Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Most overrated destination you’ve visited?

944 replies

Rnm62 · 20/05/2023 13:53

Just that really..

OP posts:
gogohmm · 20/05/2023 16:37

Pisa was underwhelming, not very tall and not as leaning as i expected but had a nice pizza there!

afrikat · 20/05/2023 16:39

Miami

isthismylifenow · 20/05/2023 16:39

WestwardHo1 · 20/05/2023 16:16

These threads are always the same

People slating clearly wonderful places because they didn't enjoy themselves due to one small detail.

These were my thoughts too.

I cannot believe someone said Cape Town.

I am quite widely travelled and love to see new places and people. There are good and bad everywhere.

BillyNoM8s · 20/05/2023 16:40

gogohmm · 20/05/2023 16:36

I like Ibiza but Hawaii, vegas, Orlando- all overrated. Don't know why ordinary people are scrimping and saving for years to go to Disney in Florida, it's ok but so busy, so humid, and so very very expensive, you barely get on any rides due to queues and even the signing the autograph book which was simple 20 years ago is now hours long queues

Where in Hawaii did you go? Big Island is lovely, full of amazing volcanic sites.

I wouldn't go to Oahu.

grayhairdontcare · 20/05/2023 16:41

Santorini. Really overrated
Barcelona just wasn't my thing
Cardiff was just truly awful and the only place I have ever left early!

Heavensalongwayaway · 20/05/2023 16:43

Vienna- the sachertorte and coffee were hugely overpriced and I didn’t feel safe at all. Weird atmosphere when I was there

nosykids · 20/05/2023 16:43

HobnobsChoice · 20/05/2023 14:33

Los Angeles, specifically Santa Monica. It was just so uniform and drab. We were told it was a great place to stay and the beach was lovely but the downtown was just so dull.

Completely agree with this! We left early and went to Santa Barbara instead - much nicer. I much preferred San Francisco to LA, but I have heard others say the opposite.

ThePensivePig · 20/05/2023 16:45

mynameiscalypso · 20/05/2023 14:04

Interestingly, we went to Majorca a few years ago and I had really low expectations but I thought it was stunning.

Same! Must depend on the resort?

midsomermurderess · 20/05/2023 16:46

I agree with Dunedin. It was a long time ago, but it felt like what its Northern Hemisphere namesake would have been like in the 1930s. Desperately dull and sternly presbyterian (they were still chaining up the swings in the parks on Sunday when I was a child in the 1970s) with a rather punishing climate.

Bideshi · 20/05/2023 16:47

BillyNoM8s · 20/05/2023 16:37

I love Edinburgh. And Scotland. I love the architecture. And that it has a fossil shop. It's a place that "feels right" for me.

My local city. I like it, and yeah, the fossil shop is great. But the architecture isn't gothic. The Old Town is a mish-mash of mostly vernacular stuff on a medieval street layout- medieval castle leading to French style renaissance palace. The New Town is mid to late Georgian. Less Gothic than most cities.

OnlyOpenMouthToChangeFeet · 20/05/2023 16:48

coronafiona · 20/05/2023 15:04

Tunisia. It was lovely in the hotel but immediate outside accosted by locals selling stuff in a very intimidating way. I would not go back.

A rich Arab offered my uncle 1,000 camels for my aunt whilst they were on holiday there. He probably wished he'd accepted after she fleeced him in their divorce. 🤣

nosykids · 20/05/2023 16:48

midsomermurderess · 20/05/2023 16:29

Granted it was 30 years about, Auckland. Such a dull, soporific city.

All the big NZ cities are a bit crap though (we went to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - all were dull), but you don't really go to NZ for a city break and we had an absolutely brilliant time overall.

midsomermurderess · 20/05/2023 16:49

@Bideshi I think is fair to say that the poster doesn’t know what gothic architecture is.

Shayisgreat · 20/05/2023 16:49

Phos · 20/05/2023 15:56

Cape Town

I don’t get why people rave about it, it’s one of the ugliest cities I’ve ever been to and the beaches are crap.

Really? I thought it was gorgeous!

I found Oslo a bit crap but that could have been because I was broke at the time and it was super expensive.

midsomermurderess · 20/05/2023 16:50

nosykids · 20/05/2023 16:48

All the big NZ cities are a bit crap though (we went to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - all were dull), but you don't really go to NZ for a city break and we had an absolutely brilliant time overall.

I has to spend some time in Auckland to leave the blooming country.

Budikka · 20/05/2023 16:51

Mossstitch · 20/05/2023 14:21

Same, drove miles and so tacky couldn't wait to leave!!

The town of Pisa itself is lovely. I sought out the former residences of Byron and Shelley, "broke into" Byron's former palace. There are also all sorts of interesting buildings linked to Renaissance history. I would only add the tower as an aftermath, although the whole area there is quite attractive in general.

I remember my first impression of the tower: "It's just a badly built tower like something you might expect to see in a grimy town in a former Communist state!"

TheChosenTwo · 20/05/2023 16:53

Not that I’ve heard much raving about it for it to even really have been overrated in the first place but I found Berlin to be a grotty dive. And just a bit crap generally.

7eleven · 20/05/2023 16:54

For me, Rome. Spoilt by touts and rude waiters serving crap food.

queenofcrypto · 20/05/2023 16:54

The algarve, Portugal. God grief, what an utter dump.

dropthevipers · 20/05/2023 16:55

I went to Swindon once. It was shut.

silverfullmoon · 20/05/2023 16:56

These threads are always the same

People slating clearly wonderful places because they didn't enjoy themselves due to one small detail

Nah, people are allowed to not like a place- especially one thats been hyped up for ages. "Wonderful" is entirely and completely subjective. I adore Venice but lots in this thread didnt, I'm not mad at them- we all like different things. More Venice for me!

TheDogsMother · 20/05/2023 16:57

I absolutely loved Venice, Paris, Majorca (specifically places like Palma, Soller, Port Soller, Deja), Cape Town. I don't think you can go to just one part of these destinations and declare the whole thing awful. Around the Eiffel Tower is packed and awful. So is St Marks Square but get wandering and there's so much lovely stuff to see.

letthemalldoone · 20/05/2023 16:57

Maybe I am a simple soul but I've always found something to enjoy anywhere I've visited.

I think the place that has underwhelmed me most has been Manchester. I've loved Paris, NYC, Seville, the Algarve, Lisbon, Edinburgh and many of the others slated here!

FannythePinkFlamingo · 20/05/2023 16:58

NYC. I was expecting it to be a bit more like SATC, but in reality it was very underwhelming. Also Alice Springs. The hotel was nice with a lush pool, but the town felt grubby and unsafe.

Loub55 · 20/05/2023 16:58

xabia · 20/05/2023 16:27

@Summertimesmile
I agree with you!
Mallorca is stunning ( if you go to the right part)

I agree, it's a bit of a stretch for the PP to say they didn't like a whole island when there are so mabhy different resorts and towns!