Austria and France (briefly), and Venice in Italy.
I want to add to the part said about people thinking they have been to Europe because they go to Paris and London. I would add ANYONE who just goes to London, Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, and other major city's did not go to Europe. Cities are international, so yes they have elements of the local culture, but unless you get out to the smaller towns you really are not visiting anywhere. You are going to safe havens where theirs more people around you that are also foreigners than locals.
Go see the small towns, go out to the country side, THAT is Europe, away from the cities that are global centers.
Gnawer Shreth In theory, I agree. But then again... I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is far more representative of America than New York -- but I would never recommend it as an international travel destination.
Is it? Plus, it is America, most of the rules do not apply to this country as it does to others. America is giant, and has multiple cultures within it more so than others.
I'm planning on going to Europe later this year. It will be my first time out of the US. I haven't decided for sure where I'll be going, but I'm thinking Czech Republic. Thoughts?
TheBuzzardAndTheWorm I don't know for how long you're going, but if you're in that general area you could easily visit Vienna and Munich as well. You could also go hiking for a few days, in Switzerland for example. Most mountains in Switzerland have a little hostel near the summit, usually very cozy and homely. A good idea would be to go on weekdays.
It's the exact opposite in Malaysia, all the cultural stuff in in the city or towns, there's literally nothing in the countryside. If you want to experience Malaysia you can only go to the city.
Brussels was picked because it wasn't a Paris, Berlin or Rome. It hadn't a reputation or history as all pervasive or "contentious" as the more well known cities. And Belgium had been overrun in both wars so was a sort of neutral space, a no-man's-land between France and Germany. Didn't realise Americans went there.
What are you on about you dumb sir?? The reason Brussels was chosen was because it's socially diverse and succeeded in being a cosmopolitan city, while being central. Stop with "PaRiS dIdN'T wAnT tO dAmAgE iTs ChArM" or bullshit ideas like that. All these cities have actually competed to host EU buildings, but Brussels was preferred. Berlin and Paris have a lot of ugly ass buildings already, so it never was an argument.
For me the best city in Europe is Lisbon. Small enough to get round easily. Fantastic architecture, history, culture, food and people. Massively underated in my opinion.
Phil bell lisbon is gorgeous! Greetings from Holland
@@mscarlson1498
Absolutely concur. There is something in the ambience of Lisbon. Something in the vibe of the place. In the attitude to life that the Portuguese have that draws me like a moth to a flame. Would ideally like to move there permanently one day. Best wishes from the UK.
Agree
Certainly one of the best. It's like several cities in one. Every part of it has its own character.
I'm sorry to say it but Eastern Europe is still very cheap for a Western European
yes but it's really only CIS yougoslavia and the balkans. the near East europe is not so cheap
it is, you just have to behave like you were a citizen, for example we werde in prague just a few weeks ago, and of course if you went to the supermarkets right in the downtown where all the tourists bought there stuff the Prices were quite expenisve, but when you just went like 15 minutes away from the downtown with an tram, to an area where mostly prague citizen lived the Prices in the supermarkets where insanly cheap, like the bread buns there costed about 3-4 Cents per Piece, like you would been able to get 100 (!!!) Bread buns for 3-4€ In Germany you will get about 10 or less, i think i still have photos of the Price tags of all the things, like we bought so much stuff and just paid a few euros!
KRaikkonenSF poland is cheap af
Maybe it was in November or sth. I'm from Latvia and I looked at hotels in neighbouring Vilnius last week and you'd get maybe 3 nights max at 200 euro at a reasonably good hotel, so I opted for airbnb
Depends on what "very cheap" means. Yes, you can get many things in eg Poland for half or a third of the price at home in western Europe, but you cannot get it at a tenth of the price or even less like you could in the 90s.
I had to laugh at the "You don't need to wear a Canadian flag" :') some Americans have actually disguised themselves as Canadians? lol
B Neervoort I've noticed that this guy talks about things of 20-30 years ago. Things that American thought or did by then.
+B Neervoort I sometimes disguise myself as arrogant French :)
+B Neervoort yes they really do to avoid the hate lol
+B Neervoort We American do feel that we are somewhat hated because we stick our noses into every country so we actually think we may be attacked by some American hating nut case! When I went to Mexico I said I was Canadian.....LOL, seriously!! It's a form of paranoia.
+UZIMike ! we hate you because you have no culture, no history. simply people and simply nation.
If you are going to go to Europe for the first time, I recommend travelling to the Scandinavian countries first (Norway, Sweden, Denmark)... You will have to budget very very carefully and get used to the expensive prices. After travelling in Scandinavia, then go to Central Europe and you will not complain about the "high" prices!
Norway has been my favorite so far! The fjords are amazing.
I just did a trip to Scandinavia (all the capitals plus Helsinki). Looking forward to the next time I visit
What you said about the statue in Belgium I've also heard about The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. People often are disappointed when they finally see it because it is so small.
Well, it's the LITTLE mermaid! Silly.
Mermaid in Copenhagen is cute
The difference between manneke pis and the statue of l mermaid is that manneke pis has some real history. L mermaid is just placed by a restaurant as art. Manneke pus hundreds of years old and even has a legend was even kidnapped twice. Most tourist are zombies when they visit a city no awareness or knowledge of the history behind it. I would recommend a visit to the broodhuis on la grand place before visiting Brussels. Also some nice musea from the flemish primitives in the Brussels art museum. The most beautifully paintings in the world , Rubens and Bruegel Van Duyck Van Eyck ….just an amazing town Brussels
Oh my God... You made a "Euro Trip" reference... "Look, I have a Nickle... I buy my own hotel" 😂😂😂
I have been to France twice during "off season". The people are GREAT. I limp by with my terrible French and they always help me, and speak fantastic English. The same with Italy. Most overrated thing from my few trips to Europe is don't wast your time at the Louvre. The Mona Lisa sucks. Spend a day at L'Orssay, Rodin, Monet musee-orangerie or the Vatican museum in Rome.
meatman66 same here. Paris one summer. Totally friendly even with my ridiculously basic few words of French they were very supportive and helpful. They seemed very very happy I was trying even just a few basic touristy words:)
I was in France in 2006, speaking French and the people there were not friendly. I'm glad to hear that had changed. I may go back.
meatman66 they were argelians
EUROPE IS LIKE USA JUST THAT THEY SEEM TO VOTE BETTER !
@@LeiGullyBrunette It has not changed.
This is basically misconceptions about Europe, not overrated things.
No it is over rated, massively. Everyone I know rates it, yet its shit.
the beer and waffles in brussels are definitely not overrated.
BigSirZebras this is true good sir :)
but they are better in Bruges!!
Miles Forman I kindly disagree, sir. Brussels Waffles (not the Liègeois ones you can find on every street corner, also in Brussels, but the light waffles, not to sweet and with a crunch, served with sugar, or fresh fruit) are delicious. And I haven't eaten better waffles in Bruges. For good beer bars, Kulminator in Antwerp or the Waterhuis aan de Bierkant in Ghent are probably the best in Belgium, but the biggest (and most touristy, that's why I try to avoid it) is Delirium Café in Brussels, and there are Moeder Lambic, Restobière, Biercircus, Nuëtnigenough, and many others. Bruges has some fine beer bars, but in the neighbourhood, I'd go for 't Botteltje in Ostend, in stead of Bruges proper. And in the evening, Brussels is a lot calmer, but Bruges is close to death.
Brussels, the biggest city in the Benelux, has more crap than most other cities, but also more good things, they're only often hidden away for the tourists. I've been living here for the last 7 years, and I'm still exploring, getting to know new things, and stuff. Brussels is not beautiful as is Paris with its yellow stone buildings, not as clean as Copenhagen (not to say it can get dirty, unfortunately), or gifted with almost endless good weather, as in Italy or Spain. But it has a vibe many cities in the Low Countries lack, a bit like Berlin is more interesting than, say, Munich, although the latter is defenitely more beautiful,
Too bad, the main stations are often a dump, there is litter almost everywhere, some big infrastructure projects have devasted certain areas of the city (North South Junction, the monstrosity that is the Centre Monnaie, the shameless Tour Blaton, which replaced a beautiful Meeting house by Horta, the car tunnel in the Cinquantenaire Park...), the restaurants around Grand Place are almost all overpriced or overrated, etc. It's a city with scars, sometimes a little vulgar, but it has she's not without charm
Brussels is a relatively small capital of a relatively small country, where a lot of the European institutions have their seat, NATO has its European HQ here, but it was almost a coincidence. NATO moved to Brussels in a hurry, because the French got out, the EU is here, because the French couldn't have a capital city in Germany, and vice versa, all without a real plan, and often without a decent preparation. For those people expecting the same things as Paris, London or even Berlin, it will be a disappointment. With 1 million people, you can't compare to those cities 10 times bigger. But I disagree when people saying you should skip Brussels, because there's nothing to see or to experience. That's simply not true, but it's not for people who don't have time to explore, as they will be disappointed.
Neither is the Atomium
Yup! Belgium has the best waffles and french fries!
How about people stop going to London and visit the rest of England? London has the least English culture
+TheBrassHole london is about whats there not whos there
Makes sense. When a city gets international, it's no longer local.
Brass hole I agree.. what cities would you recommend. because I have only been to England once and I wanna go somewhere other than London
Uncle Chuckles there's a lot to see but stay in a county if you're going and make the most of that one area, I recommend Suffolk, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Cumbria. These are the places best for tourists but there is a lot more in England than people think.
TheBrassHole Add to those Northumberland, Devon, Kent and several others. For cities you can try places like Durham, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, York, Bristol. In general the larger cities are industrial and more suitable to people who like shopping and clubbing.
'Hey there is a nickel, I can buy this hotel' ✌😂😂
Nice Euro Trip reference haha
Eastern europe is not cheap anymore? Mate what?
I'm Belgian and I've did an exchange project with a slovakian school.
I could get 1 liter beers for less than 50 cents, shot at 30 cents.
Yes phones etc for that kind of things the difference is small, but hey if you're young and looking to go out? eastern europe might not be as fancy or classy, but your high school lunch money is enough to get some people in the ambulance...
+rsca is god The tourist traps aren't cheap.
Don't fall for them lol
+rsca is god
I'm Polish and yeah, that's pretty much true.
When I went to the UK and then returned back to Poland after a month I've noticed that I can do a small grocery for £5 (eggs, some cheese, rolls etc.), whereas in the UK I was paying £10 for a lunch. And £10 equals circa 63 PLN, in Poland you can buy two decent lunches for that (maybe not the best ones, but not the worst either).
And when I've been to Gdansk in January 2015, I've found a pub in which you can buy a 50 ml shot of vodka for 5 PLN (80p) and that was pretty cheap, but it probably is common.
So Eastern/Central Europe is still quite cheap for people from the USA or Western Europe.
It is cheaper than Denmark 100%
Marek Pásek: But I would say hotels and hostels are much cheaper in the former "eastern Europe". Public transport, too.
What's the deal about the size of the statue? Being big doesn't make the concept behind a statue any greater.
+Kitchissime Nevertheless it is a Oh that statue. The little mermaid has sometimes the same problem.
+Kitchissime I think it has the Mona Lisa Syndrome. People get their hopes up and are really excited to see the Mona Lisa - but it turns out that the painting is really small and not all that impressive.
Nice name for it. Thanks for the piece of info.
+Kitchissime
Often in life, size matters!
+Kitchissime he's american and video is for americans, they like big things))
I think one of the most wasteful things you can do in Europe is stick to the cities. All your big familiar conveniences are there. It's what between the cities that makes Europe. Get a bike. Rent a car. Get a tent.
@Jo Martin-Kelly Yes! Same is true of USA. I really hate talk about what 'city' to visit!
I nearly cried when you said that Europeans are not arrogant but really nice and friendly. Thank you Mark! Really touched my heart because it felt like you really try to erase the stigma about the different cultures and people in Europe. And you show that everywhere you go, people ARE friendly most of the times, you just have to get to know them :)
GREAT videos all. Thanks for sharing your insights. Europe is awesome, Americans NEED to travel to open their minds. Videos like yours are very helpful to prepare them. Keep 'em coming, please!
2:48 Bulls are banned in Catalonia since several years, you can confuse people with that information.
I really liked this bloke, and his review! Great fun so thank you for an entertaining upload.
Sorry but Brussels is great. It maybe is a bit overrated but you should deffinitely not "get rid of it". I mean it's a great city and deffinitely worth a visit!
I would say Brussels is kind of ok , but there are really much nicer cities and towns in Belgium.
I'm a new subscriber and I just love your smart but easy-going style. I've learned so much.
You can visit : Sinaia, Prahova, Brasov, Sibiu, Targu Mures, Cluj, Oradea, Arad, Maramures, Suceava, Iasi, Danube Delta.
I am English living in England, I really enjoy your no Bullshit travel blogs, keep it up matey!
Thanks Pete. That's what we try to do. Honest and no BS
Same !
Love me some Prague! Went there in May with DH. My top 3 are Rome, Florence & Prague. You are right on target with your list. We must be open to new experiences when we travel as traveling is the best education!
Brussels was my favorite! Maybe it’s because I only stayed two nights, but I found so much to do and had an amazing time. Do a chocolate tour 😋
Yes. Eating chocolate and waffles is well worth a visit to Brussels!
don't go to the bull fights where they kill the bulls!
Why not..? I'm wondering..Is there any restaurant with fresh meat of killed bull or ( it hapends ) toreador?
Do not go to a supermarket they sell meat! gross! killing animals like cave men!
You don't like it? don't do it
Yes there are restaurants mostly in the south of Spain where they do the bullfights all year (not just for special holidays) where you can eat bull meat, specially the tail "rabo de toro guisado"(Google it) is really good.
(The toreador meat is not allowed, pff liberals and their human rights...)
difference is the way off killing.. torture for hour or 1 good hit...
because living all your life in a cage for the only purpose of feeding humans untill you die is a great life, go to a butchery or a industrial chicken coop see for yourself, and wake up.
Bulls live a very good life, and some of them are selected to fight and suffer for 10-15 mins then die.
Eric Cartman its fucking evil shit too, but this doesnt make the bullfights any better. And no they dont live a good life.
Update from 2017. As said, prices here in Prague are mid European. UK or Scandinavian countries are very expensive for us, eastern or southern countries are still OK. Don' t be shy to travel outside of Prague or at least outside of Prague center. There are places locals would seldom go to as prices in the center are just horrible.
People from countries like USA may have a very different mentality then us. Our country is small and in general we are more humble. We are mostly atheists and we never conquered another country for oil. People in Czech republic are mostly friendly and don' t really care where you come from. Have some local food and find a small brewery. Talk to people. Most people under 40 speak at least some English...
PS: not even French are as arrogant as we may think
Hi! I'm a new subscriber from the Netherlands and I want to say that I really enjoy your videos!! I like your positive perspective and handy tips&tricks! Keep up the good work! You really seem to know what you're talking about and at the same time you're not bragging about it. Very nice! :D
Hi what part,of the Netherlands?? He does alot of videos on the dutch. look in his past
I would say that Paris is overrated not because it is bad or anything; it can be stunningly beautiful, delicious, and has lots of history and culture to explore, etc...but because of HOW. MUCH. EVERYONE (especially stuff aimed at young women) treats it like the holy grail and how amazingly perfect it is. Paris can be great. It is also kinda dirty and smelly and it's hit or miss whether Parisians will help you. I think it's the non-American city that is most talked about, and most referenced (in pictures, iconography, etc...) but other places like Prague are wonderful, too, but don't get the same attention.
Slimy Weasles I can definitely see your point there. I love Paris and it is my favorite but yes, it can be way overdone. all the best slimy!
Lol, this name I chose as a hormonal teenager is haunting me now... :) Thanks again for another great video; I have not been to Belgium, so it was good to know about the Brussels thing, and alternate (very pretty!) recommendations. :) Btw, I know you've been to China, but have you ever been to Japan?
Slimy Weasles I have not been to Japan yet. But we are looking at it for 2016. We are buying a house so the next year or two of travel will be a bit slower... maybe... hell, we will still travel :) but Japan is a possible Spring Break 2016 trip. Thanks for all the watching and commenting!
Yay! :) Looking forward to it. I hope your house is nice. :)
I agree about Paris. There must be something about people having varied experiences there, though. I encountered arrogance from the people, and the only ones who were friendly wanted to sell you something. Yet, other people I know say they did not encounter this, so I don't know what to make of it.
Wolter, how did you end up living in Europe? work?
Great video.
I was in Prague and I live in switzerland, everything was literally 3 times cheaper there than I am used to, I don't know how it compares to the U.S. though.
lukaszepesi the US is more like germany pricewise even a bit cheaper :) but yea as a scandinavian i agree that eastern europ is cheap however so is most places outside the german languets area
lukaszepesi Switherland is more expensive than most of the Europe. You have also bigger salary. Here (CZ) we have costs similar to Germany (people sometimes travel to Germany by car to buy whats there cheeper and vice versa) but we have smaller salaries than you or Germans.
languets? holy fuck.
Where in Prague? Where in Switzerland? Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in the world, of course it's cheaper for you, but if you lived in a less affluent part of Switzerland, and compare the prices to the most expensive parts of Prague of course it won't be cheaper. It's all relative. Mala Strana vs. rural village in Switzerland, you would be surprised. :D
It's RELATIVE. German prices are cheap as hell... well they don't get as nice of a health insurance and schools. Still cheap? Not.
as a belgian i agree brussels is one of the ugliest big belgian cities.
+MrVlekje5 true :p
+MrVlekje5 are you Belgian or Flemmish ?
that is the same thing.
+MrVlekje5 you couldn't be more wrong. Brussels is a beautiful capital city. Being en having lived in Brussels for my entire life and I still am by the way. Brussels is the greenest capital in Europe. Brussels is the not only the European capital it also is the NATO's capital. This city is one where you need to open yourself to and it will open itself to you. Gorgeous buildings ( Cinquantenaire, Grand Place, the Royal palace, Royal Gardins, Basilic, Cathedral, etc...). The culture and history is one that differs from the Flemmish as the Walloon part of the country. If you don't see it now, I don't blame you, but take the time to know it, take the time to discover its hidden treasures and it will amaze you if you are open for it.
polifatts i have 2 fathers. jokes on you!
Mark, I’ve been watching some of your older videos. I’m from Northwest Arkansas, and if you haven’t been to Bentonville lately, I recommend another visit! A lot has changed since this video was posted!
What about using Brussels as a base to explore Belgium cities? Brussels is roughly the center of Belgium, so staying in Brussels and make day trips to other cities seem logical to me.
Much better to just move around from city to city. Why do you need a base? Don't bring too much stuff and travel around. Most Belgian train stations have good luggage lockers, so you can get somewhere early, leave your bags and check in your hotel later.
I'd recommend this for two reasons:
- You need to travel from Gare du Midi. It's 25mins walk from the center of Brussels, not in a pretty part of town. You'd burn a lot of time in the morning and evening just getting to and from the station.
- Other cities are great for an evening meal, after dinner stroll, theatre, breakfast in the town square etc. If you limit your visit to the middle of the day you're missing a lot of the experience.
you can use basically any town as a base so you could do that, but I would use Ghent instead, but honestly if you want to you can. I like Brussels, but you need to think of it as a 2nd or 3rd "division" tourist city. It is not paris or Madrid.
albedo0point39 1. Berlin is a good base to explore the city and the surrounding municipalities. The same goes for Stockholm. I assume Brussels will be similar. If not, I will skip Brussels.
2. I will be traveling with my 70+ years old parents. Moving from place to place is challenging for us. "Don't bring too much stuff" is not an option.
woltersworld Since I'm planning this trip with my parents in mind, I'm wondering if you can make a few videos about the senior/disability friendliness of various cities? For example, maybe you can get a wheelchair and test the barrier-free facilities at various places. By conducting these tests, you will be doing the public a great service.
Also, if Brussels is in the 2nd or 3rd division, which division is Stockholm in? Thanks!
Gene Tsao I understand your predicament. I travel to Belgium fairly often - and we took my mother there for her 70th a couple of years back.
Of the Belgian cities I like Bruges and Antwerp best. Ghent is great, but I don't think it's as easy to get around as Bruges - and it's a bit of a walk from the station to the centre. Antwerp is more of a sea-port than the others, and less touristy - but it has good restaurants, shopping and museums (more of a small city than a large town).
With my parents, we stayed in Bruges for 4 days. If you want to base yourself somewhere it's not a bad choice - the station is accessible and you can travel to Ghent, Antwerp and Ostend easily. Some really great theatres in Bruges too (if you're there later in the year checkout the 'December dance' season). Bruges is also a good place to get day trips to Ypres and the First World War sites, if that's of interest.
Belgium has three cultures, there's a small German speaking minority in the east of the country.
That's not a culture, that's "un accident de parcours". :)
In fact, there's even a fourth:
Around Arlon, people usually speak Luxembourgish. And this was an "accident de parcours" aswell. ;)
It's not really that different, coming from somebody who has spent several years in both Wallonia and Flanders.
Not 3 cultures, 3 languages if anything.
We have different languages in Belgium but the cultures aren't very different.
Just a thought on manneken pis. The low countries have a tendency to belittle things. Its part of the humor. So a tiny statue if a little boy peeing is funny for them. A giant statue of a little boy peeing might be hilarious elsewhere but would be completely out of place in the low countries.
I’m so in awe of your traveling the world. Good for you! You’re so inspiring.
DONT EVER GO TO A BULL FIGHT OR A BULL RUN! Don't finance that brutality
Yes they do. They are set on fire and stabbed to death.
Ashley Delmar could stop saying that. Get inform!
@Francisco sergei creo que el problema acá es que tú cultura es un tanto barbarica y cruel con los toros. Si solo fueran soltar toros para esquivarlos, sería aceptable, pero en las corridas les prenden fuego, les entierran espadas y lanzas. Los fuerzan a una batalla injusta. El torero tiene equipos de apoyo, médicos listos para atenderle y entrenamiento previo, el torero tiene conciencia de lo que está haciendo. El toro no goza de ninguna ventaja real y solo sufre. Para ti y tu pueblo podrá ser una gran tradición y eres libre de continuarla. Pero los demás estamos en el mismo derecho de declararla salvaje, barbarica e inhumana
@pavo6503 es un error de dedo, yo escribí esto para el sujeto de abajo, el de la bandera de España
You need to go to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville. One of the best art museums in the US. They also have the Amazeum, an awesome kids museum. The Walton 5 and Dime Museum and old school soda fountain is nice and the historical downtown is quaint. There are beautiful natural spots nearby in the Ozarks. The town is actually quite interesting for a town of 50,000 and a lot better than it was 10-15 years ago.
I thought the same thing! I thought Bentonville was a cool little town when I was there. Also....Indianapolis? How rude!
bullfighting is a torture to the animals
Rudi Rüssel I remember when I went to a bull fight in Venezuela as a little kid. (My mother was from South America). I looked over the stadium wall seeing all the dead bulls. I told my mother that it made me sad. She told me they butcher them and the meat goes to orphanages. I don’t know if it is true. I just remember how I felt, Hemingway be damned.
@@johnbaugh2437 why cant they cull the bulls like normal cattle and give it to the orphanages? The fact that they feel like they have to do something generous to justify the act says a lot about it.
Dairy cows are kept in appalling conditions throughout Europe, that’s also torture
Being alive and sharing a world with vegans is torture too
Bullfighting is needlessly cruel. I personally don't mind the killing of an animal as long as it is painless, but this is just awful torture for the poor thing. One of my friends told me that they got to see one of the weird spikey thingies they use in bullfighting, and they are HUGE. Spanish traditions are cool, like the twelve grapes at New Year's Eve, but I can't stand bullfighting.
From my experience, the most overrated place in Europe is Paris. It's great but it's not so much great than everything else as usually advertised. Rome, Prague or London are at least on par.
Florence! Venice! Barcelona! Malta!
My favourites are Sevilla and Dublin
Paris is beautiful and id love to go back
I love Paris, but also the other towns. Every city has it's own unique character, I don't compare them.
I fell in love with Paris. Right off the train, a very dear stranger, a Parisian lady immediately graciously welcomed me to her city and tried so hard to help me on the Metro (although neither of us knew each other’s languages). I will always be immensely grateful to her even years later. I loved the Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe and Saint- Michel.
I eternally thank France for the Statue of Liberty. Thank you, dear France for your magnificent city!
How about decent civilized people avoid Spanish animal cruelty altogether?
You clearly do not know nothing about it
oh so bullfighing isnt animal cruelty? plese tell us how that is mister wise guy, in curious...
@Da Funky Zookeeper Hemingway
Nobody forces you to attend a bullfight in Spain. If you don't want to go, you don't go. Now, you don't have the power to say what is "civilized" and what is "decent." Therefore, you cannot forbid people to go to a bullfight if that is what they want. Stupid fascist.
@@bolobardelavega2843 its a disgusting barberic tradition. You do what you want at the end of the day but call a spade a spade!
Consumer prices in Europe: Sofia (Bulgaria) is 61% cheaper than Oslo (Norway). Chisnau (Moldova) is 31% cheaper than Sofia.
So yes, the price gaps are huge.
+Lars Inge Larsen Not that big as the claims.
They used to be much bigger 20 years ago. But when it comes to alcohol, countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, etc, are a lot cheaper than Norway. Which is the reason why people from Nordic countries go there, and almost don't stop drinking. They are making an in-body alcoholic reserve before going back home :)
@@cinegraphics Don't people from Norway go to Finland for cheaper alcohol, people from Finland go to Estonia for cheaper alcohol, and people from Estonia go to Latvia or Lithuania for cheaper alcohol. lol
@@Amghannam Yeah, it's alcotourism.
I just want to make it clear that Barcelona and its whole region, called Catalonia, is the only place in Spain where bull fighting and running of the bulls is already forbidden, so independently if you support it or not, do not relate this "activities" with Barcelona and its surroundings because you won't find anything like that.
When you refered to a small village close to Barcelona, perhaps it was belonging to a neighbour region, but then is like somebody talks about New York City and something happening in a small village in Maine.
+Marcos Muñoz Rodríguez I thought bullfighting had also been forbidden in the Canary Islands.
I was in Paris and this French lady was sitting at the table next to my family in Mcdonald's and asked if we're Americans. We said no, we're Canadian, but she didn't believe us and got this disgusted look on her face and moved to another table. It was kind of funny and ironic considering she was in Mcdonald's, the most American place in France. But thankfully most people weren't like that at all.
xHarlequin That's funny. I would not have moved :) even if you weren't Canadian ;)
woltersworld I don't understand your hate for Brussels. It is so much more than just the Grand Place and surroundings! It has beautiful palaces (did you even visit the royal district? The royal palace is even bigger than Buckingham Palace), parks, art deco architecture, monumental buildings (you won't find anywhere else in the benelux), trendy districts (Dansaert, Flagey,...)... I would like to ask you to visit this photo-collection of beautiful Brussels, it wil amaze you! Don't forget to visit the multiple pages: www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1231597
that's what happens when you rename french fries as "liberty fries" lol
***** Wasn't even speaking lol.
***** Most of the French people I met were very nice, this was the only bad experience I had. This woman seemed a little crazy so I didn't take it too seriously haha.
I would hardly consider watching a bull with it's horns on fire and getting burned a "cool thing"!
Is not real fire and they don't get burned.
Foukin' idiot
Mark,
I’m heading to Rome this summer and thinking about staying at an Airbnb. Thoughts?
You go to Brussels for the beer (look up delirium bar), waffles, triple cooked chips and mussels. You don’t go there for the sights. It’s boring but food / beer wise so good I’d go back.
And of course, the chocolate.
Brussels is great and the good thing about it is it's not as big as Berlin or Paris. If you avoid the major tourist attractions you'll notice it's very interesting ! There are so many concert venues and you can party every day
johan bauwens Bruges is for retired people and Leuven is dead once the students are in holidays
johan bauwens mate, Brussels stinks, almost all the buildings are filthy and the people are awful. Brugge, Antwerp and Ghent are the most beautiful cities of Belgium.
i never said it's pretty. i can show you some parts of antwerp or ghent that are as worse as some parts of brussels btw
yes, but Brussels is the exact opposite of them. Lots of crap and some nice buildings.
Mats Koenen People are awful, seriously ?! I didn't see myself this way ! Please don't say such things. You've had a bad experience and i'm sorry about it. Each time i go out in Brussels (which is a lot), i meet new people which are far from being awful ! Please, don't say such generalized statements such as this one :) I agree Ghent is amazing and Brussels is not beautiful everywhere. But all the centre is, IMO, very nice :)
Poland was marvellous and thoroughly enjoyed my visit last year. Poland is underrated.
@Debbie Smith
Krakow is amazing, and so are Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw ,Etc. Poland's definitely underrated and is rapidly becoming a desired destination.
Sorry wolter I've been to Paris and stuck in Paris ( which was worse due to it's poor signage) and was very disappointed, it reminded me of a ghetto. I'll save my money next time and see old Bavaria next round
Paris is African and London is Pakistani. It's better to just avoid it
Quite late to comment on this video, but just wanted to say it is spot on. We often holiday in the states (I’m a Brit) and have had some of these conversations with Americans. Europe was just London, Rome or Paris to some of them. I was surprised that not many have heard of my home town of Plymouth, particularly as that is where the pilgrim fathers finally set sail from in the Mayflower. Plus you have your own Plymouth as a result and even a car named the same I believe?!
Met a really nice guy (and his family) from Little Rock, Arkansas though, who really wanted to visit Europe, but found it daunting. Didn’t know where to start etc. So we had a good chat and gave him some advice including don’t just stick to the three mentioned above!!
Greeting! I have lived in Warsaw Poland, Paris France, Monaco & Ventimiglia Italy for couple years and I love it
Belgium is great, but I like Antwerpen much more than Brussels. It's a beautiful city (from the point of view of a Dutch person).
Actually, the most overrated city in Europe (at least among the ones I've visited) is Milano. Way worse than Bruxelles.
Davide Mattanza or Venezia
Venice is unique. And wonderful.
Venice is unique, Milan is nothing one the most overrated city in the world.
As a Belgian (living in Brussels, which there are cool stuff to visit, but generally is just a city like any other, nothing special) who has visited both Milano and Venice, I agree Milano was not special either, other than the Duomo and the big park with the castle, it's just a shopping city, and you can find cathedrals and parks and castles everywhere around Europe, so nothing special.
Venice on the other hand is really special and I loved that place sooooo much!
I like Milano very much because it's not the "photogenic europe medieval city" you expect, it's a mix of everything. There are streets they look like Chicago in the "Al Capone Era" but there are also 1000 and more years old churches and finally there is even a Chinatown, so you really have everything in Milano. Maybe it's not that beautiful on the first sight, but it becomes it the more and more you discover it. I live just 3 hours from Milano, but already in Switzerland.
2:43 Actually, you cannot "enjoy" bullfighting anymore in Catalonia since 2012.
Where was that, and when, if I may ask? Thanks
Good video, Brussels is definitely overrated and I think Eastern Europe is quite cheap (I'm Spanish), I was surprised with prices in the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary... (not Croatia and Slovenia, not so cheap).
Good info - well done and thanks for educating people on how great Europe is!
Belgium: Get a hotel in Ghent, Antwerp or Brussels or and do daytrips by train to the big cities and smaller towns from there. Lier, Bruges, Namur, Diest, Oostende, Dinant, Leuven, Mechelen, Liège, ...
That's how I'd recommend you do it. My favorite (100% worth it, guaranteed) museums in Brussels are the House of European History (free), Train World and the Africa Museum.
Cannes is overrated. Because there is a famous Film Festival there, everyone thinks it must be the place to be. Not so. There are many, many better beaches and beach towns in Europe superior to Cannes.
so true with cannes. I was like "this is it" what's the big deal? so true
*****
It depends on why you're going. Park City, Utah (where Sundance is held) is a smallish town with about 10,000 full-time residents, about 50 km (less than an hour) from Salt Lake City. It's a charming town, but you can see everything in an afternoon. It's more of a starting point for outdoorsy things. They have a great ski resort, tons of bike trails, rafting, hot air balloons, campgrounds, that sort of thing.
I'm not sure it's rated that high to begin with. It's basically a place to hold business conventions and fairs and at that it excels. Not sure people are dying to go there for their beach holidays.
Nice is 🎑
This American has loved every single city, in every country that I've ever visited in Europe. While there were definitely things that were overrated (Mannequin piss) there were things I found in every city that were Underrated as well (Atomium). Even entire countries are UNDERRATED.....Portugal for instance. I always enjoy your videos, no matter how old they are. :)
me and my friends forgot our Canadian patches, and we were treated fine, and true about London, it doesn't even count as real England! Good video! As for cheap city, nothing beats the cheap prices of Barcelona!
***** who wants cava and tapas? ME!!! :) all the best!
we did a tapas tour, its was awesome mind you the beer and wine out of the jugs with the best, passing it between everyone at the table
Barcelona is one of the most expensive city of Spain (with maybe San Sebastian/Donostia).
Prices in Andalusia are half of Barcelona's one.
And polish/roumanian/bulgarian ones even less...
really? We found it cheap, then again it was our only spain city, and the other cities we visited were Amsterdam, Paris, London which are all expensive cities in comparison
***** A beer in Barcelona is around 2 euro. 1.5 if you're lucky.
In Andalousia, It's 1 euro, sometimes even less and you get a free tapa with it. ;)
I've been to England for three months but I did not blind with locals I only blend with all other countries because we were in school together how you do it? Details please
Ive been to London and that's expensive. How would Praque and Munich pricewise compare?
Pricewise, London is to Europe what NYC is to America. München is expensive...think Chicago. Find a pension/hotel that includes breakfast.
In my opinion, Bussels is not overrated, it's definitively underrated. There is the magnificant Grand-Place, some very nice streets with medieval buildings, a lot of Bars with hundreds of different Beers, many kinds of Street Art and Cartoon Drawings on Facades (Brussels is also the capital of Cartoons) and at least there is not only Manneken Pis, there's also Jeanneke Pis, a statue of a girl peeing, a symbol of gender equality.
Hey Man, I'm french and I love your vids, thank you so much for your own vision of Europe but so truth, please next time in Paris, visit the Repetto shop 22 rue de la Paix, I'll be so honored to guide you! I love America and American people, I only know about NYC and L.A., sorry. I'm waiting for you and your family in" my" shop! Just ask for David!
Thanks, but I'll take Corsica, French Basque Country, Perpignan, Brittany, Dunkirk over Par-ikistan
Prague is definitely one of my favorite cities in Europe too
Funny cuz when we were first going, I didn’t know anything about Prague or the Czech Republic
So much rich history in that city
The astronomical clock, in Old Town might’ve been my favorite part
Along with st vitus cathedral as well
Definitely want to return
Super interesting video! Keep making more!
I love Brussels, I don’t agree with you about it being overrated! And if you’re disappointed with Manneken Pis because it’s just 62cm, what would you say about Mona Lisa being less than one meter square?
Brussels is less overrated than Bruges for example. I never hear foreigners talking about how badly they want to visit Brussels anyway, so how can it be overrated? Also, Brussels is awesome, I've lived in both Ghent and Brussels, and if you think Brussels is overrated, you haven't seen the good parts. There's soooo much to do compared to other Belgian cities, there are awesome pubs, awesome museums, there are great music venues and I can go on and on. It's just not as focused on tourists as other cities like Bruges (which is great imo). Also, did you really say "there's not much going on?" But then you mention how great Leuven and Brugge are. I'd understand you if you said that there's not a lot going on in these cities, but saying this about Brussels, c'mon.
Also, assuming Brussels is as big as London or Paris is just stupid, it's a city with 1 mil inhabitants, not a megacity like London, Paris, New York, .. So if you're expecting that, it's your own fault that you're disappointed.
Bruges is overrated?
Man what the hell I went to Bruges and it was one of the best places I have been to ever, beautiful architecture amazing chocolate good walkability, perfect for a two-day trip
Yes. Czech and Poland are central Europe.
'Even Antwerp' ? Antwerp is an amazing 'little big city'. You can have the peace of a town, but the touristic atractions of Paris for instance. Go to Antwerp, you won't be dissapointed !
true it has such a beautiful station its insane.
Dear sir Mark,
Do you recommend the small cities in France, or in general?
Mark
+Aquarian Christianity I see that +woltersworld has not responded, and so I'll just offer my two cents' worth. Having lived in France for 10 years, I can DEFINITELY recommend the small cities in France. They are very different from each other: just as Europe is not homogenous, neither is France. I would recommend, in particular, Bayeux and Rouen in Normandie (Normandy), Vézelay and Dijon in Bourgogne (Burgundy), Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in (where else?) Provence, and Sète and Narbonne in Languedoc. There are hundreds of others, but the ones I've mentioned are all easy to get to by train.
+Aquarian Christianity I would mention as well that France has wonderful large cities, too, such as Lyon and Toulouse. Lyon was the most important city in France until the fall of the Roman Empire, and is still the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the country -- a lot of Parisians have moved there to get away from the bustle of the capital. It's gorgeous -- a river runs through it -- and has fantastic Roman ruins. (Paris has extremely little to offer in that regard.) Lyon is also the gastronomic capital of France!
On the other hand, I visited Bordeaux for three days in 2001 and found it extremely boring. The restaurants were overpriced and the taxis were more expensive than Paris. However, I've been told that it's much improved since.
The gastronomic capital of Paris! Wow! I've read that many Christians were killed in Lyons. Just wanted to know, if I tour France, what tour to take, one that takes in small cities or large ones! Thanks, Laura!
Thanks for the tips 👍👍
Literally watching this while on holiday in Brussels :'(
''even Antwerp'' wow dude, Antwerp is awesome! :D
Brugge was one of the most amazing cities ive ever been too.
I am 51 and am just starting to travel outside the us. My first trip will be London is March. Your channel has been a great resource for me. Paris is next.
Excellent advice. Great video.
You are the first person on youtube that i've seen who has noticed that issue on Pamplona AT LEAST ONE PERSON NOTICES
alejandro de la torre abadía glad I got something right :) all the best! was in Madrid for some fullfights years ago
Wolters World Bullfighting is awfull, it's animal abuse, it's torture. Do you really like seeing an animal suffering?????
about 5th not only each country has different culture but there are also cuntries wich in themselves have lots of true different cultures. Belgium, Ireland, spain Italy are the first that comes to mind. In Italy for examples until the country united almost each city used to be a state therefore each city has its own history, its own language, its own way to live. you can easily tell a sicilian from a napolitan, from a roman, a milanese, and so on.
about the 4th. you hit the nail on the head. No one hates american people. Actually americans are still considered kinda cool.
those who have issues with america simply don't like america's foreing policies and attitude: expecially the fact that you use to go and screw in middle east than you keep the oil and the gas and we keep the wars at our borders and the refugees.
Best advice just try to stick to the coolest thing about america ( like NewYork, hollywood, NBA, Apple, cowboys, music, natural places, things like that ) and don't talk about military or politics: we don't have fox news so no one, and i literally mean no one, here buys anymore things like "we only went there to export democracy and freedom" and you'll be fine.
two more tips:
Obama is considered quite cool here while Bush was considered an idiot.
Evolution in all europe is simply a fact. Most of the europeans simply ignore the fact that in the U.S. so many people believe in creationism so if you're a creationist simply avoid the topic or everything you'll get will be facepalms and pity. It's not that all europe is secular, there are many religious people, only that most of them too have no problems with evolution here.
Andrea Roll aslong as they dont go around bragging and thinking Amarica is awsome... but yea amarican ppl are fine aslong as they are informed and dont go around and talking about how the US is better.. "if you cannot enjoy our cultur plz stay home"..
Why am I binge watching these?
this is exactly why i love the manekenpis : it's so insignificant but so famous . I just is a fun statue with a fun story that by no mean is to be taken seriously
Running of the bulls is a cruel practice as is bullfighting. Catalonia banned bullfighting.
Not forgetting about Switzerland: They have 4 languages: French, German, Italian and Rhetoromanic
Reinhard Köhler 5 if you include Swiss-German and High German
If you wave money in the street all Swiss understand you😂
Romansch?
The bitterness when he talks about Brussels 💀
Here in Sweden, if You're an american it's like you're a celebrity - I'm not joking, Swedes just love to show off their perfect English :D Although we're shy, so we won't talk to You at first :p Where do You currently live? 13 years is such a long time! What countries are on your European bucket list? cheers
+KC Vår engelska är ju sämst...
+Nordic Countries are the best näst bäst i europa efter nederländerna
Bang Arang Nej, nej. Vi har näst flest talare efter Nederländerna.
Jag menar bara att vår accent är så ful och att vi är sämst på att uttala.
Beyond perfect English. I was learning correct grammar from the swedes :)
+KC 99% of all scandinavians have a horrible accent :P So its not really perfect :P
Are you are coming to Europe to travel?
Go see London & Rome.
Those are the best of the best for cities. Looooots of culture and you can spend easily 5 days. London for modern, Rome for old.
Paris is severeeeeeeeeeeely overrated. There is even the 'Paris Syndrome', because visitors going to Paris are so dismayed and baffled that Paris isn't what it portrays to be. Nowadays it isnt even as safe, too.
After that, you should go:
Cities: Vienna, Zurich, Barcelona, Amsterdam
Or go out to smaller towns around Switzerland/South France/Italy. Often more picturesque than the bigger cities
The photo at 6:45 was taken in Gdansk I think.
+tww36mufc I really loved Gdansk
Wolters World I've been a couple of times, really lovely little city.
Sorry, I must disagree. True, I have never had a European get directly nasty with me about being an American but I always hear these little left-handed comments in which it seems like they want you to apologize for being an American (which is stupid). Things like...so what do you think of the war in Iraq? Clearly they want me to say what they want to hear, or like when they ask about Bush, etc. It's little loaded questions where they are clearly telling you something is wrong. It would be like if I meet a British person in NYC and said.....so, what are your thoughts on spending billions for a Monarchy that doesn't really do anything?
It's a good list. Prague is a real beauty. I talked to a lot of Europeans here in CA and asked them where I should go. One of the places they kept saying was Prague. So I went and it is spectacular. It's one of my favorites in Europe too as you said. Just a stunning beauty of a city. Yes I would call it Central Europe. People who say East have never been there.
Does really Americans do the Canadian flag thing? That's hilarious! Europeans are rather neutral towards a distant country like Canada. And they DO NOT HATE Americans, they actually like them!! Sometimes there can be some prejudices around but often just in response to American prejudices towards European (e.g. if you relate with French people with the idea they are rude they obviously might begin to be rude for real!). I often get the feel that Americans like to exaggerate on how things are different from their country... In Europe we are used to deal with other cultures, so PLEASE FEEL WELCOME :)
Ask Eastern Europe about Americans, we fucking hate them
would you care to share why?
+Alex Sampsonite I guess is because of Russia influence on eastern Europe. Still I personally know a lot of eastern Europeans who really doesn't care about these things anymore.
haha I hate Americans though. They're usually looking down on Europe and really arrogant. Well, then stay in your ugly country I'd say. Nobody asks for them to come here.
While Italy has a ton of them, the ones I tell people to avoid are Pisa (though fun to get that photo of you holding up the tower but there's a line to stand on the stone), the tourist parts of Venice and Murano to start. You can add Cortona after "Under the Tuscan Sun" was published and Cinque Terre. Go visit smaller towns off the beaten track and really discover the many Italy's that make up this wonderful country.
such a great vid, loved it, want more!