Most overrated destination you’ve visited?

[Hairbrush123]

For me, it was Paris. Not an AIBU, I know

@Shadappayourface I went to an airport in French Polynesia that was a large hut, you could just walk in off the pavement. Some random dogs in there & on the runway. Was handed some laminated reusable tickets that looked like raffle tickets upon checking in. Walked out to the tiniest plane, had to sit behind the pilot with suitcase on my lap. Not what I expected! 😆

Brisbane - a bit boring

Barbados - mostly ok, but Bridgetown had one too many dead cats left out on the pavement

I can’t understand people saying Paris was dirty, every time I have been I get woken up at 4am by massive noisy street cleaners. It’s much cleaner than London!

I find it very difficult to get underwhelmed by a place, it almost always the opposite.

Bangkok. The touristy stuff made it look lovely but going off the beaten track it quickly because dirty and oppressive. I wasn't predisposed to like it anyway when on arrival at the airport I noticed a poster in polite, almost friendly tones asking tourists to please consider the age of any sex workers they might pursue while on their holiday - children then - and try to avoid them. Can't remember the terminology exactly but it had a flower design on it and I couldn't help but think such serious matters should be accompanied by threats rather than polite requests and flowers.

Miami

The most disappointed I've been was a trip to Ironbridge on to find that the bridge was all covered over for renovation. But there was a super pork pie shop so it wasn't all bad.

Dublin (underwhelming)
LA (awful)
Australia (sterile, loved the wildlife obvs)
Auckland (loved NZ as a whole but meh!)

Loved Venice, completely overwhelmed by it (been twice). So many here saying they hated it.

Also quite liked San Fransisco.

@bunglebells

Dublin (underwhelming) LA (awful) Australia (sterile, loved the wildlife obvs) Auckland (loved NZ as a whole but meh!)

Loved Venice, completely overwhelmed by it (been twice). So many here saying they hated it.

Also quite liked San Fransisco.

I've never been to Paris (do I win a prize) despite being in France several times. Must go, though seems everyone hates it!

I love these threads!

Basically every destination gets a mention, as everywhere in the world gets a slating!

Maldives ? Nah, thought I was going to sink and there's nothing to do

Rome ? Too glitzy and too many lechy men

Berlin ? Too cold

etc etc.

Actually my own personal vote would be Dublin - but only through other peoples eyes as I actually really like it and have lived there, BUT it is hellishly expensively and it definitely isn't like it was 30 years ago. Not like the ' postcard' version of smiley , welcoming 'Oirish people at all, you need to know where you are going to get an authentic experience, and there aren't that many top touristy things to do.

This thread is very entertaining. Particularly the posts complaining that the place they picked specifically for beaches was boring because it was just beaches.

The only place I wouldn't go back to but I'm glad I've experienced is Vegas.

Actually, two places.

We booked relatively early tickets to the Vatican Museums (in March) and it was still heaving. We got carried away on a tide of humanity and deposited in the Sistine Chapel. Which was ruined by the security guards constantly shouting 'no photo'.

Also the Prague Castle. Heaving in what we thought would be the off season. Turns out that there isn't an off season.

The Calgary Stampede was massively underwhelming. Like a giant version of the fair that comes into town in summer when you're a kid. Awful food, and alcohol only allowed in certain areas.

I agree re Pisa as well- not very nice at all
Newquay in Cornwall is overrated

@JohnBetjeman

Slough

Chapeau to whoever set up this account!

@veevee04 re: Japan.

Chose their spring or fall to make the most of the blossom or the red maple trees.

Save for and chose a package that includes the 2/3 islands which you most want to see.

Realise that Japan is pretty rainy! All that beautiful moss wouldn't grow otherwise.

I haven't been myself - these are tips a relative who goes there often gave me for when i (finally) go.

I love London, used to stay in Bloomsbury every time and could walk everywhere in central London. In UK I also rate Bristol and Cardiff, both great cities.
Cork city was fabulous due to the locals, highly recommended.
Naples was amazing but felt intimidating as very sexist and leery men. Amalfi, Positano and Capri were beautiful.
San Francisco was awful so unsafe.
Grand Canyon and Yosemite, both everything I hoped for.
Really hate Birmingham, sorry 🙏

Paris too. The graffiti made it look so scruffy. It is nice in parts but mostly its kind of London like.

Most of tourist Bali... crowded, dirty and DH was plagued by endless sex workers. Would never go back.

@StillMedusa

New York. London is nicer! San Francisco.. terrifying poverty, absolutely off their face homeless people eveywhere even in the most popular tourist spots.. incredibly sad to see and dangerous ( I toured the USA with my adult DD and it was the only place we felt truly unsafe)

This was my feeling. Went on a road trip with my parents as a teen and absolutely hated San Francisco. Felt genuinely scared leaving the hotel.

I'm laughing and slightly disappointed seeing San fran and NY appear so often. Dp might be getting a job where there's lots of travel to those 2 places and I was already excited about joining him!

I've been to NY and loved it but this was nearly 20 years ago...

I found Edinburgh so unfriendly, that put me off the most.

Newquay and Penzance in Cornwall disappointed me.

Wales - i had a weekend away there years ago which was lovely, Cardigan i think? The other 3 times i've been were more recent, not been for pleasure, and to get where we needed to go we travelled through the valleys and the utter miserable depressing state of some of those little towns was so sad and pretty shocking :( All surrounded by beautiful mountains!

[quote SleepingStandingUp]@TatianaBis maybe BEFORE Florence not after. We loved Florence and Sienna. But Pisa was just incomparable, in a not good way.[/quote]
Sure, the places to see that side of Tuscany are Lucca, Siena and Florence.

But Pisa is worth a visit for the tower which is 14c and the cathedral which is 11thc. The town itself is shabby.

Dublin, expected to love it but just don’t get it. Seedy, expensive and no redeeming features or interesting architecture. Galway, on the other hand, is lovely.

Malta. Hated it.

Nice is unpleasant, but everywhere else along the Côte d’Azur is stunning.

@Hairyfriend

Lands end- expensive parking, tacky theme park type rides and plastic tat for sale. It even costs to have a photo with the lands end sign now!

This is SO true. We were in St Just last summer and took a small detour there in the early morning as we had an hour spare before we needed to head home. I had expected just a little pole with some direction arrows towards different parts of the world. We were shocked how it had been commercialised.

@HeronLanyon

The Grand Canyon. I can’t really explain this but I honestly was underwhelmed. Not sure why.

What!!!!!!!!

Nice is nice at Easter time when it’s sunny and empty. The old town itself is very pretty, and there are good museums, it’s the overdevelopment and the traffic that kills it.