Have you ever been anywhere on holiday that was like the emperors new clothes?

[Cheeseandlobster]

I did. Last year I went to a very small hotel in Greece. 16 rooms only with pages and pages of great reviews.

When I arrived all the tables were pushed together and everyone was sat together pissed as farts getting louder and louder. One woman was drunker and swearier than the rest and it turned out she was the owner.

It was expected that you socialise and drink at the hotel even though the entire pool had no sun from 1pm and the surrounding area was beautiful. The owner would bark at you if you asked for food from the menu and would openly slate other guests for making reasonable requests. And the interrogation you got if you went out of the hotel was crazy.

Luckily I met another lovely solo traveller who felt the same as me so we paired up and left the hotel at the same time each day to share the interrogation. I will never stay at another small hotel again because of this.

Anyone else?

Oh how did I forget Vienna. Just nothing positive to say about it

Genuinely, why? What am I missing?

"Cardiff was the only place I've ever left early.
It was a complete shit hole"

Which of the sights did you not like? Presuming you visited at least one of the Castle, the National Museum, St Fagan's and the Bay.

The one thing I was surprised by was how little English is spoken in Germany, even in Berlin, especially for 40+ people. I really did need the little German I know to do basic things like order food and get around. I did German at school and remember other kids mocking me for it and saying Germans all speak English but they really don't. The level is far lower than in the Netherlands or Scandinavia. This isn't a criticism of them - I love speaking other languages - but probably the only real surprise I had in Germany.

Yeah because Mrs Hinch clean was exactly what I was talking about 🙄

Bad or just dull? I keep meaning to go but it's never anywhere near the top of my list. There just doesn't seem to be much to do. I once booked a cheap last minute flight to Bratislava, intending to go to Vienna from there, but just thought 'fuck it' and stayed where I was. Enjoyed Bratislava for a quick weekend trip - cheap beer and decent food, if not much to see.

{mention: pixie5121} definitely dull

"Do you mean salespeople, or those dodgy gangs of guys who catch tourists out by wrapping twine around their wrists as "bracelets" for which they basically want a ransom?"

Yes, sorry salespeople is not the right word. Last time it happened to me I honestly thought I would go to the police if only I wasn't scared of being accused of being racist. I don't know in which other context I'd accept someone grabbing my wrist like that. It's assault.

Greece has been sunk in the depths of economic depression since 2008; they've been on their absolute uppers, they really have. I lived there at the time and there was actual starvation, especially the elderly.

Oh yes Eden project! Ok it was nice in parts but the domes were underwhelming compared to other botanic garden hothouses - and the worst thing was it was SO preachy. Every exhibit banging on about your impact on the planet etc. so you just wanted to die of shame. which is fine but it’s a massive tourist attraction with parking space for 1000s of cars, loads of stuff in the cafe in prepackaged plastic and single-use containers, etc.

lost gardens of heligan a million time more interesting and beautiful and less overdeveloped.

I’m staying in Petra right now - amazed that anyone could find it not worthwhile. It’s hot, sure, but it is the Middle East! I’ve been getting up and starting my hikes at 6am, finished by midday, and stretching it over 3 days.

I found Cuba dreary. The food was atrocious, the people money-hungry to another level, and the place is largely falling apart, the accommodation very aged, and it just felt very hopeless. The famous cars are seriously polluting too. For what it’s worth, I have travelled in other post-communist countries and Eastern Europe quite a bit, but I’ve never felt anything quite like it elsewhere.

@Afterfire I adored Lucerne!
I can still taste the incredible glass of milk I had there, we Found our restaurant staff to be wonderful..we spent a beautiful day there , fresh air, beautifull lake and clear colours .

@Mumblechum0 how long where you in Venice for? They have lots of places to sit without food? But I do agree they all seemed set in what they'.will do and won't do.

We went recently and it was fine

I remember these guys. I was travelling alone and knew what they were trying to do, so gave them a very wide berth. Which led to them shouting after me that I was a racist and didn’t like black guys. Nope, I don’t like scammers trying to grab me without consent. One followed me for a few minutes yelling obscenities at me until he got distracted by another target. Love Paris, but ugh, avoiding these sharks is a pain.

On the other hand, I’ve travelled to Tunisia, Greece, Turkey and Lebanon solo and using public transport and never had anyone harass me or treat me disrespectfully.

Pattaya in Thailand hotel was lovely but it was like Benidorm couldn't wall down the seafront with out being sold something, offered a hand made suit and my husband got offered women while he was with me. Husband also nearly got electrocuted by a dodgy sign.

Not fussed by Centreparcs went for a family weekend and had a good time but was expensive for what it was so haven't been back.

Love New Zealand but some places are a bit local. Remember trying to find somewhere to eat in Hamilton which is a big uni town and nowwhere was open ended up with take away pizza.

Venice is absolutely beautiful (and unlike people saying they found nothing to do — there is absolutely LOADS to see) but the people are the least friendly I have encountered in Italy.

We saw posters (in Italian) for a craft beer festival so we went to it and the locals seemed almost angry that non-locals had found it. Not encountered anything like that anywhere else in Italy. And we were there in off-season and staying for a full week too (Christmas markets were lovely).

I loved the Taj Mahal, I also didn’t find Agra too shitty. But I generally loved India which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Cromer - everyone seems to rave about it on MN, but we thought it was quite run down and nothing much to do there.

Actually preferred Great Yarmouth for a day trip. Yes, it’s tacky, but doesn’t pretend to be anything else!

OP, the hotel wasn't in Rhodes by any chance, was it?

Varadero Cuba in 2021 I've been to Cuba 3 times but different areas we booked 2 weeks thought we had bagged a bargain. Wow the russian tourists, none wore masks they were so rude to the serving staff pushing in the queues , shouting egg at the buffet and beer no please or attempts to be polite . They laughed at us for tipping the locals . The Brits weren't much better physically fighting getting too drunk one woman was even fully naked at a family pool party had to escort her back to her room. Cuba went on the red list so thankfully had to cut the holiday a week short I was so happy to leave.

One of the russian children bit my daughter and dunked her , the parents didn't even discipline them they were feral.

Sydney, I wasn’t impressed, could have been any massive city. But the beaches were excellent , as were the blue mountains.

Ring mee but the old part of Salzburg is surely the only place any tourist would want to go? There are two sections of old town, both stunning with beautiful squares.
There are surprisingly loads of quirky water feature's for children eg on a sloping pavement lined with bars and restaurants there was a water features and little plastic balls so children could race their balls down and then collect and start again..
Other things like that so the children were kept occupied.

I used to live not too far from Whitby. It’s OK but you have to pick your moment to visit. There’s damn all parking, the beach is crap compared to most of the others along that stretch of coastline, it’s expensive and usually rammed with day trippers.

but pick a quiet evening and it is a nice place to mooch round and watch the sun set.

i was decidedly underwhelmed with Bristol. Granted I went there in February to go to a funeral of a colleague I barely knew. The bridge is cool, and the gorge is dramatic, but the city seemed… manky somehow.

I love London, NYC, Rome, Dubai, Venice (off season), Barcelona etc. Actually I’ve loved most places I travelled to!

Really didn’t like Petra (too touristy/ cruelty to the horses/ some very rude Russian tourists), sharm el sheik (dirty), Vegas and LA (especially Holywood).

Was disappointed in Istanbul as I thought it would be really romantic and cultured, but much of it was smelly and run down.

@FieryPitOfMordor not sure anyone ‘raves’ about Cromer. It’s a traditional seaside town with a pier. Not sure what else should expect. Weather could make or break it as a lot of places on east coast.