Worst 'tourist' places you've visited

[ThunderOnlyHappens]

A little inspired by the school trips thread but I have been thinking about the worst places I've visited in pursuit of leisure. Disclaimer-sorry if you live there/love it. These are not anything other than my experience on that day/time.

There was the time I took a group of patients for a nice country stroll, which turned out to be a lay-by off an A-Road.

Or going on holiday to a small town near Gainsborough and realising that there was nothing to do, at all. We were there for a week!

Marseille. Dirty, rude people, and you very quickly get from the lovely harbour area to dodgy backstreets. Felt really unsafe there and will never go back.

Blackpool and Southend - both totally grim.

“I was disappointed with Lake Garda - my whole family were. Scenery was just OK and rather underwhelming. There wasn't much to do”

How on earth can you say that PierreBezukov?

There is loads to see and do. Why didn’t you take the ferry and explore the other lake towns? I assume you stayed at the South end of the lake and never ventured very far.
I’m struggling to understand why you found this underwhelming, or did you not even see this kind of scenery? I mean, anyone who finds stunning mountain and lake scenery boring just leaves me speechless.

And anyone who expects a beach holiday in Madeira really ought to do a bit of research before booking a holiday there. It is known to not be a beach destination. We had an amazing time in Madeira, and ate fabulous food. I don’t think we ate a chip during the week we were there. But then we avoid the “chips with everything” kind of places anyway.

I agree with IrmaFayLear. I don’t understand when people visit places where there is loads to see and do, and then say it is boring. They must be pretty boring themselves if they dislike sightseeing and exploring. I bet these people would find Rome boring.

so interesting. I bloody adore Marrakech and go back whenever I can. I love the hassle, the heat, the smell and the noise. I absolutely get that's not everyone's cuppa though.

Where on earth did all of these Lake Garda haters go?!

We go to Malcesine every other year and it's absolutely beautiful, gorgeous restaurants and loads of interesting things to see!

Is everyone going to all inclusives in Riva or Bardolino in August? If so of course it's going to be heaving!

Ooo this is such a useful thread! Making a list!

For me it’s Paphos in Cyprus - but that’s because I don’t really like karaoke and “entertainment” nights etc anyway. All the bars were british and found it all very depressing to be honest! Cyprus is beautiful as a country but overdevelopment has ruined so many of the towns and especially the coast. Beautiful further inland and in the quieter places.

but when you've seen one mosque/palace you've really seen them all

This is a wrong enough thing to say in general but about Istanbul?! Just to name the three most famous sites in the city, the Blue Mosque, Ayia Sofia and Topkapi, all totally different to each other.

Malcesine is gorgeous isn't it cheesefield
We visited it on a day trip, but I would love to stay there. We have stayed in Garda and Sirmione so far, but would like to stay further north next time.

I can only conclude that there are a lot of cultural philistines on this thread who just want to go somewhere and stay put.

Rhyl. I visited it years ago as a teenager, and it was like a poor man’s Blackpool

I’m sad to hear that York has declined, I always used to love it.

Morecombe in Lancashire - felt horrible and everyone looked depressed.

St. Petersburg in Russia - stopped off for 2 days when on a Baltic cruise. Way too regimented and pickpocketrs abound!

Millom in Cumbria - never have I visited any town where almost all the shops closed at mid day on Saturday. We were camping and needed various supplies which we had to travel to the next town to buy.

Great Yarmouth and Blackpool, both horrible run down places
Lands End as it has been turned into a money spinner, likewise Cheddar Gorge.

I really liked Madeira though.

Skegness. So bad it passes through the event horizon to sheer greatness. The saying "there's always someone worse off" is truer there than anywhere outside a war zone.

It seems that so many great places to visit are being ruined by the greedy "entrepreneurs" who want to milk every last penny from visitors, and are turning so many beautiful places like York, Edinburgh, Cheddar Gorge, Lands End etc into parodies of themselves with all the tourist tat stuff.

We had a mini break in Edinburgh last year. We loved the city, but the Royal Mile was ruined by all the shops selling the same things - overpriced shortbread, cashmere and tartan, plus all the nasty made in China tourist tat. Who actually buys these things?

St Tropez back in the 80s was definitely meh. My DM described it as 'full of people sitting on boats looking at people looking at them.'

Hated Altinkum in Turkey when I was a teenager. Leery men, weather way too hot and my tummy never settled down.

I just don’t want people to think that all Americans are fake when they are enthusiastic and optimistic

Don't worry Kismet - many including myself simply love the place, and largely because of the countless wonderful, extremely friendly, incredibly positive people

Not every American's Donald Trump, and not everything's fake and plastic ... though if visitors confine themselves to nothing more than the theme parks I can see why they might think so

I also experienced the Popeye village in Malta circa 2008 with some bemusement!

I love going to Yorkshire and the Highlands but agree with a pp who said the Lake District has an almost menacing feel, I don't know what it is but we spent a couple of days there breaking journey from Lincolnshire to the boat home in Cairnryan and I really didn't like it.

Hammamet in Tunisia, pestered by lots of men either selling or leering although other parts seemed better.

Gutted about York though was hoping to go next year

Skegness. So bad it passes through the event horizon to sheer greatness. The saying "there's always someone worse off" is truer there than anywhere outside a war zone.

It's known as 'smeggy Skeggy' for a reason Disgrace.

Unfortunately Lonicera that's something that the UK really excels at.

We've been to many comparable sites in Europe and marvelled at free parking, free or reasonably priced entry. Good quality catering at sensible prices. Either no gift shops or very modest ones, again items sold at sensible prices. And all mostly 'local' not mass market factory catering or plastic tat from China.

Full of ×××× people...

(My mum actually made a rude noise rather than a swear word there; tried to put asterisks in but they didn't show. )

Withernsea.

My late ex-MIL had a chalet there. She'd been going since she was 15, took over the chalet after her parents stopped going, and kept it up until she died at 71.

That's 56 years of visiting the armpit of the universe at every possible opportunity.

No words can describe Withernsea. The vocabulary doesn't exist to convey the sheer, unadulterated misery that hangs over the place like a miasma of doom.

Grey-faced people wander the litter-blown streets like survivors of some kind of holocaust. There's a thousand-yard-stare that seems to have developed as a result of looking for something, anything to entertain them in this woefully misnamed holiday resort.

Paint peels off the buildings as if its lost the will to cling on any longer, kiddie rides sit in oily puddles and empty Greggs bags congregate in corners as if doing shady deals.

God, I fucking hate the place.

St Tropez back in the 80s was definitely meh

IME it still is - a place trading on past glories if ever there was one

The cultural highlight when I visited seemed to be Karl "shaped to be raped" Lagerfeld sliming his way to the place. The media could hardly contain themselves: "the glove! the glove!! he's wearing the GLOVE!!!"

For pity's sake get a life - preferably somewhere else

Number 3 on Trip Advisor's top ten things to do in Withernsea:

Nuclear Bunker.

Nuff said.

Rhodes. The self catering apartments were in the arse end of nowhere. The shop was expensive and hopeless. Better shops were a 2 mile walk in searing heat. I was with a boyfriend who was too tight to pay for a taxi. The evening entertainment was dire and usually consisted of 2 lecherous pervs who favoured the young, blond, slim Norwegian girls and you had to put your shitty toilet paper in a bin.

I loved Fuerteventura though.

Speaking of Blackpool, does anyone else remember the ghastly Pontins camp? My abiding memory was seeing families looking out through the high wire fences, though whether they existed to keep others out or the punters in wasn't clear

Their tagline used to be "Book early!!" - presumably to allow time to change your mind once you'd come to your senses

And you're not kidding about Skegness, YChromasone. In a deranged moment I can only blame on the jetlag, I once decided to go there after a Californian holiday, just to see a British seaside resort again. I really must have been quite insane ...

Totally agree @MawkishTwaddle
I live just outside York and have stopped going into town at a weekend, not great shopping and Pocklington is nicer for drinks