Day 3002 (Wednesday) 27th  August 2025

This is Villefranche-sur-Mer in the old days – the bars look pretty permanent 

and this is Villefranche in 1875.

 

Happy birthday to me and it’s cloudy, it’s the cloudiest it’s been in months! We had planned on going to the Chevre d’Or in Eze Village but that will have to wait until Friday when the forecast is back to lovely blue sky and sunshine.

Huw bought me some little gifts, mostly chewy sweets and added to my soap collection.

and he bought me a delicious looking raspberry tart for later, I’m looking forward to eating that.

The most disappointing tourist sites in France

Tourists take a selfie at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo: Miguel Medine/AFP

We asked readers of The Local what they consider to be the most over-rated and disappointing tourist site in France - and there was one clear winner.

Quick disclaimer before we start - most of France is great, it's been the most visited country in the world since 2018 and has a huge variety of fantastic things to see and do. 

There are, however, some sites that don't quite live up to the hype.

We asked readers of The Local what they think is the worst tourist attraction in France, and there was a clear winner nominated by multiple respondents to our survey.

1. Eiffel Tower

The instantly recognisable icon of Paris was voted the most disappointing experience in France.

British tourist Amanda described it as "crowded and expensive, the many street hawkers felt pressuring" while other respondents described it as crowded, mediocre and unnecessary.

American visitor L Bordor was somewhat more positive, saying it is "pretty to see once, but there's no reason to hang around."

Is this fair? The Eiffel Tower is certainly attractive to look at and, despite the protests of Parisians when it was erected in 1889, is the undisputed symbol of the city. As a tourist attraction though? We agree with the above readers - the site itself gets very crowded. It's on an exposed esplanade, which makes it very hot in summer, even though it has become more pedestrian-friendly in the aftermath of the Olympic Games.

That said, the area does attract unlicensed street sellers, scammers and pickpockets.

Once you've climbed it, the view from the top is good. That said, other points in the city offer beautiful views that include the Eiffel Tower in the skyline.

Alternatives - The Tower is perhaps best admired from a distance, especially in the evening when you can watch it light up. We suggest taking a picnic to either the Seine quais or the Tuileries gardens so you can have a relaxed experience and appreciate the angular beauty of the tower.

If you are keen to visit, we advise going in the evening and having dinner in one of the Tower's restaurants (advance booking is essential) and watching the sun set over the city.

Otherwise, you can get a free view of the city by climbing to the top of one of the high-end shopping malls near Opera, like the Printemps Haussmann centre. The Montparnasse Tower also has an observatory - though you need to book tickets to get up to the 56th floor.

2. Mona Lisa

Before the outraged Leonardo fans start writing in, survey respondents were not dismissing La Joconde herself, just the experience of the visit in the Louvre, which was described as hot, overcrowded and disappointing.

Jen from the USA said, "A painting like this requires up-close viewing to appreciate the details. Unfortunately, that's just not possible."

Is this fair? The Louvre can indeed get very crowded, and in summer, you'd be lucky to even glimpse its most famous painting through the selfie-taking crowds.

In fact the museum's own director described it as "leaky, crowded and hot". There is a plan for a major refurbishment to try and better accommodate the 10 million people who visit each year, including creating a separate section just for Mona Lisa and her fans.

Alternatives - the Louvre still has some amazing stuff inside, and it's huge, so there's plenty to see, but if you have the option, we would definitely recommend coming in the winter, spring or autumn, not the summer.

But Paris is far from a one-trick pony when it comes to museums - the Louvre is the best known, but does that mean that it is intrinsically better than the Musée d'Orsay, the Orangerie, the Petit Palais or the Fondation Louis Vuitton? We would contend that it's not - all of the above museums are different, and it depends on the type of art you love.

3. Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge 

Paris' traditional artists' quarter also came in for some criticism, with several people referring to it as a "tourist trap" with nothing worthwhile to see.

When it came to the show at the famous Moulin Rouge, LJ, visiting Paris from Loir-et-Cher, said: "It was a bit of a joke of a show as far as talent. Felt like a tourist trap for sure versus anything cultural or worthwhile."

Is this fair? Montmartre's worst problem is perhaps simply being too well known. The area itself is very pretty and there are some worthwhile sites including Sacre Coeur basilica and the Musée de la Vie Romantique which gives a nice overview of the area's artistic heritage (and has a nice café and garden).

But it does get very crowded, especially in summer, and more and more shops have been taken over by tourist businesses. While there are good restaurants and bars in the area, there are also an unfortunately high number of over-priced tourist eateries serving poor quality food.

Alternatives - like many Paris attractions, this is better in winter than summer. When it comes to less well-known areas of the city, we like the cool, artistic and multi-cultural vibe of Belleville/Menilmontant - and Time Out magazine agrees.

The top three attractions labelled the most disappointing were all in Paris - is this a comment on Paris, or just the fact that so many people visit the French capital?

Perhaps a bit of both, Paris is certainly popular with tourists, and in fact this summer the city's deputy mayor called for a control on the number of tourists, saying the city was becoming saturated.

While there are certainly areas that get very busy, there are loads of excellent things to explore in Paris. 

4. Carcassonne

But it wasn't only the French capital that was described as disappointing; the Medieval citadel of Carcassonne, in south-west France, also came in for some criticism.

Amy C, visiting from Ariège, said: "I found the town crowded, filled with expensive tourist shops filled with cheap goods, and overrated. We purchased tickets for the tour, and the recording was difficult to hear as well as geared to a younger audience."

Is this fair? Another victim of its own success (and perhaps that UNESCO world heritage status), Carcassonne is very crowded in the summer. Which is a shame, because the citadel itself is attractive and has an interesting history, linked to the town's spectacularly gory torture museum.

Alternatives - Carcassonne got its heavily fortified citadel because of the tumultuous and bloody history of the region, around the Cathar movement in the 12th and 13th centuries. But it was not the only castle built during that period - the area is full of them, and many of them have even more exciting/romantic/blood-soaked histories.

5. Mont-Saint-Michel

Like Carcassonne, most visitors didn't have a problem with the site itself, just the crowds that flock there. Although Clare Brigstock did complain that the whole thing felt 'Disneyfied'.

Is this fair? Local authorities have been sounding the alarm about overcrowding at Mont-Saint-Michel for some years now, with the crush even reaching dangerous proportions on some summer days. There are a variety of measures in place encouraging people to visit at off-peak times, from an advertising campaign urging people to visit in winter to cheaper tickets for late afternoon and evening slots.

Alternatives - There's nothing quite like Mont-Saint-Michel (which is why it is so popular), but the north and west France coastlines are scattered with beautiful islands, some of which are also accessible by causeway.

The rest

In our survey, these five sites were most likely to be described as disappointing and overrated, with multiple respondents naming them as their worst experience.

Some other sites also came in for criticism, including the town of Annecy in the Alps, the Carnac prehistoric stone circles in Brittany and the Brocéliande forest, also in Brittany. Overcrowding was listed as a major concern, while some visitors felt that both Carnac and Brocéliande were not well organised and did not provide enough information to visitors.

Ultimately, the biggest problem for France's tourist offering is overcrowding. But France is a big country and data from the tourism ministry suggests that 80 perfect of tourists visit just 20 percent of the country's sites. Which means there are plenty of off-the-beaten-track experiences just waiting to be discovered.

One respondent, who declined to leave their name, declared that France as a whole was overrated, describing the entire country as 'dirty and rude'. We must respectfully disagree with that point of view.