As we leave 2018 behind, more and more people are going to start looking ahead to their 2019 travel plans - and understandably so. There are deals on with every airline from here to China, the cold winter weather has people dreaming of something different, and in general, the holidays just aren't for everyone.
However, we still feel like there are some cities that are going to be massively overrated once 2019 hits us. Obviously there's no possible way of knowing that for sure, but it certainly feels like we've got a pretty good idea of how things are going to go. That might be nothing more than a 'feeling' on our part, but still, it's worth talking about.
The following 25 cities that we're about to run through all have their benefits and we aren't trying to suggest otherwise, but what we are trying to do is issue a small word of warning. Perhaps these cities will still live up to your expectations regardless of this piece, but there's always the lingering possibility of people hyping up a holiday too much.
It may not even be a holiday you're going on, because it might be a business trip - but even so, you'll still want to experience everything the city has to offer and then some.
We understand that the festive period is all about getting into a positive mindset, but let's be honest, most of us are already stressed out about getting last minute presents anyway.
25 New York City, United States - The Big Apple
Look, we aren’t going to sit here and pretend like we hate New York City because that simply isn’t the case. However, our affection for The Big Apple has nothing to do with this, because even the greatest place on Earth (which isn’t NYC for what it’s worth) is at risk of being overrated.
Whenever people talk about going over to the United States this is one of the primary destinations they recommend and while we can understand why, your high expectations could easily be ruined by a number of factors such as the rude people, some of the not so pleasant alleys, and the busy nature of the streets and the main tourist attractions.
24 Cancun, Mexico - Don’t Be Fooled
Look, we get it. Cancun is the kind of place that you go to in order to escape your troubles and get caught up in the chaos – but sometimes, chaos isn’t a good thing.
From the rising crime rates to the overpriced shopping (both food and otherwise), Cancun is too big of a risk for us, personally.
There comes a point when you have to wonder whether or not the party side of things is actually worth it in comparison to everything else the city has to offer, and Cancun falls short.
Even the ice cream is a little bit overrated.
23 Chicago, United States - A Supposed Fantasy Land
We aren’t going to act as if Chicago is a ‘bad’ city because that simply isn’t the way this works. It’s a lovely city in parts full of culture and fantastic food, but as the saying goes, too many cooks can.. erm, ruin things, I guess.
It’s just too crowded for our liking and if that means you’re forced to examine the outskirts of the city, that may not end well for you. Chicago has its positives like everywhere but it also has its negatives like everywhere too, and it’s a place that requires a lot of research before you decide to book.
22 Sydney, Australia - An Opera House... anything else?
The title pretty much sums up our feelings here, and we aren’t just saying it to be jerks.
Sydney is okay, and that’s about the extent of it. When you travel halfway around the world in order to go on holiday or try and enjoy a business trip, you expect something completely unique – but you aren’t going to get that unless you visit the more rural areas of Australia.
Sydney is pretty inconsistent when it comes to entertainment, and it tends to feel like just any other city. The Opera House is a bucket list kind of item, but we can guarantee 95% of you will look at it for ten minutes or so then move on.
21 Las Vegas, United States - The Bachelor Goggles
Vegas in Sin City for a reason and while we can understand the allure of it, that doesn’t mean it’s the greatest city in the world. Most people need to spend a hell of a lot of money just to get there and find somewhere to stay for the week (or however long you’re going for), and you’d expect luxury for that kind of price.
But Vegas deals out luxury in very small doses, and there’s a reason why it’s so popular as a bachelor party hot spot.
If you’re partying it up then that may give you a ‘big and bright’ view of what it’s like, but in reality, it’s quite tacky.
20 Cairo, Egypt - Not For Us, Thanks
As much as we love the idea of exploring the pyramids and trying something new, that just isn’t enough for us. The country of Egypt as a whole always did come across as a little bit sketchy, and Cairo is the kind of place that just makes us feel uneasy.
Of course, such is the nature of tourism boards that we’re bound to hear all about why going to see the pyramids is such a reinvigorating experience – and it probably is. Unfortunately we need a little bit more than that, and honestly, we think there’s going to be a certain level of disappointment for those who decide to make the trip.
19 Marrakesh, Morocco - Watch Yourself
While Morocco may be located in Africa, a lot of people don’t tend to think of it in that way purely because of how close it is to Europe. It’s a really accessible country in comparison to many others on the continent, and as a result, Marrakesh is a really popular destination for folks to visit.
Unfortunately, no matter how safe it is, we still don’t feel like it’s safe enough. It’ll be sold as this dream getaway and you’ll probably let your guard down as a result, which is the biggest mistake you could make. Don’t slip into the trap.
18 Birmingham, England - The Commonwealth Hype
While the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham won’t take place until 2022, the fact that the city has now officially been awarded the Games will likely lead to an added sense of intrigue. People will flock to the city in order to see what it has to offer, and we’d hesitate to say that they might be left feeling a little bit disappointed.
Sure, the Bullring is nice and Villa Park is a great football stadium, but there isn’t much to scream and shout about beyond that. In fact, the ‘second city’ probably has more rough areas than bad, and we aren’t just saying that for the sake of it.
17 Moscow, Russia - The World Cup Hype
Sticking on the theme of sports, the 2018 FIFA World Cup was viewed as an overwhelming success for the country of Russia. It allowed for people to view the country in a completely different light, and of course, the capital Moscow was at the forefront of that.
In our mind, though, that doesn’t erase all the issues on display. From the political landscape to the general atmosphere, Moscow just feels a bit cold – and we don’t mean that from a temperature perspective.
It always feels like they’re trying far too hard to force an agenda on you, and for that reason, we won’t be visiting in 2019.
16 Athens, Greece - Not So Fun Ruins
The majority of travellers will know the story behind the city of Athens, but if you’re intrigued to learn more about it, then we’d suggest taking a course or potentially even investing in a book or two.
The reason we say that is because we don’t think actually visiting the city will benefit you too much. Sure, the ruins are somewhat interesting, but it’s a little sad to learn that the city is still in a state of depression both from a literal perspective and a financial one.
Some may think that’s just us being a little bit harsh, but trust us, it’s not a fun place to go.
15 Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Same Old, Same Old
Every single street is the same.
We understand that there’s this obsession with Amsterdam, but we just can’t get on board with it. It feels like they’ve taken all of their gimmicks and enhanced them to the point where it just doesn’t really feel like a ‘friendly’ city anymore.
The city streets are all still rather beautiful, but there’s no real diversity. Everything looks the same no matter which road you turn down, and it’s been infected with more tourists than locals which is a shame for a country as wonderful as the Netherlands.
P.S: the chocolate waffles are still amazing.
14 Singapore - We’re 50/50 On This One
Singapore is an extremely futuristic place with extremely futuristic ideologies, and that’s something we can appreciate. There are a lot of things to like about it, but because of people building it up as some ‘year 3000 utopia’ there’s bound to be some level of disappointment.
It all depends on just how high you make your expectations, of course, but either way you’re going to wind up picking out things that you don’t quite like.
If you want an authentic Asian experience, by the way, then we absolutely would not recommend going to Singapore because it’s nothing like a typical Asian holiday.
13 Dubai, UAE - Land Of The Rich
If you’ve got loads of money then feel free to invest in a holiday to Dubai, but if you don’t, then you may as well not even bother googling the flight prices.
In general it just kind of feels like a city that doesn’t have much of a personality or a soul, and that’s the harsh trust of the matter. If you want to try and live a life of luxury, which causes you to run out of things to do within a matter of days, then be our guest – but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
It’s the kind of place we’d like to go to in our mind, but not in real life.
12 London, England - Not For Us
It rains all the time, the crime rates are at an all-time high, the public transport system is average at best, the people aren’t all too pleasant, and the majority of places there are extremely overpriced.
That kind of covers the main bases that you’d expect from someone criticising the English capital, and it’s all true. There are nice elements that can be picked up on if you’re lucky and you go at the right time of year, but you’ll never leave a trip to London feeling completely satisfied.
Maybe it’s too big, but we’ll let you make your own mind up about that.
11 Vienna, Austria - Just A Bit Dull
Over the course of the last decade or so it feels like interrailing has become a really big thing in Europe, and a result, many different cities have taken on a whole new identity. Vienna is the kind of destination for people who want a laid back and chilled out holiday, but instead, people seem to go there expecting as much chaos and good times as you’d find in somewhere like Prague or Gdansk.
That’s not the kind of environment that you’re going to find in Vienna and while the Austrian city is still absolutely stunning, it probably doesn’t have what most of you are looking for.
10 Budapest, Hungary - There’s Such A Thing As ‘Too Much’
Budapest is great. There’s lots to do, it’s cheap as chips, and it’s not exactly difficult to get to for most folks out there.
Alas, this city falls into the category of being too overhyped – to the point where it almost certainly won’t live up to the ridiculous expectations you have in your head. As the title suggests there is definitely such a thing as too much build up, and that can be a problem, especially if you’ve been thinking about your trip for what feels like forever.
You should still go, but we’d just recommend you try and play it down in the days leading up to your flight.
9 Los Angeles, United States - Not Worth The Trip
The home of the rich and famous and, as it turns out, the home of many neighbourhoods that they don’t seem to be all too eager to tell you about. Oh, and by ‘they’ we mean pretty much everyone responsible for bringing in tourists to the city of Los Angeles.
But if we set that side for just a moment, we’d instead like to focus on the fact that LA is just full of people that are so arrogant. There are certainly exceptions to the rule (Hayley and Maria, we love you) but the Hollywood tag seems to have dragged things down a little bit in recent years.
8 Lisbon, Portugal - Watch Your Belongings
We adore the country of Portugal for many reasons, but as is the case with literally anywhere in the world, there are flaws – especially in Lisbon.
The city is littered with folks who will do quite literally anything to try and steal something out of your pocket, and even if they don’t, you’ll be looking over your shoulder the entire time anyway. Porto comes across as somewhere that’s much nicer and while we don’t want to deter you from trying out Lisbon as well, we do want you to take care of yourself.
Yes, we know we sound like your parents.
7 Yangon, Myanmar - Stand Up For Yourself
The country of Myanmar is going through some serious troubles right now and there’s no point trying to sugar coat it. They seem to be in the midst of one of their worst periods over the last few hundred years, and that’s saying something.
It’s the kind of country that some folks don’t even know exist, either, whether you want to believe that or not.
Yangon tends to be the ‘exception’ to the rule with many travellers noting that they enjoy it there, but that still doesn’t mean you should expect a phenomenal experience. It’s still a bit beaten down, it’s still a bit unsafe, and you still can’t afford to be complacent.
6 Winnipeg, Canada - Stay Realistic
The city of Winnipeg is seen as the alternative to some of the more commercial Canadian destinations by many travellers, as if it’s going to give you a more authentic experience. If that’s the case, then we can safely say that we aren’t all too interested in going to too many other ‘non-commercial’ cities.
The rise of professional wrestling in the area courtesy of Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho will likely lead to a slight increase in tourism figures, and when they arrive, they’ll be met by freezing cold temperatures and enough crime to keep you busy for a decade.