Ranking My City Breaks Worst to Best

I've travelled to quite a few places now, let's see how they all rank.

10. London—United Kingdom

Maybe I was too young to truly appreciate London but I've been once and never had the desire to return. I was sixteen when I went and it was on a school trip so that may have factored into why I didn't enjoy it as much as I maybe should have. It could also be that, being from Scotland, the culture in London isn't far off what I already have and so I'm not really learning anything new from the experience. Regardless of never wanting to go back, I did enjoy my walk around China Town.

9. Warsaw—Poland

I have to say that I did like Warsaw especially for such a last minute trip. I'm not a huge fan of staying in hostels, mostly because I don't feel comfortable around strangers and partly because I'm a terrible sleeper and seven other people in the room makes that even worse. Warsaw had some good museums and we found an excellent french cafe for breakfast. I think there maybe is a reason that people choose Krakow over Warsaw and it's ultimately because it's a prettier city. I found it to be interesting though and really enjoyed my time there.

8. Tallinn—Estonia

My most recent trip with my best friend for our birthdays, Tallinn is a little known city. In fact when I told people where I was going most had no clue where Estonia was. Tallinn is a beautiful little city that's very walkable and has some interesting history. We struggled somewhat with the food only because my friend is quite a fussy eater but I enjoyed sampling the local cuisine. Tallinn really plays up its medieval theme that really suits its architecture and if you choose to visit you should definitely check out the Tallinn wall that somewhat surrounds the old town. The only reason this city is so high up on the list is because I couldn't help but compare it to Prague and feel like it didn't quite measure up. However it is worth a visit.

7. Helsinki—Finland

From Tallin you can get the ferry across the Baltic Sea to the Nordic city of Helsinki in Finland. The ferry takes around two hours each way and is relatively cheap, costing us only twenty five pounds each. We only spent a day in Helsinki but it was enough to make me want to go back and see more. A bus tour introduced us to the art nouveau architecture that Helsinki is known for. We took a ferry out to Suomenlinna Island, also known as Fortress Island, where we walked across the island and visited some great little museums. We also took a look around the Kiasma, Helsinki's modern art museum, and sampled some local cuisine. I really wish I had more time to see this amazing city.

6. Paris—France

I'm sure many of you will gasp when you see how high up Paris is on this list compared to where it would usually be. I'm going to say it because someone has to, Paris is overhyped. The films, the tv shows, the documentaries all hype it up to be the city of love and the truth is that it's not that amazing. Don't get me wrong, it's still a city with amazing architecture and interesting culture but I just felt like I was expecting more with how everybody goes on and on about Paris. Then again, maybe I need to give the city a second chance.

5. Barcelona—Spain

I've actually been to Barcelona twice, however the first time I was too young to remember to I'm basing this ranking off my second trip with some friends. We stayed super central, enjoyed the markets and parks and some really delicious food, Barcelona has been the best city I've visited for vegan food. The beaches were beautiful and the people really friendly. I highly recommend taking a trip up to the Olympic swimming pool as you get really good views of the city as well as the nice cool pool. Barcelona is a good choice for a city break if you're looking for that balance between sightseeing and relaxing on the beach.

4. Valencia—Spain

Possibly the most underrated city on my list because I was blown away by Valencia. We had moved our way up from the south of Spain stopping in Valencia for a few days before making our way to Barcelona. Valencia's beach is absolutely gorgeous, they had this amazing little market that we visited everyday and the parks were great for a walk. The arts and science district in Valencia is out of this world, so much so that an episode of Doctor Who was filmed there, with some stunning buildings that are extremely modern. Please visit Valencia, it's a beautiful city that deserves way more love than it gets.

3. New York City—United States

The only city on this list outside of Europe, New York city is a must do. Again I feel that it can be a little overhyped but it is an amazing city to see. In the summer it gets super hot so watch out for that. Do all the typical sighteeing stuff, the bridges, the museums, the Empire State Building and then go off the beaten track and do the High Line. The High Line is an old rail line that has been transformed into a park and walkway. It's absolutely stunning and a must do in this city.

2. Prague—Czech Republic

Prague was my introduction to real city breaks, my introduction to a different culture. I fell in love with this city so quickly and so thoroughly that six months later, I found myself back there again. Prague is nothing short of stunning in both the winter and summer. In the winter season it's freezing and a soft blanket of snow covers the buildings making the entire city seem magical. In the summer it's super hot and the entire city is engulfed in sunlight that really allows it to shine. Prague will never disappoint me. Not the architecture, not the food, and not the people.

1. Berlin—Germany

Berlin is not the prettiest city on this list, not by a long shot. It doesn't have Valencia's modern edge, it doesn't have New York City's skyline and it doesn't have Prague's sparkle. What it does have is a rich history that it doesn't shy away from. Germany acknowledges its past transgressions, they have museums dedicated to their horrible past in order to ensure nothing like that ever happens again. Maybe it's because we don't talk about our hideous past in the UK We don't acknowledge that we colonized many countries, that we're the reason that Native American's lost their land. The German's are honest. That's what Berlin is. An honest city, that knows it's not the prettiest but makes up for that in so many other ways.