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Original poster

Most overrated destination you’ve visited?

944 replies

Rnm62 · 20/05/2023 13:53

Just that really..

OP posts:
mosiacmaker · 21/05/2023 20:52

Wow some of these are so interesting! I definitely think it depends when you go and what you do. Eg Venice is glorious in April/May but you need to know the good restaurants and not just wander into tourist traps the whole time. LA is super cool if you know anyone who lives there and hire a cool car and do LA things like get valet parking, absolutely shit if you’re just a standard tourist going to all the sites. Paris, absolutely amazing if you like dining out and dancing but you need to know where to go. Basically anywhere as a “tourist” without doing your research and going to restaurants beside main tourist attractions, is going to be shit.

Motorcycleemptyness · 21/05/2023 20:54

Rhaenys · 21/05/2023 20:42

I saw it on TV recently and it was not how I expected it to be at all. I thought it would have been like paradise but it was so urban and soulless. Like a man made beach with builder’s sand.

Show quote history

But it’s about four miles outside of central Sydney, which is a large city. (You might have heard of it. There’s an opera house and a big bridge). It’s not on a remote paradise island! Of course it’s built up. It’s a place where people live and work, not an instagram snapshot.

FWIW, Bondi Beach is genuinely a very pleasant beach. It has white sand, beautiful water and is a crescent shape which makes it more attractive/easier to look at/photograph than say, Surfers paradise which is a very long straight beach.

mosiacmaker · 21/05/2023 20:55

Inastatus · 21/05/2023 20:32

We loved Bali but travelled there with my nephew who knew the country well. Majorca is one of the only places we have returned to multiple times, it’s a beautiful island, especially the north coast. The only place I can think of that I didn’t like is the Black Forest - I found it dark and gloomy and it gave me a weird feeling but I was an angst ridden teen at the time so that might have had something to do with it!

I also found the Black Forest super spooky. Didn’t feel the same way about forests in Switzerland and Austria (did a big road trip).

Vitriolinsanity · 21/05/2023 20:57

Jerusalem

There seemed to have been some sort of festival where used sanitary towels had replaced confetti. Odd, I thought. Hard to see past.

CathyorClaire · 21/05/2023 20:58

Turkey.

5* hotel but sick on the first and last nights, hassled to go into shops, hassled not to sit outside the hotel on site jewellers shop as we were apparently 'putting off customers' and taken to a shopping stop en route to the flight home 🤔

Dc visited a few years later and acquired a pool related ear infection they had to pay £300 upfront to treat. Got it back on insurance but still...

Top rated UK venue to avoid is Warwick Castle.

Absolute route-march from the car park, the one thing I'd like to have seen - the dungeons - cost an extra £9 per person to visit, whole place got progressively more rammed as the day went on and viewing the jousting was off limits due to the deafening roar of screaming massed kids.

Never again.

Inastatus · 21/05/2023 21:02

@mosiacmaker - that’s interesting, not just me then.

IrishMamaMia · 21/05/2023 21:04

I'm not as well - travelled as I'd like and this thread has made me feel better about it. For me I'm England it was The Cotswolds, so dull and twee.

ChrisPPancake · 21/05/2023 21:08

NYC.

CharlieBoo · 21/05/2023 21:10

@IrishMamaMia agree about the Cotswolds.. pretty but just boring!

Loved Las Vegas, and NYC, bored to death at the Grand Canyon..

San Francisco was disappointing although Alcatraz was a real highlight.

HATE Turkey and would never go back

Avavlon · 21/05/2023 21:11

Venice like someone else said smelly and dirty watar may be different now this was the 80s

Toddlerteaplease · 21/05/2023 21:12

Edinburgh.

Kisskiss · 21/05/2023 21:13

Bali is amazing!! For the people saying it’s magaluf for Aussies, did you only go to kuta??

Ruth98 · 21/05/2023 21:13

BumblingCakeLover · 20/05/2023 16:23

Answer to the question: Vienna for me (but my wife enjoyed it and partly as I didn't like our accomodation so probably unfairly judging Vienna).

On the flip side (positive).....

Tourist attraction that beat expectation: Death Valley, absolutely loved it and driving across from Yosemite to Vegas.

Totally agree about Death Valley and the drive from Vegas to Yosemite, it was brilliant way more than we were expecting. Not knowing whether the next town will be anything more than one metal shack and another alien research centre or an abandoned village like Rhyolite. The vast flat nothingness of the valley was so sobering and then the steep climb out of the west side over to Lone Pine, Bishop etc, was amazing.

Lizzylum · 21/05/2023 21:14

Euro Disney. Not my thing really. Just repetitive shopping everywhere

CharlieBoo · 21/05/2023 21:14

People surprised at Majorca.. it is really beautiful. We’ve gone to Puerto Pollensa almost every year for the last 10 years. My favourite place ever ..

Emptiedout · 21/05/2023 21:15

Pollyannalola · 21/05/2023 17:40

To those who are saying New York, I think it is very much a case of where you go. Yes it's dirty and even a bit smelly in parts but has an energy that is 1000 times more exciting than London in my opinion.

Dumbo views over to Manhattan and the park and restaurants
Williamsburg thrift stores and chilled vibes
Madison Square Garden Park on a cold sunny day
Soho sitting outside at Jacks wife Freda fashion watching
The green leafy streets of Greenwich Village

There is so much more than Times Square and MidTown...

I lived in NY for almost 2 years...a long time ago. But still go back and absolutely love it and the energy (which is def way more exciting than London)...including all the highlights you mention!

Usernamebilly · 21/05/2023 21:18

Blondey2023 · 20/05/2023 14:11

Venice for sure. It was really smelly, like sewage water everywhere. I wonder if anyone else has ever thought this 🤔

I agree, no desire to go back there. Incredibly touristy, smelly, hotels are overpriced and not very nice at all.

wistfullyfocused · 21/05/2023 21:20

adriftabroad · 21/05/2023 19:37

Loved Marrakech, but you have to speak the language, cover up and be prepared for a "traveller Experience"

Exactly. I remember travelling to The Gambia 30 years ago and people were shocked and complaining that our airport transfer went through a ‘shanty town’. No shit you fucking ignorant twats. The tractor and roped off area for our cases at the airport should have been a clue that we weren’t in LA.

I love travelling to places that are real. I’ve been to quite a few African countries and have felt intimidated a few times, but love it.

wistfullyfocused · 21/05/2023 21:24

This thread is making me laugh, whole countries or large islands written off due to a 2 week holiday.

Jeclop · 21/05/2023 21:24

Bumble84 · 20/05/2023 13:57

Bali. It’s like Magaluf for Australians.

From what I've heard there are 2 sides to Bali. We absolutely loved it but stayed inland further north. The south, near the airport is meant to be not as nice.
Hated Koh Phi Phi in Thailand.

Iwasafool · 21/05/2023 21:25

wistfullyfocused · 21/05/2023 21:20

Exactly. I remember travelling to The Gambia 30 years ago and people were shocked and complaining that our airport transfer went through a ‘shanty town’. No shit you fucking ignorant twats. The tractor and roped off area for our cases at the airport should have been a clue that we weren’t in LA.

I love travelling to places that are real. I’ve been to quite a few African countries and have felt intimidated a few times, but love it.

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My funny moment was a family of Americans queuing to get into The Vatican, it was really hot and they were complaining about why they hadn't installed air conditioning when they built them.

Bignanny30 · 21/05/2023 21:33

Thailand !
and the Lake District in the U.K.

FattyAirways · 21/05/2023 21:34

Puerto Banus on the Costa Del Sol. It's near to Marbella, San Pedro and Estepona, which I all love, but I can't get on with Puerto Banus. It's got a nice harbour with possibly some of the most expensive superyachts in the world, but I find it quite pretentious along the harbour front with all it's designer shops and fancy bars, but the street directly behind the front felt almost threatening. I've been lots of times now, but I don't think I will ever love it. Marbella, San Pedro and especially Estepona, on the other hand, are all incredible.

blueshoes · 21/05/2023 21:34

Paris and LA

Abhannmor · 21/05/2023 21:34

wistfullyfocused · 21/05/2023 21:24

This thread is making me laugh, whole countries or large islands written off due to a 2 week holiday.

Or a two day bender / hen party . I mean nobody goes to Prague or Dublin for a fortnight ?