They Went on Vacation and Never Came Home — Travelers Share the Cities They Loved Enough to Move To
A traveler asked a simple question online: Has anyone ever visited a city on holiday, fallen totally in love, and then actually moved there?
They explained that they’d visited one city, fallen “deeply in love with it,” and were still thinking about it every day more than two years later. They didn’t personally know anyone who had a city they were “head over heels for,” so they threw the question to the internet.
It turns out a lot of people don’t just daydream about starting over somewhere new — they’ve done it. Others admit they’re still plotting, or that reality (and visas, and money) have gotten in the way.
Here are some of the best responses.
Prague: “Best decision I ever made”
Multiple people named Prague as the city that got under their skin.
One person said they went for a long weekend in 2019 and couldn’t stop thinking about it for months. Eventually, they stopped fantasizing and actually went for it:
“Finally said screw it and moved there last year – best decision I ever made honestly.”
They did, however, warn about “vacation goggles” — that rush of infatuation you get when you’re off work, spending freely, and everything feels magical. Their advice: go back for a longer stay before you ship your whole life across an ocean, just to make sure you love the city on a random Tuesday, too.
Others didn’t fully relocate but still struggled to leave. One commenter lived in Prague for about three months while getting certified to teach ESL and almost stayed longer because of the friends and community they’d built there. Another said they’d visited in the late ’90s and still think about it.
Melbourne: A city people dream about for years
Melbourne, Australia, came up again and again as a place that felt instantly right.
One person visited a couple of times, then took the leap:
“I visited a couple of times before moving but I knew from day one I wanted to try it. Still in love a decade later (and an Aus citizen now too) and raising some Aussie kids. Never regretted it for a second.”
Others didn’t stay forever but still talk about it like a formative love story. Someone went to Melbourne after high school, ended up studying there at RMIT, and said they look back on those years “very fondly.” Another described visiting once and immediately thinking, I could absolutely live here — vibrant city, parks, museums, food, friendly people.
Of course, the weather got a shoutout too. One traveler said they experienced all four seasons in a single day, but still called it a “lovely city” they’d happily return to.
London and New York: The classic big-city obsessions
No surprise: London and New York City appeared over and over.
One commenter visited London for 10 days, moved there in 2024, and said they’d been “loving every day since,” calling it “the absolute best.” Another person said they visited, went home, and now dream about moving there one day. Someone else pointed out the charms of the broader UK — pub culture, Sunday roasts, countryside drives, and generally kind people.
New York City had its own fan club. One commenter’s grandparents brought them to NYC in high school; they’ve now lived there for almost 17 years. Others described moving there in their 20s, cramming into tiny spaces, working multiple jobs, and ultimately “making it” — and still feeling like the city was worth the grind.
Then there are the people who are obsessed but realistic. One person admitted they’d move to NYC “if I could figure out how to afford it,” while another said they love visiting but “haven’t figured out how to do that legally” for cities like London, Tokyo, or Sydney.
Amsterdam: Ten trips, then a one-way ticket
Amsterdam inspired one of the more deliberate relocations.
A commenter said they’d visited the city more than ten times. At a certain point, it shifted from favorite vacation spot to future home:
“Amsterdam. Visited 10+ times. Moving there in April (plane tickets bought, job and visa sorted).”
That’s the other theme that keeps popping up: people who treat repeat trips as test runs. They go back in different seasons, walk neighborhoods instead of just hitting attractions, and see how the city feels when they’re not in full tourist mode — then they start sorting jobs and visas.
Santa Barbara, San Diego, and California beach towns that feel like paradise
Some people fell hard for specific coastal cities.
One commenter said Santa Barbara was the closest thing to paradise they’d ever found:
“It wasn’t just the perfect weather; it was the way the Santa Ynez Mountains hug the coast right behind the city… It is the closest thing to paradise I have ever found.”
Another joked that Santa Barbara’s biggest problem is that it’s “so pretty” it’s almost ridiculous.
San Diego was another major contender. One person decided within six hours of visiting that they had to live there, and just celebrated 13 years in the city. Another shared a family story: their parents visited San Diego back in the ’70s, came home to Boston, and told the kids to pack their bags because they were moving. Nearly 50 years later, the family is still in San Diego and grateful they took the leap.
And then there are the smaller spots: one person went on vacation to a small town in California during the pandemic and ended up relocating there permanently. Now they “can’t imagine ever living anywhere else.”
Chicago: Love at first long weekend
Chicago came up multiple times, often with a similar pattern: magical first visit, winter reality check, still worth it.
One commenter went over Labor Day weekend for a wedding. The city looked gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and they talked their spouse into moving. They spent 2.5 years there, had a baby, eventually moved closer to family — and still miss it.
Another commenter said they visited Chicago as a kid, fell in love, held onto the dream, and later moved there for college downtown. They’re still living in the city in their 30s.
New Orleans, Mexico City, and the cities that won’t let people go
A few cities had a particular grip on people’s hearts.
New Orleans came up repeatedly. One person said they fell in love with it 25 years ago, recently returned, and still adore it — but being from another country makes moving complicated. Another visitor came once for a festival, then moved permanently four months later and has now been there for 11 years, calling it a life filled with amazing food, music, and culture.
Mexico City had a similar story. One commenter visited San Miguel de Allende and thought, I could have a great life here, then stayed two years. Another went to Mexico City and ended up spending six years there after an initial week-long trip.
Copenhagen: The city that started the whole conversation
The original poster eventually revealed their mystery city: Copenhagen.
They didn’t share all the details in the thread, but the tone said it all — this was the place they couldn’t stop thinking about more than two years later. Other Danes and expats chimed in to say they understood: one person grew up in northern Denmark, lived in Copenhagen for 11 years, then moved to California but still called it a wonderful city.
For the OP, Copenhagen is the one that got away… at least for now.
So… should you move to the city you fell in love with on vacation?
If this thread proves anything, it’s that you’re not weird for obsessing over a city long after the plane ride home. Lots of people have done exactly what you’re fantasizing about — some for a few years, some for decades, some for the rest of their lives.
The common themes from people who actually made the move:
- They went back for a longer stay to get past the “vacation goggles” phase.
- They thought hard about jobs, visas, and costs — or got lucky with a work transfer.
- They accepted trade-offs: tiny apartments, tough winters, culture shock, or being far from family.
For some, it was still worth it. For others, the city stayed a beautiful “what if” they revisit as often as they can.
Either way, you’re not alone if there’s a place you think about every single day. And if you can’t shake it? Based on these stories, it might be worth at least seeing what it looks like outside of holiday mode.
If you love this kind of unfiltered travel chatter, you might also enjoy digging into more places that shocked people in a good way — and the destinations that seriously let them down. Travelers have been talking about cities that impressed them way more than expected, as well as spots they’d never go back to, no matter how hyped they are. It’s a good reminder that the place you fall for — or swear off forever — might not be the one you expect.
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