Popular European city voted ‘most stressful’ in the world - people feel tense and crowded

It may be known as the City of Love, but the course of true love never did run smooth - and now Paris has hit a bump in the road. While millions of tourists flock to the French capital every year to explore and experience the hustle and bustle of the city, not all of them have a good time.

According to new data from Ibiza Summer Villas, Paris has come top of the most stressful countries to visit. The analysis ranked 51 of the world’s most-visited cities by combining global search trends, crime data, tourist density, review sentiment, and weather discomfort (humidity levels). Each destination was scored on factors like safety, overcrowding, and overall comfort to reveal where travellers are most likely to feel tense, and where they can actually breathe out and relax.

Paris draws over 47.5 million tourists a year, all squeezed into just 105km². That’s 450,664 visitors per square km - more than ten times the density of New York.

While Paris didn’t top the list for crime or weather discomfort (it placed 5th and mid-range, respectively), the sheer crush of people means visitors might not find the romantic escape they were hoping for.

The second most stressful vacation destination was Hanoi in Vietnam. It was also voted the most physically uncomfortable on the list due to its incredibly high humidity. It also ranked 4th for reviews mentioning stress, with visitors noting not just the heat, but the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Coming in third was Shanghai with a staggering 300 million visitors annually. Although theta re not as densely packed as Paris, it still has 47,318 visitors per km² and ranks in the top 20 for crime and stress-filled reviews.

Just because these locations may be a little fast-paced, that doesn’t mean you shouldn't check them out. There are ways to visit bustling cities while still feeling calm and staying safe.

The ebay thing to do is research where you are staying - if you want peace and quiet make sure your accommodation isn’t right on the main strip.

You can also limit the amount of sight seeing you’re doing to avoid overwhelm. Stick to one or two destinations a day and your trip will be much more relaxing.