Porto instead of Paris

While every list of the most overrated tourist attractions has the Eiffel Tower on it, no traveler complains about Porto’s impressive, double-decker Dom Luís I Bridge (designed by a disciple of Gustav Eiffel).

In lieu of the Louvre, head to the new World of Wine museum. At 592,000 square feet, it’s nearly as big, but instead of jockeying for position to get a glimpse of an underwhelming Mona Lisa, you can be getting buzzed while learning all about the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, the nearby Douro Valley.

Another perk of Porto? It’s just a few miles from the Atlantic where you can take a surf lesson with Onda Pura or book a canal tour of Aveiro, Portugal’s answer to Venice. While putting on the Ritz Paris will set you back $2,400/night. For that price, you can get three nights at Porto’s equivalent, the Yeatman, plus dinner in its two Michelin-starred restaurant).