This is the fifth anniversary of The Busy Traveler.

Wow. Time flew. It really doesn't feel like five years.

To celebrate, I did something that probably sounds strange. I stayed home and spent the whole day trip planning.

I know, that sounds backwards. But it's not. It's easy to get caught up in the places I travel to, and being there is honestly the easy part. The real work is the planning I do at home, the part nobody sees. It's what gives me peace when I finally hit the road, because I'm already ahead of everything.

Here's to many more days of trip planning, and many more years of The Busy Traveler.

And speaking of planning, one of the biggest calls you make is which cities are even worth building a trip around. Which brings me to this week.

Alright, I'm about to make some enemies.

I've got a list of cities I think are overrated. Cities, not countries. That part is on purpose. I'm not telling you to skip a whole country or write off a whole region. That wouldn't be fair to anyone.

I'm just saying some specific cities aren't worth building an entire trip around. Make them a side stop, not the main event. And for most of them, I'll tell you where I'd go instead.

These are my opinions. You're allowed to disagree. Honestly, I'm counting on it.

Let's get into it.

Think twice about these

Charleston, South Carolina. I wanted to love it. I didn't. The food was fine, but nothing special compared to the rest of the South. The town felt boring to me, and the music wasn't my thing. And no, it's not a country thing, because I loved the country music museum in Nashville. Unless you're a serious golfer, I wouldn't plan a whole trip around Charleston.
Go here instead: New Orleans. Better food, better music, more culture, and just more fun. I almost said Savannah, and honestly I enjoyed Savannah more than Charleston. But they're close enough that it's not a clear win. New Orleans is.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This one didn't do it for me. The beaches are rocky, and the resorts have basically swallowed the town. Step outside the resort and there's not much going on. It felt manufactured. Like a copy and paste resort you could find anywhere. There are a few fun things, like their version of a Cirque du Soleil style show called ALMA, but Mexico has so many better places to spend your time.
Go here instead: Turks and Caicos. Chill vibe, nobody hounding you to buy stuff on the beach, and water so clear it's worth the higher price. This is where you go to actually relax on one of the best beaches around. Fair warning, it's not really a kids place, so maybe leave the little ones at home.

Las Vegas, Nevada. Vegas isn't what it used to be. It's completely commercialized and overpriced. It's supposed to be Sin City, but now you're dodging baby strollers on the strip. I'm not a gambler, so maybe that's part of it. But the idea of Vegas is bigger than actually being there. The hype does all the work.
Go here instead: Nashville, Tennessee. Cheaper, better music, better food, great museums I visited twice, and way more culture. The locals even took me to a house party an hour outside the city. If I tried that in Vegas, I'd be missing in the desert.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I know this one is going to sting. But I travel to hang out with locals, not other tourists, and Rio felt inauthentic to me. Yes, it's beautiful. Yes, the views are unreal, and my pictures looked amazing. But I had way more fun in São Paulo. Rio is great for feeling like you're in Brazil and proving you made it there. It just wasn't where I found the real thing.
Go here instead: São Paulo. That's where I actually connected with locals and had a blast. And to be clear, I barely scratched the surface of Brazil. There's a lot more to see. I'm only saying don't show up in Rio expecting an authentic experience.

Santorini, Greece. I'm not even going to get into how staged Santorini feels. I already ranted about that one in a past issue. You can read it here.
Go here instead: Athens. Yes, it's grittier. That's the point. That's where the real culture is. You get the ancient ruins, incredible tours, authentic food, great prices, and a transit system that makes it an easy hub to the rest of Greece. People sleep on Athens. Don't.

Cities people sleep on

Now let me flip it. Here are a few cities that deserve way more love than they get.

Kansas City, Missouri. Of all the American cities, this one is climbing my list fast. Some of the best museums in the country, great food, great jazz, cool speakeasies, friendly people, and affordable prices. Mark my words, Kansas City is going to get the reputation it deserves. Don't sleep on it.

Mexico City, Mexico. Yes, I know there's a ton of hype around Mexico City right now. But I still think it's underrated. It's one of the only cities I want to fly back to right now. I spent two weeks there, and honestly? I could live there. The food, the culture, the museums, all of it. Just don't post up in Roma Norte with all the other foreigners. Go live where the locals live. I'd go back tomorrow, but I've got content to make. Maybe when I retire from travel blogging.

Providence, Rhode Island. If you're a foodie, go. I liked it so much I went back twice in one year. Providence is home to Johnson and Wales, one of the top culinary schools around, so a lot of great chefs got their start here. It's a small city that punches way above its weight. They've got WaterFire, this amazing event where they light bonfires along the rivers, plus great museums and a ton of culture packed into a tiny footprint. If you're on the East Coast, do a quick trip. You'll be surprised how fast you want to come back.

The takeaway

Look, none of these are "never go" cities. If a trip takes you near one, go see it. I just wouldn't build a whole vacation around the overrated ones when there's something better a short hop away.

And remember, these are my opinions. Yours might be totally different. So tell me where I got it wrong.

P.S. A big thank you to those of you I reached out to for recommendations. Your insights were gold. They genuinely helped, and I've got some good things in the works because of it. Keep an eye out.

Keep traveling, 

Andrew

What's a city everyone sleeps on that you love?