Ever visited somewhere for the day and been really disappointed?

[Summerhouse2013]

We travelled to Yeovil in Somerset yesterday for the day, wow, we were so disappointed.

It was like a ghost town. Most of the shops were shut, only a handful were open. And towards the bottom area of the town most of the shops were completely closed down.

I'd always got the impression there was a lot more to Yeovil.

We left after an hour as there was nothing to do.

@Cariadm Ha, ha- I feel the same when people don't like Bath ( live here) - these kinds of places are just nice 'to be' - it's about ambience and ambling around, I genuinely think some people as you say have conditioned themselves to wall to wall 'activities' - maybe it's because they bring kids and whilst here is a great place to live with children , I wouldn't necessarily bring kids here for a day out -

Yes was a bit disappointed when went to Torquay, Nice and Cannes. When you are used to the beaches in the outer Hebridies, most other beaches are underwhelming. And Torquay town centre is a bit run down looking.

I can't agree about Dublin, Rome, Edinburgh, Paris or Amsterdam. Love them all. These places are what you make them. Find the off the beaten track areas, not just the obvious tourist bits. Go to restaurants and cafes where locals go . also think weather plays a big part- if you go to any of these places and the weather is shitty and you are only there for a short time, it takes the gloss off and colors both what you can do and the general vibe of a place. As an example here in a bath a beautiful sunny September day is a totally different ballgame to a pissing down dull day in February. And don't take kids to city breaks that aren't full of attractions that suit children, if they aren't the kind of children that like pottering about, cafes, shopping, the odd museum etc - some children are quite happy with all this, my son was - but I do hear children in town here who clearly want very specific 'stuff to do' all day and would be easier to take them to westonnsuper mare and the arcades.

Major European city is "commercial" - shock!

Well at least you were able to return to your luxurious cruise ship - unlike the people who live there .

Great post!!

Absolutely agree with Chick. Also researching the place / reading novels set there etc so you can appreciate it more. Turning up negative with arms folded and a “come on then impress me” attitude is not conducive to a fun time.

That said anyone would struggle with Yeovil but wholesale dismissal of London / paris /Amsterdam is quite embarrassing!

@Chickdaft totally agree

Antwerp.

Quite a grim, grey place. Full of litter, even in the nicer streets. Was there on a hot summer's day, there were no parks or playgrounds anywhere near the middle, and very little shade. Didn't understand the hype, Bruges is a thousand times nicer.

My abiding memory of Antwerp is the overwhelming smell of drains!

Ah, glad I'm not the only one!

Seaton Carew. I thought it sounded so lovely.

I love when places have distinctive smells - Berlin in the early 90s was sewage, and arriving in Holland was pigs and cheroots.

Dislike Morecambe, Blackpool & Durham (I SO wanted to love Durham) I thought the latter's streets were pedestrianised as everyone walked in the middle of the road - they are not! The Cathedral - I suppose once you've seen one, you've seen them all. Although I was in Lincoln recently & was going to see if the kids could spot the Lincoln Imp in the cathedral there. Not at £11 each..

I like the vibe of both Edinburgh & Glasgow, but yes, there does seem to be lots of homeless. :-(
Dislike Birmingham but looking forwards to seeing Liverpool, I note no complaints about that fine city! Eldest son got mugged in Manchester, harsh maybe but it's put me off forever.

My happiest times have often been on Heritage Open Days, when places are open free & often guides to tell you about the history.
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Walking the walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed & learning the history was awesome.

I adore Durham, and York. But then I'm a single woman in her 60's who likes to potter about in cathedrals and museums and can stand and stare at a view for ten minutes at a time, even in bad weather. I can't imagine that this would thrill many ten year olds, or even teenagers.

It depends what you are looking for. Amusements, thrills, rides, lots of 'stuff to do'; probably best to avoid centuries old places with an historic vibe. But if you want to pootle about - may I recommend Durham and York?

I think there is a big difference between somewhere nice to live and somewhere nice to visit. Where I live is nice to live, it is not a place for tourists. Most people do not like just ambling about a City, especially in British weather. I have shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants where I live, I have zero reason to spend money to amble around somewhere that offers no more than where I live.

No I’ve been a few times since then. Hated it every single time!

The Policeman and the tube was just the start of my dislike and my hatred for the place, has continued to grow with every visit I’ve made since.

@Cariadm I suspect most people would have enjoyed the Eden Project if it was a lot cheaper. It is a huge entrance fee and what you get is disappointing after that.

Madrid. Not for the day though - I visited relatives and stayed for a month, decades ago at the age of 19. It was…kind of OK, in that there were sights, galleries, museums and the Retiro, and I met one or two nice people, and it was a novelty finding my way around a foreign city on my own. But overall it was a bit so-so. And the men were creeps.

(I daresay I’d get less hassle from them nowadays. 😂)

@AskMeMore whilst I do totally get what you are saying (I struggle with weekends away because unless it's on the coast or maybe London there are few places that can offer me something better or different to what I have got on my doorstep) I do think lots of people do just go out for a 'change of scene' not necessarily to do anything specific or visit a specific 'thing/activity' -we do for one- will often pop to Wells or Stroud or Cardiff or Cheltenham on a Saturday. Cardiff admittedly has better shopping but none of the others offer anything I haven't got on my doorstep. - and we have lots of visitors here too from all those places as well- so the reverse is true. I guess we are all different- I for one have a H who has itchy feet if he's been WFH all week- sometimes I admit I would be quite happy just to do my housework , food shop and read a book !

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat yes! That's what I was saying below in my post about Bath. If you want specific 'doing stuff' activities (although York I presume still has Jorvik) these historic cities aren't for 'some' kids and teens

If I can mention though for anyone bringing under 9s to Bath we do have one of the best children's playgrounds at Victoria park- so only 10 minutes walk out the centre- leads up then through the park to Royal crescent. It's a fab playground with things for both very young and slightly older children.

Historically people who hate Bath are in good company. Jane Austen absolutely loathed the place.

Me and my Husband laughed till we cried in Glastonbury, the shops were fantastic.
Druid and witches cloaks, sticks for £5 that were advertised as wands, weird whale music.. absolutely brilliant.
We went in to Wells which is just lovely, nice shops and restaurants, a beautiful cathedral and the Bishops Palace and Gardens which are stunning.

@Crikeyalmighty I have itchy feet and go out somewhere every weekend sometimes dragging my family, sometimes they are more willing. Lots of places have somewhere different. It does not all have to be different for a day trip. So Southend has a long pier and a train across it, Edinburgh has some amazing museums and a camera obscura and castle, Halifax has the Piece Hall and Shibden Hall nearby, Liverpool has the Slavery Museum and lots of exciting arts events, Blackpool has the Tower, etc etc.
With small towns we might just stop after a walk in the countryside for lunch and a short mooch. But with a City I do expect something different and that is usually the case. I am not a great fan of mooching anyway. I like doing things, and would rather spend a day walking in the countryside than mooching around shops, cafes and pubs. My teenagers would be happy with that kind of mooching though.

Glastonbury is fine for a lunch trip around a walk. Not for a whole day. Avebury is better though.