cities you've been disappointed with....

[brimfull]

Barcelona was a big disappointment to me,couldn't see or feel the charm that everyone went on about.

Seattle also...was expecting a fab place that was voted number one place to live a while ago.Just another big city..nothing special imo.

What cities did you find disappointing?

Well, Annie, you're clearly a lot less trivial than some of us!

Rio de Janeiro. Went there for a week with business and was expecting something fab - everyone raves about how beautiful it is. Well yes, if you like skyscapers crowded together! It's in a beautiful setting, and but it's just like any over developed American city.

And so bloody dangerous we never felt safe there at all.

Monte-Carlo (Monaco) is great. I have been living here for almost a decade now. Partying and socializing was great when I was single. Life is still great now with DD - great weather, lots of kiddie parks, beach & sea. 15 mins to Italy in one direction, 20 mins to Nice, 45 mins to Cannes in the other direction. Incredibly safe (no theft, mugging, etc) and clean (streets washed with soap water every morning ). No pollution, and most importantly, no traffic. Oh and no tax. Not even when buying/selling your car. It is heaven

I would really like to know what kind of life you are accustomed to that you didn't like Monaco

ok have read the whole thread now. and can agree that Frankfurt is a waste of time. Only went there in transit to prague a number of years ago and was robbed at the train station.
Milan- not keen either.so big and expensive
Budapest i liked it but it is sprawling andhard to get a handle on

Dh says Strasbourg is the worst place he has ever been to

In case anyone is wondering, no, I am not and was not one of the bimbos with remade busts and lips looking to sink their hooks into some rich guy. Worked and paid my own rent.

It was lovely to walk to work in 7 minutes, too

No traffic in Monte Carlo?????? I've been there a few times for work and hate it - it's like a big carpark by the sea. Always takes an extra hour to get there because there's so much traffic. And when you do get there, you have to spend your time dodging the dodgy old men hanging out with highly enhanced young(ish) women.

CoteDazur, you make Monte Carlo sound great. Do you think it would be a suitable destination for a holiday with a 2 year old? Is it tres expensive?

Let me guess - You came here during the Grand Prix or some other peak tourist season where the streets are full of Italian cars?

I assure you there is no traffic in Monaco the rest of the time. There is a big parking lot by the Port but the rest of them are underground.

If you have had to "dodge the dodgy old men" so much, I suspect you have only been to their places - Sass & Jimmy'z?

DD is 2.5 and it is great for her. I am sure yours will love it, too.

I can help you find reasonable accommodation, if you like. I have to go now but will check back here tonight.

I come about twice a year and it's always like that. I don't know if it's when the Grand Prix is. That would be double hell for me - Monte Carlo with horrid noisy cars screeching in my ear.

I do go to meetings in posh hotels so I guess that's where the dodgy men hang out (in the hotels bars not in the meeting with me ).

Hi Cote D'Azur that would be great if you could recommend nice ( cheap) places to stay and I will suggest it to hubby. i love France-have lived in Normandy and Paris but never been to the South. Apologies for the thread hijack!

Sunshinemummy, San Francisco is fantastic I'm sure you will have a great time. DH and I went 3 years in a row, we totally fell in love with it. Where abouts are you staying?

Perth (Australia), Dublin, Athens, Dubai - none of them did it for me.

I also found Barcelona disappointing (car broken into and towed!)
Strasburg was lovely.
Paris was interesting but dirty.
Venice was nice architecturally but dirty IYSWIM.

Oooh and Cairo was a complete disappointment. Very tacky seeing the MacDonalds golden arches in the same horizon as the pyramids!

Oh yes, agree about Dublin. But in fairness, I had just discovered I was pg with ds1, and had to go to a Sales conference involving all my bosses and lots and lots of alcohol so spent most of the time trying to conceal the fact that I wasn't drinking, which sort of took the edge off it. And we did stay in a vair nice hotel, so not all bad!

Hate:
Lima
Paris
Nice
Singapore
Melbourne
Athens
Glasgow
Frankfurt
Hull

Love:
Cape Town
Florence
Sydney
Granada
Toulouse
London
Chicago
La Paz
Copenhagen
Oxford

where is La Paz?

I'd agree with what coted'azur said apart from the traffic. It was fairly busy, and I was there well before the grand prix dates. But, it does have excellent buses, and train services, so I really don't think you need a car. We found it pretty reasonable price wise too. Not as bad as we expected, given it's reputation.

la paz - mexico. I'd love to go there.

Isn't La Paz the capital of Bolivia?