Exposing Travel Hype: Overrated vs. Underrated Destinations - Are They Worth The Hype?
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Join us as we venture into the discussion of travel hype, unraveling the allure of popular destinations compared to their lesser-known counterparts - Overrated vs. Underrated! With over 2 1/2 years of immersive travel experiences under our belts, we share our perspectives (and possibly controversial opinions 😉) on what truly distinguishes a remarkable destination.
From lively tourist hubs to hidden treasures nestled away from the crowds, we explore through the misconceptions to unveil the authentic charm of lesser-known locales. Get ready to challenge your assumptions as we shed light on the realities of both overrated and underrated destinations. We aim for this discussion to spark your curiosity towards lesser-traveled areas, with the hope of igniting fresh inspiration for your next adventure.
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I think there is a close relationship between 'overrated' and 'over-touristed'. Rome is amazing, you could go back to Rome every year of your life and not see and experience everything that's there. However, there are a bazillion tourists there (for good reason) and hence you have all the related problems - more crime, more garbage, higher prices, less authentic experiences, etc, etc. Generally, these things are more true of larger population centers as opposed to smaller, more rural areas as well. Expectations, as stated, play a large role too. Just go and experience it all and gravitate to those things that make you happier. An expectation not met while traveling is way better than a great day at work in the grind! There's no cure like travel! 😁
I 100 percent agree - we will take an overrated over the daily grind any day! Yes, being over-touristed certainly makes a place less appealing in our eyes - although as you mention, there are places like Rome, you just need to see. Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
Good talk about your preferences, but it seems you discount the cultural offerings of a place like Italy because it’s crowded and less convenient. If you’re interested in art and history in the West, you can’t beat Italy. There is a reason it’s so filled with tourists. For me personally, Portugal is overrated. It’s become very popular, and it has very few things to offer that can’t be found (better versions) in other nearby countries. The art is not at the level of it’s close neighbors. The castles and grand architectural structures are often crowded and not as spectacular as the ones in nearby countries. The food is good, but not as good as Spain for example. You mentioned beaches quite often and you mentioned visiting the islands in Greece. It sounds like maybe you are looking for something more sensory than intellectually stimulating. Many places are both scenic and intellectually stimulating, but if you’re looking primarily for tasty food, nice beaches, great views, good beaches, etc than the incredible cultural value of a destination like Rome will be lost on you due to the congestion and dirt. Difficult destinations for different preferences, but again you talked about Turkey’s mountains and water without mentioning it’s epic cultural offerings. Turkey and Italy are both beautiful but if they were the ugliest countries on earth they still offer more important things to see first hand than 90% of the world’s other countries.
Thank you for adding your opinion to the conversation!
Cheers!!🍻🍻
I love your travels
Are you or have you visited my country Australia yet ?
Looking forward to your hearing about your experiences in Mexico this Fall. I’ve spent ten months over the last few years exploring the old colonial towns of central Mexico and found it much more rewarding than the coastal resort cities we always hear about. And near perfect, mild weather throughout the year. Hope you enjoy!
We are looking forward to going and will do exactly what you describe. Exploring central Mexico!!
Salud!! 🍻
Me too! Looking forward to Mexico
Me 3!
While in México,you should visit Puebla City,you will love it(food,affordable, great weather and beautiful historic towns close by)
I lived in Queretaro for a year and half. Great city. I liked it MUCH better than the Yucatan, but I never acclimated to the combo of high altitude and dry air. 🙁
Thanks for all your advice and recommendations! You definitely made me look into Romania, and we took a two week trip there last year. We loved it! I agree with you about Italy. We flew to Rome for spring break with our two teenage daughters. We scooted right around the city and went straight to the small town of Tivoli. The small towns are better! We have still have not been to Rome and may never. Our friends think that’s crazy but we know what we like and that’s the small town vibe with friendly people and amazing sites not overrun by tourists. This video has moved Turkey and Vietnam up my list, and Malaysia down. I value your opinions. Keep on traveling I look forward to following you for many years to come!
That's so wonderful to hear, we truly loved Romania ❤️ and love hearing the same from others that visit. I totally agree, the smaller towns resonate with us so much more. Some people see travels as seeing every site...for me it's more about feeling like I'm living life in this new town and just taking it all in. Thanks so much for watching and following along 😊
Love you guys and am excited for every video! I just turned 30 and started my slow travel journey as I'm lucky enough to have had a remote job since the pandemic. Currently balancing hopping around and making sure I'm back in NY for things like my mom's birthday. Spent two months in Vienna and two months in Seoul so far, and am excited to spend another month in Vienna and a month in Warsaw this summer! Your videos make me excited to spend more time in so many other countries. ❤
You'll love Poland!! We need to get back soon and explore Warsaw and would really like to get to Gdansk as well. How exciting to be able to work remotely at such a young age!!
PS: Good for you not missing mom's birthday!!! 😀
We under-rated Malta and Albania, for sure. We had no idea we'd enjoy those places so much! Super excited to hear about your experiences in Mexico. We're thinking of adding that to The List for the end of 2025 and so we'll definitely be watching those videos.
That's great to hear about Malta, it's high on our list.. Hopefully in the next few years. Cheers!!
We agree about your opinion of Greece. We keep on going back to the Cyclades. We originally set an itinerary to explore Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Delphi and Meteora. Santorini was our first stop but we loved it so much that we made as our only stop. We explored and hiked beautiful places during the day, eat delicious food and drink beautiful wine in the evening, and join the busy, touristy areas during our non-hiking days…such a beautiful place.
We used Sail Croatia two years ago for a private catamaran tour with our adult children - one of the best vacations ever! We are going back this year for a wine tour also with Sail Croatia.
That sounds amazing!! We will keep them in mind when we decide to go back. Guessing it will be sooner than later!! Thank you for the recommendation!!
Cheers!!🍻
Just looked at Sail Croatia…thank you for the recommendation. Can I ask which tour you took 2 years ago. Thx
@@dsan2020 This year we are doing an Elegance cruise that is focused on a wine tour - haven't done that before, but we suspect it will be awesome.
Just found your channel, enjoying so far. We are currently finishing up a month in Poland, and honestly it is blowing us away. Will finish up this trip in the Baltics in Sept and headed to the Balkans in the spring.
We loved the time we spent in Poland last summer. We wish we had spent more than just a couple of weeks. We also really enjoyed Romania where we spent almost 2 months. Glad you found our channel!! 😁 Thank you for watching and commenting. Safe travels.
Hi Brian and Carrie. I’m from Vancouver and thought your accents were from up here. Glad to see some UA-camrs from my region and close to my age as well. Thanks for all the useful information and for inspiring me to travel more. -Evan
Thank you for watching, Evan! Vancouver is a beautiful city!!!
You're spot on with the underrated locations. I haven't been to Romania(hope to go this summer) but Portugal and Vietnam were awesome. Personally I love Malaysia and wanted to retire there but Covid ended that. But different strokes for different folks. On a side note congratulations on your 50K subscribers!
Yes, absolutely, there someplace for everyone 😊. Thanks so much, it's a pretty awesome milestone.
The only one underrated you may want to add is Slovenia. It is not on the top of anyone's list but wow it is a beautiful country.
For Italy and Malaysia, completely agreed! What you hear is not quite what you experience in the end :)
Agreed
Portugal is getting more expensive. Prices have skyrocketed in the past year. It’s no longer a budget destination.
I personally like Italy. It is the history and museums. Since they are mostly indoor activities, we chose to go off season, November. It is cheaper and the line is much shorter. We are also from rainy Pacific Northwest so we don’t mind the rain. All popular European cities have the same over rated problem. Expensive and crowded in season.
Thank you for your honest videos. I really appreciate your straightforward and open commentaries as you share your experiences.
Thank you, Nancy. We appreciate the kind words and for you watching our channel. ❤️😊
Italy. If the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance aren’t your thing, I can totally agree with you. If, like me, you’re a lover of Italy’s incredible contributions to history and high culture, it’s unmissable. I know it’s ever more crowded. I advise off seasons and staying off the beaten path but with train access to other places. We chose Umbria. We stayed in a hillside hamlet of four houses. The neighbors owned a small albergo/guesthouse a mile away with public restaurant, simple but elegant, and with a terrace for dinners at sunset overlooking the Umbrian hills. Mostly locals came for special occasions. The hotel was a second career for our neighbor, who loved to cook (he was a retired state policeman). They cooked for us and invited us to their parties. Real Italian food. The most fabulous preserved cherries and local wine. Our 16th century farmhouse overlooked olive groves, sunflower fields, and Lake Trasimeno, where Hannibal fought the Romans, and farmers still dig up bones from the battle. The train was a 15 minute drive, and then an hour to either Rome or Florence for day trips. We used the car for less accessible places, medieval hill towns, for instance. A little grotto fed by a mountain spring provided our preferred drinking water-someone had thoughtfully put a tap into the rock wall. Some nights from the hills we watched distant firework displays, from neighboring towns celebrating the name day of a local saint. Often, you can see their bones in the parish church. There are ways to see Italy away from the tourist buses if you plan ahead and know where you want to go. Remember, Italy has been a unified country for only 150 years. Each province has its own unique history, cuisine, and culture, of which the residents are very proud. Don’t pass it up. For art and culture-the birthplace of opera!-Italy can never be overrated, in my view.
Couldn’t agree with you more i adore Italy and particularly Umbria
We loved Tuscany! The food, the people, the wine, the landscape, the cleanthlinesss, the history, transportation was easy to do. Venice was overrated - too many people. We stayed in the tiny village of Monticchiello with top notch restaurants. Hospitality at the Villa Poliflora was amazing. Stay in the small towns and do day trips to the larger cities.
Good to hear that Spain is clean. Wait till you get to Japan. We were blow away at how clean Tokyo is. We definitely want to go back to Japan.
We hope to get to Japan sometime in 2025.
@@BrianandCarrieyou will love the beer in Japan, Brian - the food is also amazing
First time commenter, long time fan! Love your honesty. Please keep keeping it real, by your opinion 😊 Love your new format with education and showing us the places you visit. I really enjoy your content!
Thank you for the support and commenting for the first time!!! 😃 We will be doing more destination-style videos soon!! 😀
As an experienced solo traveler, I appreciate your sensible, broader approach, away from the better known, stereotypical locations. Your videos are helping me immensely to narrow down, and plan my itineraries. Many thanks, again!
So happy to hear you are enjoying our videos and they are helping you in your itinerary planning. Thanks so much for watching and following along! Cheers
I went to Paris for 3 days and felt it was highly overrated. Nothing wrong about providing your opinion, these are your experiences. Thanks for the great content.
Thank you for watching and commenting. The support is very much appreciated. 😀
We agree with people overrating Paris, relative to all the other incredible places in Europe and other cities. For the prices and the amount of people and Parisians not being as friendly it isn’t somewhere we would go back to again
I still thinks it’s a beautiful city and a must go for anyone, but not sure if I would repeat it either.
We love Paris - no other city is like it. Wouldn’t stay for a month but a week or two every once in a while works for us!
Paris in August, when best restaurants are closed, may indeed risk being over-rated.
Thank you for the videos 😊 My husband and I are flying out of Vegas this coming thanksgiving heading to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia spending 30 days in each country. It’s our first time traveling internationally. Your videos are helping us some much, thank you, thank you,thank you! We are😊 we’re super excited to go!
That sounds amazing!! Good for you two to take the leap and explore the world! Enjoy and safe travels!! ❤️
I really appreciate your opinions, thank you! And I completely understand how you reached them.
Unfortunately I think quite a few places were AMAZING and are now overrated due to out of control tourism as well. Either way, always great to hear from experienced, recent travelers!
Thank you, Jill! ❤
Awesome video. I've been to all of these countries and I couldn't agree more. I would add a couple of places to the underrated list: Bulgaria, Cambodia, Albania, Slovenia, and Indonesia.
We have been to Albania, and we would agree. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Almost forgot another 100% underrated country: Georgia. Absolutely a must experience!
Slovenia is magical
Italy, perhaps visit Capri island but stay in Anacapri. Much less tourist and lots to do. There's also an airbnb host who's able to pick you up and drop you off right in front of the ferry/dock.
Positano, have good walking shoes and expect to take 1k + step per day. No car needed. Lots to do.
Amalfi, no car needed. To stay away from crowds, consider Pontone. In between Amalfi and Ravena. You're able to walk to both locations from Pontone. Lots of walking, public transportation very good. No car needed.
Cinque Terre, fast train service between all 5 villages. Lots of walking. Train ride to Portofino to the north. Porto Venere to the south. Many town in between, quick train ride. No car needed, great public transportation.
Lake Como. Stay in Vernazza, less crowded. Short ferry ride to all major villages on Lake Como. Boat rent is very affordable. 8 hours will feel like 3 hours. No car needed. Lots of walking. Close to Switzerland. Take the Bernina Express for a great experience. Stay in Pontresina. Explore the area.
Lastly, Venice. What's not to like (other than crowds). Take taxi from airport. Expensive but what the heck, why not. Get away from St. Marks Square when the rush comes in. Explore surrounding areas. Return early evening for dinner. Late evening, you'll have the places basically to yourself. Try to go early summer for better weather. Springtime can be very cloudy.
Lots of other places but those will be a good start. Once again. Good shoe such as Hoka, Altra, Topo, On Cloud, ect... Your gonna get miles in, at least 10+ on average day.
Great tips!! Thank you so much for adding to the channel!!
I agree about having these high expectations and the place doesn’t match it. We were just in Belgrade Serbia an amazing city. We moved to Spain 5 years ago. The country continues to amaze us so many incredible cities.
Teresa and I completely agree on Portugal (we are there now) - loved the Algarve and Lisbon and can’t wait to return. Türkiye is on the list based on your recommendations!
Although I get your comments on Italy, Rome has a special place in our hearts - no hate here!
Can’t thank you enough for your views. We really depend on them to help set our future itinerary.
So happy you are enjoying Portugal ♥. We are so thankful for the time we had in Italy - and Rome had some wonderful sites to see! It just didn't check many boxes in comparison to so many of the areas we've been in that we were so surprised by. Happy and safe continued travels - Cheers!!
I agree with you both regarding Italy, especially the known tourist destinations. Whilst we spent an incredible 12 weeks driving the loop north to the south. The off the beaten paths in Italy we enjoyed the most and the most authentic. Two things that were near impossible to find in Italy... public toilets and picnic tables 😂
Spent 5 weeks in Italy. You are soooo right about toilets in Italy. I just don’t get it.
We are full time travelers. We are in Italy for the second time in 7 months. We now live one month in Genoa (Gênes ). I have a new saying. '' In Rome do like the romains, In Mcdonald's use the toilet even if you don't need it ''
One very underrated destination I have been to is Guatemala - Lake Atitlan area is absolutely stunning (Santorini levels without the massive crowds) and I highly suggest you put it on your list. I also enjoyed the ancient ruins of Tikal in eastern Guatemala which are the best preserved Mayan ruins located in the middle of the jungle. Overall Guatemala isn't on anyone's radar but it is a stunningly beautiful country. BTW, i'll be in Vietnam for the first time in Spring 2025, it's been on my list forever :)
That's so interesting to hear - we will have to look into the area more. You're right though, Guatemala isn't on most peoples travel list. Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie”#…heard of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala from a famous quote from Aldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World where he called it “the most beautiful lake in the world.” Comparing it to Lake Como in Italy, he said Como "touches the limit of the permissibly picturesque." Atitlan, however, "is Como with the additional embellishment of several immense volcanoes. It is really too much of a good thing." It’s breathtaking, and indeed, the most beautiful lake in the world. Tikal…. Antigua Guatemala… you’ll find lots of French tourists as it is always the case in places where Americans are rarely seen. The locals thought we were French and spoke to us in French. They have learned it through contact with them.
@@BrianandCarrie If you go to Antigua, Guatemala time your stay to be there in the days leading up to Easter. They have the most amazing religious street processions with big hand carried floats, bands etc. The women use flowers to make beautiful ‘carpets’ at various stages along the cobblestoned route that get trampled by the procession, so make sure to get your photos first 😁. It was a unique experience.
Yes. Guatemala is beautiful. It was a very pleasant surprise. I visited a hot springs waterfall and we stayed at a hotel in the middle of the lake I. The region near Tikal. Actually, all of Central America is pretty awesome.
Wonderful video, again!!
And we totally agree with you about Italy being overhyped... at least the "usual" suspects. However, as someone said, overhyped might be better said as over touristed. HOWEVER, we had an amazing stay in Cagliari, Sardinia last year, as a city-break during our month long stay in Malta (which is underratedd).
Sardinia had everything most people love about Italy, without the crowds. There is history, architecture, food, museums, churches (as if...) and amazing affordable airbnb options. We were in the offseason, so we got a 4 day weekend in an amazing 4th floor penthouse apartment with a balcony under the shadow of the palace, for a song. I highly reccommend Cagliari!!
Thank you for the
honesty and for being so authentic. Cant wait to watch the Mexico videos. Hoping you go hit up Scandinavian countries in the future. More expensive but their values are so what the U.S. needs. Bragging is looked down upon, being showy, flaunting wealth, and so much more responsible of society. Enjoy your Mexico travels!
We look forward to Scandinavia but can't afford to go. You won't have to worry about us flaunting our wealth. 😂
Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts & opinions. These types of videos provide a great deal of value to people such as my wife & I who are always looking for the next non-typical place to visit. Happy to hear that you're visiting Mexico City this fall. I will bet my left arm that it will end up making your top-five list for places that you've ever experienced while slow travelling. I highly recommend that you consider staying in the La Condesa area...as that neighbourhood will check off all of the boxes that you have shared are important to the lifestyle that you both enjoy. Keep up the amazing content...your efforts are very much appreciated!
Thank you, Jeff! We are starting to put together our Mexico trip as we speak! Thank you for the suggestion on La Condesa!! Thank you again for watching and commenting!!
Cheers!!🍻
Offend? No You are sharing your experience, which may not be someone else's. The biggest take away is not to set up unrealistic expectations and research the area. Thank you for some great tips.
Thank you so much Denise! Cheers 🍻
Brian now you need to do the same list based on the beer in each country 🍻
Great idea! Cheers 🍻
So excited to learn more about all your travels. Thank you for the post. Loving them.
So happy you are enjoying them ☺. Thank you so much for watching!
I love your videos. Thank you for the information. My husband and I have been traveling for about a year and we have Greece and Turkey on our list for the fall.
I live in Prague so Italy is close but I love Portugal more.
We also love Spain so I agree that if you are from the States you really don't have a ton of information about Turkey or the Balkans. Nice review 🎉
Thank you Jennifer!! ❤
You were underwhelmed by Kuala Lumpur but that's fine. The old expat saying was work in Singapore(higher earnings), live in Kuala Lumpur (better for families) and party in Bangkok. 😊 . But you should visit Sabah if you get a chance for a change of scene and see another part of Malaysia. Happy travels.
HAHA!! Love that!! Thank you for the recommendation and comments. We appreciate the support.
Cheers!!🍻
I really love underrated spots, and I know there is crowded places with a lot of history but there's so much more to see in other places, I have heard Italy not being clean in areas that would turn me off , I like friendly ,affordable beautiful, clean safe spots to go I appreciate your opinions
It sounds like you may like Türkiye!!
Great insights and appreciate your honesty! Travel experiences are always personal and your overrated countries sharing is very helpful as they make us think about countries that we may go to, but have a more realistic expectation if we go there. The more I hear about Vietnam and Thailand, the more I want to go and being in Australia, its on our doorstep - so will visit there soon. Thanks for your great videos.
We appreciate the support!! Travel is subjective. We need to make our way to Australia sooner rather than later. Thank you again for supporting the channel!!
Cheers!!
Great podcast team. Thanks v much. Cheers
I wish I could play the song "Is that all there is?" To accompany this comment. I'm stuck in my Puglia AirBNB for the rest of the month. The cities are rather dingy, the people look joyless. In mid April and wear my jacket inside 24 hours a day... brrrr... Sorry to say this. But compared to the other destinations that lost out to Puglia, I am reminded of the saying, "Twice the Price for half as nice." Oh, and Florence!!! As an aside...Graffiti Everywhere. Probably among the Top 5 Overtouristed destinations on Earth. Just my opinion. Thanks. Like many, disappointed what has become of Italy.
Snowed while we were in Puglia in March. I was shocked. We have been twice for a total of 5 weeks. I determined I don't want to live there but loved several towns. Do not go for the food!
I'm in Lecce right now. It's finally warming up!!! I didn't really care for Lecce, but I absolutely LOVED Monopoli. Walking along the water with all the private coves and tiny, beautiful beaches. It was stunning. I'm heading to Gallipoli today. I need to get back to the sea!
Wow, y’all are really cranking out the videos. Interesting perspectives but revealing for the types of experiences that are important to you. I love Italy but some of the points you make are absolutely true. Just got back from Vietnam, you can have it. Because of your video on Antalya I’ve started researching Airbnb for October. Can’t figure out exactly on the map the location of the marina area you suggested. Any tips appreciated. Romania is on the radar. Another job well done.
We can understand why Vietnam wouldn't be for everyone, but we did enjoy it! Look up The Dam Hotel in Antalya, we stayed in the same neighborhood and liked the area for longer stays. Old Town and the marina are about a 10-minute cab ride away. Thank you for watching and commenting! Safe travels!
I 100% agree with Italy. I enjoyed being in Italy, but I was less trusting of being ripped off in Italy then how I feel from other countries I have visited. I wouldn't say no to going back to Italy, but it isn't any longer at the top of my bucket list.
Another great video, love your honesty, thank you and safe travels
Thank you, Phil!
I admire the way you express yourself.
Great video! I actually loved Italy but I'm so excited to try some of your underated destinations! Can you please do a video on how to get started on selecting an itinerary for a trip? I'm so overwhelmed with picking things to see and selecting where to stay for my next destination which is Portugal. Thanks guys!
Thank you! We will be doing a video/podcast within the next few weeks on how we plan our travels. Not sure that will answer all your questions, but hopefully some 😉. Cheers!
Agree with almost everything in this video.
Only disagree with Portugal, but I believe our expectations were too high so no surprise we were disappointed. We didn’t visit Algarve either- only Porto and Lisbon.
Looking forward to visiting Romania someday!
Lisbon was our least favorite place in Portugal. It does have some really great day trips that we enjoyed. Sentra and Obiedos were both really fun places to visit. Thank you for commenting, Lorrie!! ❤
Great podcast thanks to you both. We are planning a four month trip to Thailand and Vietnam (Da Nang) in June to September this year so we were pleased to see Vietnam featured in this podcast. We have watched your Thailand and Vietnam videos (some twice) and have found them very helpful. We are a similar age to you guys and have similar interests and/budget. We also love to walk everywhere and I love beer 😆so I can relate to that as well. We realise the time of year (wet season) isn’t perfect for Thailand and some of Vietnam however I see that Da Nang is ‘dry season’ due to the mountains so we are hopeful to get some nice weather there. Being the off season also has some cost benefits. We are from New Zealand so we are escaping our winter months. We usually go to Bali this time of year (dry season) but we wanted to try something different and Bali has gotten very busy and not as ‘affordable’ as it used to be. Cheers.
We've heard that about Bali, it's unfortunate 😔. Vietnam, even during the wet season should be great! The nice thing about their rain is most days (not all) it can downpour for a stretch and then be fine the rest of the day. Even when we were there in March it downpoured for a full day at a time - so you just get that. Harder to plan a vacation around, but a long term stay it should be fine. Enjoy your travels!
I can highly recommend Roma Norta and Condessa areas of CDMX. My son lives there and I’ve been several times- both have that great neighborhood vibe. I love the street food but avoid lettuce salads. Gotten sick from that but never from anything else.
Thank you so much for the suggestions and tips...I will be sure to check into those areas when booking. And I'll avoid the green salads, always a safer bet. Cheers
Have been to most of these places and agree with most. The water in the Algarve was much too cold for us! Loved Turkey and would recommend you check out the town of Kas on the coast between Antalya and Fethiye.
We are headed to the Ionian islands of Greece this Fall. We love Corfu and are looking forward to seeing Lefkada and Kefalonia. Have been to many other places in Greece and find the people to be fantastic! Hoping to get back to Turkey and some of the islands off the coast. Besides Crete and Santorini have you been to others?
We spent a month on Rhodes as well. We love Fethiye and Antalya, I'm sure we would love Kas as well. Thank you for watching and safe travels.
Love your honesty and content. I look foward each week to your video. I cant wait to start traveling in 2025.
Thanks so much ♥. We appreciate you watching and following along. Cheers!
Loved the video as always. Heard that Turkey costs are increasing. For attractions, minimum wage, taxis. Did you notice it this year.
Yes, we did notice prices increasing for the over 3 months we were there over a 6-month period. Hopefully, things balance out soon, especially for the locals that it has to be so challenging for. Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
Great video.I use your travel experiences for planning my next travels
Thank you! Happy planning 😊
I think it’s probably a mistake that everyone goes to Italy in the summer, especially July and August. And a lot of people are just checking boxes when deciding on vacation spots. I can completely imagine how Rome feels disappointing, despite its once-in-a-lifetime historic and cultural sites, which are key for me in any location (or even a home city). I spent a month in Madrid and found it very livable-loved it!
We went to Italy and loved it. Can’t wait to go back. We were there in mid November and stayed in northern Italian cities. It wasn’t overcrowded. Milan is very underrated, we thought. Looking forward to seeing southern Italy off season and Madrid is on my list for the future!
A great way of putting it - I do think people just have a list they want to check off. Honestly, I can relate to that - we all have those bucket list destinations which sometimes after going we can wonder why they were so high on our list. Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
Great video thanks. We’re in New Zealand and have been lucky to visit many Asian countries. Vietnam is probably our favourite, with Laos a close second. We’re heading off for a three month trip in July. Pleased to hear that our choices of Romania and turkey are probably good ones. We’re also really looking forward to Sri Lanka.
We have Laos on our list when we return to SE Asia. Hopefully in 2025. You'll love both Romania and Turkey! Thank you for watching and safe travels!
We visited Santorini, Greece and Thailand twice (and we’re going back to Thailand this summer with our son and his girlfriend), we lived in Korea, Germany, and Japan and yes we drove there too. We’re not interested in visiting France, Italy, Singapore, or Malaysia but we would like to visit Vietnam, Portugal, Turkey, and Iceland (Iceland to experience the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis).
Sounds wonderful! You've seen so many great places ♥
Yes, the smaller towns (outside) of Florence are the way to go. Rome, in my view--and my Italian wife agrees--is simply too busy, laden with tourist traps, with pickpockets everywhere, especially at the train station and in the crowded buses headed to tourist destinations. Besides smaller towns in Italy, an overlooked destination is Sardegna: land in Cagliari, check out the ancient part (Castello), the gorgeous Bonaria Basilica, and then head into the wonderous countryside, to fully appreciate the farm-fresh and amazing culinary delights, especially the roasted baby piggies, fresh cheeses, and remarkable produce. Also, extremely affordable ABNb's, with many lovely hosts, along with mineral bath resorts to boot. Safe travels, Brian and Carrie!
Sounds wonderful - we will have to look into some of the places you mentioned. Thanks so much for watching - Cheers!!
I agree with you 100% on Viet Nam - fabulous country. And, I have to say that I have been going to Turkey since 2006, and have seen a lot of places - all are spectacular. I travel a lot, all over the world, and I think Turkey indeed my favorite country. Many, many of my fondest travel memories have happened in Turkey. I can't get enough.
Dang! Let’s keep Vietnam a secret … already tons of expats
Greetings from beautiful Da Nang
Greetings! Da Nang is very high on our list!! Thank you for watching!!
Your comments are your accurate opinion - don’t apologize. Personally I love Italy but I understand what you’re saying - we like to spend far more time in smaller, lesser known parts of Italy. Yes, Rome, Venice and Florence are wonderful places and everyone who can go there should (off season if at all possible), but it’s crowded and expensive for good reason. We were also underwhelmed by Malaysia, haven’t been to Vietnam and are about to go to Romania.
As much as we stress that these are just our opinions, we still get some negative comments. It goes with the territory. 😀 You will enjoy Romania!! Safe travels and thank you for the support.
Cheers!!🍻
You caught yourself...to say affordable.
Always respectful.
Term "cheap' should be banned.
Good value.
I’ve been to Vietnam multiple times. It is amazing
You guys have such great videos and great to hear Málaga already thought of. I’m a future expat there, but also doing world travel. I should share what I’ve learned about Málaga: Benalmádena Costa is amazing and its marina is worth seeing but the city is on a hill😅. (Travelers caught off guard). Fuengirola is a great base with the tram close to the beach, jogging promenade, easy busses. Above Málaga along the C-2 tram line might be a good bang for buck for a long stay too😊 Cheers from Seattle!
Thank you, Brandon. We will be looking at getting back to Spain relatively soon and make sure we do some research on Fuengirola!
Thank you for your time and posting. Boy, I'm sure glad you said Vietnam. ;) Have you ever had Russian River Beer from Santa Rosa CA? Named the best in the world multiple times. :)
Brian has had it and has actually gone to the brewery. He said it's great! Thanks for watching - Cheers!!
I agree with almost everything. Italy is too hot and grossly over touristed. I don't know how the locals can stand it. You must see Slovenia! And regarding Mexico, try central, CDMX, Oaxaca, Pueblo and all the surrounding cities. Amazing people, culture and food! Too many flock to beach when the interior is authentic Mexico.
We want to make it to Slovenia, we've heard so many wonderful things. Can't wait for Mexico, we both only ever been to the beach towns, so central Mexico is appealing. Cheers!!
What Ive realized early on a lot of people care about "status" as they say, often as bad as it sounds, people want to be able to say Ive been there or there (what is "trendy") and not really enjoy the places and look for unique experience. I noticed that many times. Unfortunatelly world works like that and I never take anyones advice for sure :)
Would you consider sharing details of the Airbnbs you’ve stayed in that you would recommend
We do not share our accommodations any longer. We have learned that hosts change, prices go up and the quality may go down.
You might consider San Miguel de Allende. It definitely exceeded our expectations. We are returning in February for our third visit. Thank you for another excellent video!
We visited briefly and it's really gorgeous, though not super-economical where we looked (but maybe we just needed to look further out). I spent 2 weeks studying at a Spanish-language school in nearby Guanajuato City and loved, loved, loved it--beautiful and hilly, definitely under the radar for people from the U.S. and Canada (but therefore hard to manage without any Spanish...apparently very popular with Mexican tourists though).
That's on our list! Looks beautiful ❤️
Excellent overview, thanks so much!
Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
We have traveled a lot in Mexico and love real Mexican food! What is amazing is how different the food is in each region. Yum! I hope you can make it to the Yucatan (Mérida) someday for cochinita pibil and panuchos and their different specialties.
Funny thing, but your KL video really made me want to go stay a month there. We actually don't mind there being nothing to do other than eat and drink and walk around in a perfect climate!
We love finding an underrated location and have loved Thailand, Vietnam, Albania, Croatia, Spain, Istanbul and Romania as well as Italy. We'd go back to any of those locations. I think budget is a big part of that, when a place is so affordable. Too expensive is a big turnoff to budget travelers. There are a few destinations on my list that I really, really want to visit and they will probably be a bit disappointing: France, Germany and Switzerland, where there are some places we'll just dash through - like you did in Vienna, and others where we will look for smaller villages.
Unfortunately, costs of living are rising everywhere.
We will be exploring central Mexico this year and perhaps the coast in 2025. Either way we are looking forward to the food. Costs are increasing it seems all over. Argentina, we understand is still affordable so we will be going there in January!
So sorry to hear your Italy experience was underwhelming, but I'm a little biased. I made many port calls there with the Navy, and lived there for two years with the Navy, as well. ANNNND, I'm doing two weeks there with my art-nerd great niece in June.
And thanks for the warning about Malaysia, but it's never been on my list anyway, so ...
Are in Crete yet?
It's hard to explain. It's not that we were underwhelmed as much as we set our expectations so high. We loved Puglia, but we didn't know much about it before we went. Beautiful coastline, great wine authentic small towns, what's not to like? 😀
I love Puglia so much! We spent a week staying in Monopoli and exploring some of the surrounding towns. I can't wait to go back! Glad to hear about Vietnam, heading there in a couple weeks!
Italy might have been because you were there in the summer. It’s hot and over crowded and they have a hard time keeping up with the garbage. Sometimes the garbage collectors are on a random strike for a week. 😂. My daughter lives in Florence and she absolutely loves the city, although she lives across the river in a more residential area, but she finds herself on day trips into the countryside most weekends. Turkey and Vietnam- well really all of Southwest Asia- are on my bucket list now. Thanks for the honest video!
That's where we stayed in Florence as well and were happy with the location. Away from the crowds but with all the charm and amenities close by. Thanks so much for watching ☺
Thanks for the list….will think of some new ones you suggested
You're welcome, thanks for watching 😊
(excuse the poor Google translation) Hello, I am following you with great interest. We are 2 Canadians and full-time travelers for 22 months currently. We had the chance to do extended trips. I've been backpacking for 40 years and I've done over 45 countries... I think! We've been everywhere on your list. We were amazed to hear how accurate what you said is. At least, from our point of view. We are in Italy for the second time in 7 months . We explore the slightly lesser known cities. Little anecdote: When we went to Vietnam in 2001 my work colleague told me ''No, it's simply not possible to go there... no one goes there'' Our son was 2 years and 4 months old. We were aliens.
It would be nice if you made a video of how easy it is to get around by public transport. To go to countryside, there is no need to have a car in Europe or Asia. Finally I leave you with some ideas of countries for you list : Nepal, Maldives (with the locals... way cheaper) Sri Lanka, Lao (north)..... and ESPECIALLY, Quebec City. I'm not biased but this is where we live. See you somewhere on the planet. xxx
Thank you for sharing and all of the recommendations! We would love to get to all that you mention at some point including Quebec City!! 😊
Despite the following reaction, I love most of your videos and appreciate what you share.
I am glad that you qualified it by emphasising that these are your opinions that, while subjective in nature, are personal to you and perfectly legitimate.
Nevertheless, I have to most assuredly differ with you on Italy. After four visits there, I can only look back at the wonderful and varied experiences I have had encompassing its history, cuisine, and people, as well as the great surprises I encountered along my journeys that make for indelible and great memories.
We love to hear this! We have opinions that will differ from others most definitely and encourage other opinions to be heard. Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation. We are sure others will agree with you! Thank you again for supporting the channel! 🙂
Hey to both. You are entitled to your opinions, and you don't need to apologize for them. I agree with Portugal as a place that people need to go. It is affordable, it has great weather, food and beaches. Yes there is graffiti everywhere but there so much to like. I think that 2 months in a place allows you to provide negative commentary on it (re: Italy). You also rightfully point out in my opinion that having expectations too high can lead to disappointment. This is the same as movies or anything in life. Building up in your mind can lead to these situations. Your travels and videos have showed me that Turkey and Vietnam are places for me to add to my list. Romania too especially to get away from the Schengen Zone while still being in mainland Europe. I would return to Portugal. I would love to go to Spain and explore more. But travels await! I appreciate all that you do. Keep it up and enjoy Greece. Cheers
Thank you Robert 😊. So many areas to explore...our list just keeps growing as well. Sounds like you have some wonderful places lined up.
Your comments are spot on for some over rated countries. We have found that many of the high rated tourist places have become undesirable to visit due to the fact that there are so many people and the areas have lost their lustre. Smaller towns in Italy are far nicer to explore. We always spend several months (4-5) in the shoulder seasons travelling about Europe and Asia and that makes it easier to see things.
We drive everywhere when in Europe but haven't attempted driving in Asia.
Keep up the great videos and travel safely:)
We do prefer the shoulder months, even the off-season in some places. we do have cross-over and travel towards the end of summer and know that we don't like it for several reasons. Cost being one and tourism the other. But we do understand that we are living our dream, so we try not to complain too much. 😀
@@BrianandCarrie i have used some of your Dalmation coast videos for our travels. Maybe our paths will cross and we can have a beer together:)
I agree with Italy being overrated. Rome especially. We were just considering going to Lake Como, and then heading straight to Switzerland. But we decided Côte d’Azur would be so much better, and we’ll do Switzerland on a different trip. I will say, we absolutely love Nice, France and the surrounding cities and it’s so easy to travel from Menton all the way to Canne.
Interesting to hear about France. We are looking at France, Switzerland and Northern Spain in 2025.
Cote d'Azur is so beautiful: Nice, Èze, Antibes, and the list is go on.. @@BrianandCarrie
We’ve been to Nice three times now. My retirement trip was to stay for a month, which we did last April. It was the best European trip we’ve ever taken . Condo cost us about $1500 for the 29 days. We have traveled to Europe one or two times a year since 1982, and have many experiences . I would have said we’ve traveled to Europe extensively, but that would be silly to say to “Brian and Carrie”(I’m so jealous of you guys). Nice is our favorite followed closely by Holland. We’ve been to Provence too, staying in Avignon, which was great too. I could certainly live in Nimes, but my wife was less enamored . We love Paris, but in shorter bites. You must at least once visit the Normandy beaches; An experience you’ll never forget if you take a tour. Check out Rick Steve’s book for a recommendation on tour guide. And Strasbourg is lovely too.
You nailed Spain and Thailand. Fantastic places to visit.
We just had a trip to Vietnam and Thailand. We loved both! I think I liked the food a little better in Thailand. Both countries are beautiful and welcoming!
We completely agree! The food in Thailand is unbeatable in our opinion. Vietnam is a place that we look forward to going back to soon. We only had 30 days and believe it deserves more. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video. Its funny what you say about Spanish people not being friendly. My mom went to Spain for the first time recently and had a similar experience. She loved the place, but the people were not friendly. And she is a huge fan of Spanish TV and Spanish shows, so that surprised me.
Brian, it is MAlaga (stress on the first A) :) I know you aren't there yet, but you can start practicing early LOL
Not exactly it is MAL-aga, emphasis on the first vowel.
@@pegan60I am confused. What do you mean? The first vowel is the A, which is what I said. mAlaga.
I wrote it as MAlaga, because in Spanish this word breaks down into three syllables. MA-LA-GA. Syllables in Spanish, don't usually end in a consonant unless at the end of words. :)
So spot on with Italy. 90%+ people I know want to go to Italy. Yet I've been there, It's OK but nothing special. Thought it was only me who felt it was overrated. Thanks!
Most all the comments that we have received so far have agreed with us. on Italy.
I agree with most of your thoughts and totally agree about the best way to see Italy is to visit the off the beaten track and stay in smaller cities.
I think the key to enjoying Italy is to go in late Oct or early November We have been to Portugal, much of Eastern Europe and pretty much everywhere in Vietnam and agree these are amazing holiday destination but Italy is pretty amazing too. We have been 3 times and while it's by no means our favourite country I think it's worth the hard work to see the historic sites and small communities but you do need to plan it well in advance to save money. It's not a great place to wing it. We have a few weeks in Bolonga later this year and I am looking forward to seeing how it stacks up as a longer stay destination.
As for Malaysia, its definately not for everyone, but I have visited 7 times and covered most of the country and if anyone is looking for places to see Ipoh and the Cameron Highlands are fabulous, Malaka and Perhentian Islands are also favourite. Unlike you guys we love Penang and have considered an extended stay there.
Visiting Albania and planning to spend more time in Turkey based on your experiences! Thanks for sharing.
BTW for me Japan is overrated lol which I am sure would upset many people haha
Yes, seeing Italy by traveling through the smaller villages may have been more our style. We are so happy we saw the places we did and spent the time we did - just so many places ranked much higher for us.
But, really that is the whole idea of it - we will all have those places that check some or all our boxes...thankfully one place isn't for everyone 😉 Thanks so much for watching! Cheers 🍻
Italy I agree. Malaysia? You are in KLCC! That is like Times Square in NY. There is no way to judge all of Malaysia by KLCC. perhaps Langkawi and Penang would have been better for you. And I would never rent an Airbnb when 5 star hotels are $60/nt. I never use Airbnb anymore due to the same issues you had. It’s much easier to acclimate to English speaking countries. That’s why I don’t like VN as much as Malaysia for living.
We didn't care for Penang at all, preferred KL more. I just don't feel Malaysia was a good fit for us. But sounds like you like it, which is wonderful. Thanks so much for watching 😊
@@BrianandCarrie I guess there is nowhere that is great for everyone. Thanks for the video
I have dual U.S. and Italian citizenship, and have been to Italy a dozen times. I understand the overrating of some of the bigger cities, like Rome (which I love) due to the infrastructure sagging under the crush of tourism and indifference. I, like you, LOVED puglia, and nearly moved to Lecce. As much as I love it, there is a reason that we are settling in Spain. And speaking of Spain, I think you will love the people of Andalucia. Come back to Spain! The drinks are on me 🍻
We can't wait to make it back to Spain - hard to believe it's been over 2 years since we've been there. Look forward to sharing a few beers and stories one day. Cheers!!
Something you have to be aware in Mexico this year, is the unfavorable exchange rate. Mexican Peso is very expensive, is at the same value against the dollar than it was back in 2015. Mexico now can be a bit on the expensive side.
Yes, we are finding that Mexico is not as affordable as it once was. Thank you for the insights and for watching our channel!! 😀
Great video (as always)!
Any plans to see South America in the near future?
Thank you! Yes, in winter of 2025 were heading that way.
You are right about Italy. They are used to being a number 1 tourist spot, so they don't deliver the number one service. They just don't need to and don't care I guess. The value for money is not good. Often their sights and monuments are not well kept or simply closed. But still, I often go to Sicily. It feels like home to me, I cannot help it. But I don't travel the cities any more, I like the nature and the small towns ;-)))
In a nutshell, as long as it's located near Mediterranean Sea area, it's nice.
I agree with you re Romania, Spain and Italy.
Naples was beautiful but dirty with trash lined streets.
The customer service is Italy was not great either.
We're all entitled to our own opinions so I hope you don't get too much grief 😊
We have only had one negotiation comment! 😁 Thank you for your support!!
A visit to the Caucasus area is a must. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are great places to visit. Portugal was wonderful with top notch food and wine. People were lovely. Spain is overrated - food is meh compared to Portugal, people are brusque. Croatia was safe for women travelling on their own. The Istrian peninsula is a must for a visit. Rent a car and drive the countryside east of Zagreb.
My list seems to change everyday.. I want to go to all the places.. sadly its just vacations not living there like you. Do you just have a big list? I know you have to research more than I would for a vacay but I get almost paralized with too many choices.
Our list is large!! It is easier for us to decide because we can pick a new location every three months.
Great insights! I hope you get to central Mexico like Morelia, Puebla, or even better San Miguel de Allende!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts😉. Cheers 🍻
We will be in central Mexico this fall and plan to stay in San Miguel for a month!! We will also be exploring surrounding areas. 😀
@@BrianandCarrie yaaayyyy! You’re gonna love it😉
@@BrianandCarrie You have to go to Guanajuato!!! I think it's much better than San Miguel.
Thank you both we so agree with your comments on Italy . We were disappointed in how gritty and dirty , we found it to be in Naples , then in Sicily . Was our favourite place , but disappointed in the graffiti every where.. we loved Vietnam spot on moments . We are so enjoying our time in Turkey .heading by bus up the coast Fetheyi to Istanbul . Then over to Albania .. interested in Greece too.
Really enjoying your Podcasts you re answering and discussing so many of what we think about . Great format . ❤
Thank you, Joan! Albania is underrated as well! Enjoy and safe travels!!
Very interesting to hear your perspective! I thought Italy was overrated as well 😂. Spain from north to south, center to the coastline is by far my favorite country out of the 26 I've been to. I haven't been to SE Asia yet, next October is when I'll start that journey. No plans to go to Malaysia as it's known for not having the best food and that is a criteria that is non-negotiable for me!
We loved Spain - can't wait to make it back. Yes, Malaysia was lacking in food in our opinion. So many raved about the food, but what we realized was the wide variations of different cultures mixed together. We did have the best ever Chinese food there 😂. Happy and safe continued travels!
Thumbs up 👍 Carrie & Brian….
Thank you ♥
Interesting thoughts on Malaysia. The videos I've seen have left me like "meh, looks boring." Not saying I won't go (cause I will), but I hear ya. Great feedback and perspectives.
We just didn't care for it. KL was fun for the first few days but not much to do after that. The food in Thailand and the vibe in Vietnam were much better.
The trouble with Italy is with so many more travelers now, it is simply oversaturated. It is highly suggested if you plan on going to Italy. You go outside of the peak seasons.
Yes, very true! We would have been better out of high season, but it was just how our travels aligned. Thanks for watching ☺
Very nice video, really interesting. I would recommend you to go to the North of Spain. This side of Spain it's very much ignored by international tourist. Go to Asturias, Galicia, Santander, the bask region. There are mountains and a beautiful coast line. June to September is the best time to visit.
That sounds wonderful - we do hope to make it there in the next few years and will look into these areas. Cheers!
Underrated places for visitors in SE England-
1. Brighton
2. Guildford
3. Seaford
4. Lewes
5. Shoreham
Love this, Boni! Thank you for adding to the channel!! 😊
You can't go wrong with Mexico; places I need to go to: Guanajuato, Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido! From the research I've done, these are some the Jewels of the Country.
Also, I'm flying to underrated Vietnam on Wednesday!
Thank you for the recommendations! You'll love Vietnam, safe travels!