Two non-nomad friends of ours recently took a trip to Italy — and learned that travel in 2024 is nothing like it used to be. But that doesn't mean they didn't have a great time.
I’m SO glad we got to see many of these places back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Even in non-European countries it’s getting so bad. In 2018, we hiked the Inca Trail in Peru. There were hardly any people on the trail and it was spectacular. We were shocked when we arrived at Machu Picchu and saw the crowds. Not just crowds but badly-behaved crowds. Someone was flying a drone (strictly prohibited) and the poor rangers were trying to find them. We saw a woman with a biscuit in her mouth trying to convince a llama to take it…out of her mouth! Machu Picchu was the main reason we went to Peru and it sunk way down on my list of favorite sites. We went to Sri Lanka in February thinking there would be less tourists there. While it wasn’t at European levels, I was surprised at the number of tourists (very few Americans though). Costco is now offering a trip to Sri Lanka so expect it to get bad! 😂 Sorry for the rant—I still love to travel!
Oh, that is disappointing about Machu Picchu. Interesting, we were just discussing going there this spring, but...maybe not. Still want to see Peru, however. And if we're there....
Yes, it's getting harder and harder to get away from the crowds, no quesiton. Not impossible, but hard.
This summer, my husband and I had to change our (domestic) travel plans suddenly because our original destination closed due to wildfires. We decided to go to the Northwest coast, but I thought we would never be able to get reservations in August in shore towns on only a week's notice. To my shock, we not only had no problem getting nice rooms, but the beaches had plenty of room, the streets were busy but not insane, and we were able to eat in any restaurant without reservations (though we are early eaters). The parks were mostly uncrowded; at one wildlife refuge, we saw exactly one other hiker. I thoroughly savored the experience because, as I said to my husband, "How long can this last? I wonder if these towns will be 'discovered' soon and, in a few years, be totally overrun and unrecognizable?" It feels like travel is often the experience of just trying to stay one or two steps ahead of the crowds.
Washington State? or Oregon? That is great though!
I suppose it will always be the case that places will become more and less popular, based on prices, crowds, weather, etc. And I think you're right: travel from now on will be trying to stay two steps ahead of the crowds.
I do wonder: since so many places are building so many new hotels, etc., will there be bargains in the off season, with so many empty rooms?
I can attest to everything in this post. I came to Italy in September and am still there now. Rome was exhausting with the crowds. In our small non-touristic hilltop town it was bliss. Tomorrow, we are going to Spello and later Florence hoping for the best. I'll report!
The owner of our AirBnB (we're ALL part of the problem) in Sienna was telling us about all the Italians moving out of Florence because it's become so crowded. We found Sienna doable with some crowds but to be expected in an incredible city like that.
And here we just booked a trip to Italy at the end of April, with 5 days in Rome. I was last in Rome in 1995 and it *was* like something out of Instagram. How sad.
We were there earlier this year, and there are ABSOLUTELY places to go that are wonderful. They're not the BIG tourists places, which were mosh pits. There is so much to see and do in that city! But, of course, who doesn't want to see the Vatican and the Coliseum too? Such a conundrum.
Definitely, if you can do it, do the "skip the line" tours through Viator or AirBnB. We managed to kind of sail through the Vatican with an excellent tour guide who took us through the whole thing. Same for the Coliseum.
Rome is set up for big crowds though - like NYC, Paris, London - it's a major city with so much going on. The best part was just wandering through Trastavere or other areas and everywhere you go there are ancient ruins and bistros and amazing churches.
Well I WAS planning a trip next fall to Italy, but this makes me rethink that! I was planning on mostly going to smaller towns and sights (with the exception of Pompeii that I've wanted to see since I read about it in my Weekly Reader) and Amalfi. I specifically didn't plan to go to Rome, Venice, Pisa and other big spots since I visited in the 60's with my parents and want to remember those places like they were. We can love places to death.
Lake Garda was breathtaking and while it was admittedly 8 years ago, we rarely heard English spoken. The small towns around the lake are worth exploring and easily accessible by water taxi. It is a tourist area, but mostly for other Europeans.
Yes--I visited Edinburgh Castle last December, and it was literally just a tour of other tourists. You couldn't linger to look at any of the exhibits or read any of the panels--you just had to manage to stay upright in a human river. Same for the Book of Kells in Dublin.
Haha yes, true, we are also there. I guess in my mind, I wish the managers valued visitor experience over worshiping the cash cow. A limited number of visitors, timed entry, that kind of thing.
We haven’t travelled to Europe since pre-covid and miss it very much. One of our most memorable trips was a three week trip to Italy in 2014. Flew in to Milan and picked up a rental car. Drove to Cinque Terre for five days. Then drove to Venice and stayed a few days. From there we drove to Verona for another five days. While in Verona we made a day trip to Lake Como. Bellagio was truly a splendor. From Verona we drove to Rome and stayed there until it was time to fly home. A truly memorable trip and thankfully before the tourist overflow. What added to the joy was that we used VRBO so we always had either an entire apartment or a house to ourselves.
Yes, as much as people love to hate Airbnb, I can't imagine going back to hotels, especially for occasional stays. Having a whole apartment (as here in Bristol) is so so so much better.
This has certainly been my experience as well. My favourite travel moments very rarely tend to be the hot spots. Sometimes you gotta find this out the hard way!
We feel so lucky, three weeks into our month in the Ortigia area of Siracusa on the southeast coast of Sicily—no crowds and a relaxed atmosphere. The weather has been variable, but warmed back up and today I was able to swim in the gorgeous harbor and sunbathe at a lido. We have been able to see “sights” at a relaxed pace, plus just shop for groceries, take walks, and we attended a concert at a local church. When I was in the Cinqueterre area two years ago in September, I stayed in Lerici, and highly recommend it (although it is popular in summer with Italians so not a bargain). Just over the hill is an area of northern Tuscany called Lunigiana, which is gorgeous: hilltop fortress towns, chestnut forests, and national parks. Off the tourist beaten path, I think.
This is so, so sad. Years ago I went to Italy as a student, and met two guys I would become friends with as they were going to see Paris and I became their tour guide. That's when I started to learn Italian (I would live in Italy years later, near Lago Maggiore). They both lived in the Cinque Terre (I won't say which town haha). Kept in touch with them for years. It was a magical place. I've also been to Montepulciano, one of my absolute faves! Very few tourists there back then. I wonder what my friends think of all the tourists now. There should be a quota. An application process even! (Write an essay explaining why you are the ideal tourist to let in this year)
We stayed in Montepulciano in an AirBnB just outside the city walls. The owner of our AirBnB lived about 15 minutes outside of town - where she said a lot of Montepulciano residents have moved because of tourists. But it was still very beautiful and doable.
But, funny story - we went to the local grocery store where a lot of Italians were shopping and were in line to pay, when we recognized other Americans in the grocery line ahead of us. Turns out - they used to live in the same city we used to live in (and met Brent and Michael in) - Tacoma. It was hilarious.
Have you tried the wine? The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo? This is why I traveled across the Atlantic ocean. To kiss the ground of the source of this divine gift from the gods. And that is precisely what I did. I arrived, dropped to my knees, and kissed a cobblestone.
My partner and I went to Greece (my third trip, his first) and Rome (my second, his third) in September. We were also in Prague and Germany over Xmas 2022. I can confirm there is no off season for many/most of the must see marquee sites. There were corners of Rome that were less crowded but the crowds waiting to get into/out of the Colassium looked like the crowds going to the Super Bowl...in late September.
My 60th is in September. I have always celebrated birthdays ending in zero with a big trip. Debating New Zealand, India or areas of the Mediterranean with fewer tourists. I must confess the numbers of tourists- wherever they're from - is a huge factor in where I decide to go.
What a small world! I know Marcy from corporate days and saw many of her photos on FB and IG. What a great trip!
Curious if you guys have been to Buenos Aires and any suggestions for traveling there? I would love to be out of the country during the inauguration in January and have always wanted to visit there, as well as the Igauzu Falls and Uruguay across the way.
Wow that IS a small world! Incredible! They're very good friends of ours.
We have never been to BA! I have heard great things. And it used to be very weird with cash and credit cards -- you needed to barter with US dollars -- but that apparently isn't true any more.
We did BA, Igazu Falls and Uruguay (the town across from BA whose name escapes me) for my 50th. First, Igazu is amazing...it's like going to Jurassic Park in terms of the landscape you see. I have been to the Grand Canyon and Niagara and it's more impressive. Stay 2 nights. You have to fly from BA up there. There was a hotel within walking distance of the falls (well part of the falls) that WAS a Sheraton but I understand it was closed for renovations. You actually have to go into the park (a car ride away) to see the falls. They're huge. BA is amazing although there isn't one single landmark like the Eiffiel Tower. The city goes on forever and each neighborhood seems to have a completely different personality. A lot of it could be mistaken for parts of Paris. Our tour guide told us a saying they use about people from BA: They're Italians who speak Spanish, dress like British, and think they live in Paris.
And basic info: if you can, stay at the Park Hyatt. We used points. If you can't, at least stay in the Ricoletta neighborhood. Most of Argentine food looks like Italian. Try the empanadas, beef or chicken Milanese and the pizza....yes, it's a thing. You could spend hours strolling through constantly changing city shapes. Do take the tour of the Opera house - the last great one built.
And the cash situation- not the case about 9 years ago. Things were cheap and normal. That was after the huge economic free fall of the 1990s.
I've written about this same thing on our travel pub. We sold everything 4.5 years ago to travel full-time, and when we started, it was absolutely amazing. Now there's overtourism, price gouging, and waaaay more rude and self-centered people to contend with! But I think online influencers and travel writers like us are partly to blame IMHO.
Overall, those of us who want to be nomads full-time will have to adapt and find places off the beaten path to have the best experiences going forward. Or be ready to take more anxiety meds and spend more money in the places like you've mentioned.
You're absolutely right, we definitely share some of the blame. I'm very torn about this, because, well, I think travel is great and I think everyone should do it. But, yeah, too many folks ruin it for everyone.
My wife and I live in Nice (France) and visited Rome for our anniversay in March. Our itinerary was modest as we've been there many times over the years; we were, however, astonished at the massive crowds even then near major tourist destinations. This past summer tourism in Nice was intense, but concentrated in the Vielle Ville rather than in the main residential areas. Things now, in November, seem a more back-to-normal, but as recently as a few weeks ago there were long lines of people awaiting entry to the Matisse and Chagall museums. The congestion is quite tangible, and summer has become our stay-at-home season to avoid the crowds elsewhere.
Yes, this summer, Michael and I said, "We are never going to major destination in Western Europe in summer ever again." And we are noticing that that is creepying into fall in many places.
Geez, that's sad—I remember when we lived in Germany in the 1960s, people from the U.S. treated it as if the post-WWII Occupation had just begun and the country was still mostly rubble. My grandparents from both sides of the family came to visit (my maternal Grandma ended up staying and getting a job as a Department of Army Civilian, while living in a nice one-bedroom apartment On the Economy), and loved traveling Europe then. Grandma even bought herself a Mercedes which she LOVED, probably as much as she loved her grandkids!
Since I've been an adult I've traveled outside the U.S. a lot less—Tijuana while in college in San Diego, Toronto and Montreal because we could drive there for SF cons and the like, Alaska because my wife went there on business (technically the U.S., but Toronto felt more like home!), Australia twice, London once, and Denmark once. The two places I've considered fleeing to every time Trump wins are Copenhagen (who are successfully using their oil economy to eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels altogether, unlike Saudi Arabia!) and Melbourne, which reminded me of San Francisco the one time I was there.
I liked London the one time I was there, but it makes New York City look affordable by comparison!
It was—and I was too young to realize it at the time! I took it for granted that thanks to the Straßenbahn (streetcars which Frankfurt had at that time, and apparently still does!) I had incredible mobility for a teenager without a car and too young to drive—for 50 Pfennigs (about 12 cents at that time) I could get from Drake/Edwards Kasserne (the combination U.S. Army base/dependent housing built after WWII on the outskirts of the city) to downtown Frankfurt to attend judo class or shop for records (or those 8mm movies which I was obsessed with as young teen, before my parents bought me my own 8mm film camera!), or go on a date when I got a bit older.
I’m SO glad we got to see many of these places back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Even in non-European countries it’s getting so bad. In 2018, we hiked the Inca Trail in Peru. There were hardly any people on the trail and it was spectacular. We were shocked when we arrived at Machu Picchu and saw the crowds. Not just crowds but badly-behaved crowds. Someone was flying a drone (strictly prohibited) and the poor rangers were trying to find them. We saw a woman with a biscuit in her mouth trying to convince a llama to take it…out of her mouth! Machu Picchu was the main reason we went to Peru and it sunk way down on my list of favorite sites. We went to Sri Lanka in February thinking there would be less tourists there. While it wasn’t at European levels, I was surprised at the number of tourists (very few Americans though). Costco is now offering a trip to Sri Lanka so expect it to get bad! 😂 Sorry for the rant—I still love to travel!
Oh, that is disappointing about Machu Picchu. Interesting, we were just discussing going there this spring, but...maybe not. Still want to see Peru, however. And if we're there....
Yes, it's getting harder and harder to get away from the crowds, no quesiton. Not impossible, but hard.
If it helps, we arrived at Machu Picchu late afternoon and the crowds were much smaller then than the next morning
Oh my god, that's insane. Yes, the badly behaved get me as well. It ruins the whole experience.
This summer, my husband and I had to change our (domestic) travel plans suddenly because our original destination closed due to wildfires. We decided to go to the Northwest coast, but I thought we would never be able to get reservations in August in shore towns on only a week's notice. To my shock, we not only had no problem getting nice rooms, but the beaches had plenty of room, the streets were busy but not insane, and we were able to eat in any restaurant without reservations (though we are early eaters). The parks were mostly uncrowded; at one wildlife refuge, we saw exactly one other hiker. I thoroughly savored the experience because, as I said to my husband, "How long can this last? I wonder if these towns will be 'discovered' soon and, in a few years, be totally overrun and unrecognizable?" It feels like travel is often the experience of just trying to stay one or two steps ahead of the crowds.
Washington State? or Oregon? That is great though!
I suppose it will always be the case that places will become more and less popular, based on prices, crowds, weather, etc. And I think you're right: travel from now on will be trying to stay two steps ahead of the crowds.
I do wonder: since so many places are building so many new hotels, etc., will there be bargains in the off season, with so many empty rooms?
Northern Oregon and southern Washington.
As for your last question: We can hope!
I can attest to everything in this post. I came to Italy in September and am still there now. Rome was exhausting with the crowds. In our small non-touristic hilltop town it was bliss. Tomorrow, we are going to Spello and later Florence hoping for the best. I'll report!
Fantastic! Yes please do. 😍🙂
The owner of our AirBnB (we're ALL part of the problem) in Sienna was telling us about all the Italians moving out of Florence because it's become so crowded. We found Sienna doable with some crowds but to be expected in an incredible city like that.
And here we just booked a trip to Italy at the end of April, with 5 days in Rome. I was last in Rome in 1995 and it *was* like something out of Instagram. How sad.
We were there earlier this year, and there are ABSOLUTELY places to go that are wonderful. They're not the BIG tourists places, which were mosh pits. There is so much to see and do in that city! But, of course, who doesn't want to see the Vatican and the Coliseum too? Such a conundrum.
I might slide into your DMs on Insta for your tips, mmmkay?
Definitely, if you can do it, do the "skip the line" tours through Viator or AirBnB. We managed to kind of sail through the Vatican with an excellent tour guide who took us through the whole thing. Same for the Coliseum.
Rome is set up for big crowds though - like NYC, Paris, London - it's a major city with so much going on. The best part was just wandering through Trastavere or other areas and everywhere you go there are ancient ruins and bistros and amazing churches.
Well I WAS planning a trip next fall to Italy, but this makes me rethink that! I was planning on mostly going to smaller towns and sights (with the exception of Pompeii that I've wanted to see since I read about it in my Weekly Reader) and Amalfi. I specifically didn't plan to go to Rome, Venice, Pisa and other big spots since I visited in the 60's with my parents and want to remember those places like they were. We can love places to death.
Pompeii is fascinating, but so is Herculanaeum, they OTHER town destroyed by the volcano. And there's no one there.
Er, I should say it was deserted in 2019. Who knows now.
Lake Garda was breathtaking and while it was admittedly 8 years ago, we rarely heard English spoken. The small towns around the lake are worth exploring and easily accessible by water taxi. It is a tourist area, but mostly for other Europeans.
That is high on our list.
I think you would love it. As you drive north the Italian Alps show themselves and the food and culture changes a bit. Truly memorable.
There are still places to go! But yeah, Italy is...busy.
Yes--I visited Edinburgh Castle last December, and it was literally just a tour of other tourists. You couldn't linger to look at any of the exhibits or read any of the panels--you just had to manage to stay upright in a human river. Same for the Book of Kells in Dublin.
Uggh, sorry to hear that. We can't blame the other people because, well, we're there. But they still end up being miserable experiences.
Haha yes, true, we are also there. I guess in my mind, I wish the managers valued visitor experience over worshiping the cash cow. A limited number of visitors, timed entry, that kind of thing.
💯💯💯
Sage advice and our own philosophy, too. It really isn't that hard to skip the mosh pit!
It's true, but sometimes we still find ourselves shocked and overwhelming, especially at airports in summer.
Good point! We try to avoid travelling at all in summer 👀
We haven’t travelled to Europe since pre-covid and miss it very much. One of our most memorable trips was a three week trip to Italy in 2014. Flew in to Milan and picked up a rental car. Drove to Cinque Terre for five days. Then drove to Venice and stayed a few days. From there we drove to Verona for another five days. While in Verona we made a day trip to Lake Como. Bellagio was truly a splendor. From Verona we drove to Rome and stayed there until it was time to fly home. A truly memorable trip and thankfully before the tourist overflow. What added to the joy was that we used VRBO so we always had either an entire apartment or a house to ourselves.
Yes, as much as people love to hate Airbnb, I can't imagine going back to hotels, especially for occasional stays. Having a whole apartment (as here in Bristol) is so so so much better.
Sounds fantastic!
This has certainly been my experience as well. My favourite travel moments very rarely tend to be the hot spots. Sometimes you gotta find this out the hard way!
Sadly, true.
We feel so lucky, three weeks into our month in the Ortigia area of Siracusa on the southeast coast of Sicily—no crowds and a relaxed atmosphere. The weather has been variable, but warmed back up and today I was able to swim in the gorgeous harbor and sunbathe at a lido. We have been able to see “sights” at a relaxed pace, plus just shop for groceries, take walks, and we attended a concert at a local church. When I was in the Cinqueterre area two years ago in September, I stayed in Lerici, and highly recommend it (although it is popular in summer with Italians so not a bargain). Just over the hill is an area of northern Tuscany called Lunigiana, which is gorgeous: hilltop fortress towns, chestnut forests, and national parks. Off the tourist beaten path, I think.
Wonderful! There are still places to go, that's for sure. Love Sicily -- need to go back ASAP.
This is so, so sad. Years ago I went to Italy as a student, and met two guys I would become friends with as they were going to see Paris and I became their tour guide. That's when I started to learn Italian (I would live in Italy years later, near Lago Maggiore). They both lived in the Cinque Terre (I won't say which town haha). Kept in touch with them for years. It was a magical place. I've also been to Montepulciano, one of my absolute faves! Very few tourists there back then. I wonder what my friends think of all the tourists now. There should be a quota. An application process even! (Write an essay explaining why you are the ideal tourist to let in this year)
LOL. I jest of course... or do I...
Haha, I would be down for that, I think. I also don't mind kicking out folks who can't be adults. That's why we can't have nice things!
I don't know what the answer is to any of this, I really don't.
We stayed in Montepulciano in an AirBnB just outside the city walls. The owner of our AirBnB lived about 15 minutes outside of town - where she said a lot of Montepulciano residents have moved because of tourists. But it was still very beautiful and doable.
But, funny story - we went to the local grocery store where a lot of Italians were shopping and were in line to pay, when we recognized other Americans in the grocery line ahead of us. Turns out - they used to live in the same city we used to live in (and met Brent and Michael in) - Tacoma. It was hilarious.
Have you tried the wine? The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo? This is why I traveled across the Atlantic ocean. To kiss the ground of the source of this divine gift from the gods. And that is precisely what I did. I arrived, dropped to my knees, and kissed a cobblestone.
and don't get me started about the olive oil....
LOL
My partner and I went to Greece (my third trip, his first) and Rome (my second, his third) in September. We were also in Prague and Germany over Xmas 2022. I can confirm there is no off season for many/most of the must see marquee sites. There were corners of Rome that were less crowded but the crowds waiting to get into/out of the Colassium looked like the crowds going to the Super Bowl...in late September.
My 60th is in September. I have always celebrated birthdays ending in zero with a big trip. Debating New Zealand, India or areas of the Mediterranean with fewer tourists. I must confess the numbers of tourists- wherever they're from - is a huge factor in where I decide to go.
That is an EXTREMELY reasonable factor. We completely agree. Things are forever changed, I suppose.
What a small world! I know Marcy from corporate days and saw many of her photos on FB and IG. What a great trip!
Curious if you guys have been to Buenos Aires and any suggestions for traveling there? I would love to be out of the country during the inauguration in January and have always wanted to visit there, as well as the Igauzu Falls and Uruguay across the way.
Wow that IS a small world! Incredible! They're very good friends of ours.
We have never been to BA! I have heard great things. And it used to be very weird with cash and credit cards -- you needed to barter with US dollars -- but that apparently isn't true any more.
We did BA, Igazu Falls and Uruguay (the town across from BA whose name escapes me) for my 50th. First, Igazu is amazing...it's like going to Jurassic Park in terms of the landscape you see. I have been to the Grand Canyon and Niagara and it's more impressive. Stay 2 nights. You have to fly from BA up there. There was a hotel within walking distance of the falls (well part of the falls) that WAS a Sheraton but I understand it was closed for renovations. You actually have to go into the park (a car ride away) to see the falls. They're huge. BA is amazing although there isn't one single landmark like the Eiffiel Tower. The city goes on forever and each neighborhood seems to have a completely different personality. A lot of it could be mistaken for parts of Paris. Our tour guide told us a saying they use about people from BA: They're Italians who speak Spanish, dress like British, and think they live in Paris.
And basic info: if you can, stay at the Park Hyatt. We used points. If you can't, at least stay in the Ricoletta neighborhood. Most of Argentine food looks like Italian. Try the empanadas, beef or chicken Milanese and the pizza....yes, it's a thing. You could spend hours strolling through constantly changing city shapes. Do take the tour of the Opera house - the last great one built.
And the cash situation- not the case about 9 years ago. Things were cheap and normal. That was after the huge economic free fall of the 1990s.
That sounds wonderful! Need to see this.
Thank you so much!
I've written about this same thing on our travel pub. We sold everything 4.5 years ago to travel full-time, and when we started, it was absolutely amazing. Now there's overtourism, price gouging, and waaaay more rude and self-centered people to contend with! But I think online influencers and travel writers like us are partly to blame IMHO.
Overall, those of us who want to be nomads full-time will have to adapt and find places off the beaten path to have the best experiences going forward. Or be ready to take more anxiety meds and spend more money in the places like you've mentioned.
You're absolutely right, we definitely share some of the blame. I'm very torn about this, because, well, I think travel is great and I think everyone should do it. But, yeah, too many folks ruin it for everyone.
My wife and I live in Nice (France) and visited Rome for our anniversay in March. Our itinerary was modest as we've been there many times over the years; we were, however, astonished at the massive crowds even then near major tourist destinations. This past summer tourism in Nice was intense, but concentrated in the Vielle Ville rather than in the main residential areas. Things now, in November, seem a more back-to-normal, but as recently as a few weeks ago there were long lines of people awaiting entry to the Matisse and Chagall museums. The congestion is quite tangible, and summer has become our stay-at-home season to avoid the crowds elsewhere.
Thanks, John! March? WOW.
Yes, this summer, Michael and I said, "We are never going to major destination in Western Europe in summer ever again." And we are noticing that that is creepying into fall in many places.
Geez, that's sad—I remember when we lived in Germany in the 1960s, people from the U.S. treated it as if the post-WWII Occupation had just begun and the country was still mostly rubble. My grandparents from both sides of the family came to visit (my maternal Grandma ended up staying and getting a job as a Department of Army Civilian, while living in a nice one-bedroom apartment On the Economy), and loved traveling Europe then. Grandma even bought herself a Mercedes which she LOVED, probably as much as she loved her grandkids!
Since I've been an adult I've traveled outside the U.S. a lot less—Tijuana while in college in San Diego, Toronto and Montreal because we could drive there for SF cons and the like, Alaska because my wife went there on business (technically the U.S., but Toronto felt more like home!), Australia twice, London once, and Denmark once. The two places I've considered fleeing to every time Trump wins are Copenhagen (who are successfully using their oil economy to eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels altogether, unlike Saudi Arabia!) and Melbourne, which reminded me of San Francisco the one time I was there.
I liked London the one time I was there, but it makes New York City look affordable by comparison!
LOL. I still think New York is more expensive!
There are still lovely second-and third-tier cities to discover, thank goodness.
I bet Germany in the 60s was incredible
It was—and I was too young to realize it at the time! I took it for granted that thanks to the Straßenbahn (streetcars which Frankfurt had at that time, and apparently still does!) I had incredible mobility for a teenager without a car and too young to drive—for 50 Pfennigs (about 12 cents at that time) I could get from Drake/Edwards Kasserne (the combination U.S. Army base/dependent housing built after WWII on the outskirts of the city) to downtown Frankfurt to attend judo class or shop for records (or those 8mm movies which I was obsessed with as young teen, before my parents bought me my own 8mm film camera!), or go on a date when I got a bit older.