Where is the most overrated holiday destination you’ve been?

[phoanymoany]

Where have you been on holiday and thought “wow, that was a waste of my time and money”.

Mine was travelling to a fairly remote tropical island where people were supposed to be so friendly. Unfortunately we found the people we interacted with in the hotels and restaurants to be anything but nice. It piddled down with rain and then we almost got scammed.

Haven’t RTFT but my list is:

1. Egypt - misogynistic culture, constant harassment
2. Australia - culture vacuum, terrible food
3. San Francisco - it was genuinely like being in a horror film
4. Marseille - complete dump, couldn’t get out of there fast enough

Southend

Bangkok - the place I'd wanted to visit all my life and found to be a complete cesspit (and that was before the Icelandic ash cloud went up and stuck me there for 6 extra days)

By the time the flight finally left I'd have happily sat on the wing just to get out of there

Another vote for Dublin. Such a disappointment, quite run down in places, and it felt like a sort of fake Irish theme park, rather than a European capital city.

I would say Canary Islands. Only been for a winter sun and would never go back. Windy lumps of craggy rock that aren’t a patch on mainland Spain. Lanzagrotty !

Dublin - worked there, dull boring grey city with little to do beyond nightlife. People lovely and funny though.

Paris - wasn’t romantic at all, just a city with nondescript architecture, even the poshest streets with luxury boutiques were not that attractive. Didn’t get it at all!

Marakesh - very little to do there, the market was interesting but beyond that was so boring compared to all the other places we visited in Morocco. I think people must go for the luxury hotels?

Oxford - Cambridge is miles better as it has access to the river/ you can see the colleges. Oxford’s history is all a bit hidden away. Whereas Cambridge is absolutely stunning.

Fort Lauderdale - went on a tour where they kept telling us how much the houses were worth and which rich people owned which house/ yacht etc. No culture whatsoever!

Dubai.

Tacky, materialistic, expensive, people unfriendly and misogynistic and so hot it felt like being in a pottery oven

I found Cornwall massively overrated. We went for a week in early October and it was still terribly busy, locals were rude, food was overpriced, beaches were nice enough but nothing special, just didn’t get the hype at all. Devon and Pembrokeshire are so much nicer!

Then spent a whole day stuck in traffic on the M5 trying to get home, never again!

I went to San Francisco in 2003 for a week with my family, the DCs were 6 and 12. We all had the most amazing time, it was wonderful. Can I ask what’s changed?

I wondered why they hose the streets down first thing every morning. Now I know. It's around 35 years since I've been in Paris and it was all right then. Seems to have gone downhill now, judging by some of the comments on here.

Wales - all of it!

I’m guessing you just stood at the top and looked?
I walked down in January with a backpack, camped 2 nights, and walked back out again. A life changing experience.

I agree. I love Berlin. There is a lot of tragic history there of course and I think you can definitely feel it, and not just in obvious places like the Holocaust Memorial and the various Wall/DDR related sites, but at the same time it is a beautiful modern and vibrant city. If I had to pick a European capital city to live in then Berlin would be a serious contender. I prefer it to either Paris or London.

It's also dirty and it rains all the time. The queues are terrible.

I was really, really disappointed in Prague - it seemed like some sort of a fake place built for tourists. I talked to someone who lived there and was told it used to be very genuine and lovely, but gone to pot...

A lot of people dislike Paris because it seems it did not meet their expectations, Its a great city, but I don't like the Haussmann never ending Regent Street architecture, to me it all looks too uniform and soulless. I'd love to see Paris before all this "improvements". I was also very disappointed to see all the fences, crowds and trash sellers near the Eifel Tower - I remember when it was all an open square, was so impressive. Not so much now.

What happened in LA?

Zante - very briefly and it was too long.
Kefalonia - very dull and too hot. DH was badly harassed by some weird locals when he went for a run. Wouldn't go back.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to whole destination or city that I disliked. There might be some attractions that I found underwhelming or specific places that weren’t for me.

Off the top of my head, I seem to recall finding Ueno Zoo a bit depressing.

I also made the mistake of going to Shilin Night market in August in the temporary building that it was based in in 2010 and it was the most uncomfortably hot and crowded place I’ve ever been. I couldn’t have eaten anything there… it was so overwhelmingly hot. I bought a cold drink, took a couple of pictures and left after about 15 mins.

I was also underwhelmed by the statue of David in Florence, and the Jadeite cabbage in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. There was a very long queue to see that little cabbage. 😂 The museum as a whole was great though.

I agree. Malta was so disappointing. Was just a bit lifeless ad I got fed up looking at sandstone lol. Really enjoyed gozo though.....the small island north of malta

Hong Kong. The pollution gave me a headache!

Vienna was underwhelming too.

Yep, when we went it was for my birthday which is in springtime, so not as hot or as busy it would be in the height of summer, and loads of the streets really stank of piss 🤢

People who are saying 'Madeira' seem to actually mean Funchal. There is SO MUCH more to the island than its capital - it's such an interesting place, with spectacular scenery, tropical plantations, a unique culture and heritage and some lovely food and drink.

Funchal has a lot of cruise ships and 'Saga' visitors, who never leave the city. We stayed in a fantastic Quinta, with extensive vineyards, no more than 10-15 minutes from the old town and it was lovely. And if you get out and explore what the island has to offer, it is really quite something.

Manila is huge. There's really poor infrastructure especially pavements so it's a challenge to walk anywhere and you can taste the pollution. The traffic is hell takes ages even to travel half a mile. We met Philippino friends so we did get to experience some good food, but it's hard to find. Lots of American style fast food places.

There's very little sites to visit. A Spanish colonial fort and park. We spent a day in the universal film studio park to entertain the kids. Amazing virtual reality experience. But my friend had her bag stolen.

Anyway my advice would be to transit straight out to one of the islands. Stunning. We based ourselves in Panglao. Beautiful scenery and beaches. Perfume river and chocolate mountains. Amazing snorkelling on the reefs.

I’m not sure how anyone can visit Timanfaya National Park and not be blown away by its beauty. Shame.
I love Lanzarotte

Yes. I've never met more spirited and friendly people than in Glasgow, and I loved the hills and architecture more - esp the (sometimes derelict) industrial architecture, Alexander Thomson churches and of course the Mac. It's the difference between a warm boozy embrace and worshipping an ice queen