Holiday destinations that were unexpectedly lovely OR awful.

On a Canarian theme -La Gomera. Went for a few days' sun before Christmas and were so pleasantly surprised. In fact it's the first time in 21 years of family holidays that all five of us have agreed we'd love to go back! A bit of a trek to get to with the extra ferry trip, but utterly charming and such a treat to get an uninterrupted view of the Atlantic and a lovely fresh breeze to make the sunshine bearable for us Celtic types.

Who on earth thinks London is boring? I could understand hating it (although not really ) but boring?

Berlin I didn't really get. Mainly because it wasn't like being Liza Minnelli in Cabaret.

Loved Seville.

Hated Cyprus.

Lanzarote. Unexpectedly lovely. We went in November 15 years ago and stayed in a small village called Arrieta. We didn't go near the two (at the time) main tourist areas but the island was so clean and well maintained and the people and food fantastic. So much so we went back to the same place 6 months later but never since

Loved Florida, NYC, LA and Vancouver. Washington DC also lovely, lots of greenery and Georgetown is a lovely area.

Also love Majorca but not so keen on the Canaries

Loved - Hong Kong, Melbourne, Granada, most places in Germany, Cuba (wasn't beautiful but absolutely fascinating), Istanbul, most places in Spain (but not the resort towns), Scotland (when the sun shone, especially Skye), Boston and Washington DC. NY not so much but lots of stuff to do there.

Meh - Auckland, Vienna, Bahamas, Barbados (all very dull), Athens, Sharm-el-Sheikh, LA

Florida is horrible. And I'm always disappointed by Spain - it ought to be nice but somehow isn't.

I adored NYC - everything was so familiar but new at the same time, we wandered miles through back streets and off the tourist path. I'll never forget standing on the WTC site and feeling goosebumps, something very tangible there. Statue of Liberty amazing too, thinking of all those who passed her on their way to a new life.

Prague - utter hellhole, went for 4 days and wanted to come home on the 1st. Gorgeous buildings and cobbled streets but unbelievably English and commercialised, struggled to find decent food apart from hotel and got really stressed with walking groups everywhere and those stupid segway machines being ridden at you. Also horribly expensive. Such an overwhelming disappointment, and we went for daughter's 21st. She's scared of flying so NY was out of the question. Wished we'd booked London instead.

Wouldn't go back: Tunis, Vienna

Loved: Reykjavik, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Bruges

Hated Torremolinos. May have had something to do with the fact we went in Feb, it rained and was freezing for the time we were there. We were based at a hotel way outside the city centre with ominous food, dirty rooms, a broken shower. Nothing to do, lots of things closed. We're meant to be there for a week. Checked out after day four and came home.

Loved Salou - didn't think I would. Flat, clean, friendly people, accommodation nice and central, good food.

Still undecided on Barcelona. Went there during a day trip while in Salou. First impressions too noisy, too busy and dusty. But would be willing to give it another proper go for a few days.

Venice - went for the first 4 nights of our honeymoon. I hated the lack of open spaces, I felt claustrophobic caged in after a couple of days. There were no decent restaurants and the place was devoid of life in the evenings. Nobody actually lives there so it's strangely lacking in ahtmosphere.
To top it off we both got d&v and we're confined to our tent tiny hotel rooms for a good chunk of it.

Lindos in Rhodes, when the rep unlocked our room, the previous occupants were still asleep in bed, I was NOT impressed, said rep had to throw them out and change the bed (ewww), bath/shower was like a large Belfast sink, the curtain didn't fully cover the widow and there was no air conditioning so we had to hire a fan off the reps, needless to say we moved to a different resort the next day. (And pay about £50 for the privelidge) I think it was a ploy by the reps to have accommodation for their friends and family....it was shit. Rhodes town was lovely, but I don't think I'd ever go back.

Florida was great, even my DH who was dreading it really enjoyed

Not on the same scale as some, but our first holiday after ds1, he was about 14months, we were skint. Dh's aunt lent us her caravan near Filey. I was fucking ungrateful- unimpressed. We got there and it was a luxury caravan, weather was fantastic, playground was great, we could walk to Filey, get the bus to Scarborough where we walked miles around hidden gems and ds could play on the beach.It was nothing special compared to hols we've had since, but it was perfect. Probably too perfect as 9 months later -dtwins.

Oh and DH has just reminded me of my hatred of Cornwall. I wanted to love it-i really did. We went camping 4 yrs ago. The weather was crap in august. Everywhere was£££. And the sea was rough..... Still have flashbacks about nearly losing ds then aged 2 when he fell over when paddling and started to get sucked out to sea by the force of the waves. St Ives was pretty but so full of people .

Blanes on the Costa Brava left me cold. Sounded nice but just had no soul. Loved Prague and wasn't really expecting too. Pictured grey communist style apartment blocks in my head and it was so not like that.

Loved Bergamo and Venice (thought it would be too touristy and smelly). Loved all of Germany.

Hated both Florida and Colorado. Going to get to new York at some point as I've been told Id like that bit if US

Loved Cluj in Romania, went for a wedding and wasn't expecting to love it but I did and would love to go back.
Can't think of anywhere I've hated.

Other places I've loved, Venice, San Francisco, Yosemite, Carmel, everywhere I've been in France, New York

The Atlantic coast of the Dom Rep was awful. Armed guards patrolling the resort, couldn't leave the resort except on excursion (first thing I saw was a rotting dog in the street). Constantly windy. Basically the people there were chavs. (Been told the other side is much better)

Love cruises, best holidays ever for families

Just been hugely impressed by Bavaria as a destination with small children. Open-air pools in parkland and trees, castles, excellent icecream and cake, loads of playgrounds, and lots of impeccably clean public toilets. Landsberg and the Ammersee were stunning and the former only had about one coachload of tourists a day to admire its mediaeval walls and buildings and riverside.

Neuschwanstein was drowning in tourists being herded about, but just about worth it.

We are in Argeles for 3 days and it's a bit of a sh*thole. Not at all how I remember it from 30 years ago. Be glad to leave for our next destination.

Absolutely loved driving through Death Valley - did it on our honeymoon, then again 10 years later with DSs (11 and 9). Incredible place.

Loved Santa Barbara, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon too. San Fran a bit meh. Really didn't like LA.

Love London, Cambridge, Paris, Port Grimaud, Antibes, Evian, Heidelberg, Amalfi Coast, Berlin, Le Touquet, Singapore.

Samoens for a Summer alpine holiday. La Rosiere for family skiing.

Chateauroux (France) no , me neither . We were on a pre booked by Brittany ferries self drive tour of France in 1983 .Chateauroux was the deadliest place I have ever been But it was only one night tbf
If DH wants to describe anywhere dire he says' Remember Chateauroux..?'

Belfast didn't impress me.

I far prefer Capri to Ischia.