An Australian travel influencer has taken to TikTok to share her most overrated and underrated destinations in Europe.
Jacki, who posts under the handle @jetsetting_jacki, regularly makes videos for her 23,000 followers, featuring travel tips for different locations.
In a recent post, she listed five places for each category and gave her reasons why – but not everyone agrees.
The clip has already been seen by more than 115,000 people, with commenters chiming in with their own opinions.
She captioned the TikTok: ‘So many European destinations are hyped up excessively, but this is just my opinion so 100% go make your own mind up and tell me what you think! Which one’s do you wanna fight me on?’
Five overrated European destinations
Paris
Kicking off Jacki’s overrated list is none other than the capital of France.
She admitted: ‘So, honest opinion, I absolutely hate Paris.
‘I’ve been to the city three times now and I felt unsafe. It was dirty, the people weren’t very nice.
‘I just did not enjoy my time in Paris at all and that is why it is on my overrated European places list’.
One viewer agreed: ‘Paris is under-hated [sic] and overrated,’ meanwhile a second insisted: ‘I love Paris…you cannot change my mind. Certain areas over-hyped for sure, but it’s still a beautiful city’.
Amsterdam
She continues: ‘Next, a bit controversial but joining Paris on the list is Amsterdam and I just thought the partying there was pretty overrated.
‘It just was not as good as people hyped it up to be and yes, I know there are a few things that are legal there, that aren’t legal in other places, but it just didn’t make up for it – I don’t know’.
However, commenters argued back on this one, with: ‘Amsterdam is amazing, just avoid the tourist places after the first day’ and ‘Amsterdam is the best city I have been to’.
A third pleaded: ‘Amsterdam is the best city in the world. You should give it another chance!’
Mykonos
Third on the list is a place that the influencer describes as ‘totally overrated’ and says she ‘wouldn’t even bother going’ – Mykonos.
Jacki explained: I don’t know if this is just because I am so in love with Ios but Mykonos was so expensive.
‘It was busy, the people were really s***** and thought they were like amazing because they were in Mykonos and better than you.’
She added: ‘Music was also s*** and the guys were so creepy, like so creepy’.
Magaluf
Fourth on the list is a popular British holiday destination, best known for it’s wild nightlife – Magaluf.
The travel pro explained: ‘Oh my God, I thought I was gonna be old going into it but I have never felt older in my life than going to Magaluf.
‘I’ve heard really good things about the rest of Mallorca so maybe I need to go back and go there, but Magaluf was the trashiest, most disgusting place I’ve ever been’.
Commenters joked: ‘How did Magaluf make this list?’ and ‘Who’s rating Magaluf?,’ alongside laughing emojis.
A third wrote: ‘Magaluf is well known across Europe as somewhere to not go – grimy and full of under-agers, it’s definitely not rated highly’.
Island of Capri
The final destination on Jacki’s overrated list is the Italian island of Capri, located within the Bay of Naples.
She revealed: ‘I do like it here on the island of Capri, it’s beautiful, I’ve been twice now.
‘But it’s so busy and it’s so tiny and all the shops and things are just so expensive.
‘Like, I can’t afford to be there – I think if you were rich and you had like a sugar daddy it’d be amazing’.
Five underrated European destinations
Sicily
Moving on to her five most underrated destinations, the TikToker named the Italian region of Sicily.
She reminisced: ‘I went there a few years ago and I can’t wait to go back.
‘It was amazing, it was cheap, it was beautiful, way less tourists’.
One viewer agreed: ‘Sicily is fantastic, amazing beaches and fantastic hidden gem villages’.
However, a different commenter argued: ‘Went to Palermo Sicily in 2002, biggest dump I’ve been to’.
Another penned: ‘Sicily is one of the poorest regions in Italy and there’s almost nothing to see and do unless you just wanna stay all day long at the beach or eat pasta, a big no for me’.
Scandinavia
Jacki continues: ‘Next, Scandinavia. I feel like a lot of Australians don’t put this on their Europe itinerary but I spent six months studying in Sweden and it was amazing guys.
‘I loved it there – I did Copenhagen, Norway, all of them were amazing.
‘The only place I didn’t love was Helsinki, but other than that, everything was so much fun’.
Although, viewers were quick to point out that Finland is not part of Scandinavia.
Another traveller chimed in with: ‘Scandinavia is nice but don’t go to Oslo. So expensive and not that different to Gothenburg or Stockholm’.
Meanwhile, someone else argued: ‘How are you bunching in Scandinavia as one place? It’s multiple countries’.
Malta
Third, she talks about Malta – famous for it’s beautiful coastline and breathtaking landscapes.
Jacki revealed: ‘Malta is literally one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
‘The beaches were stunning, the partying was really fun as well and I feel like it’s still a little bit quieter than some other European destinations’.
Viewers had similar experiences, adding: ‘Malta is a hidden gem, it’s a beautiful place. Going back this year’ and ‘Malta is amazing’.
Others wrote: ‘Malta is the best’ and ‘Malta is my favourite place’.
San Sebastian
Fourth on the content creators underrated last is the Spanish city of San Sebastian.
She told viewers: ‘Literally some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my whole life – you have to go.
‘It was so beautiful, it was chill, it was fun’.
Agreeing, a fellow fan penned: ‘Agree on San Sebastian, it’s the best. I could easily live there – good vibe, beaches, mountains close by, food is amazing’.
A second praised: ‘San Sebastian is the nicest City in Europe, best food by a country mile’.
Iceland
Finally, the travel pro talks about Iceland, despite never having been there.
She explained: ‘This is one that I haven’t been to but I know it will be literally incredible and that is Iceland.
‘I feel like a lot of people don’t put this on their bucket list but it looks insane and I just know I’m gonna love it’.
But others believe it should have been on the overrated list, with one user writing: ‘Iceland is a bit overrated, underrated really is Baltics the people there are amazing’.
Another agreed: ‘Iceland is not underrated, it’s so popular now’.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
