Most disappointing destination/holiday

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For me, it was the Norwegian fjords. Not because they weren’t beautiful (what we saw of them, they were!) but because it was cold, rainy and foggy when we went. One town known for being very pretty was ridiculously busy and there was a cruise ship blocking the view from the restaurant we booked. We knew the prices were going to be high, but expected good quality… when you pay over £100 for a train ticket, you expect there to be toilet roll and soap in the toilets!

where have you been that was disappointing?

@Waitwhat23 i like Florence a lot too - nothing nicer than back streets of Santa Croce and the food market

Santorini, without a doubt

Over crowded, over priced and other than the famous sunset there’s little else there

Tunisia and Egypt. Would rather not go on holiday than go to either again. Tunisia was just dirty everywhere we went and Egypt is the only place we have ever both come down with the most awful food poisoning. Cried and wanted to come home 😆 Antwerp was disappointing (apart from the stunning railway station) Going to Bruges first may have been a bit of a mistake. Maybe we just didn't find the good bits ! Did have a wander around C&A though. Dublin....probably lovely but it did nothing but rain and blow a hooley from the moment we got there to the moment we left. Everywhere else, we've either loved or have managed to make the best of it.

I was in Dubrovnik in 2002 and it was a fabulous place to visit and quiet with not many tourists. I was amazed by it. Returned recently and it is now like Venice. Too many tourists. Love cavtat nearby.
worst place I’ve been was probably Gran Canaria. Really tacky and just full of teenagers getting wasted.

What did you dislike about it? I want to get married there but a part of me is worried that irl it will look shitty, despite making for amazing pics

I agree. We went “all inclusive”, but kept getting charged for drinks (apparently it depended who was on duty!) The taxi drivers agreed price was doubled when we came to pay for the journey. Apart from snorkelling and sunbathing, there wasn’t much to do (Sharm)

I think I want to go to Malta now after reading these to see if I'm a love it or hate it person.

Loved Naples as well! Felt real authentic italian! We did 3 nights then 7 nights relaxing in Ischia.

Regarding Gran Canaria, we stayed in Puerto Rico which was tacky as hell, but the island also has some interesting landscapes and pretty small towns which we enjoyed.

San Francisco, I felt more unsafe there than I did Egypt and Tunisia. Gangs on street corners, homeless people everywhere

New York. I was really excited the first time and went out with several locals (my company has an office there) but I think it's just a big city with absolutely no charme.

Went back twice and it hasn't improved.

I loved Malta and Florence. But I find that it totally depends on your interest and the time of year.
We are history nerds and had a brilliant time in both locations, we were in Malta end of May and Florence end of September, great weather for exploring.

Dominican Republic. Haven't been hassled so much before or since.

That's so true. I'm kind of glad I did it back then. Sorry to hear about dengue though! That must've been tough. I was so surprised I didn't get remotely sick once. Even though back home I was a barfing wreck at the merest sniff of any bacteria! 🤣

Lots to do in Lanza - but I would never ever stay in any of the 3 resorts (PDC, PB, CT,)

There is all of the Cesar Manrique modern art, architecture sites and museums (at least 10).

There are magnificent off the beaten track beaches - Famara, Papagayo, Mujeres, Caleton Blanco.

There are loads of award winning gorgeous vineyards with beautiful restaurants for lunch after a tasting tour.

The whole volcanic experience in the centre of the island - Timifayda

Beautiful historic whitewashed towns and villages covered in bougainvillea - Teguise, Haria, Yaiza, El Golfo etc

Incredible seafood restaurants - especially in those the north of the island in pretty Punta Mujeres, Arrieta, Orzola

Tenerife was just grim. Our hotel was amazing but everything outside it was a bit depressing with poor food. I really wanted to love it as long haul winter sun is hard with little kids but it's back to the Caribbean or South Africa.

Marrakech was horrific, I was chased, groped and felt completely unsafe out myself even wearing baggy trousers, a man's shirt and a headscarf.

I loved Santorini but stayed in Oia and enjoyed the village in the morning when it was empty, explored the island during the day and enjoyed the sunset on our balcony away from the crowds in the evening. The food was pretty meh though.

I've seen Miami crop up, I expected to hate it but loved it. Also found it bizarrely family friendly which I was not expecting.

Tenerife was just grim. Our hotel was amazing but everything outside it was a bit depressing with poor food. I really wanted to love it as long haul winter sun is hard with little kids but it's back to the Caribbean or South Africa.

Marrakech was horrific, I was chased, groped and felt completely unsafe out myself even wearing baggy trousers, a man's shirt and a headscarf.

I loved Santorini but stayed in Oia and enjoyed the village in the morning when it was empty, explored the island during the day and enjoyed the sunset on our balcony away from the crowds in the evening. The food was pretty meh though.

I've seen Miami crop up, I expected to hate it but loved it. Also found it bizarrely family friendly which I was not expecting.

I wouldnt go back to Santorini because of the way they treated the donkeys

That's probably the most sensible attitude to take!

Thank you! You've saved me years of believing the hype and trying to persuade my DH to go there, when he already knows he'd be bored shitless.

@Ontheedgeofit what are top tips for Cape Town heading there in August for a week? What are the hidden gems?

I lived in LA 3 years and people ask me for my recs and I struggle with what to say other than I wouldn’t waste your money with a visit now - but obviously I don’t! A big reason is the cost as much as anything. When we first landed someone described LA to us as 2000 suburbs looking for a city, which sums it up nicely. It’s incredibly disjointed and hardwork to get the most out of the place but like anywhere once you know the places to go (I never actually went to the Walk of Fame) incredibly beautiful and fun!

I was happy to leave though.

Venice was my biggest disappointment. I had dreamed of going for years, but when I got there, it felt overcrowded and soulless. The canals smelled, the gondola ride was rushed, and everything felt too touristy. It wasn’t the magic I imagined — just noise, heat, and stress. It made me realize sometimes the most hyped places aren’t the most special.

There are some amazing sights on Malta, and I'm one who sees no sense in a lot of the typical MN criticism of the place. But yeah, didn't much care for the cuisine. You can avoid eating it easily enough though.

I think the challenge is always expectation v reality misalignment. Have been to cities in India but I was expecting noisy, dirty chaos so enjoyed the experience. Went to Miami and was expecting a trendy beach vibe but my main impression was meth heads. Still had fun just not in the way I hoped.

I really didn't like Malacca in Malaysia but was expecting to love it. I think it's just where I had initial culture shock which I was used to by the time I moved on to other places in Malaysia. Open drains, rats, men ignoring me and only speaking to my husband etc. I was young though.

We stayed in Sirmione. Lots of day trippers so we would take the ferries to everywhere else around the lake during the day and enjoy Sirmione in the evening and early morning when it's quiet. Found the hot spring where the locals go (hot water bubbling up in the lake) so didn't have to pay for the spa. Lovely restaurants.

Malta, It was just unbearably windy the week I was there, so being outside at all was hard work. The jacuzzi was broken, the walk to the beach included a terrifying cliff scramble that my fear of heights couldn’t cope with, and the food was just okay. Plus, admittedly not Malta’s fault, I left my kindle on the bus from the airport so I didn’t even have anything to read.