LONDON, U.K. – 12 July, 2010 – TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, today announced the results of its third annual European Cities Survey, giving London cause for both celebration and commiseration.

Rip-Off Reputation Haunts London 
It seems London still can’t shake off its rip-off reputation as it’s crowned the most expensive city in Europe, according to the TripAdvisor survey of almost 3,000 European travellers*.  Pricey Paris and costly Venice take second and third spots respectively.

The Portuguese capital of Lisbon has been voted the best value city in Europe, followed by Prague. “Travellers are more aware than ever of securing the best value on holiday, and with the pound currently at a 19-month high against the Euro there are some great savings to be made by savvy British travellers,” said TripAdvisor spokesperson Emma O’Boyle.

Food Failures But Excitement Champions
It may be home to some of the world’s finest chefs but it’s bad news for the UK when it comes to gastro tourism – the top three cities in the worst cuisine category are all British with London’s food voted the worst in Europe for the second year running. 

The survey reveals Liverpool’s cuisine to be the second worst and, despite being the birthplace of one of Britain’s most treasured dishes - chicken tikka massala – Birmingham’s food was rated the third worst in Europe.

Yet whilst the capital’s food may fail to whet travellers’ appetites, its buzzing atmosphere and plethora of things to do clearly meets with approval. London has emerged as the most exciting city in Europe, beating rivals Paris and Barcelona. It’s bad news for Brummies though; Birmingham has been named the most boring city in Europe. 

London Cleans Up Its Act
More good news is that London has, quite literally, cleaned up its act. Last year it was named and shamed as the dirtiest city in Europe, whereas this year it doesn’t even make the shortlist. The dirtiest city title this year goes to Athens, followed by Istanbul. Travellers looking to avoid the dirt should head to Zurich, voted Europe’s cleanest city, followed by Geneva and then Stockholm.

Safety is always a concern when travelling, but the results reveal reassuring news for the millions of visitors who come to London every year. The English capital clinched third place in the safest city category, with only Geneva and Zurich ranking safer.

London has also emerged as the easiest city in Europe for travellers to get around. This may come as a surprise to many London commuters who travel throughout the capital every day, but Mayor Boris can take some comfort in this. Rome emerged as the most difficult city to get around.

Not So Beautiful In Birmingham
Singletons should consider heading to Rome – the findings reveal the Italian city boasts the most attractive locals in Europe. Fans of Cat Deeley may not agree but the survey found travellers do not feel the same about Birmingham, with only the Polish city of Krakow ranked higher in the unattractive locals category.

“Europe’s cities all have their highs and lows, but it’s great that London has been crowned the most exciting,” continued Emma O’Boyle, “And with the London Olympics only two years away it’s encouraging to see the fundamental issues of safety and transport already scoring highly with visitors.” 

TRIPADVISOR 2010 EUROPEAN CITIES SURVEY: RESULTS OVERVIEW

Best cuisine:    1.    Rome    2.    Paris    3.    Barcelona
Worst cuisine:    1.    London    2.    Liverpool    3.    Birmingham
Most Exciting:    1.    London    2.    Paris    3.    Barcelona
Best To Get Around:    1.    London    2.    Paris    3.    Barcelona
Worst To Get Around:    1.    Rome    2.    Venice    3.    Athens
Most Attractive:    1.    Rome    2.    Barcelona    3.    Milan
Least Attractive:    1.    Krakow     2.    Birmingham    3.    Gdansk
Most Boring    1.    Birmingham    2.    Zurich     3.    Gdansk
Safest City:    1.    Geneva    2.    Zurich    3.    London
Most Dangerous:    1.    Istanbul    2.    Barcelona    3.    Rome
Most Expensive:    1.    London     2.    Paris     3.    Venice 
Best value:    1.    Lisbon    2.    Prague    3.    Istanbul 
Dirtiest City:    1.    Athens    2.    Istanbul    3.    Rome
Cleanest City:    1.    Zurich    2.    Geneva    3.    Stockholm

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Notes to editor
* 2,963 European respondents, including 559 Britons, took part in the TripAdvisor survey (May-June 2010)