The verdict is in - London is the dirtiest, most expensive city in Europe
by Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent
(The Guardian)
Only Parisians are more unfriendly as hosts, according to a worldwide survey of more than 1,000 travellers, who also voted Brussels Europe’s most boring city.
The online poll, conducted by the Trip Advisor company, showed that London had elbowed out Paris for the unwanted title of dirtiest city, while Rome and Athens tied for third place.
Paris was also runner-up to London as the most expensive city, but the capital fared much better in other categories, being voted the best for nightlife and public parks.
London was second only to Paris for having the best shopping. The French capital was considered to have the most unfriendly hosts, followed by London and Moscow.
Despite the Brussels attractions of beer, chocolate, mussels and chips, it was voted the most boring European city, followed by Zurich, Oslo, Warsaw and Zagreb.
The cleanest city award went to Zurich, while Dublin was considered to have the most friendly and helpful locals. Paris, followed by Venice and Rome, were voted as the most romantic cities, while Paris and Rome took the top two places for best food. For those hunting for bargains, the best destinations were named as Prague, Budapest and Lisbon.
The survey of travellers predicted a buoyant year for Europe’s tourist industry, with 65% of travellers saying they were planning to travel to or within Europe in the next 12 months, nearly the same as last year.
September is set to be the busiest month for travel in Europe, with 20% of respondents intending to visit at that time.
As many as 29% said they were most likely to save money on their holiday to or within Europe by going during the off-peak season, while 43% (53% of Americans) expected to spend more money on this year’s trip to the continent.
Ian Rumgay, TripAdvisor European communications manager, said: It may be considered expensive but it seems that London’s still the best for travellers and the canny ones will always find good value. Public parks are a new category in our survey and London’s top place is a well-deserved testimony to the volume and variety of green space that visitors can enjoy in the city.
Tags: athens, cate, dirt, europe, Food, pace