Do I just go home?

[DoIgohome]

I've been on holiday for 2 days. I hate where I am (European city).

A lot of issues.
I can't find any good places to eat in a walkable distance.
My hotel is pretty grotty (not dirty, just old).
Hotel in a dodgy area and I don't feel safe going outside early morn or into the evening.
Weather is temperamental.
The city is grotty and definitely not one I like.

I've talked to holiday provider about at least moving hotels but they've refused. I've spoken to 2 different people.

Do I just give this up as a bad job, lose about £1500 and get a flight home? I can't afford another holiday anytime soon.

I'm not much of a crier but I cried tonight. I've travelled alone before so I'm usually a very confident traveller.

Could it be Israel ??

Hard disagree. Italy is one of my favourite countries to visit. I have been several times - to a different place each time.

No, I don't think she would have said "European city" if it was.

Hope you're OK today OP.

"most of Italy is a shithole" Extraordinary.

doh ! I missed that !!

😉 that's all she'll narrow it down to!

I bet its London

Sounds like Athens to me.
They’re still recovering from the financial crisis and it’s obvious in Athens with people living on the streets or in tents. Turn a corner and you’re in a shanty town. The acropolis area is beautiful but exhausting to visit and the rest of the city is modern and has lots of dirt/graffiti.
Even the island tourist spots seem to be barely getting by with lots of tat for sale and people (taxi drivers) ready to rip you off.
Add heat exhaustion and dehydration if you’re not used to high temperatures and you’re bound to feel a bit defeated.
Wherever you are, OP, my advice is to find an air conditioned museum you’re interested in, take a book, have a relaxing lunch and go window shopping in the city centre. You must have had a reason to book the holiday in the first place.

I don't know why you won't say where in Europe you are it's not as if you are going to offend anyone plus if you say where others might of been there and point you in the right direction for another hotel etc etc

Thing is, cities are not resorts. They all have ordinary, ugly and sometimes grotty bits. Because they are not theme parks but actual places people live and work.

I do a lot of European holidays by train and learnt never judge a city by tne area around the train station. They are at best dull and functional and at worst grotty and a bit intimidating (Brussels Midi I am looking at you!).

Think about this logically, there must have been a reason why you chose to go to this city for a holiday - what sights or experiences were you interested in? Research those and walk (or get a cab) to those areas, take a look round and see the place in a new lighy. Find the tourist info office and get their advice on activities for a solo or nervous traveller..

If you don't like the hotel.rhen go online and find another one (I can't work out what the issue is here- is it fine but a bit tired or the area is one you don't like that much?).

Finally do not use what ever travel agent you used again - £1.5k for a single person city break in Europe in what sounds like a two star hotel.seems astoundigly bad value.

Also on the "temperamental weather" city breaks are great for that as there are always things you can do indoors if it is raining/too hot. It is not like you are stuck at a remote beach reaort with nothing to do if it is raining.

Oh well! Have a good trip home.

If this was me I would pack a day bag and order a taxi straight from the door of the hotel to a nice area. Go sightseeing. Or go to book myself into a nice spa for the day to relax. Spend all day in a nice coffee shop. Or go for a nice meal.

Then in the evening order a taxi to the door of the hotel.

Hope you have now booked your flight home OP! The £1500 is gone now anyway so it’s pointless spending even more money to try and salvage the holiday if you are going to be miserable.

One thing I always do is check out the location of hotels on Google streetview before I book anything. Gives a good idea of what’s around the local area. I also read loads of reviews on different sites e.g Tripadvisor, Expedia etc…I do a lot of European city breaks and one thing I have noticed is that the hotels offered as part of a package deal are often not that great. You can get far better value and choice booking the flights and hotel separately.

" @MadisonAvenue · Today 08:01
@Gonners · Yesterday 21:54
Can anyone think of a UK city with only one station?
Wolverhampton

Oxford (Water Eaton doesn't count...) 😀

Oh please, if OP had said where she was she’d have had 15 pages of yelling that it’s the most beautiful city and what an uncultured clown she must be for not loving it.

Or, pages of practical help, guidance and specific ideas

Get the hotel to order you a taxi to places in the morning 😊 get up, eat brekkie, leave hotel in taxi.

If it was Rome I also stayed round the main station which was incredibly rough. I was with my husband though so even though we didn’t go out at night as too tired from seeing everything in the day I know exactly how you feel.

i would not have enjoyed being in that area alone.

Taxi to everywhere 😊 and I’m so sorry you’ve been upset, it’s so hard feeling let down by holidays as they cost so much and there’s so much invested in them

Most of us millennials came of age in the days of grotty 18-30’s holidays and backpacking in the days where all you had was a lonely planet and an internet cafe to figure things out - we’ve survived many holiday disasters!

The anonymous forum whose members are colloquially referred to as vipers?

OP: hope you can salvage something, even if you go back early as staycation at home.

Well, if everyone is a "viper", I'm not sure what you're doing on here.
Or if you've even read this thread

I did wonder when I posted, it's been a while. Not that I used to hang round there!

Thank you to those who have replied with understanding.
For the record, I am not a 'Millennium Snowflake' (horrible term btw). I live alone in a disadvantaged area, have travelled alone to around 20 countries and I'm very self sufficient. However, having around 40 homeless people directly outside my hotel who were acting incredibly erratically has not been something I'm comfortable with. I'm used to cities with homelessness, drug problems etc but I'm not used to having to literally get through a huge group of homeless people to get to the door.

Also for the record, yes I did plan this trip well and there was absolutely nothing to suggest this would be the case so I'm guessing the situation has got much worse over recent months.

To the poster who basically said no wonder you travel alone, that post says more about you than me. I'm guessing some people really enjoy kicking someone when they're down.

Well I'm still here and I'm out and about today. Still don't like the city at all even though I've come to different parts. I'm travelling to a town that is supposed to be nice tomorrow.

Thanks for the kindness some have shown. I'm pretty sure the rest of you would think differently about things if it was your daughter, sister or mother.

Read your own words back.

OP asked for help and 15 pages later she has been insulted and mocked. If she had said where she was the response would have been a more targeted insulting and mocking.

The fact you are actively trying to insult and mock me right now simply proves that OP made the right decision.