Perhaps you heard about the recent protests in France that followed the death of a young man at the hands of the local police. Things got pretty heated for a few days there and while the unrest didn't impact most major tourist areas, the carnage and controversy grabbed a ton of headlines.
It even led to a few travel advisories.
Or maybe you caught wind of one of the many other protests that have gone down over the last few years, angry marches about everything from the rise of the retirement age to fuel prices and the cost of living.
Or how about the transportation strikes that are currently popping up all over the continent, heaping a little havoc on the summer travel season?
Before I tell you why I'm bringing up all these unpleasant happenings, you need to know that you won't find a bigger fan of Europe than me. In addition to making European travel the main focus of my career, I like the place so much that I moved here nearly a decade ago and haven't regretted it for a second.
The cities buzz with history, culture and some of the best food & drink you'll ever have in your life. The landscapes will take your breath away, the villages, oh, the romantic villages! The festivals, the trains, oh man, I could go on forever.
Europe is awesome, but Europe isn't perfect.
Nowhere is.
the landmark of Paris, France in the evening (Puttipong Sriboonruang / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
In fact, it irks me a little bit when Europe is portrayed by folks as a place where absolutely everything is done the right way and where all of society's ills have been figured out. (If you keep an ear out, you'll hear this sort of thing bandied about often.)
Yes, Europe has robust public transportation, free or affordable health care, a distinct lack of gun violence and, erm, great croissants, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any problems.
Again, just to be clear, Europe is the bee's knees and if you haven't been, get over here as soon as you possibly can.
Just be aware that there are Europeans who feel as though they don't get a completely fair shake from their governments, police, employers and fellow citizens, just like lots of people around the world.
At its best, European travel should open your eyes to the world around you but you won't be able to see anything if you just stick your head in the sand.
It's simply not fair to put expectations of perfection on a place anyway. When it doesn't live up to it, then you end up disappointed or with a bad case of "Paris syndrome", the name given to the phenomenon of travelers arriving in Paris and then having a bit of a breakdown because the city isn't quite up to the fairytale standards they set for it.
There's traffic. There's trash. Maybe the metro is a little smelly. Regardless, they aren't able to handle it and go heading for the hills.
This isn't to say that Europe doesn't do a lot of things right, but just that it isn't a theme park full of shiny, happy people dancing around in traditional garb without a worry in the world.
If that's what you are looking for, then you may want to just head straight to Disneyland Paris.
Topics From This Article to Explore
