I didn’t fall in love with most of the places on this list when I visited for the first time. I’m not expecting to love every city or country I visit, but I think part of the reason I didn’t “get” it was to do with having not enough time, the weather, or other external factors in my life that didn’t really have anything to do with the destination.

There are dozens of cities I want to revisit. I’m deadset on moving to Paris in the next five years, Levanto is my idea of the perfect relaxing break and there is so much more I want to see in my favourite Italian city, Florence. However, there are a few places I’d love to revisit that I didn’t love the first time, but suspect there’s something there for me.

Vasudha from Travel Defined nominated me to do this post and I’m so glad she did. It really made me think about my travel experiences and what I could do differently next time.

 1. Rome

I’ve visited twice now, and I’m still not sold. I love the history, but can’t stand the historical centre, which is the only area I really got to see. My favourite experiences in Rome have been eating an enormous pizza, a pasta cooking class and visiting the creepiest thing I have ever seen – the crypt of the Capuchin Monks.

Public transport in Rome is very average, so it’s all too easy to stay in Centro Storico. Next time I want to visit the Trastevere, Testaccio and EUR neighbourhoods and do more locally-run walking tours – namely a food walking tour.

I want to see more of the real Rome before I decide it’s not for me.

{ Read more } Postcards from Rome

2. Germany

I have lived my entire life in warm, sub-tropical Brisbane, so my idea of winter is needing to break out my jeans and a light jacket if it gets to 15 degrees. When I was in Germany, particularly Berlin, it was right before the cold snap in 2012 which made walking around painfully cold for this fish out of water. We only had one night in Munich, at a hotel way out of town, and the tour focused on visiting the Hofbrahaus, a beer hall. A great thing to do in Munich and I don’t regret visiting, but I hate beer.

I really want to visit Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt in warmer weather and on my own terms.

3. Greece

I’ve been to Greece and I loved it. I visited Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Patmos, but I didn’t have enough time in each place. I was on a cruise when I visited the islands, which I probably wouldn’t recommend. I really didn’t understand how little time we’d have on the islands and it was frustrating that we couldn’t enjoy the nightlife (or even the evening!) on any of them. It was very rushed.

I would only do a cruise if my purpose was to lie on whatever beach they put in front of me. In the future, if I want to explore a city or island I will make sure I have at least a few nights there.

I also want to see a handful of other Greek islands and Meteora, on the mainland.

Update: I’ve been back to Greece, twice! My favourite destinations are Milos, Paros, Sifnos & Crete.

4. Venice

Venice is unlike anywhere else in Italy, and not just because of the canals. Because it was a wealthy trading post between the East and West, the architecture is an intriguing fusion of two very different worlds. I’ve only visited Venice on day trips, and while this was the best option at the time, I would like to revisit Venice for a few days one time to see Murano, Burano and more of Venice’s historical and cultural attractions.

5. London

I’ll be blunt. My three visits to London have not really excited me. Apart from two highlights, visiting Harrods with friends and watching my six-year old brother lose his mind when a squirrel ate right out of his hand, I can’t remember too much from my brief trips to the city. Right now, I’d sum up my London experiences as wet, grey, cold, stressful and expensive.

Admittedly, the stress wasn’t London’s fault. It also wasn’t the city’s fault that I didn’t bring enough money. I’ve never spent more than two nights in a row in London, so I’ve been disoriented most of the time. I’ve always been either about to start a trip in Europe or fly home, save for one summer day trip from Paris. I swapped the sunny skies of Paris to shiver all day in a rainy London.

The craziest part? I kind of want to move to London, if only for a year while I’m in my twenties. Mostly because it’s an English speaking country where I can work in my field and have great access to Europe. But also because I know there is much, much more to discover.

I want to go back to London with more time and a better budget. There are a few major sights I haven’t visited, but if I could see just a couple I’d be happy to spend most of my time wandering around pretty neighbourhoods, eating much nicer food than I did last time and browsing markets.

London is too big a city to rush, so next time I’ll give it the time it deserves.

Update: I did exactly that! I spent five days in London in summer of 2023, and LOVED IT!

What cities or countries do you want to re-visit?

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