This famous tourist attraction has been labelled one of Europe’s most disappointing by travellers who have been put off by rampant overcrowding and poor maintenance
Overtourism is fast becoming a pressing issue across Europe – and reviewers say this gorgeous destination is one of the worst-affected.
According to travellers, the Trevi Fountain is one of Europe’s most disappointing attractions. While the Baroque monument stands as one of Rome’s most opulent features, onlookers haven’t been too impressed. According to a recent report by Radical Storage, the attraction has the second-highest proportion of negative reviews in Europe.
Roughly 35 million people visit Rome each year, and Trevi Fountain has become a hotspot for those looking to marvel at one of Italy’s most beautiful artworks. It has even become a popular tradition to toss a coin into the fountain to guarantee a return to the Eternal City.
However, Euronews writes: “if you cast a wish into the fountain, you may want to time your visit wisely.” This is because long queues have made getting close to the fountain incredibly difficult.
One TripAdvisor reviewer described the attraction as “absolute chaos”. They wrote: “Pickpockets everywhere, rubbish and litter all over and aggressive sellers trying to push cheap phone chargers on you. Just getting to the fountain is taking your life in your hands as every single car, moped or bicycle will try and kill you.”
They also complained that there aren’t sufficient food places nearby: “Also the food all around the area is atrocious. Rome is by far the dirtiest and most unfriendly place I’ve ever had the misfortune to visit.”
Another reviewer lamented how the crowds ruined an otherwise beautiful monument: “No question, it is a stunning piece of architecture. But, the magic is lost. It is crowded, noisy and dirty. Literally walking through trash. Humanity at its worst is on display. We looked, took a few pictures then left.”
More of us are travelling than ever before. In fact, according to EasyJet’s Great British Holiday Audit, the average Brit plans to take three holidays in 2025.
This is motivated by factors such as wanting to explore new sights and being able to tick countries off a bucket list. It’s also a much-needed way to escape the dreary and unpredictable British weather.
Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of this is that many of the world’s most beautiful locations are being ransacked. This is typically occurring due to sheer overcrowding or bad behaviour from visitors.
Countries like Spain and Greece have recently had to impose measures to restrict the number of visitors coming to certain destinations. Last year, the Greek government banned the registration of new tourist homes in an attempt to curb the crowds.
Similarly, Malaga has also issued a ban on registering new holiday rentals. This has also been done in an attempt to push back on visitors.
