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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Is there somewhere that you would not return to? And why?

384 replies

Mothership4two · 28/09/2019 04:37

Just commented on a post asking for places you would go back to and why. Thought it would be interesting to find out places you would never go back and why not. Not trying to cause offence! I'm going to get flamed arent I?

Mine are:

Amsterdam. Just found it a big unfriendly city. Away from canals, the buildings are pretty ugly. Staff in shops/restaurants/etc had a couldnt care less attitude. Didn't help that it was a really cold few days and we werent interested in getting 'cake' from cafes or looking at the red light district. I find Dutch people usually lovely.

Dublin: found it drab and old-fashioned. People lovely though and good pubs

Florence: I love Italy but Florence is just a working city with islands of lovely buildings imo. We'd just come from Venice and it didn't compare.

North Wales: beautiful but unfriendly. Everywhere we went people switched from English to Welsh when they heard our English accents including a staff member in a tourist info office! We knew it happened but it just makes you feel meh. The fact if rained every single day didnt put it in a good light for us. Have visited many parts of the rest of Wales, all good. My lovely fil is from North Wales and my lovely sil and dn is also Welsh.

OP posts:
BentlyandPalmers · 29/09/2019 00:23

Teddybear45 what happened?

BentlyandPalmers · 29/09/2019 00:24

Too many places, though, and too little time/money but you’d go back to somewhere you didn’t like the first time?!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 29/09/2019 00:26

I didn't like Dublin much, and don't feel any need to return.

I probably wouldn't go back to Amsterdam, although once away from Dam Square it was nice.

Blackpool

Newcastle

Manchester

MsTSwift · 29/09/2019 00:31

Does anyone else find these places ruined by tourist crowds? It’s scary. We were in Cambridge on the bank holiday you couldn’t see the river for all the punts. Popular famous places are just crazily unsustainably busy. We visited a gorge in Spain there was literally nowhere to park. Luckily dh had his bike so dropped us off and parked 3 miles away. I guess it’s good that more of the world can travel but the high profile places are literally ruined by over population .

NightsOfCabiria · 29/09/2019 00:48

L.A. A boring, sprawling dust bowl.

Prague. Dirty, boring and terrible food.

Almera, Spain. Dull.

Brussles. Just dull.

I absolutely loved Venice though and would go back in a heartbeat, tourists or no tourists.

LiterallyCantBelieveIt · 29/09/2019 00:54

Clicked on this thread for the Welsh language switching urban legend.

People speak their mother tongue in their native land - what's the issue? It's not an anti-English code language. It existed before the concept of Englishness did. And as for switching, as another poster pointed out, this is the fairly common 'Wenglish' phenomena - where they drift in and out of the two languages. I've lived in two counties of Wales and this is incredibly common.

Wales largely depends on tourism and all the teenagers sat behind ticket desks, gift shop tills and attraction receptions have seen endless streams of English people all summer. It isn't an issue, for anybody.

I do always feel sorry for the tourists when it pisses down though, I'll give you that.

Shockers · 29/09/2019 00:58

Loads of my favourite places are mentioned on here Grin.

I’d move to North Wales in a heartbeat if DH agreed.

Loved Amsterdam, Venice, Florence and Paris.

And Madeira- visited for the first time last December and have just booked our third trip. I wouldn’t stay on the new side of Funchal though- I agree that it’s soulless there. The people are lovely though... but then again, I’ve always found the Welsh to be really friendly too!

I wouldn’t go back to Turin, simply because we had a bad experience there.

managedmis · 29/09/2019 01:00

I love it how everyone takes this so personally! Oh London isn't a shit hole, everyone in Wales is lovely etc Hmm

It's just someone else's opinion, stop being so defensive

Rachelover60 · 29/09/2019 01:21

Cardiff.

When I was young I had a few months relationship with someone there, also got myself into seriously deep doo doo. I would never return.

pumkinspicetime · 29/09/2019 01:23

I found Dubrovnik very scenic but more like a film set then a real place. No actually seemed to live there.
It was very, very full of tourists and we had left by lunch time. Pre cruise ships it would I think have been lovely.

LiterallyCantBelieveIt · 29/09/2019 01:39

I really loved Lisbon but went off season and it was VERY VERY busy so can't imagine how rammed it must get in peak season. So for that reason, wouldn't go back.

Made me think about the ethics of my tourism for the first time actually. I know locals must gain a lot but it must also be horrendous on many levels for your home to suddenly become Europe's 'It' destination.

Egghead68 · 29/09/2019 02:01

Corsica. Mafia.

Kenya. Too unsafe outside compound.

Imalright · 29/09/2019 02:50

Istanbul was the most racist, sexist and backward place I've ever had the misfortune of visiting, and I've been to a fair few.

I was there for a friend's 5 day hen do, by day 3 I was in tears and scared to leave the hotel, having been constantly groped in the street, and other such delights. It's an absolutely disgusting place, and I would recommend it to nobody.

MyOtherProfile · 29/09/2019 03:09

One man's meat is another man's poison. We loved Istanbul and had a very warm and positive experience. We made sure to dress conservatively as I would in any Muslim place and found people (men) to be friendly but not in an over the top way.

Sugarplumfairyfartface · 29/09/2019 03:13

What a load of negative Nellie's don't u go out and explore and make the most of a place? What are u going on about? Everywhere has its downsides and rough not so nice places but London is the best City in the world full of life culture history and beauty. Crete is gorgeous, Wales is stunning as is Cornwall Venice is amazing and Bali is utterly beautiful with the most friendliest welcoming people amazing sights and food terrorist hotspot??? 1 incident in about the last 10-20 years compared to quite a lot in the UK think u all need to open your eyes and start enjoying life pffft

pumkinspicetime · 29/09/2019 03:20

I also loved Istanbul but I was with DH which might have made a big difference?
I did also dress pretty conservatively, more so than many of the inhabitants of the city it turned out!

W0rriedMum · 29/09/2019 03:25

I dislike two types of places:

  • where the security is so high, you can't leave the complex and you pass the armed security at your own risk. (Parts of the Carribbean and Egypt)
  • where there is a vast difference between the lives of the people looking after you and your experience. I went to Dubai and saw the people tending to us at breakfast work by the pool all day and finally drive the night time shuttles in our luxury hotel. Then you'd see them queue up for a crowded bus back to their slum accommodation. Yet these migrants will never be considered Emirati or the same rights as those born to UAE parents.
WildCherryBlossom · 29/09/2019 03:51

Malta. I've been several times due to family connections. Just don't love it and wouldn't choose to holiday there. Gozo is ok. But I would rather go to Croatian islands, Greek islands, Balearics...

Dubai - really disliked it. All glossy hotels and motorways but devoid of any personality or culture.

Casablanca. Had romanticised it because of the film and was disappointed. Morocco has so many more beautiful places to visit.

Longdistance · 29/09/2019 03:53

I hate Istanbul. I dressed conservatively and still got harassed and ripped off by a taxi driver Angry bastard! I was also in the big earthquake in 1999, that put me off the place (not their fault) excuse the pun.

areyoubeingserviced · 29/09/2019 05:36

Malta- nothing to do
Indonesia- ( Jakarta)) - rude people
Athens- run down , too many stray dogs which made me feel uncomfortable
Ukraine- unfriendly people
Milan- is a dump

areyoubeingserviced · 29/09/2019 05:58

Also LA- dull
Barbados- too many English tourists
As others have said one’s view of a place is definitely based on one’s own experience
I love Istanbul, however, many people dislike it

Lagatha · 29/09/2019 06:37

@Longdistance
My DH went to Istanbul for work. He said it was beautiful but scary. He got a taxi back to his hotel who tried to rip him off. Then a load more taxi drivers turned up to join in. He said it was really threatening and DH normally pretty assertive.
He was saved when the concierge from his hotel happened to come outside and told them to piss off or he would call the police.

BeardedMum · 29/09/2019 06:48

France. Yes the whole country. Have been so many times and the French are so rude. Paris is a dump. Poor service everywhere, horrible food, dirty and people sleeping rough everywhere.

BeardedMum · 29/09/2019 06:49

Oh and love Wales and think people were super friendly.

MsTSwift · 29/09/2019 06:53

Not sure I like the “we dressed conservatively and we didn’t get harassed “ comments - sound a little victim blamey.

In Cairo in my twenties my friend and I dressed in dark baggy clothes no make up. The harassment was unreal. Appalling. Hissing staring groping obscene comments from the majority of men. We ended up reading in our hotel room.