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Holidays

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

Original poster

Places that were a let down

666 replies

DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 14:07

Have you ever been anywhere on holiday and felt it wasn’t what you thought it would be? My friend is just back from New York and absolutely hated it. I’ve never been let down by a holiday but I remember being really taken aback at the levels of poverty and homelessness when I visited Los Angeles in my youth.

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tripleginandtonic · 15/08/2025 20:48

NewYorkSummer · 15/08/2025 18:51

I love New York (obviously 😆). I feel people
go expecting it to be something other than a big, busy, noisy city, and then they’re somehow disappointed. There’s so much to do and see it’s impossible to be bored.

The only place I really didn’t enjoy is Florence.

Hiw can you not like Florence?

Teado · 15/08/2025 20:51

Amsterdam. Grubby and sleazy. I liked the buildings though.

tripleginandtonic · 15/08/2025 20:52

Abracadabra12345 · 15/08/2025 18:30

What did you hate about it? We were there for a week this spring and thought it was dazzling and magical

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Venice is unique, I can't see what there is to hate about it. Or Florence or Paris cone to that.

DanceMumTaxi · 15/08/2025 20:52

Another vote for the Algarve. It was cold and breezy of a night, not nice for sitting out and this was August. Sea was absolutely freezing. I knew it’d be cold, but I just didn’t want to go in it at all. I’ve been twice now to two different resorts. Won’t be going again.

chachahide · 15/08/2025 20:53

Gowlett · 15/08/2025 14:11

I wasn’t wowed by NYC.
I really loved London…

Same! I want to love NYC and I assume there’s something wrong with me, as everyone seems to rave about it and I love London.

Mademetoxic · 15/08/2025 20:53

TheAmusedQuail · 15/08/2025 19:55

Mallorca. Too many cyclists. Massively over rated. Inland is OK but the coastal resorts are mostly just tacky. Traditional food is good tho.

Switzerland. Unless you like skiing, boring as hell. Beautiful but boring. Food is rubbish too.

Ibiza. Beyond awful. Tacky. Chavvy. Urgh.

USA. Violent. Racist. Very very capitalist. Tacky. Ignorant. (New Mexico was lovely.)

Greece (which I didn't hate but...). Scruffy. Loads of half finished buildings. Even local foods in tourist areas was awful.

You're tarring off a whole country - Greece? It's like tarring off the whole of the UK! A very sweeping statement.

Covidwoes · 15/08/2025 20:53

Blackpool. Absolute shithole.

chachahide · 15/08/2025 20:55

Piggywaspushed · 15/08/2025 18:55

San Francisco. I expected so much prettiness. No one warns you about the levels of poverty , down and outs and visible crime. It's well known to many Americans . Tourists not so much. Some very fancy hotels butt right up against basic shanty towns. I say this as a child of a New Yorker, and who grew up jn Glasgow.

I also found Amsterdam bleak and a bit depressing with its open sex trade.

The only time my husband has ever seen a human shit in the street is San Francisco.

He was in a really nice hotel but used to have to avoid the homeless shit every morning whilst walking to work.

Original poster
DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 20:56

JambonetFromage · 15/08/2025 20:32

I think "movie New York" is so iconic it is quite difficult for regular New York to live up to it. I didn't hate it by any stretch but every minute should feel like living in a rom-com, right?

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yes! This was pretty much what my friend said.

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Original poster
DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 20:57

jeaux90 · 15/08/2025 16:42

athens what a shithole

My sister felt so underwhelmed by Athens.

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Piggywaspushed · 15/08/2025 20:57

chachahide · 15/08/2025 20:55

The only time my husband has ever seen a human shit in the street is San Francisco.

He was in a really nice hotel but used to have to avoid the homeless shit every morning whilst walking to work.

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Sounds likely.

ChicOliveCritic · 15/08/2025 20:57

Egypt: I fell in love with but in some parts was also underwhelmed. Loved Luxor and Hurghada. Valley of the Kings. 🥰 The Pyramids were so underwhelming. Loved the Egyptian museum in Cairo.

Los Angeles and Vegas: Very cliché. As was Dubai. The levels of poverty in Los Angeles. You literally stroll down the walk of fame, past the Kodak Theatre, turn left and it's like a ghetto. To see such stark differences in such close proximity to an iconic landmark was shocking.

Morocco: Agadir and the Atlas Mountains were stunning.

Italy ❤️. Rome (like Luxor is an open air museum). Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥.

Mexico: Tulum. The pictures don't do that place justice. 🥰

itsgettingweird · 15/08/2025 20:58

Macaroni46 · 15/08/2025 17:14

Malta

Interesting. My dad lived in Malta for a few years (about 65 years ago!) and when I was mooting it as a holiday he told me “not to bother!”

MrsLizzieDarcy · 15/08/2025 20:59

I didn't rate The Algarve. We went in peak season but the sea wasn't remotely inviting and the beaches disappointing. Wouldn't ever go back, twice was enough.

Prague. Too many shops selling tourist tat and full of drunk men on stag do's. The city itself is stunning but it's been ruined by tourism.

Doitrightnow · 15/08/2025 20:59

Disneyland Paris.

I've been to Disney in Florida and expected better things from Paris. It is sooooo expensive and loads of rides were broken or shut, queues were insane (why would anyone queue for two hours for Peter Pan's Flight?!). I just felt like they were ripping everyone off by using the Disney name.

I truly believe that Peppa Pig World is much better.

Original poster
DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 21:01

SitOnHisFaceIfHeDiesHeDies · 15/08/2025 17:06

What did she hate about New York OP? I loved the experience but must admit it took me by surprise. It's a very rough city. Lots of litter and weed etc. I thought it would be a bit more cared for. I also found the pizza quite sickly. Great people though!

I think she found it a lot more gritty and less romantic than she expected. I loved it when I went right enough.

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Orangesandlemons82 · 15/08/2025 21:01

Split. The seafront was beautiful, but absolutely stunk of sewage and when we looked over the edge there was a sewage pipe pouring into the sea. There were so many restaurants and cafes along the front, I can't understand how people were managing to sit there with that smell.

Original poster
DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 21:01

Berlinlover · 15/08/2025 17:14

Chicago. I nearly got mugged in broad daylight. The St Patrick’s Day parade was fun but I was so relieved to get home.

My sister lives near Chicago and said it’s wild in parts. Loves Illinois but finds Chicago itself quite intimidating.

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cadburyegg · 15/08/2025 21:03

Istanbul - went there for a day with my mum and we couldn’t get out quick enough. Horrible, leery men. I was only 17. I’d never go back.

Paris, went there for NYE once, seriously underwhelming. The Eiffel Tower lit up is not remotely exciting.

bittertwisted · 15/08/2025 21:03

Berlinlover · 15/08/2025 17:12

Noooo! Athens is amazing, when did you visit?

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Agree. Love Rome and Athens for very different reasons

cadburyegg · 15/08/2025 21:04

Also, Southend, my friend dragged me there. Beach seriously uninviting.

Therealjudgejudy · 15/08/2025 21:04

New York was also very hit and miss for me

Original poster
DarcyDear · 15/08/2025 21:09

Covidwoes · 15/08/2025 20:53

Blackpool. Absolute shithole.

blackpool is awful but my kids love it.so every year we make the trip there, and my husband sits in the car cursing us all 😂

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suki1964 · 15/08/2025 21:09

Nope

Not trying to be superior but I really suss out where we are going, what we can expect etc

Saying that we are for Prague in a few weeks and I am apprehensive, but it is what it is and we will go and find stuff that suits us and we will have a great time

Only one holiday in 30+ years that we have come home from and thought shit

Firstshoes · 15/08/2025 21:11

TheAmusedQuail · 15/08/2025 19:55

Mallorca. Too many cyclists. Massively over rated. Inland is OK but the coastal resorts are mostly just tacky. Traditional food is good tho.

Switzerland. Unless you like skiing, boring as hell. Beautiful but boring. Food is rubbish too.

Ibiza. Beyond awful. Tacky. Chavvy. Urgh.

USA. Violent. Racist. Very very capitalist. Tacky. Ignorant. (New Mexico was lovely.)

Greece (which I didn't hate but...). Scruffy. Loads of half finished buildings. Even local foods in tourist areas was awful.

Wow, just wow 😲