Rick Steves Warns Tourists To Avoid These Bogus Attractions In Europe

When most people travel to Europe, they hope to experience new cultures and an expansive history. Fortunately, the continent is full of authentic and exciting monuments and experiences that can quench travelers' thirst for cultural immersion and historic accuracy. There are, however, plenty of bogus attractions in Europe that have appealing marketing but should be avoided, according to travel writer Rick Steves on his website.

Rick Steves loves Europe. The man has made a career out of sharing about his travels there, after all. But the television host writes that part of his job is "not to just rave about everything, but to help overwhelmed travelers sort through the superlatives and smartly allocate their limited vacation time." Inauthentic tourist traps are common and very well marketed, but Steves suggests travelers spend their hard-earned money elsewhere.

At the top of his list of bogus tourist traps to avoid are torture museums. This type of attraction is so widespread in Europe that he doesn't even mention a specific city or country in which these types of museums should be avoided. Most of these, he writes, don't have authentic artifacts from the medieval ages. They are less museums and more simple recreations of horrific acts from the past using modern-era props. In fact, he refers to them as "juvenile torture exhibits." But these aren't the only spots Steves says to steer clear of.

Rick Steves specifically warns against Europe's phony attractions. These are the commercial ventures that are more aggressive with their advertising, he said. Be wary of the various promotions and discounts to these bogus experiences that are a far cry from a true cultural experience. Steves points specifically to Time Travel Vienna, which he says is a simple and unentertaining collection of "amusement-park history vignettes."

Interestingly, reviews for the attraction are overwhelmingly positive, giving Time Travel Vienna a 4.6 rating on Google Reviews. One guest said the experience made "the past come alive" and called it entertaining and enjoyable. Another enjoyed the experience but noted it was more of a fun fact-focused experience rather than a deep dive into Vienna's history. However, travelers who tend to agree with Steves may want to consider one of Vienna's other tourist attractions worth visiting instead.

Phony attractions that lack authentic or historical value aren't limited by borders. A similar (now closed) Italian tourist trap was Rome's Time Elevator, which Steves called "cheesy" and suggested was aimed at those with short attention spans. England's London Dungeon is also a bogus attraction to avoid, according to the travel expert. Many people are fooled by the long line at the attraction's door, but Steves calls it "overpriced" and "gimmicky." While tourist traps may look authentic, they're easy to avoid if you recognize the signs. For starters, the travel guru says that avoiding particular "zones" will help travelers have a truly authentic European getaway.

Not all tourist traps are easy to identify. There are popular and familiar destinations that somehow are a part of our everyday travel lexicon. But even some of these, Rick Steves warns, are better left off the itinerary. In Steves' opinion, that includes overcrowded cities and towns that go for gimmicks rather than culture and tradition.

Steves said that Killarney, Ireland, is a place he mostly sees as a "traffic jam of tour buses." The Irish town is less Irish culture and more sprawling outlet malls, chain hotels, and impatient shoppers, in Steves' opinion. Steves has similar thoughts about Volendam in the Netherlands. He describes it as a mix of the aforementioned Killarney and Coney Island.

In England, Steves cautions travelers against visiting the country's westernmost point. Land's End, he says, is no longer the rural, desolate location that greets the sea. According to Steves, its authenticity has been lost to a line of businesses claiming to be the "last" of whatever business they're in. Remember, Europe is a big place, and there are plenty of authentic sites to see and a lot of history to learn. To truly get the most out of your experience to the continent, Steves recommends skipping the tourist traps and going to these locations instead.