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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What popular places are overrated?

546 replies

coulditbeme2323 · 10/06/2026 12:37

Following on from another thread, what places do you consider overrated that are popular?

Hotel Chocolat = over priced, at best average tasting, would much rather Cadbury's at a fraction of the price.

Amorino = our local one gets packed, as in queue's outside the shop packed. Over priced, very average ice cream, that they seem to be able to charge a premium for because you can mix flavors and it's a cue little flower shape.

Dominoes, Pappa Johns, Pizza Hut = unless there is a deal on very expensive for what tastes very processed pizza.

OP posts:
ACIGC · 10/06/2026 16:13

Any Disney park. I can't imagine wanting to spend your holidays queueing for pretty average rides.
Florence. I preferred other places in Italy.

JoWilkinsonsno1fan · 10/06/2026 16:17

Nando’s is awful!
Pizza Express - overpriced

Crummles1 · 10/06/2026 16:19

InWithPeaceOutWithStress · Today 13:55
The U.K.?
It’s seen as a dream destination for so many immigrants but I feel sorry for them when they must realise how cold, expensive and unwelcoming it is.

coulditbeme2323 · Today 13:56
They can always go home.

Nice comment OP

Heardy · 10/06/2026 16:23

I think everyone knows centre parcs is a shirt hole. I’ve been twice. I was forced to go back the second time. Someone trying to arrange a family thing which would have been time number 3 and I put my foot down. Just horrid. Fenced into a complex with lots of grim people.

Heardy · 10/06/2026 16:24

The midgies is what makes Scotland unbearable. The f-ing midgies.

ConstanzeMozart · 10/06/2026 16:24

Starbucks. Simultaneously burnt and weak coffee, stupid giant sizes and way too expensive.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Leave a plastic feel in your mouth.

Triyoga. For people who care about the image more than the yoga. Laughably expensive.

Bath Abbey. Not much to see considering the admission price.
Hay-on-Wye. A backwater.
Brighton. A hole. Filthy and seedy.
Whitstable. Not much there, apart from a lovely second-hand bookshop.

I liked St Ives though. Not the scruffy surfy side but Tate St Ives, the shopping streets and the walk from Corbis Bay to town. I found people there very friendly too. Got helped out and treated very kindly by various people working in shops.

Also liked the Little Mermaid. I loved how she's just sort of tucked in at the side of the water.

beachwalker76 · 10/06/2026 16:25

Eden Project was dire. Poor lot of plants outside, my garden was better...and the cafe was filthy.

But I love Padstow.

TequillaSunset · 10/06/2026 16:26

Why does Tenby thinks it's heaven on earth?

coulditbeme2323 · 10/06/2026 16:27

Heardy · 10/06/2026 16:23

I think everyone knows centre parcs is a shirt hole. I’ve been twice. I was forced to go back the second time. Someone trying to arrange a family thing which would have been time number 3 and I put my foot down. Just horrid. Fenced into a complex with lots of grim people.

I think the people there are quite nice!

OP posts:
mydogisthebest · 10/06/2026 16:27

Crunchymum · 10/06/2026 13:52

Here we go!

So one of the worlds most cosmopolitan, diverse, historic, artistic, cultured cities is overrated?

Edited

Threads like this always make me laugh when posters state a whole country is overrated or a capital city. I think they think it makes them look cool but I think it makes them look silly

I wonder just how much of London the poster has seen? Me and DH love London, so much to see and do, you can never get bored. We were both born there but no longer live there (regret moving away). We go back at least once a month sometimes just for a day, other times for a couple of nights (or even a week).

AngelsHadGuitars · 10/06/2026 16:32

Monty36 · 10/06/2026 16:10

Yes I did go myself ! I had that experience.
It was entirely, and I mean entirely, geared up for children and families.
Anyone wanting to learn about the real history of the place came away without.
As a history lover ( and there are many for that period in particular) it was such a huge disappointment. In many ways it is the castle for that period. Not, I suspect that many people leaving will know anything more about it than they went going in. But that is not why they were there. It was a play theme park.
I do not have any issues with catering for children.
But the whole place was for children. All of it.

We'll have to agree to disagree I think, I thought there was quite a bit on the actual history of the castle if you did a tour, or just walked around and read stuff or just looked and absorbed it all. Or you could read up before hand and then just go and see it. I have become a big fan of medieval history the last few years and didn't find it a disappointment at all. I suppose I was there with children but I think I enjoyed it more than my youngest who mostly enjoyed the dragon thing in the willow with his grandma. My eldest and my Dad and me were very happy walking around and seeing it all and thought the jousting was amazing.

We were all surprised how all of us of 3 generations thought it was well worth the trip and price.

Sorry it was over hyped for you, perhaps I was someone who over hyped it!

igelkott2026 · 10/06/2026 16:34

I am not a lover of Central London but a few more interesting things to do on a visit to London both centrally and not so centrally are:

Boat ride
Cable car
Osterley Park visit
Chislehurst Caves
Greenwich park
Walk/run/cycle along the river to Battersea Power station as a pp said
Epping Forest

igelkott2026 · 10/06/2026 16:35

BoredZelda · 10/06/2026 15:44

And the wasps, so many wasps!

I guess that depends on the time of year. Another reason why May half term is a good time to go on holiday!

August is wasp season...

connect6 · 10/06/2026 16:36

I think I must be very easy to please as I really like

Hotel Chocolat
Centre Parcs
Pizza Express
St Ives
Disney Paris
😆😆

Augustone · 10/06/2026 16:37

Legoland. Dull and poor layout

Cornwall. I just don’t see the attraction - explored countryside and coast, towns and villages but just found it meh.

WonderingWanda · 10/06/2026 16:45

crazeekat · 10/06/2026 13:28

Tgi Fridays.

Agreed, it's always terrible.

Kije · 10/06/2026 16:45

Cornwall. All of it. Grin

Monty36 · 10/06/2026 16:47

AngelsHadGuitars · 10/06/2026 16:32

We'll have to agree to disagree I think, I thought there was quite a bit on the actual history of the castle if you did a tour, or just walked around and read stuff or just looked and absorbed it all. Or you could read up before hand and then just go and see it. I have become a big fan of medieval history the last few years and didn't find it a disappointment at all. I suppose I was there with children but I think I enjoyed it more than my youngest who mostly enjoyed the dragon thing in the willow with his grandma. My eldest and my Dad and me were very happy walking around and seeing it all and thought the jousting was amazing.

We were all surprised how all of us of 3 generations thought it was well worth the trip and price.

Sorry it was over hyped for you, perhaps I was someone who over hyped it!

It wasn’t over hyped. I just was not expecting a theme park. I was expecting a castle.
I knew some of the history before going. Going around you just had a few very small boards in some rooms with what I would call very minimal detail on them.
And yes, we will have to disagree. I felt it expensive, and designed just to appeal to children. Anyone interested in history would be disappointed.

placemats · 10/06/2026 16:48

Ablondiebutagoody · 10/06/2026 14:59

Italy

😂. It's a huge country 😂

Love Rome. If you go to the top of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, great restaurant, and you can see the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Edit - Ostia is so worth a visit if you have a spare day.

Sicily is where my heart lies, so beautiful.

Miyagi99 · 10/06/2026 16:49

RubyFatball · 10/06/2026 13:40

Centre parcs
Bicester village
Brighton
Westfield
Paris
Cyprus
East London
the isle of wight

I love East London but I wouldn’t say it’s overrated, I’d say it has a bad rep so more the opposite!

Miyagi99 · 10/06/2026 16:52

coulditbeme2323 · 10/06/2026 14:27

It's strange how we all differ, because I think it has some of the best restaurants in the world.

That’s where you’re going wrong, the upscale ones are geared towards tourists!

Newyearawaits · 10/06/2026 16:52

Monty36 · 10/06/2026 16:11

Agree with that.
And Menorca.

I have had lovely holidays in lanzarote and fuertoventura

Isseywith2witchycats · 10/06/2026 16:53

The coliseum in Rome compared to the one at el jem in Tunisia which is more complete and less crowded, The sistene Chapel so dark to preserve the paintings you can't actually see them that well. Per le chaise cemetery the place is very good but we managed to go on a day when there was not a single one of the well known black cats who live there in sight .

Bikergran · 10/06/2026 16:53

Nandos. Tiny pieces of dry overpriced chicken. In fact I think they buy the chickens too small to sell in the shops, I've never seen such miniscule joints in the supermarket.

The cakes in chain pub restaurants. They look amazing, but taste of nothing, like you've layered blotting paper with cheap margarine.

Jackiepumpkinhead · 10/06/2026 16:53

RubyFatball · 10/06/2026 13:40

Centre parcs
Bicester village
Brighton
Westfield
Paris
Cyprus
East London
the isle of wight

Totally agree with the IOW, I’ve been there many times (family live there) and am always underwhelmed.

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