Best/worst country to visit

[travelinterest]

AIBU to ask which countries/cities were the best or worst you have visited and why?

Loved Canada, been several times to different areas. Malta, Australia and Switzerland are fab. Western USA is great with amazing national parks and I loved Washington DC.

Worst - Cyprus - after 10 days without seeing a cloud I was a bit demented, and found it to be pretty dull (though North Cyprus was nice). I don’t like Paris either - theere are some amazing sights but the city is dirty, overpriced and does not feel particularly safe. Not wowed by Amsterdam either.

Never really hated anywhere because we always make the best of a bad job. I really like
Italy - just about everywhere but especially Rome and Lake Como
Montenegro
New York
Rome
The Isle of Bute
We really liked Estonia
Ireland
Israel
The Greek Islands
Just had a great week on Gozo after our holiday on Malta was cancelled
Underwhelmed by
Paris (rude people, expensive)
Venice (expensive, overcrowded and dirty)
Helsinki (very clean but nothing to see)
The Blue Lagoon (Malta) lovely water but never seen so many people crammed on a few rocks. Paid 20 euros for deck chairs just to get some space !

My favourites:

Siem Reap, Cambodia (loved the history)
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia (beautiful and the people are lovely)
All of Tuscany, Italy (the history, the scenery, the people)
Berlin, Germany (the history, the charm, great city)
Montreal, Canada (charming, old world meets new)
Nova Scotia, Canada (absolutely gorgeous)
Newfoundland, Canada (so remote, so empty, icebergs, moose)
Zermatt, Switzerland (the Alps)
Shanghai, China (east meets west)
Xi'an, China (historical, people very friendly)
Nearly everywhere in Thailand (lovely people, lovely food, ultimate relaxation break)
Barbados (lovely to swim off the shores here)

Worst:

Geneva, Switzerland (so expensive for not very much)
Munich, Germany (no charm, not very nice people)
Auckland, NZ (very nondescript)
Rome, Italy (wow, so unfriendly; very dirty; even their awesome historical sites couldn't make up for everything else)
Brisbane, Australia (overrated, unfriendly)

How can anyone hate the Peak District?? The Monsal Trail is stunning.

disgusting low-lives with glassy eyes, stinking of booze

Nice

How can anyone hate the Peak District??

^This!

I'm surprised so many people dislike Dublin, I was there a couple of weeks ago, having not been since the early 90s. The worst thing about it for me was all the tourists (sadly so many places are ruined by the volume of tourists, you need to get off the beaten track - that really applies for Venice, but it's also very easy to do because the coach hoards stick to the beaten track). We did a lot of walking so we were tired after two full days and it was enough, but I am sure there was so much stuff we could have done. For example, we went to Phoenix Park but only went to a small section of it.

Interested to see a pp didn't like Trieste - I'd love to go there it it conjures up the Cold War for me.

Also Guernsey, it is a bit boring if you are expecting sight-seeing, but it's a lovely place to visit for a few days to relax completely. There is a lot more to do on Jersey though.

Best: USA (just an amazing country, but sadly governed by a madman). Too much begging in nyc now though.
Australia
Paris - although haven’t been for a long time
Love Italy - even Venice in August was ok for me!

Worst
Cuba - not keen. Havana was interesting for a few days but that was it. Wouldn’t go bacK.

Haven’t disliked many places though but never been to India, Far East, etc.

I like Dublin but it’s very busy and expensive now. I prefer it to Belfast though.

Dublin is an incredibly boring city I think. It’s over hyped and really not that interesting. I actually prefer Cork

There are plenty of gross parts of Dublin which are off the beaten track! Plenty of nice parts too though. But it isn’t just the tourists ruining it for everyone.

I grew up in NI and coincidentally, happen to love Belfast . It’s right by the hills and the sea. Very interesting history too and the people tend to be a bit friendlier than the touristy parts of Dublin, (like anywhere there are tonnes of tourists, the people get really grumpy in the tourist parts of Dublin and who could blame them really)? I like the student areas of Belfast and the cathedral quarter BUT I think there is now a pretty bad drug problem in the city centre now. Also there’s been a huge fire in the centre which has meant a few shops have had to shut. There’s also some bus thing being built, so loads of roadworks. Nobody now goes to the middle of Belfast apparently. Not good for local businesses. Also some parts used to be very run down. I don’t know if that’s still the case as I haven’t lived there for many years. I do hear that NI is starting to get a lot more tourists now though, I think due to GoT & the new promotion of all things Titanic!

If we’re going to get into it, I love Cork and really love Galway! The area around Sligo is also gorgeous, (Yeats country), but I’m not mad keen on the city itself. Donegal is lovely too.

West coast very wet though. Bring your waterproofs!

ohiwa

The best estimates are that Maori arrived in NZ 700 years ago.

To say NZ has "no history" is of course wrong, but compared to the rest of the world there really isn't much for a tourist to see. The average pa site consists of humps of earth, generally with little or no explanation. It is physical stuff like buildings that make history accessible.

I wouldn't get offended if I were you.

Anywhere I have visited in Italy I have loved.
I adore Scotland, Perthshire and the East Coast (not keen on Edinburgh though)
My fave place is the US, such a vast country, everywhere I've visited was so very different. I visited NYC for the first time last December , wow just wow!
I've never felt the urge to visit Amsterdam again, the rest of Holland is lovely

Favourite City - New York -so much to do and see - you could never get bored in Manhatte.

Favourite Country (bar my own) - Croatia - loved it,people were so friendly,plenty to see and it had such a relaxed atmosphere - down point was I've grown up beside the most beautiful sandy beaches in the world and I've been 4 places in Croatia and yet to find one even close.

I am Irish and not overly surprised about Dublin I find it very spread out and can be hard to negotiate I now have a friend who lives there and her bringing me around/making recommendations has made it 100% better.

Galway is a much easier city to negotiate round,it also has a lot more atmosphere and well worth s visit.

For that true "Irish experience" rent s car and travel around Donegal its so beautiful and the people so friendly. Inishowen 100 has 100beaches within 100miles.

I am Irish and not overly surprised about Dublin I find it very spread out and can be hard to negotiate I now have a friend who lives there and her bringing me around/making recommendations has made it 100% better

Totally agree. Having a local to show you round makes you fall in love with Dublin imo!

I have family in Dublin who I visit and I still think it's a dump.

Best : Switzerland
Worst :. Kenya

Haha fair enough davros. Have you suggested they come to you instead?

@SuckOnTHATRyan

I don’t doubt it

The fact is though that all the countries people list as loving - Italy etc... these are wonderful even if you don’t have a local to show you around and just rock up. Add in to the equation a local - then it’s off the scale wonderful (I speak from experience re Italy)

To just turn up without a local in Dublin is to have a very very disappointing time

I don't like Dublin and I used to live there. It just isn't a very nice-looking city and there are no major attractions - the Guinness storehouse is hugely overrated. I also find it dirty. Belfast is not pretty either but it is quirky and a bit edgy ans has a good vibe IMO.

Best places - oh so many but I love

Hong Kong
Germany (for the culture and history) especially Berlin
Turkey (Istanbul, Ephesus, Bodrum area - lots to see and do and very friendly locals) North Yorkshire (very friendly people)
Krakow and Warsaw - brilliant cities
India (difficult but unforgettable, especially liked South India)
Croatia - pricy but Dubrovnik is gorgeous
Florence - worth it for the David statue alone

Underwhelmed by:

Edinburgh - crowded and hyped: I just don't get it and I've been several times.
Goa - just.... not very nice. Tried to find 'old Goa' and was very disappointed.
Vancouver - dull and soulless
British Columbia - overhyped, I've seen far superior scenery in Ireland
Geneva - austere and rather dull, much preferred Zurich.

Yeah, I guess that’s true lost. I’ve had really mixed experience in Dublin too and it definitely isn’t my favourite destination by a long shot. Fucking hell - Temple Bar of a Friday evening (not envy). Some of the grimmest behaviour from stag & hen dos / lad(ette) weekend piss ups I’ve ever seen... and I’ve been to Blackpool and Magaluf!

Also, arriving by train into O’Connell Street used to be bleak, bleak, bleak. Not sure if it’s improved at all.

But there are lovely parts, it just takes a bit of time to find them. Also very interesting history and I love Trinity. I nearly went there to study actually, but rent was so expensive, even then.

Berlin is on my “must go ASAP” list! Is it good with children in tow or not so much, does anyone know?

overhyped, I've seen far superior scenery in Ireland

Yes I remember some US colleagues going on about the coastline south of San Francisco and wondered if they'd ever been to the Antrim coast which is far nicer in my view.