Most disappointing holiday/tourist destination/attractions?
Discussion
bad company said:
I agree with the op about Las Vegas, I thought it was horrible but many seem to love it. Florida is also over rated imo.
ALL of Florida - or just Kissimmee/Disney which is what most of us Brits consider Florida?Just asking as I've holidayed in Florida many times, Naples is lovely, Fort Augustine really interesting and steeped in history, Mount Dora is a quaint little town, Tarpon Springs is worth a day trip etc.
Always amazes me the amount of Brits that visit Florida and don't see much outwith the theme parks! (please don't take that as a dig against you, just a general observation).
yellowbentines said:
Cancun/Riviera Maya in Mexico. I thought it resembled any mass manmade resort destination in Southern Spain but instead of loud drunk Brits its full of loud drunk Americans, it takes longer to get there, and the hotels cost more.
Even Chichen Itza is ruined by being surrounded by 5000 stalls hawking knock-off football strips, crap jewellery and genuine rustic trinkets.
Agree with Chichen Itza (Chicken Pizza as the tour reps call it) but don't agree with Riviera Maya. Love it. Get to Tulum.Even Chichen Itza is ruined by being surrounded by 5000 stalls hawking knock-off football strips, crap jewellery and genuine rustic trinkets.
yellowbentines said:
bad company said:
I agree with the op about Las Vegas, I thought it was horrible but many seem to love it. Florida is also over rated imo.
ALL of Florida - or just Kissimmee/Disney which is what most of us Brits consider Florida?Just asking as I've holidayed in Florida many times, Naples is lovely, Fort Augustine really interesting and steeped in history, Mount Dora is a quaint little town, Tarpon Springs is worth a day trip etc.
Always amazes me the amount of Brits that visit Florida and don't see much outwith the theme parks! (please don't take that as a dig against you, just a general observation).
First one for me is Florence. That's possibly a bit unfair on Florence, but of all the places I went to on business over the course of a decade of very frequent travel, that was the one which was completely and utterly over-hyped by everyone I mentioned it to before going. The Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral square were OK, but I was expecting so much from the way everyone had reacted to mention of the place that it was probably never going to be able to live up to it.
Bologna and Turin, on the other hand, I knew nothing at all about before arriving, and were a pleasant surprise. Any self-respecting PHer should try to stay at the Meridien Lingotto hotel in Turin at least once, btw. It's the old Fiat factory, and the jogging track on the roof is the old test track from which they jumped the mini to the next building in the Italian Job.
Second one would be anywhere I've ever been in the States. I went expecting - again based on what I'd heard - to be treated like a king everywhere I went, only to find that all you really get is a fake smile and a condescending script, with actual proper customer service if you need anything other than that featuring in their scripted scenarios being non-existent. I find it to be infinitely better in the UK and anywhere else I've been in Europe or Asia.
Lastly, any large amusement park any time other than when your kids are on an Inset day. I took my daughter to Chessington on an Inset day a few years back. We didn't have to queue for even a couple of minutes on any ride, although it was a bit frustrating that they wouldn't let us just stay on the rides for a few laps rather than having to go all the way through the empty queuing switchbacks again. That was great. Standing looking at a sign saying "you are currently 90 minutes away from your 30 second ride" is anything but.
Bologna and Turin, on the other hand, I knew nothing at all about before arriving, and were a pleasant surprise. Any self-respecting PHer should try to stay at the Meridien Lingotto hotel in Turin at least once, btw. It's the old Fiat factory, and the jogging track on the roof is the old test track from which they jumped the mini to the next building in the Italian Job.
Second one would be anywhere I've ever been in the States. I went expecting - again based on what I'd heard - to be treated like a king everywhere I went, only to find that all you really get is a fake smile and a condescending script, with actual proper customer service if you need anything other than that featuring in their scripted scenarios being non-existent. I find it to be infinitely better in the UK and anywhere else I've been in Europe or Asia.
Lastly, any large amusement park any time other than when your kids are on an Inset day. I took my daughter to Chessington on an Inset day a few years back. We didn't have to queue for even a couple of minutes on any ride, although it was a bit frustrating that they wouldn't let us just stay on the rides for a few laps rather than having to go all the way through the empty queuing switchbacks again. That was great. Standing looking at a sign saying "you are currently 90 minutes away from your 30 second ride" is anything but.
had ham said:
On a personal level, as a place I'd nominate Las Vegas - was expecting it to be far more fun - instead I found it dirty, trashy, and pretty horrific
Vegas isn't dirty by a long shot, or even remotely trashy these days. It's a family destination, the only thing it's missing is a Disneyland. It's not been "sin city" for some time and is now just an alter to consumerism.OK, North LV and Henderson are pretty dodgy, but that's the same with all American cities as they like to shove all the poor and ethnics into quarters.
However the things worth in Las Vegas are outside of Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Mt Charleston and the like.
For me, I hate so-called party destinations, Ibiza, Bali, Tijuana. Mostly because of the type of people that congregate there.
Blackpool. Stopped by on the way to the Lakes in 1996 to ride the Pepsi Big Max (sic) and wasn't prepared for the acreage of tat (an avenue of soap star legends along the promenade) even though I've done my time in Hastings, Brighton, Margate etc.
Pisa - as others have mentioned, it's too full of tacky vendors hassling you for cheap tat even within the grounds of that Tower, a Tower that does not admit children under 16 and for which the day tickets had a four hour delay for entry.
Vegas - mixed feelings. The flippers are annoying but easy to ignore. The shopping extensive but not what I went for. The Venetian comfy but the gondolas are not really a faithfull replica (despite what Stephen Fry described on his US tour programme - really went down in my estimation because of that).
However, if you're visiting as party and properly relaxed aka pished, then I can see any of all of these places being a hoot.
Pisa - as others have mentioned, it's too full of tacky vendors hassling you for cheap tat even within the grounds of that Tower, a Tower that does not admit children under 16 and for which the day tickets had a four hour delay for entry.
Vegas - mixed feelings. The flippers are annoying but easy to ignore. The shopping extensive but not what I went for. The Venetian comfy but the gondolas are not really a faithfull replica (despite what Stephen Fry described on his US tour programme - really went down in my estimation because of that).
However, if you're visiting as party and properly relaxed aka pished, then I can see any of all of these places being a hoot.
Barcelona, went a few years ago on a stag do, I was realy looking forward to it as I'd heard great things about the place, we did the cultural thing aswell as the nightlife so I feel that I got a good idea of the place, it wasn't just a weekend being completely pissed.
I came away with the view that it was a s
t hole, Las Ramblas in particular was just a dump, all the side streets smelt of piss, at night it was full of prostitutes and pick pocketers and generally the place smelt of sewage.
Never again.
I came away with the view that it was a s
t hole, Las Ramblas in particular was just a dump, all the side streets smelt of piss, at night it was full of prostitutes and pick pocketers and generally the place smelt of sewage.Never again.
Crossflow Kid said:
Where did you stay/visit and what time of year?........
.......I found the Mona Lisa completely underwhelming.
Small, dark and kept well back from the viewing public. Definitely not worth shuffling through a ten-deep crowd for.
I should perhaps qualify my opinion - it was a while ago, so things may have changed, and I was there for a weekend only, as I found myself in that part of the world on business for two and a half weeks - and perhaps the weekend gives you a slightly different perspective? It was May/June if I recall, and I'd have to do some digging to recall the name of the hotel - suffice to say, it was huge, anodyne, and lacking in any sort of character - the exact opposite of what I look for in a hotel........I found the Mona Lisa completely underwhelming.
Small, dark and kept well back from the viewing public. Definitely not worth shuffling through a ten-deep crowd for.
Perhaps the gods of tourism conspired to bring all those things together to create an overall dislike of the place and a reticence to go back? If I'm in the US, there's so much more to see to make any effort to return to LV.
Completely agree on the Mona Lisa, very underwhelming, too high mounted, behind glass (for the obvious reasons), with a general melee in front of it. The Louvre has so many other worthwhile things to see!
Years ago (20 or so) we went to Cuba and went on a coach tour, part of which was a visit to a market which the tour guides kept raving about.
When we pulled up in the coach there were two small stalls - one selling dodgy looking vegetables the other rough cuts of pork that had more fat than meat ........ and that was it!
When we pulled up in the coach there were two small stalls - one selling dodgy looking vegetables the other rough cuts of pork that had more fat than meat ........ and that was it!
Halong Bay, Vietnam. Was totally underwhelmed for a natural wonder of the world.
Pictures make it look incredible (mostly taken from the air admittedly)
There are around 2000 boats operating day tours, the air is thick with diesel smoke.
It was overcast and chilly which didn't help.
Pictures make it look incredible (mostly taken from the air admittedly)
There are around 2000 boats operating day tours, the air is thick with diesel smoke.
It was overcast and chilly which didn't help.
Edited by cbmotorsport on Tuesday 20th February 12:00
Welshbeef said:
Stone henge tiny
https://youtu.be/OXypyrutq_MHollywood for me. I thought it'd be really exciting and glamorous when I first went, it's not...
Vegas was fine in a 'see it once' kind of way, as was Dubai - Glad I've been to both, no desire to go back really.
Naples is a mixed bag, but parts of it have real character and bits are really nice - Again, though, I wouldn't rush back, but few places do make me feel I must see them again and again.
I used to hate Paris, as an earlier poster said, but I worked there on and off over a couple of years and it really grew on me.
Stuff like Harry Plopper World, Legoland, Disney Universe, etc, have never appealed, so I've never been.
M
Edited by marcosgt on Tuesday 20th February 12:19
Not that many...
Toronto - felt sterile, the lake setting very uninspiring, and as such is my least favourite big city.
Acropoli of Athens after having climbed to the top - mainly because it looked so amazing from below but at the top it's just a good viewpoint with ruins.
I can also imagine Stonehenge for many but then I never expected much, so never got dissapointed and hardly stopped for more than 5 minutes.
Toronto - felt sterile, the lake setting very uninspiring, and as such is my least favourite big city.
Acropoli of Athens after having climbed to the top - mainly because it looked so amazing from below but at the top it's just a good viewpoint with ruins.
I can also imagine Stonehenge for many but then I never expected much, so never got dissapointed and hardly stopped for more than 5 minutes.
Kermit power said:
First one for me is Florence. That's possibly a bit unfair on Florence, but of all the places I went to on business over the course of a decade of very frequent travel, that was the one which was completely and utterly over-hyped by everyone I mentioned it to before going. The Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral square were OK, but I was expecting so much from the way everyone had reacted to mention of the place that it was probably never going to be able to live up to it.
I've been to Florence a couple of times, and love it. I was lucky enough to go as a kid on a school trip, and our History of Art teacher was a passionate, energetic and knowledgeable chap. Best tour guide ever. Unfortunately he was outed as a paedo a few years later...but that's irrelevant.
cbmotorsport said:
Kermit power said:
First one for me is Florence. That's possibly a bit unfair on Florence, but of all the places I went to on business over the course of a decade of very frequent travel, that was the one which was completely and utterly over-hyped by everyone I mentioned it to before going. The Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral square were OK, but I was expecting so much from the way everyone had reacted to mention of the place that it was probably never going to be able to live up to it.
I've been to Florence a couple of times, and love it. I was lucky enough to go as a kid on a school trip, and our History of Art teacher was a passionate, energetic and knowledgeable chap. Best tour guide ever. Unfortunately he was outed as a paedo a few years later...but that's irrelevant.
I suppose I did spot a Lamborghini police car so that was quite good I suppose but other than than won't be rushing back
Kermit power said:
First one for me is Florence. That's possibly a bit unfair on Florence, but of all the places I went to on business over the course of a decade of very frequent travel, that was the one which was completely and utterly over-hyped by everyone I mentioned it to before going. The Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral square were OK, but I was expecting so much from the way everyone had reacted to mention of the place that it was probably never going to be able to live up to it.
Bologna and Turin, on the other hand, I knew nothing at all about before arriving, and were a pleasant surprise. Any self-respecting PHer should try to stay at the Meridien Lingotto hotel in Turin at least once, btw. It's the old Fiat factory, and the jogging track on the roof is the old test track from which they jumped the mini to the next building in the Italian Job.
The hotel in Turin is now part of the NH group, but the recommendation is spot-on - it's possible to catch a lot of the sights in Turin just by using locations from the Italian Job. Both Turin and Bologna are less touristy than their neighbours, and much better for it..Bologna and Turin, on the other hand, I knew nothing at all about before arriving, and were a pleasant surprise. Any self-respecting PHer should try to stay at the Meridien Lingotto hotel in Turin at least once, btw. It's the old Fiat factory, and the jogging track on the roof is the old test track from which they jumped the mini to the next building in the Italian Job.
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