Last Updated: 5/10/21 |May 10th, 2021 (Originally posted in 2011)
When you travel for a living, you get asked a lot of questions as you bounce from one hostel to another. The top one: what’s your favorite country?
The second most asked question: what’s your favorite city?
I’ve spent a long time traveling the world and have been to hundreds upon hundreds of cities in the world. There are so many that I love for many different reasons – some for art, some for history, some for the food, most for the people.
But, to me, the ones that stand out the most are the ones where I feel most at home. They are places I check out and feel connected too. Their energy and my energy match. I move around them with ease, I feel at one with the culture, and tempo of the city.
I think to myself “Yeah, I could live here.” Not just check out but live.
And, when I think that, then I know I’ve found a special place.
So what are my favorite cities in the world? Where are the places I feel that way? Ils sont ici:
My 14 favorite Cities
Amsterdam
Paris
Bangkok
Stockholm
La ville de New York
Chicago
Vancouver
Queenstown
Perth
Hong Kong
Reykjavik
Londres
Oaxaca
Le Cap
1. Amsterdam
I can’t say exactly how many times I’ve been to Amsterdam, but it’s in the double digits. And, for a brief time at the end of 2006, I lived there as a professional poker player (Seriously. It’s one of the more interesting random facts about me!).
The fast-paced life, friendly locals, easy access to the rest of Europe, picturesque canals, and stunning architecture keep me coming back. Plus, it being Amsterdam and all, there are tons of weird and quirky things to see and do there too!
In some ways, Amsterdam reminds me of my hometown of Boston, which might be why I love it so much. The brick buildings, fast-moving people, austere vibe. On se sent comme à la maison.
Favorite activity: Boating through the canals with friends.
Visiting Amsterdam? check out my complete budget travel guide to Amsterdam! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!
2. Paris
Ever since I stepped out on the Champs Elysées, I knew Paris was it. It was everything I dreamed it would be I was in love from the first moment. Sure, Paris is large and expensive and bursting with tourists. but what big city isn’t like that?
Paris is beautiful, vibrant, and filled with tasty food and history. Being here is like being in a real-life romantic comedy. I love the city so much I even moved there for a good chunk of 2019. It really does live up to all the hype, especially when you move away from the tourist areas and into the local places more.
Favorite activity: picking up some good food at the market and having a picnic.
Get my complete budget travel guide to Paris and plan the perfect trip! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!
3. Bangkok
I hated Bangkok the first few times I traveled there. It was simply a dirty, polluted city with no redeeming qualities. It wasn’t until I moved there that I fell in love with it.
Bangkok, it turns out, is an easy city to live in — there’s lots to do, plenty of events, terrific bars, wonderful food (nothing beats Thai street food), and even more wonderful people. It’s just a bad tourist city. There’s just not a lot to do there for a tourist. It’s a city you live in.
Living in Bangkok showed me that looks can be deceiving and that there is more to a city than what you see on the surface. You just need to be willing to look a little deeper.
And, when you do, you always find something special.
Favorite activity: live music at brick Bar or eating noodles at a street stall.
If you’re visiting Bangkok, check out my complete budget travel guide to Bangkok! It has everything I know about the city in one easy place.
4. Stockholm
I have a strong affinity for all things Scandinavian, and Stockholm is no exception. I’ve been there a handful of times over the years, and I even tried to move there years ago (it didn’t work out).
I think this city is one of the most picturesque I have ever seen. The reds and greens of the buildings have an Old world charm that rivals cities like Prague, and during the fall, the changing leaves only highlight that beauty.
Stockholm is also very historic, with a high quality of life, and the Swedes in the city are super friendly and welcoming. It’s not a low-cost city to visit, but it’s worth every penny!
Favorite activity: getting lost in the maze of historic streets in Gamla Stan.
5. new York City
New York City is a place where dreams are made into reality and there is always something to do, something to see, or a new place to eat. The city is so multicultural that when I feel like I need to travel but I can’t, there’s an ethnic area of the city that will give me my fix.
I love NYC. It is the heart of the world to me. It is a non-stop place where you come to make it in the world. You can always finMY 14 favorite CITIES IN THE world (###) Last Updated: 5/10/21 |May 10th, 2021 (Originally posted in 2011)
When you travel for a living, you get asked a lot of questions as you bounce from one hostel to another. The top one: what’s your favorite country?
The second most asked question: what’s your favorite city?
I’ve spent a long time traveling the world and have been to hundreds upon hundreds of cities in the world. There are so many that I love for many different reasons – some for art, some for history, some for the food, most for the people.
But, to me, the ones that stand out the most are the ones where I feel most at home. They are places I check out and feel connected too. Their energy and my energy match. I move around them with ease, I feel at one with the culture, and tempo of the city.
I think to myself “Yeah, I could live here.” Not just check out but live.
And, when I think that, then I know I’ve found a special place.
So what are my favorite cities in the world? Where are the places I feel that way? Ils sont ici:
My 14 favorite Cities
Amsterdam
Paris
Bangkok
Stockholm
La ville de New York
Chicago
Vancouver
Queenstown
Perth
Hong Kong
Reykjavik
Londres
Oaxaca
Le Cap
1. Amsterdam
I can’t say exactly how many times I’ve been to Amsterdam, but it’s in the double digits. And, for a brief time at the end of 2006, I lived there as a professional poker player (Seriously. It’s one of the more interesting random facts about me!).
The fast-paced life, friendly locals, easy access to the rest of Europe, picturesque canals, and stunning architecture keep me coming back. Plus, it being Amsterdam and all, there are tons of weird and quirky things to see and do there too!
In some ways, Amsterdam reminds me of my hometown of Boston, which might be why I love it so much. The brick buildings, fast-moving people, austere vibe. On se sent comme à la maison.
Favorite activity: Boating through the canals with friends.
Visiting Amsterdam? check out my complete budget travel guide to Amsterdam! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!
2. Paris
Ever since I stepped out on the Champs Elysées, I knew Paris was it. It was everything I dreamed it would be I was in love from the first moment. Sure, Paris is large and expensive and bursting with tourists. but what big city isn’t like that?
Paris is beautiful, vibrant, and filled with tasty food and history. Being here is like being in a real-life romantic comedy. I love the city so much I even moved there for a good chunk of 2019. It really does live up to all the hype, especially when you move away from the tourist areas and into the local places more.
Favorite activity: picking up some good food at the market and having a picnic.
Get my complete budget travel guide to Paris and plan the perfect trip! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!
3. Bangkok
I hated Bangkok the first few times I traveled there. It was simply a dirty, polluted city with no redeeming qualities. It wasn’t until I moved there that I fell in love with it.
Bangkok, it turns out, is an easy city to live in — there’s lots to do, plenty of events, terrific bars, wonderful food (nothing beats Thai street food), and even more wonderful people. It’s just a bad tourist city. There’s just not a lot to do there for a tourist. It’s a city you live in.
Living in Bangkok showed me that looks can be deceiving and that there is more to a city than what you see on the surface. You just need to be willing to look a little deeper.
And, when you do, you always find something special.
Favorite activity: live music at brick Bar or eating noodles at a street stall.
If you’re visiting Bangkok, check out my complete budget travel guide to Bangkok! It has everything I know about the city in one easy place.
4. Stockholm
I have a strong affinity for all things Scandinavian, and Stockholm is no exception. I’ve been there a handful of times over the years, and I even tried to move there years ago (it didn’t work out).
I think this city is one of the most picturesque I have ever seen. The reds and greens of the buildings have an Old world charm that rivals cities like Prague, and during the fall, the changing leaves only highlight that beauty.
Stockholm is also very historic, with a high quality of life, and the Swedes in the city are super friendly and welcoming. It’s not a low-cost city to visit, but it’s worth every penny!
Favorite activity: getting lost in the maze of historic streets in Gamla Stan.
5. new York City
New York City is a place where dreams are made into reality and there is always something to do, something to see, or a new place to eat. The city is so multicultural that when I feel like I need to travel but I can’t, there’s an ethnic area of the city that will give me my fix.
I love NYC. It is the heart of the world to me. It is a non-stop place where you come to make it in the world. You can always fins d’autres choses libres à voir et à faire aussi).
Mais ce n’est que l’année dernière que j’ai passé un mois dans la ville que je l’ai vraiment «obtenu». J’ai compris pourquoi les gens aimaient ça. Il y avait une charmante sophistication à l’endroit.
Se promener dans les rues de la ville, profiter des marchés, prendre l’histoire de l’endroit, poser dans le parc et avoir une pinte à l’extérieur d’un pub? Paradis.
Paris aura toujours mon cœur mais Londres se rapproche.
Activité préférée: Visiter autant de musées que possible, puis boire dans un pub.
Consultez notre guide de voyage à Londres pour planifier votre voyage.
13. Oaxaca
Oaxaca, une ville dans la partie centrale de la côte du Pacifique du Mexique, est une plaque tournante du tourisme patrimonial, en raison de ses nombreuses attractions historiques (y compris Monte Albán, un site patrimonial de l’UNESCO; et Mitla, un site archéologique zapotec), des bâtiments colorés, Restaurants et bars de toit scénique, art de rue, églises coloniales espagnoles historiques, rues pavées et de nombreux parcs.
La ville a tout ce que j’aime: l’histoire, le mezcal et la nourriture. Oaxaca est l’un des centres gastronomiques du Mexique et était l’endroit où je suis tombé le plus amoureux lors de mon départ dans le pays. C’est sûr, les gens sont merveilleux, les bâtiments sont beaux et la nourriture… ai-je mentionné la nourriture? C’est hors de ce monde.
Quelques secondes après l’atterrissage ici, je savais que j’appartenais. Je pourrais facilement vivre ici, je l’aime tellement.
Activité préférée: visiter les mezcalerías.
Consultez mon article sur les raisons pour lesquelles j’ai adoré mon séjour à Oaxaca pour en savoir plus ainsi que des conseils spécifiques pour visiter!
14. Cap
Le Cap est l’un de ces endroits dont je ne peux jamais en avoir assez. Sa beauté naturelle, son climat, ses personnes, sa atmosphère fraîche et sa délicieuse scène de nourriture rendent toujours mes vérifications mémorables. Dirigez-vous vers la tête de Table Mountain et Lion pour vous imprégner de la vue emblématique de la ville, promenez la célèbre promenade le long de la plage de Muizenberg et découvrez la prison de l’île de Robben où Nelson Mandela a passé 27 ans derrière les barreaux. De plus, ne manquez pas les Penguins à Boulder Beach. Ils sont super cool.
Activité préférée: Se détendre sur la plage!
Consultez notre guide de voyage au Cap pour planifier votre voyage.
***
Il y a vous l’avez! Mes villes préférées du monde. Laissez un commentaire sur ce post et faites-moi savoir quels sont vos favoris – et pourquoi!
Comment parcourir le monde sur 50 $ par jour
Mon guide de poche à succès du New York Times pour les voyages dans le monde vous apprendra à maîtriser l’art du voyage afin que vous quittez les sentiers battus, que vous économiserez de l’argent et que vous ayez une expérience de voyage plus profonde. C’est votre guide de planification A à Z que la BBC a appelé la «Bible pour les voyageurs à petit budget».
Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus et commencez à le lire aujourd’hui!
Réservez votre voyage: Conseils et astuces logistiques
Réservez votre vol
Trouvez un vol à faible coût en utilisant Skyscanner. C’est mon moteur de recherche préféré car il recherche des sites Web et des compagnies aériennes du monde entier, donc vous savez toujours qu’aucune pierre n’est laissée.
Réservez votre hébergement
Vous pouvez réserver votre auberge avec HostelWorld. Si vous voulez rester ailleurs qu’une auberge, utilisez Booking.com car ils renvoient constamment les tarifs les moins chers pour les maisons d’hôtes et les hôtels.
N’oubliez pas l’assurance voyage
L’assurance voyage vous protégera contre la maladie, les blessures, le vol et les annulations. C’est une protection complète au cas où quelque chose se passe mal. Je ne vais jamais en voyage sans cela car j’ai dû l’utiliser plusieurs fois dans le passé. Mes entreprises préférées qui offrent le meilleur service et la meilleure valeur sont:
Safetywing (mieux pour tout le monde)
Assurer mon voyage (pour ceux de plus de 70 ans)
MedJet (pour une couverture d’évacuation supplémentaire)
Prêt à réserver votre voyage?
Consultez ma page de ressources pour les meilleures entreprises à utiliser lorsque vous voyagez. J’énumère tous ceux que j’utilise lorsque je voyage. Ils sont les meilleurs de la classe et vous ne pouvez pas vous tromper en les utilisant lors de votre voyage.
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