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.

Los Angeles, New York (though I'm willing to give it another go). Really liked Paris when I went recently, last went as a teenager and couldn't remember much but had been putting off going back due to the "dirty" reputation but didn't find it to be at all!

We went to Paris for a week in summer 2022. We loved it.

Didn't like Bali. Too many bogans. Loved Ubud though.

I think you are right and if you hang around the most touristy spots you will inevitably get a warped view of what a city is like. Once off the beaten track most places have so much more to offer. Also if you are only in the tourist hot spots you are much more likely to be targeted for theft sadly.

Paris. I hated it. The crowds and the pollution from all the traffic. It was just so busy!

"Melbourne.
"Ooh...look at our lovely coffee!"
"Ooh...look at our lovely coffee!"
"Ooh...look at our lovely coffee!"

And that's it."

🤣 yep

As Ubud is in Bali, if you’d only visited Ubud, would you now love Bali 🤔

Re Barcelona, it's so overhyped. Sagrada is quite the sight but beyond that there's no real beauty

I thought it was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen, and I've been back a few times. I love spending hours just getting pleasantly semi lost in the massive Gothic quarter just off La Rambla, and El Born just next to it. Coming upon yet another beautiful little square, or the Parc de Ciutadella.

We got a bus right up to the top of Tibidabo and enjoyed the views over the city, the beautiful little church and the random but very cool retro amusement park.

The second time we went we stayed in Gracia and it was so nice to ramble back from the centre and then find loads more to see and do there, loads of cool little shops and bars and busy squares. Third time we stayed in El Poblenou and loved the huge long beach walkway that took us all the way along past the bars, Barcelonetta and the harbour.

Obviously Parc Guell is absolulely amazing, and Casa Batllo and La Pedrera are incredible buildings.

I saw beauty everywhere.

La Rambla itself is just too crowded to be particularly enjoyable at most times of the year and there's the constant tension of watching for bag snatchers, that much is true. But get away from that/Sagrada Familia and it really doesn't feel that frenetic.

But, as this is a thread about places we didn't like, I'm afraid I'm going to have to be another vote for Dublin. There was somewhere that I couldn't find any beauty. It was dull, grimy, depressing, unfriendly and expensive. I've given it several chances as well as I've been for work a few times but no, never managed to find the charm.

I'm weirdly ambivilant about Portugal. I do like it, I just don't totally love it the way some people do. It feels sort of mournful and seems to rain a lot.

I also loved Barcelona. I must be easily pleased because I like most new places I go because they are different and have their own unique feel and history - not because they are conventionally beautiful or untouristy or whatever.

(Apart from Brighton).

@LoreleiG what did you dislike about Brighton out of interest?

Personally, one visit to Australia was enough, no culture or architecture. We were refused desserts in a restaurant as they were closing, it was 9pm! Give me Europe any day, especially Paris, love it.

I agree with this. Tourists moaning about too many tourists? Calling a whole country a dump because it rained while they were there, or they had one bad experience? Someone said NZ was cold - wtf????

Do Brits not realise that people living elsewhere have a idea in their heads of the typical British traveller, and that the majority of posts on this thread only confirm the stereotype?

Essex. What a dump

When did anyone ever try to sell Essex to you as an amazing holiday venue?

I quite like Dubai because it's the closest place to a Mars colony I will be able to visit in my lifetime.

Ah yes, Dublin, forgot about that! Went primarily for a wedding so only had a day to look around but quite underwhelmed (liked the Guiness factory though). Drove to Belfast on the same trip, sobering but more interesting than Dublin.

Any thoughts about Vancouver? Am going to visit my son in July. It is going to be very expensive about 5k !!

@dyspraadhauwtaf63 my DH was there for work and seemed to quite like it - on their day off they rented bikes and cycled through a big park, I'm sure your son will know the one I mean.

If you only went to Romford or south end I would agree, however Essex has some fabulous villages and small market towns.

According to the Big Issue, "New government figures state that 2,893 people in ENGLAND were homeless on a single night in June 2023".

The average per night in Vancouver for 2023 was 4,800.

Great food, though!

@Chubbywubba So wrong! You can’t write off a whole county.

I'm generally not a city person at all (Rome & Paris excepted!) but i've been to Vancouver twice now and I think it's very scenic being right on the water and framed by mountains. Fly Over Vancouver at Canada Place is a must-do, as is the Top of Vancouver revolving restaurant. Still, there was a serious and very visible drug problem and it was a relief to get out of there (we used it as a gateway only).

I thought that was because it's the mildest city in Canada, so all homeless people gravitate there? Most of Canada is completely uninhabitable if you're homeless, on account of the cold winters. Vancouver is a great city, but I wouldn't go to Canada and only go to Vancouver, that would be missing an awful lot.

Vancouver - if you have time, go over to the Island. Torino and Ucluelet and Cathedral Grove for the redwoods.

Whitby. Only went in 2021 when we couldn't have a proper holiday.

Place was full of dogs & their shit, & stank of fish & chips the whole time.

Very expensive B&Bs - calling themselves hotels - a complete rip-off.

I can't answer that (even though it wasn't me you asked ) but on the radio this evening there was a blurb for "family / couples' breaks" in ... wait for it ...

Doncaster

I wish I was making this up but I'm not